Sarrazin’s Epic Double Domination at the Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm Downhill

Cyprien Sarrazin dominated for the second day in a row on the famous Streif in the Hahnenkamm-Rennen Downhill! His remarkable achievement of winning both downhill events in a single weekend has etched his name in history, making him the eighth racer to accomplish this feat. Additionally, he became the second Frenchman to achieve this milestone at the famous Kitzbühel downhill World Cup.

He stated, “I don’t have the words. This is F***ing crazy!” 

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In front of a crowd of over 30,000 spectators, Sarrazin displayed tremendous confidence from the start gate through the finish corral. He sent it through each section, bashing downhill gates and taking risky lines. He did not hold anything back. It paid off for the 29-year-old, who is experiencing a breakout season. 

His excitement in the finish radiated through the crowd, significantly when he jumped onto the airbags and celebrated the joy of his success. “It was the best feeling ever. I saw the green light, so I jumped on the airbags! I enjoyed every moment,” He stated. 

Odermatt

Marco Odermatt was the 7th racer to take on the Streif and was cooking through every section. The current overall World Cup leader continues to show that he understands the tactics of where he wants to hang onto the outside edge and where to let the skis run. 

He came through the finish with a substantial lead, -1.31 ahead of the finished racers. This enormous lead had most people thinking that he had grasped the win, but he was not in the leader chair for long. Sarrazin was the next athlete down and dominated by another -0.91. 

Paris

Dominik Paris of Italy came through the finish +1.44 behind Sarrazin to round out the podium. This was Paris’s third podium finish of the 2024 season. 

The athletes endured the weather yesterday, but today, it could not have been a better day for racing: a cloudless sky, bulletproof snow and better light throughout the track. As a result, there were noticeable time differences across the entire field.

North Americans

Five North Americans accelerated into the top 30 on the second day of the Hahnenkamm-Rennen downhill—three from Canada and two from the United States. Stifel US Ski Team athletes Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Sam Morse were the top 2 North American athletes, finishing 16th and 17th. 

Ryan Cochran-Siegle was the top North American of the day. Cochran-Siegle brought the excitement from his 4th-place finish on the inaugural day at Kitzbühel to his run today. Unfortunately, after a fast start, the athlete lost some speed heading onto the flats, which cost him time going into the last sections of the course. He exerted effort to recoup that lost time, successfully doing so in the concluding sections. However, despite his endeavors, they proved insufficient to secure a position within the top 10, but he still finished in a commendable 16th position. 

Sam Morse had his best result of the season on the first day at Kitzbühel, and today, he achieved better with a 17th-place finish. It was a successful two days of racing for Morse, which will ignite his confidence for the rest of the season.

For the Canadian Alpine Team, three of the athletes finished in the top 30: Cameron Alexander (24th), James Crawford (27th), and Brodie Seger (28th). The three athletes showed exceptional skiing throughout the heart-pounding course. 

Stifel US Ski Team athletes Bryce Bennett and Wiley Maple took wider, more timid lines through the course, which cost them time and landed them both outside the top 30.

Unfortunately, Stifel US Ski Team athlete Jared Goldberg and Alpine Canada Alpin athlete Jeffrey Read did not finish their runs today. Neither resulted in injury.

Other Highlights

The French Team had four athletes finish in the top 10. Maxence Muzaton of France shined as he skied his way from bib-25 to a 5th-place result. It was the athlete’s 3rd top 5, with the last 5th place on the same hill in 2020.  

Stefan Babinsky of Austria had an outstanding day of downhill skiing. The day before, he finished outside the point range, but today, Babinsky showed grit and came through just +0.25 off the podium, achieving his first 4th-place downhill result. It marked his third top-5 finish for his career. 

German Thomas Dressen had his retirement run today. He has been scoring on the World Cup downhill circuit since 2015 and decided to make the Hahnenkamm Downhill his last event. The race was emotional, and the veteran just wanted to enjoy his final speed track. He was met at the finish with big hugs, cheers, tears, and champagne showers.

It is celebration time in Kitzbühel! Tomorrow the event will transition to slalom, stay tuned for the preview.

Top 30 Kitzbühel Downhill Results

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Analysis of the Fastest Three and North Americans in the Top 30