Swiss skier Marco Odermatt achieved a milestone Wednesday, securing his 50th career World cup victory in the downhill race at Gröden, Italy – a competition that also marked the 1000th World Cup downhill event overall [[1]]. The race, delayed by fog adn briefly halted due too a crash involving Norwegian racer Fredrik Möller, saw Odermatt narrowly defeat teammate Franjo von Allmen, continuing a recent trend of Swiss dominance on the slopes [[2]]. Odermatt’s win underscores his position as a leading contender heading into the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Marco Odermatt siegt in Gröden vor Franjo von Allmen und Dominik Paris.Bild: keystone
Marco Odermatt claimed his 50th World Cup victory on Wednesday, winning the downhill race at the 1000th World Cup downhill event in Gröden, Italy. The Swiss skier edged out teammate Franjo von Allmen for the top spot, with Italy’s Dominik Paris rounding out the podium.
December 18, 2025, 11:17December 18, 2025, 16:21
Starting with bib number 14, Odermatt engaged in a thrilling duel with Von Allmen on the shortened Saslong course. The pair were separated by a mere 15 hundredths of a second at the finish line. This marks the second consecutive year Odermatt has triumphed over Von Allmen in Gröden.
The victory was Odermatt’s sixth in downhill competition and came in his 182nd World Cup start. He previously won a downhill race earlier this season in Beaver Creek. Von Allmen, four years younger than Odermatt, secured his ninth World Cup podium finish. Veteran racer Dominik Paris took third, having won the Gröden downhill event in 2023.
The Swiss team enjoyed a dominant performance, with all ten starters finishing in the top 30. Alexis Monney finished ninth, followed by Marco Kohler in 11th, while Alessio Miggiano surprised with an 18th-place finish, earning his first World Cup points.
Niels Hintermann (20th), Justin Murisier (22nd), Lars Rösti (26th), Livio Hiltbrand (28th), and Stefan Rogentin (30th) also collected points. However, Aleksander Kilde struggled in his fourth race since returning from injury, finishing 42nd with a time 1.56 seconds behind Odermatt.
The anniversary race – encompassing 542 men’s and 458 women’s downhill events – was delayed by over an hour due to fog. Racing was briefly interrupted during the competition due to limited visibility and a serious crash involving Norwegian racer Fredrik Möller. (riz/sda)
