Franjo von Allmen clinched a World Cup downhill triumph over his compatriot Marco Odermatt on Saturday in their latest 1-2 finish, showcasing the pinnacle of men’s skiing in the lead-up to the Milan Cortina Olympics. Von Allmen secured victory by a mere 0.30 seconds, with both athletes displaying bold and daring performances on the challenging Saslong course in Val Gardena, Italy.
This marked the sixth occasion that von Allmen and Odermatt had achieved a 1-2 finish in the past 10 World Cup downhill races since the Val Gardena event one year prior, including a recent shortened race where Odermatt emerged victorious. Von Allmen expressed his delight at sharing the podium with Odermatt, highlighting the competitive dynamic between them where each takes turns in winning.
The remainder of the field paled in comparison to the Swiss duo, with only the Italian skier Florian Schieder managing to come within a second of von Allmen, trailing by 0.98 seconds on the 3.45-km course. Jack Crawford from Toronto was the highest-placed Canadian, finishing the day in 27th position.
Von Allmen, aged 24, now boasts three career victories in World Cup downhill races, with Odermatt consistently placing second. Odermatt graciously acknowledged von Allmen’s win, expressing contentment with his own second-place finish, following his runner-up position in a super-G event the previous day.
The intense rivalry between the two skiers has seen them both claim gold medals in downhill events at the biennial world championships post the 2022 Beijing Olympics, setting the stage for a potential showdown at the upcoming Winter Games on February 7. The men’s alpine skiing competition at the Olympics will take place in Bormio, where another Swiss competitor, Alexis Monney, emerged victorious in a World Cup downhill last December with von Allmen securing second place.
During the race at Val Gardena, Monney and Ryan Cochran-Siegle of the United States encountered crashes on the unpredictable terrain, while James Crawford executed a remarkable save during a jump. Von Allmen and Odermatt pushed themselves to the limit on the third consecutive race day, with former World Cup overall champion Aleksander Aamodt Kilde opting out of the start as he makes a comeback after a two-year hiatus following a significant crash in January 2024.
Odermatt further solidified his lead in the overall World Cup standings in pursuit of his fifth consecutive title, while von Allmen narrowed the gap in the downhill points tally. The subsequent super-G event did not replicate the surprising outcome from the previous day, with the course favoring late starters due to increased sunshine in the afternoon.
Despite this, lesser-known Swiss skier Alessio Miggiano claimed fifth place with an impressive performance, finishing just 0.06 seconds away from the podium.
