All efforts in Saalbach-Hinterglemm were in vain. The last race of the Alpine Ski World Cup season has been canceled. This means that the winner of the downhill ball is called Marco Odermatt for the first time; for the Swiss, it is the fourth crystal this winter after the one for the overall World Cup, in the Super-G and giant slalom. The Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin was no longer able to intervene when he was 42 points behind. The ÖSV downhill skiers experienced another winless season after 2015/16.
After the snowfall during the night and the use of heavy equipment, intensive work was carried out for hours on the slope, which was broken in some places. In addition, strong, gusty winds arose during the morning and the safety of the runners and fairness were not guaranteed. It was the only one of the eight races in the World Championship dress rehearsal, which lasted over a week and a half, that could not be carried out. And this despite the fact that, according to Markus Waldner, the FIS chief race director for men, “we have experienced all four seasons here”.
Mixed feelings
After the cancellation, Odermatt spoke of “mixed feelings” between him and his last remaining competitor Sarrazin. “But we both prefer that to an unfair race. I think he can live with that and will definitely attack even more next year.” Odermatt emphasized that he himself had won the ball – his first in the “supreme discipline” – over the entire season. “I drove very well. I had my best weekend in Wengen, he had his in Kitzbühel. It was a great battle.”
Only with a win at the end could Odermatt have improved last year’s World Cup points record of 2,042 by five points. The 26-year-old still achieved a special mark: he became only the third racer in the 57-year history of the World Cup to win four crystal globes (overall, giant slalom, super-G, downhill). Only Pirmin Zurbriggen (five in 1986/87) and Hermann Maier (four each in 1999/2000 and 2000/01) had previously achieved this.