The men’s downhill run in Saalbach-Hinterglemm was canceled due to wind and poor piste conditions. The downhill crystal ball goes to the Swiss Marco Odermatt.
All efforts in Saalbach-Hinterglemm were in vain. The last race of the Alpine Ski World Cup season has been canceled.
This means the winner of the downhill ball Marco Odermattfor 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 could no longer intervene when they were 42 points behind. The first winless season for the ÖSV downhill riders after 2015/16 is also fixed.
The slope was broken
After the snowfall during the night and heavy equipment being used, 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 that, although loud Markus Waldnerthe FIS chief men’s race director, “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 it’s the same for both of us better than an unfair race. I think he can live with that and will definitely attack even more next year.”
He himself has the ball – his first in the “supreme discipline” – won over the entire season, emphasized Odermatt. “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: as only the third racing driver in the 57-year history of the World Cup he won four crystal balls (Overall, giant slalom, super-G, downhill). So far only had that Pirmin Zurbriggen (five 1986/87) and Hermann Maier (four each in 1999/2000 and 2000/01).