Odermatt’s hunter and new rule: the hottest questions about the new ski season

In the last 50 years, two countries have won this ranking. Austria was victorious 41 times and Switzerland was victorious nine times. No other country will win the ‘Umbrella Stand’ trophy this winter either. Only the Ösis could seriously challenge us. But because there are more winners and podium riders in the Swiss ski team than in the ÖSV, almost everything speaks in favor of the tenth Swiss victory.

On paper, the Norwegians Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Henrik Kristoffersen, the Austrian Marco Schwarz, the Frenchman Alexis Pinturault and the Valais Loïc Meillard are the most dangerous ‘Odi hunters’. But if the man from Nidwalden does not get injured, this five will have to content themselves with outsider roles in the battle for the big ball. Odermatt has gone from strength to strength compared to his overall World Cup victories in 2022 and 2023.

That’s unthinkable given the power of Mikaela Shiffrin. Although Gut-Behrami finished second in the overall World Cup last winter, her lead over the American star was enormous (1217:2206). Without injury or an orgy of losses, Shiffrin can hardly take away the big ball.

Niels Hintermann has one downhill victory to his name so far. In preparation for the coming winter, the Zurich native has made so much progress that we can expect a series of top results in the highest discipline from the 28-year-old.

Delia Durrer has a lot of potential to shine on the speed tracks. The 20-year-old is not expected to achieve any podium finishes (yet), but she could certainly make it into the top 10. In the technical disciplines, Camille Rast should not be missing, who is back on the right track after injuries and a failed equipment change. She still has to fight her way up the start lists. If she can do that, the top 3 will be waiting soon.

From a purely sporting point of view, these are the classics in Kitzbühel, Wengen, Adelboden and Schladming. The premiere of the Matterhorn descent also attracted great interest from the international media. Zermatt residents have so far accredited 150 journalists, equivalent to the size of Adelboden.

This winter, eight races will take place in Switzerland. Zermatt, St. Moritz and Crans-Montana are the destinations. Otherwise there is a colorful racing mix. In addition to the Matterhorn descents, Mont-Tremblant in the Canadian province of Quebec is on the calendar for the first time.

The new washing rule! The FIS has banned waxing with fluorine-containing products for ecological reasons. After the competition, the skis are therefore tested with a measuring device for the fluorine content at the tip, in the middle and at the end. If the device flashes red three times, disqualification will follow. The big problem: The newly designed device gave incorrect readings in several tests because it confused regular emulsion with fluorine. And one more thing: because the skiers’ skis are not checked, there is a risk that they will introduce fluorine into the ideal line if the race is interrupted, which could lead to the banned substance getting stuck on a racing ski surface.