Experts predict a different winner: that’s why Odermatt is one of the outsiders in Zermatt

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Series victories are no guarantee for a gigantic quality of life. After a particularly impressive triumph in December 2021, Marco Odermatt put it this way in an interview with Blick: “This success certainly does not make the coming years more relaxing for me, because people probably only expect victories from me in the future.”

Since then, the man from Nidwalden has proven several times that he can handle expectations very well. Especially at the last World Championships in Courchevel, when he won gold in the downhill with a century ride after the disappointment in the Super-G. But before the World Cup premiere on the Matterhorn, the two-time overall World Cup winner can start again with a little less pressure.

Feuz does not predict Odermatt as the winner

Experts such as Olympic champion Beat Feuz do not see Odermatt among the top favorites on the “Gran Becca”, but rather in the role of outsider. “In my tip for this race, Odi is in the top 5, but not the winner.” The four-time World Cup downhill winner’s reasoning: “On most other descents there is at least one section where Odi can gain a lot of time with his excellent technique. That doesn’t exist here.” The Graubünden speed legend Dani Mahrer gives another reason that speaks against the Matterhorn triumph of the 26-year-old superstar: “On a route with so many slides, a high body weight is a big advantage. And in this area Odermatt stands clearly behind the big boys like Niels Hintermann or Dominik Paris.”

Comparable to Val Gardena and Andorra

Odermatt weighs just under 90 kilos, while the man behind him from Zurich and Paris, Italy weighs over 100 kilos, and the Norwegian super moose Aleksander Aamodt Kilde also exceeds the 100 kilo limit. The statistics from last winter also provide an interesting clue: Odermatt was in the top 4 six times in nine descents. The exceptional skier from Lake Lucerne only performed outside his norm in the original descent in Val Gardena (7th place) and in the final in Andorra (15th place) – apart from the shocker in Kitzbühel when he finished the steep slope after the best finish. interim failed.

The “Saslong” and the slope in Andorra contain slides of comparable length to the “Gran Becca” in Zermatt-Cervinia. And that is why it would actually be a surprise if Odermatt were to celebrate his first World Cup victory in the most important discipline here. By the way, ‘Odi’ himself sees it this way: ‘The really good gliders, which also carry one or two kilos more, will have an advantage on this descent.’

Source : Blick