The “Odi-Mania” started in Beaver Creek: Odermatt even overtook King Roger

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For Marco Odermatt, today’s return to Beaver Creek (USA) is something very special: the Nidwalden resident achieved his first World Cup victory in Super-G on December 6, 2019 at the infamous “Birds of Prey”.

The special thing about it: Because the then 22-year-old with starting number 2 made a serious mistake after about 30 seconds of driving, he never dreamed that he would be able to triumph with this performance. “At the finish I just hoped that this trip would be enough to at least win a few World Cup points.”

Marco’s father Walti’s first reaction was almost identical. «I watched the first minutes of this race in the office. After Marco’s ride I was sure he would not be able to achieve a top position with it. That’s why I got into the car after starting number 6 and drove to the public viewing that the fan club organized at the airport in Ennetbürgen. When Odermatt Senior arrived in the “Nidair” he was completely perplexed because his Marco was still sitting on the leader’s throne at Beaver Creek. Ultimately, Odermatt won this memorable race by a tenth ahead of Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

The fulfillment of a last wish

And this Sinterklaas Day also marks the birth of ‘Odi-Mania’, which at times takes on almost terrifying proportions. The down-to-earth blonde from Lake Lucerne is suddenly considered a saint. Shortly after the first heroic act at Beaver Creek, Odermatt’s manager Michael Schiendorfer received a very special request. «The family of a terminally ill man from the Solothurn region told us that the father’s last wish in life was to meet Marco. In fact, Marco fulfilled the patient’s last wish by visiting him in the hospital.”

Odermatt still has to do the dirty work

This connection with the people, coupled with excellent sporting achievements (24 World Cup victories, two-time overall World Cup winner, Olympic champion and world champion), means that Odermatt even overtakes millennial athlete Roger Federer (42) in the Swiss popularity rankings.

AC Nielsen, a world leader in data and analytics, has conducted research on behalf of Swiss Ski main sponsor Sunrise which shows that Odermatt was more popular among the Swiss population than the eight-time Wimbledon winner last spring.

The research also shows that the tennis god has made up ground again this summer. Currently, Federer and Odermatt are practically equal. “The sporting successes of Odermatt and Federer are of course extraordinary and have given them a high degree of popularity. But what seems even more important to me is that they both have a friendly, down-to-earth nature that many people in Switzerland can identify with,” says André Krause, CEO of Sunrise.

Walti Odermatt knows why his son never loses his balance despite his enormous successes. «Marco has the same circle of colleagues as before the start of his successful series. He lives in a shared apartment with his childhood friend Gabriel Gwerder. And Gabriel expects Marco to clear the room even after a big win.”

Source : Blick