The Super-G podium at Kitzbühel: Marco Odermatt 1st, Franjo von Allmen 2nd, Stefan Babinsky 3rd. | Image: FIS Alpine

Marco Odermatt added another milestone to his already glittering résumé on Friday, January 23, claiming his 53rd career World Cup victory with a razor-thin Super-G win on the Streif in Kitzbühel, Austria. On a course where precision mattered as much as raw speed, the Swiss star proved once again why he remains the benchmark in the discipline. Rounding out the podium were his teammate Franjo von Allmen and Austria’s Stefan Babinsky.

Nils Allegre in bib 1 set the pace for the Super-G course with a time of 1:09.13. The Frenchman’s run stood as a solid reference, with four skiers initially failing to match it. Italy’s Dominik Paris, starting in bib 6, was the first to crack the mark, undercutting Allegre by 0.27 seconds. While several racers looked poised to take the lead through the top section, many hemorrhaged valuable time on the demanding lower half of the Streif. Once Paris broke the proverbial ice, the leaderboard began to reshuffle rapidly.

Austria’s Stefan Babinsky, wearing bib 9, surged into the lead by 0.20 seconds over Paris, only to be quickly displaced by Franjo von Allmen in bib 10, who went another 0.22 seconds faster. Babinsky’s teammate Raphael Haaser had to settle in just behind him, while Alexis Monney in bib 12 never found his rhythm, finishing more than a second back. Swiss Ski later confirmed the 26-year-old was battling a cold and not at full strength.

Marco Odermatt won the Super-G in Kitzbühel. | Image: Leki

At full strength, however, was the Super-G World Cup leader Marco Odermatt, who attacked the top section aggressively, built on his advantage through sector two, and carried immense speed through the technical mid-section. Though he gave back some time on the lower part of the course, Odermatt stayed aerodynamic in a deep tuck into the final stretch and snatched the lead from von Allmen by just 0.03 seconds. His winning time of 1:08.41 would not be beaten for the rest of the day.

The highlight of the day, however, belonged to Norway’s Adrian Smiseth Sejersted in bib 17. The 31-year-old rocketed through the top section with a new best time before going off-axis on the Seidlalmsprung, the course’s first jump. A crash seemed inevitable, yet Sejersted somehow recovered mid-air, brought his left ski back into line, and continued at full throttle down the Streif to finish an astonishing fifth—you have to watch the recap to believe it.

Other performances that need mentioning came from Sam Morse and the Alphand brothers, who all had bibs in the 50s and skied into the top 20. Team USA’s Sam Morse charged into 18th place from bib 50, making him the top American finisher on the day. The Alphand brothers also impressed: Sam Alphand finished 16th from bib 51, while Nils Alphand stormed into 13th place from bib 57, earning the Stifel Bibbo Award.

In the end, it was Odermatt’s blend of experience, confidence, and control that made the difference on one of alpine skiing’s most unforgiving stages. With victory number 53 now secured, the Swiss phenom will also be a top contender for tomorrow’s downhill. The pair are the sons of former French ski star—and later race-car driver—Luc Alphand.

Sam Morse skied into 18th place in Kitzbühel today. | Image: Screenshot FIS live coverage