Whether it's downhill, super-G or giant slalom, Marco Odermatt is always one of the favorites when he competes in the World Cup. This is no different in Val Gardena/Gröden, although the Swiss is still waiting for his first victory on the Saslong.

Odermatt appeared relaxed after the two downhill training sessions, in which he came in second and 40th. Despite an unusual start to the season for him, with failures in the first two giant slaloms, the Swiss ski star remains calm: “I won in Beaver Creek and Val d'Isère, so it's not that bad. I feel good.”

Odermatt's coolness is hardly surprising, because whenever the 27-year-old has finished a race this season, he has always excelled: in three races, the exceptional skier has already captured two victories and a second place. He would like to build on these results in Val Gardena/Gröden – and finally break the Swiss winless streak of 13 years. The last triumph of a Swiss on the Saslong was celebrated by Beat Feuz in 2011, when he won the super-G.

“Yes, we haven't won here often. The Saslong is not an easy course, it doesn't have many steep sections where you can pick up speed. In addition, it doesn't forgive mistakes, which is why you have to be on full throttle from top to bottom,” explains Odermatt.

While many of his competitors study videos of the man who dominated in Val Gardena/Gröden, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, Odermatt takes a different approach: “The course changes from year to year and there is always something new. This year, for instance, there are many waves again. I don't spend too much time thinking about it, I just try to focus on myself.”

The reigning overall World Cup winner has already proven that this strategy can work many times over, even without winning on the Saslong. He has three podium finishes to his name: in 2023 he came third in the super-G and downhill, and in 2022 he came second in the downhill. Another top result seems only a matter of time...