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Niels Hintermann wins the downhill in Kvitfjell after a messed up season so far. The ball decision is meanwhile postponed.
The podium
- 1. Niels Hintermann (SUI) 1:44.62 minutes
- 2. Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT) +0.08 seconds
- 3. Cameron Alexander (CAN) +0.19
It hadn’t been Niels Hintermann’s season so far. Until now. Because in Kvitfjell, the 28-year-old from Zurich, who celebrated his first World Cup downhill victory at this location two years ago, finally achieved a top performance again. Hintermann showed a flawless ride in which he was able to keep the skis in tension almost everywhere. With the previously leading Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr, he fought a neck-and-neck race until the end, which he won by eight hundredths at the finish.
As a result, driver after driver failed because of Hintermann’s mark, and no one could shake the podium. The Zurich native celebrated his third World Cup victory after a two-year dry spell. With second place, Vincent Kriechmayr was also in the top 3 for the first time this season. It’s a podium finish that will probably bring relief throughout Austria. The proud skiing nation had missed the podium in all seven descents of the season before Kvitfjell. There was a threat of the first winter ever without an Austrian downhill podium. Kriechmayr has now put an end to this crisis.
The podium was completed by Cameron Alexander, an athlete who feels at home in Kvitfjell like being behind. He also celebrated his first and only World Cup victory in Norway two years ago, at the same time as Hintermann, and now the Canadian was able to climb the podium for the third time in his career.
Ball decision postponed
Due to Cyprien Sarrazin’s cancellation of the downhill run in Kvitfjell due to injury, Marco Odermatt could have secured the discipline ball with a victory before the World Cup final in Saalbach, Austria. But the man from Nidwalden couldn’t keep up with the fastest in Norway. On a route that was not optimally tailored to his abilities, Odermatt ultimately finished seventh, 0.75 seconds behind. His lead over Sarrazin in the downhill rankings is 42 points before the last race.
The other Swiss in the points
- 5. Franjo von Allmen +0.43 seconds
- 7. Marco Odermatt +0.75
- 9. Joshua Mettler +0.77
- 15. Justin Murisier +0.96
- 18. Stefan Rogentin +1.09
- 21. Arnaud Boisset +1.22
- 24. Alexis Monney +1.26
As is often the case in Kvitfjell, the rankings were mixed up by drivers with high starting numbers. This includes, for example, Franjo von Allmen. The 22-year-old from the Bernese Oberland took a sensational 5th place with start number 28, ahead of the great Odermatt. It is by far the best downhill result in Von Allmen’s young career, which secures him a place in the World Cup finals in his debut season in the World Cup, where only the best 25 riders in each discipline are allowed to start. With starting number 32, Joshua Mettler also made it into the top 10.
This is how it continues
Part 2 of the speed weekend in Kvitfjell is on Sunday. From 11:55 a.m. you can follow the Super-G live on SRF. The technical specialists will then travel to the USA, where a giant slalom and a slalom are on the program in Palisades Tahoe next weekend.