ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. December 29th, 2023, By Ellie Hartman, Skiracing.com

The men came back today prepared to conquer the challenging Bormio hill, with similar flat light, bumpy micro terrain and icy conditions. With a very GS-like course, the men had to be rhythmic, moving through each turn with aggression, while standing strong on the outside ski. Marco Odermatt once again displayed his magnificence, securing victory with a nearly perfect run on Stelvio.

In the previous season, Marco Odermatt from Switzerland showcased his dominance in the Bormio super-G by winning the race with a remarkable lead of over six-tenths. However, this season, the leading athlete crossed the finish line with an astonishing lead of -0.98, leaving the competition far behind. This marked his 11th super-G victory of his World Cup career.

He stated, “Everything is working well, and I have good confidence. The equipment is perfect, and it allowed me to stay consistent and push,” he continued, “I am very happy to write a part of Swiss history.”

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, wearing bib-9, showed aggressive, controlled chaos throughout the course. Attacking the panels, the Norwegian was eager to come back and prove himself after not finishing the downhill yesterday. He was disappointed after he hit a rock on the course the day before and was ready to achieve a podium finish. Kilde came through the finish -0.51 ahead of the Swiss athlete, Loic Meillard. He finished the day rounding out the podium in 3rd-place.

It was a big day for Austrian Raphael Haaser, earning his second World Cup podium. His only other podium finish was another 2nd-place result on the same super-G hill in 2021. Today was an improvement from his 17th-place finish the weekend before in the Val Gardena/Gröden super-G.

Haaser stated, “I’d made a few mistakes on the top, and on the bottom, but all in all it was a very solid run. It was pretty similar [to yesterday]. I hope to continue like that.”

The winter season arrived, and Haaser was riding high after achieving a career milestone last year. He secured an impressive third place in the combined race at the World Championships held in Meribel, France.

By Ellie Hartman
skiracing.com

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