Generational talent Odermatt bids to cement legacy with downhill gold

Jan 7 : In a sport ‌where races are decided by the tiniest of margins and injury is never more than a heartbeat away, domination is unusual - which makes Swiss racer Marco Odermatt's reign as the king of men's Alpine skiing all the more remarkable.

The 28-year-old will arrive at the Milano Cortina Olympics as the most complete ski racer of his generation and red-hot favourite to embellish a career laden with trophies and records.

Odermatt has been the overall World Cup champion for the past four seasons, during which time he has also topped the giant slalom standings four times, the super-G three times and has twice won the downhill globes.

By his standards he ‌ended 2025 in slightly disappointing fashion, missing the podium in World Cup races in Alta Badia and ‌Livigno, but he remains streets ahead of the field.

Odermatt chalked up his 50th career World Cup win in the downhill at Val Gardena in December and reached the turn of the year with a huge lead in the overall World Cup standings after five victories - two in downhill, two in giant slalom and one in super-G.

That downhill victory in a fog-affected race in Val Gardena was only his sixth in downhill, whereas he has 28 in giant slalom - the event regarded as the purest of all disciplines.

Odermatt has gone on record as saying he does not have any ‍dreams left to pursue in ski racing, having already achieved more than he could ever have imagined when he first took to the slopes at the Hergiswil Skiclub near his birth town of Stans.

However, the chance to add to the one Olympic gold he took in giant slalom at the Beijing Games four years ago will drive him on, and one title in particular, the downhill, is tantalising.

He has made no secret of shifting focus to the ​speed