Marco Odermatt skis through fog to 50th World Cup win, taking Val Gardena downhill

Marco Odermatt found moments of clarity on a foggy day in the Italian Dolomites to race to victory in a World Cup downhill on Thursday.

A 50th career World Cup win for the Swiss generational talent came 50 days before the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Olympics where Odermatt shapes to be a star.

"It's a crazy number," Odermatt said. "I had an incredible season start with a fifth victory already. But I'm not a guy who looks too far ahead."

Odermatt rode the bumps and rolls on a shortened version of the Saslong course in Val Gardena to finish in one minute 24.48 seconds, 15-100ths faster than teammate Franjo von Allmen, the reigning world champion. Italian veteran Dominik Paris was third in 1:24.67.

Sunshine lit the bottom half of the course where Odermatt, wearing bib No. 14, was decisively fast to win a race that started 75 minutes late because of fog shrouding the top of the course.

There was a short delay for fog minutes after No. 6 starter Von Allmen set the fastest time and touched 129 kilometres per hour, then a longer stoppage once the top-ranked racers completed their runs.

Odermatt acknowledged seeing his Swiss teammate's time was "tough to beat. I started a little bit faster and those hundredths were exactly the difference."

Switzerland's Marco Odermatt wins his 5th World Cup race of the season in Val Gardena

There was a longer stoppage for fog once the top-ranked racers completed their runs, then the race was interrupted again when No. 45 starter Fredrik Moeller had to be airlifted from the course. He crashed hard on his back while setting a fast time that matched Odermatt.

Minutes later, using the improving light, No. 47 starter Nils Alphand threatened a shock by leading at halfway. He placed