Switzerland's Marco Odermatt has begun his FIS Alpine Ski World Cup downhill title defence in imperious style, securing victory in the season-opening race at Beaver Creek, Colorado. The dominant force in men's skiing finished ahead of the United States' Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who delivered a stellar performance to kickstart his campaign for the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Odermatt's Dominance Continues on Shortened Course
Odermatt mastered a tricky, shortened Birds of Prey course to finish in a time of 1 minute 29.84 seconds, edging out Cochran-Siegle by a margin of 0.30 seconds. Norway's Adrian Smiseth Sejersted completed the podium in third place. The race conditions were unusual, with the finish line moved uphill due to insufficient snow for proper safety netting, making it barely visible from the spectator stands.
Reflecting on his 11th career race on the course, Odermatt described his run as perfect, stating he successfully attacked the steeper sections and maintained speed on the flatter terrain. This victory marks his fifth World Cup downhill win and extends a remarkable consistency; he hasn't finished outside the top seven in a World Cup downhill since 2023.
Cochran-Siegle Emerges as American Standard-Bearer
For Ryan Cochran-Siegle, the result represents a significant milestone. The 32-year-old is the first American to podium in a World Cup downhill at Beaver Creek since Steven Nyman in 2014. The last American to win there was the legendary Bode Miller back in 2011. "It's cool to stand among those legends," said Cochran-Siegle, a super-G silver medallist from the 2022 Beijing Games.
His performance underscores a career built on resilience. A member of American skiing's famed Cochran family—his mother, Barbara, won Olympic slalom gold in 1972—Cochran-Siegle has overcome a broken neck and major knee injuries. Now, he has become a consistent threat in speed events, with 28 top-10 finishes in downhill and super-G in recent seasons.
When asked about catching the seemingly unstoppable Odermatt, who has won the last four overall World Cup titles, Cochran-Siegle admitted, "How do you catch him? I don't know. I think the rest of the world's still trying to figure that out."
Notable Returns and a Scare on the Slopes
The race also featured the highly anticipated return of Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. Competing in his first downhill since a horrific crash in January 2024 that required surgery for a calf cut, nerve damage, and two torn shoulder ligaments, Kilde finished a respectable 11th. "I'm super happy with how I could control things today," he stated, expressing satisfaction with his comeback feeling.
There was concern for Slovenia's Rok Aznoh, who suffered a scary crash near the race's conclusion. He was transported to hospital for evaluation of head and knee injuries.
In other results, third-placed Sejersted celebrated his first-ever World Cup downhill podium, adding to two previous super-G top-three finishes. Due to an unfavourable weather forecast, organisers have moved the scheduled super-G race to Friday, with a giant slalom event set for Sunday.
