Swiss skier Marco Odermatt made his mark at the world championships in Courchevel, France with his first gold medal win in the downhill event. Despite being the top-ranked super-G and giant slalom skier, Odermatt had no prior World Cup downhill wins before this victory. He managed to secure the gold by a mere 48 hundredths of a second over the Norwegian favorite, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.
Odermatt had faced disappointment in the days leading up to the downhill, finishing fourth in Thursday’s super-G. However, he was determined to bounce back and did just that, earning himself a well-deserved gold medal.
Kilde, who had won five of the eight World Cup downhills this season, was leading Odermatt by two tenths of a second at the first intermediate split. But he gradually lost time over the final 80 seconds of the course, allowing Odermatt to secure the gold.
Canadian skier Cameron Alexander was a surprising bronze medalist in his first Olympic or world championships race. Alexander has one World Cup top five under his belt, a downhill win from last March.
This thrilling downhill event proved to be a highlight of the world championships and a testament to the talent and determination of Swiss skier Marco Odermatt.
