Marco Odermatt of Switzerland clinched a narrow victory in the men's World Cup super-G at Kitzbühel on Friday, beating teammate Franjo von Allmen by just 0.03 seconds. The win, on the iconic Streif course, marks Odermatt's second consecutive super-G triumph at the Hahnenkamm and bolsters his Olympic preparations. Austrian Stefan Babinsky took third, providing some home consolation.
Odermatt's razor-thin super-G victory in Kitzbühel
Marco Odermatt (SUI/Stöckli) kicked off the Hahnenkamm race weekend with a thrilling win in the Audi FIS World Cup super-G on January 23, 2026, down the demanding 2.1km Streif course in Kitzbühel, Austria. Racing under brilliant sunshine, the 28-year-old world champion clocked 1:08.41, edging out young teammate Franjo von Allmen (SUI/Head) by a mere three-hundredths of a second for a Swiss one-two—the second of the men's speed season.
The top 10 finishers were separated by just 0.57 seconds, showcasing the intense competition on one of alpine skiing's most famous tracks. Odermatt, the leader in the super-G, downhill, giant slalom, and overall standings, delivered a flawless top section and reached 142.9 km/h on the finish stretch—the day's fastest speed—despite minor errors in the mid-section. This marked his 53rd World Cup victory, eighth of the season, and 17th in super-G, tying him with Aksel Lund Svindal for second on the all-time list.
"It was very close, so naturally I'm satisfied," Odermatt told ORF television. "It really wasn't a flawless run. The top and the final section were good, but in the middle and the traverse, I wasn't on the line I actually wanted to ski."
Von Allmen, 24, secured his second podium of the Hahnenkamm weekend and third straight super-G podium, having previously finished second to Odermatt in Val Gardena's first downhill.
"No it was not the perfect run, Marco was faster, just a couple of hundredths," von Allmen said.
Austrian Stefan Babinsky (AUT/Head) claimed third, 0.25 seconds back, for his second consecutive World Cup podium after a career-best in Lauberhorn the prior week. Raphael Haaser (AUT/Atomic) followed in fourth, while Norway's Adrian Smiseth Sejersted (NOR/Atomic) recovered from a dramatic twisted jump at Seidlalmsprung to finish fifth, 0.36 seconds off the pace.
"It feels great. Last week was a very special moment... I tried to go in to today and concentrate on myself, do my plan," Babinsky said.
Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT/Head), the 2021 local winner, placed seventh after a scrappy top section. Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde withdrew due to a back injury from a 2024 Wengen crash, though he eyes a return in Crans-Montana next week.
Swiss racer Arnaud Boisset crashed on the Seidlalm jump but finished unharmed. Odermatt now leads super-G standings by 158 points over Kriechmayr and holds a 587-point overall advantage. The victory, worth 101,000 euros, signals strong Olympic intent for the February 6-22 Milano Cortina Games in Bormio, Italy, where men's alpine events will unfold. Saturday's downhill, starting at 11:30 CET, draws over 50,000 fans, with Odermatt targeting his first win there.
"This is awesome, I definitely lost less energy than last year on this day," Odermatt said. "So hopefully I am ready tomorrow."
FIS head Johan Eliasch praised the event: "It's the best that we have... This beats anything, any event in the world."
