In Beaver Creek

Swiss victory – ÖSV only lags behind

Justin Murisier triumphed in the downhill on Friday.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

The Swiss men's skiers are well-positioned in the Alpine World Championship season. Even the third consecutive retirement of super-G winner Marco Odermatt in a World Cup giant slalom did not prevent them from winning, Thomas Tumler was on hand with his premiere victory in Beaver Creek on Sunday. On Friday in the downhill, Justin Murisier had also taken a similarly surprising victory. The Austrians, on the other hand, only just managed their first podium finish of the season in Colorado.

The following day, super-G bronze medallist Lukas Feurstein was just a spectator in the second giant slalom run, as was his cousin Patrick Feurstein. Without Manuel Feller, who had to stay at home due to hip pain, and Marco Schwarz, the ÖSV team didn't have much more to show than tenth place for Stefan Brennsteiner in the second giant slalom of the season. As with his failure in Sölden, the man from Salzburg impressed with his fast momentum, but two more serious mistakes in the decision meant that his attack on the front ranks came to nothing.

Stefan Brennsteiner

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

However, the ÖSV athlete was not entirely dissatisfied. "It actually went very well - apart from the two huge bucks I shot." He attacked the way he wanted to. "Maybe I set it up a little too aggressively. If you take away those two mistakes, I would have been well ahead." Brennsteiner admitted, of course, that reading coffee brews like that doesn't help. "It is what it is. But now I have a result for once." These are his first points in Beaver Creek on his fourth attempt. He wants to build on this before Christmas in Val d'Isere and Alta Badia.

Murisier and Tumler made Brennsteiner do it before
33-year-old Brennsteiner is still without a World Cup win, as was the case for 32-year-old Murisier and 35-year-old Tumler before this weekend. Both can now say that it pays to keep at it. Tumler was on the verge of ending his career four years ago after suffering a slipped disc. "It was a difficult time and it took a lot of energy to come back," explained the veteran. It was important for him to regain confidence in his abilities. "I'm proud that I never gave up."

Thomas Tumler celebrated his maiden victory.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The young husband, who was clearly ahead after race one, saved a 0.12-second lead over Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and spoke afterwards of an "incredibly beautiful story". He probably had a premonition of sorts when the 2024/25 World Cup calendar came out. "I said to my wife, awesome, I'm going to win Beaver Creek." Third place in 2018, his first career podium, had given him the motivation and belief to do so. "Unbelievable, it's like a dream. I'm super proud that I managed to get the intermediate lead down."

Odermatt: "Special weekend"
 Odermatt was as happy with Tumler as he had been two days earlier with Murisier, who had been successful after a long history of injury, making his third consecutive giant slalom loss of the season at least a little easier to swallow. "This is a special weekend with three Swiss victories." The 27-year-old couldn't quite explain his own lapse. "I changed the set-up and then I was kind of surprised. It happened quickly." However, he was not worried because it worked great in training.

Marco Odermatt

(Bild: Getty Images/APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Christian Petersen)

In any case, Swiss men's head coach Tom Stauffer had nothing to complain about with the outstanding result: "The cool thing is that there are three different winners, that's so strong." There are a few more promising people in the speed disciplines, such as Franjo von Allmen and Arnau Boisset. "They will come, they just need time. It will certainly take a season or two for them to get there." You also have to bear in mind that Murisier, for example, is not yet 30 after his active years due to his injury breaks and is therefore the perfect age for the speed disciplines.