Four balls beckon

Ready to collect: “Odi” starts crystal games!

Marco Odermatt wants to clear four globes, just like last year.

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

As in the previous season, Swiss high-flyer Marco Odermatt is chasing four crystal globes - the one in the super-G has already been secured early, and he could win two more this weekend in Kvitfjell, Norway. The 26-year-old is following in the footsteps of Hermann Maier.

Kvitfjell translates as "white mountain". And for Austria's men, the place where the tiresome winless streak of 35 races without making it to the top step of the podium should finally come to an end. There are three chances on the 1994 Olympic course, with the first downhill race taking place on Friday. It's also about second place in the Nations Cup - head coach Marko Pfeifer's declared last goal of the season: "The Swiss are currently in a different league - but we want to get the Norwegians, that's our goal."

They are currently just one point behind the "moose". Nine races before the end of the season, it is clear that there will be no crystal for the red-white-red men this year - neither in the Nations Cup nor in the individual disciplines.

Odermatt can make a big splash in Kvitfjell.

(Bild: GEPA)

Also because one of them will be scoring big again: Marco Odermatt. Last year, the Swiss was only the fourth skier in history after Jean-Claude Killy, Pirmin Zurbriggen and Hermann Maier to win four globes in one season - only Maier has achieved this feat twice before. For now. Because Odermatt is right on course and, after an outstanding season including eight World Cup victories, could already pick up the first three bullets in Kvitfjell.

Casse departure brings first bullet
The one in the super-G, the third in a row, is already fixed following the premature departure of Mattia Casse, who crashed in training due to injury. The fourth overall World Cup in a row (only Marcel Hirscher has managed this so far) has been a formality for weeks anyway. And in the downhill, "Odi" is 73 points ahead of Franjo von Allmen and could ideally clinch everything on Saturday.

"It's looking good," smiles the 26-year-old, who is also ahead in the giant slalom (41 points ahead of Henrik Kristoffersen) and could put a tick under this ranking next week in Hafjell. This would increase "Odi's" crystal account to a total of 13 after this season, with only Marcel Hirscher (20), Ingemar Stenmark (19) and Maier (14) ahead of him in this list.