Odermatt crashes the ÖSV party in Sölden

The Men's Ski World Cup opened on Sunday with a spectacular giant slalom in Sölden. After a long wait, Marco Odermatt snatched victory on the Rettenbachferner glacier.

26 October 2025

From: dl

Following Julia Scheib's victory the day before, Odermatt spoiled the ÖSV's total party in Sölden. The Swiss dominator beat Austrian Marco Schwarz by 24 hundredths of a second, thus triumphing for the third time at the ski opening. For Schwarz, it was his first podium finish in almost two years. The 30-year-old from Carinthia had endured a long period of suffering following his cruciate ligament tear in Bormio in December 2023.

This very season, Schwarz had a long battle with Odermatt in the overall World Cup. Will ski fans get to see that duel this year? In any case, Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath finished third on Sunday.

Marco Schwarz reported back. © APA / EXPA/JOHANN GRODER

Schwarz and the halftime leader Odermatt had to wait an hour in Sölden on Sunday. Due to the snowfall and fog, it was unclear for a long time whether a second run could even take place.

Vinatzer makes a leap forward

Alex Vinatzer was the best Azzurro in eighth place. After a botched first run (21st), the Val Gardena native made a big leap forward in the final. Vinatzer took a big risk in the second run and achieved the third-best time. However, the 26-year-old couldn't quite match his fifth place from the previous year.