This mistake cost Dominik Paris the Kvitfjell victory

Dominik Paris was on his way to winning the downhill in Kvitfjell. But the Ultner made a mistake that prevented him from achieving a top position. This means that the battle for the small crystal ball has probably been decided.

17. February 2024

From: cst

Marco Odermatt, Cyprien Sarrazin or Dominik Paris. Before the Kvitfjell weekend, these 3 athletes still had the chance to win the small ball for the Downhill World Cup. But because Sarrazin (6 points behind) is out after a training crash and Paris (18th) made a mistake on the first descent, the race is probably decided. Odermatt will win the Downhill World Cup.

The Swiss didn't have an optimal race on Saturday and had to settle for 6th place. With a win and 100 points, Paris would have come closer (he was 187 points behind before departure) and would have had a minimal chance of winning crystal. But the Ultner veteran made a fatal mistake in the upper part. Paris slipped on the inside ski, but was able to avoid a fall and ended up “only” one second behind winner Niels Hintermann. Vincent Kriechmayr was not the only one who was of the opinion in the ORF interview that “Paris would have destroyed everything today”.

Hintermann wins at his favorite place

This is how Hintermann grabbed the victory. The Swiss has so far had one World Cup triumph to his name - two years ago in Kvitfjell. Hintermann was 2 hundredths faster than Vincent Kriechmayr, who finished second to avoid a historic embarrassment for Austria. In the 8 downhills so far, no red-white-red athlete has been on the podium. If that had happened in the 7th downhill run in a row, it would have been an unprecedented negative record. The Canadian Cameron Alexander (he won at the same time as Hintermann in 8) completes the podium in third place.

Niels Hintermann celebrated his second downhill victory in Kvitfjell. © APA/afp / STIAN LYSBERG SOLUM

Florian Schieder (55') didn't get up to speed. The Castelrotto resident doesn't feel particularly comfortable in Kvitfjell anyway, plus the handicap of the knee injury. Christof Innerhofer (21st), on the other hand, can be happy. The veteran from Gais in Pustertal didn't make it to the top, but continues to be involved in the midfield. By the way, the best Azzurro was Guglielmo Bosca (14th).

On Sunday (12 p.m.) we continue with a Super-G in the far north.