Marco Odermatt didn't even have to enter the starting gate on Saturday. © ANSA / PETER KLAUNZER

Cancellations: Odermatt and Brignone are the ones who fly the balls

At the World Cup finals in Sun Valley, the downhill races were canceled – and this had major consequences: Marco Odermatt and Federica Brignone secured the small crystal globes without a fight.

March 22, 2025

From: do

At 21.01:18 p.m., the news came: The downhill races scheduled for Saturday at the World Cup finals in Sun Valley were finally canceled. Heavy snowfall and strong gusts of wind made a fair and safe race impossible. The organizers and the FIS had tried everything to make the race go ahead. First, the start was postponed from 21 p.m. to 21.30 p.m., then to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. – but in the end, it was clear: It wasn't going to happen today.

And because there are no alternative dates for the World Cup finals, the men's and women's downhill races have been permanently canceled. This has direct consequences for the rankings.

A lot of work was done, but nothing helped. © APA / CHRISTIAN PETERSEN

Before the weekend, Marco Odermatt had an 83-point lead over his teammate and friend Franjo von Allmen. Mathematically, he could have still won – but only if von Allmen had won and Odermatt hadn't made it into the top 14. The cancellation now means everything is clear: Odermatt will also win the downhill globe – his fourth this season, after the overall World Cup, Super-G, and giant slalom.

Hütter and Goggia are left empty-handed

The whole thing is particularly bitter for the women – it could have been a real thriller. Federica Brignone led the downhill standings with 384 points, with Cornelia Hütter just 16 points behind, and Sofia Goggia another 18 points behind. But the showdown didn't come to anything – and Brignone was awarded the globe without a fight.

Federica Brignone didn't have to lift a finger either. © ANSA / ANDREA SOLERO

But you could hardly call it a "gift." The Italian has set the tone all winter and more than earned the globe. And not only that: She now also has an unassailable lead in the overall World Cup. Lara Gut-Behrami was 382 points behind before the weekend – after the canceled downhill, only 300 points remain. This secures the second overall victory of Federica Brignone's career.

What are the next steps?

Saturday was just the start of the event in Sun Valley. The action continues on Sunday with the Super-G – the women's race at 18 p.m., the men's at 19 p.m. Good news: The weather forecast is looking significantly better.

Things will be particularly exciting again in the women's race: Brignone is just five points ahead of Gut-Behrami in the Super-G rankings. This promises to be exciting right down to the last hundredth of a second. In the men's race, Odermatt has already been eliminated – but the spectacular Challenger slope is still likely to cause a sensation. Perhaps the South Tyrolean riders led by Dominik Paris can make another statement.