Shooting star and veteran: Franzoni listens closely to Paris

Even the stars are thrilled: According to Marco Odermatt, Giovanni Franzoni embodies the future champion in downhill skiing, and Vincent Kriechmayr also heaps praise on the new speed star. But in Kitzbühel, Franzoni primarily thanks one person: Dominik Paris.

22 January 2026

From: dpa/fop

“He skis incredibly well, he comes from giant slalom like me. I believe that in the future this giant slalom technique will be needed to be at the very top in downhill skiing,” said the Swiss skier about the 24-year-old speed shooting star from Italy, who, with the fastest time in both downhill training runs, also placed himself among the favorites in Kitzbühel.

"He has had incredible speed for the past two weeks and has dominated every training session. He will certainly be very dangerous on Saturday," predicted Odermatt.

"He will certainly be very dangerous on Saturday." Marco Odermatt on Giovanni Franzoni

After Franzoni's maiden Super-G victory in Wengen, the Swiss superstar showed no mercy in the Lauberhorn downhill, relegating Franzoni to third place. "He had an even worse bib number then," Odermatt pointed out. Things are already different in Kitzbühel.

Kriechmayr sees "incredible radii"

According to Vincent Kriechmayr, the notion that years of World Cup experience are necessary for a downhill skier's success was "more common in the past." "These days, the guys come along and immediately go all out. It's quite a sight to behold." Kriechmayr added that Franzoni "always has the ski under his body, maintains constant pressure, and carves incredible turns. He's also a good giant slalom skier, and his self-confidence is naturally quite high." Incidentally, Franzoni can no longer become the youngest winner of a Hahnenkamm downhill. "The Emperor," Franz Klammer, was 21 years and two months old when he won his first of four Hahnenkamm downhill titles in 1975.

“Many of us know that we can drive just as well as he can.” Christoph Innerhofer

The potential of the rising star, who grew up on the southwest shore of Lake Garda, had been known for some time. In 2021, Franzoni won gold in the Super-G at the Junior World Championships, followed a year later by gold in the downhill and combined events. Last December, he achieved his breakthrough with a third-place finish in the Super-G in Val Gardena.

Giovanni Franzoni and Marco Odermatt at the panel discussion in Wengen. © APA/afp / FABRICE COFFRINI

Since Wengen at the latest, the man who once competed in the same age group as South Tyrol's tennis star Jannik Sinner feels he's in the "flow." "Currently, I'm skiing very well and cleanly, and I have a lot of confidence. I'm very optimistic for the weekend." Especially since he has a penchant for technically demanding, high-speed courses like the Streif. "That's perhaps my favorite downhill," Franzoni declared in only his second week of racing in Kitzbühel.

"He is a legend to me." Giovanni Franzoni on Dominik Paris

He has always dedicated his successes to his roommate Matteo Franzoso, who died at summer camp in Chile. He said Matteo was like a brother to him. "I will ski for him my whole life."

A breath of fresh air for the Azzurri

With Dominik Paris (36) and Christof Innerhofer (41), Franzoni also has two downhill veterans on his team. "He's a legend to me," Franzoni said of Paris. "Over the past few years, he's given me a lot of valuable advice. I always listen carefully; his advice is invaluable." The Azzurri are currently pushing each other, Innerhofer added after strong training performances in Kitzbühel. The established skiers aren't giving up on the up-and-comer so easily. Innerhofer: "Many of us know that we can ski just as well as him."