In his tenth participation in Downhill in the World Cup, Cyprien Sarrazin triumphs in the Stelvio. The 29-year-old French skier confirmed what he showed in training and achieved his second victory and third podium in the World Cup. His two previous podium finishes were a victory in the parallel slalom in Alta Badia in 2016, and a second place in the Alta Badia Giant Slalom in 2019.
Only Marco Odermatt has represented a real threat to Sarrazin's victory finishing +0.09 seconds behind. Cameron Alexander finished in third place +1.23 seconds behind the French.
Cyprien Sarrazin is the first French skier to achieve a victory in the Men's Downhill World Cup since Adrien Théaux won in Santa Caterina on December 29, 2015. He also secured today the first French Downhill victory on the Stelvio since Luc Alphand won in 1996.
"I feel great. I did the best race of my life today. It worked out from A to Z, just as I wanted it to and I'm enjoying it a lot. It's a little crazy though. It means so much to me after all my injuries. Now I’m skiing the way I always wanted to ski", Sarrazin said.
Marco Odermatt still has to wait for his first triumph in a World Cup Downhill. The 26-year-old Swiss won his first Downhill race in Courchevel to become world champion at the 47th Alpine World Ski Championships but has yet to win a downhill event in the Alpine Ski World Cup. For the eighth time, he finished in second place.
It is his 57th podium in the World Cup and his 11th in Downhill.
"It was one of my best Downhills ever. I really thought I did a winning race, but the hundredths have never been on my side on the Downhill. I don't know how many podium places it is with less than two-tenths behind. But I can't blame myself, it was the perfect ride. Everything worked out the way I wanted. I risked a lot and was extremely on the limit. But one of them was faster", Odermatt said.
26-year-old Canadian Cameron Alexander achieved today her second Alpine Ski World Cup podium. He won in the first Downhill held at Kvitfjell on March 4, 2022. He shared the first place in the podium with Niels Hintermann.
"I am happy. I knew it was going to be a fight today. It’s Bormio, so you have to fight all the way down. It wasn't easy. Props to Cyprien and Marco, they obviously skied really well", Alexander said.
From an Austrian perspective, the last Downhill of the year in Bormio was overshadowed by Marco Schwarz's crash. The World Cup overall leader fell in the middle section of the challenging Stelvio and slid towards the safety fence. Schwarz had to be transported by helicopter.
Later Ski Austria announced that the Alpine Ski World Cup season had ended for Marco Schwarz. The 28-year-old Carinthian tore a cruciate ligament in his right knee today during the last Downhill of the year in Bormio.