FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Disciplines: Super-G

Raúl Revuelta
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Super-G, along with Downhill, is considered a "speed" event, unlike the technical events such as Giant Slalom and Slalom. It debuted as an official Alpine Ski World Cup event in 1983 and was included in the official schedules of the 1987 World Championships in Crans-Montana and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Super-G was introduced as a World Cup test event during the 1982 season, featuring two men's races and one women's race that did not contribute to the season standings. Approved by the International Ski Federation (FIS) that summer, the Super-G was officially launched at the World Cup level in December 1982 at Val-d'Isère, France, where Swiss athlete Peter Müller claimed victory. The first official women’s Super-G took place a month later in early January 1983, with consecutive events held in Verbier, Switzerland. Irene Epple of West Germany won the first women’s race, and the following day, Cindy Nelson of the United States secured victory on a different course.

For the first three seasons, Super-G results were added to the Giant Slalom discipline for the season standings. The first discipline's Crystal Globe was awarded in the 1986 season. The inaugural champions were Markus Wasmeier and Marina Kiehl, both from West Germany.

A Super-G should contain a variety of long and medium turns. The vertical drop for a Super-G World Cup course must be between 400–650 m for Men and 4000–600 m for Women.

According to the FIS Specification for Alpine Competition Equipment for the 2025–20256 season (valid from July 2025), the minimum radius for Super-G skis in the Alpine Ski World Cup is 40 meters for Women and 45 for Men; the minimum length is 210 cm for Men and 205 cm for Women. Furthermore, the ski may not be wider than 95 mm at the shoulder of the ski and 65 mm at the waist of the ski.

The Super-G event is contested in one run.

Skiers ranked 1st to 30th are awarded World Cup points in accordance with the following schedule:

Hermann Maier from Austria is regarded as the greatest male Super-G racer. He has achieved 24 World Cup victories and won five World Cup titles in the years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004. Additionally, he earned a gold medal at the World Championships in 1999, held in Vail and Beaver Creek, and won an Olympic gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games.

Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway and Marco Odermatt of Switzerland are tied for second on the list with 17 wins in World Cup Super-G races, and Kjetil Jansrud is fourth with his 13 wins. Svindal won the gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games and his fifth Super-G Crystal Globe in 2014.

Lindsey Vonn holds the Women's record with 28 World Cup victories in the Super-G, along with five discipline titles earned in the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015.

Lara Gut-Behrami has achieved 24 World Cup race victories and six season titles in 2014, 2016, 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025. She also won a gold medal in the event at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Katja Seizinger, from Germany, secured five season titles in the 1990s and recorded 16 World Cup wins in the Super-G discipline.

Sofia Goggia won the last Super-G of the Alpine Ski World Cup season in Kvitfjell and claimed her first career Super-G title. The 33-year-old Italian skier finished in the Top three in the Super-G standings only once last season; this season has been his most outstanding yet, with three wins, two additional podium finishes, and top-ten placements in all eight races. Her 9th place in Val di Fassa was her lowest Super G finish in the 2025-2026 winter season.

In the 2025-2026 winter season, Marco Odermatt clinched his fourth consecutive Alpine Ski World Cup Super-G Crystal Globe. Aksel Lund Svindal and Hermann Maier share the Men's record with five Super-G titles, while Pirmin Zurbriggen won four. The 28-year-old Swiss superstar is the first man since Maier to win three Super-G globes in a row. He holds the Men's record with four Super-G globes in a row from 1998-2001.

The Swiss Ace is the fourth man to win at least 17 World Cup Super-G races, after Hermann Maier (24) and Aksel Lund Svindal (17).