Marco Odermatt (SUI\/Stoeckli) added a 48th victory to his World Cup record on Thursday by winning the first Men's Downhill race of the Audi FIS World Cup season in Beaver Creek.
The two-time Downhill Crystal Globe winner was the 11th athlete to attack the Birds of Prey course on Thursday and overtook race leader Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA\/Head) with a winning time of 1:29.84.
Wearing bib number 4, Cochran-Siegle was in pole position with a time of 1:30.14 with minimal errors before 28-year-old Odermatt overcame a side wind to glide through the sections and finish 0.30 of a second faster.
Adrian Smiseth Sejersted (NOR\/Atomic) finished third behind Cochran-Siegle with 1:30.53.
Cochran-Siegle\u2019s second place on Thursday is the first time in more than 10 years that a U.S. skier has stepped onto the podium in Beaver Creek since Steven Nyman finished third here in 2014.
\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of years trying to do this,\u201d said Cochran-Siegle.
\u201cIt\u2019s funny, I feel like when you\u2019re trying less hard, it actually kind of comes your way. Still learning, 33 years old and I\u2019m still learning every day.\u201d
Sejersted\u2019s result on Thursday is his first Downhill World Cup podium and the third top-three finish of his career from 114 World Cup starts.
\u201cI knew I had a good chance today, and I made a good run. I just hoped it was fast (enough),\u201d said the Norwegian.
\u201cI\u2019m very satisfied. Beautiful day."
Thursday\u2019s race was originally scheduled for Friday but organizers brought the race forward by one day due to forecasted inclement weather.
Odermatt admitted that training for the race was difficult due to low visibility in the days beforehand, which influenced his race plan.
Odermatt\u2019s victory in Beaver Creek on Thursday comes after he won the Super G season-opener in Copper Mountain last week.
The Swiss speed skier also won the Giant Slalom season-opener in S\u00f6lden in October, making Thursday\u2019s victory his third consecutive season-opening win.
The 28-year-old said his latest victory gives him confidence for the rest of the season.
Odermatt\u2019s Beaver Creek win is his fifth World Cup win in the Downhill discipline after the racer secured his first Downhill victory on home snow in Wengen in 2024.
On top of his double Downhill World Cup Globe honors, Odermatt has also won the GS Globe four consecutive times and the men\u2019s Giant Slalom at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
Fellow Swiss skier and 2025 Downhill World Champion Franjo von Allmen (SUI\/Head) finished fourth on Thursday, while Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT\/Head) rounded up the top five.
Last year\u2019s Beaver Creek winner Justin Murisier (SUI\/Head) finished in 21st position, one spot behind Niels Hintermann (SUI\/Atomic) whose race on Thursday marked his first since the 30-year-old was diagnosed with lymph node cancer in October 2024. Hintermann was the first skier from a field of 64 to attack the Birds of Prey course on Thursday, posting a time of 1:31.63.
Famed for its difficulty and speed \u2013 especially its Golden Eagle high speed jump \u2013 the Birds of Prey course first hosted a Downhill World Cup in 1997. Thursday\u2019s race marked the 25th edition of the Beaver Creek race. Odermatt was runner-up in Beaver Creek in 2024 and 2022.
The next Downhill World Cup will take place in St Moritz between 10 and 14 December.<\/p>\n