Alpine ski World Cup 23/24: Cyprien Sarrazin crowns amazing season with second Kitzbühel downhill win
The French skier claimed back-to-back downhill victories at Kitzbühel racing to his fourth speed victory of the season. Swiss superstar Marco Odermatt settled for second place and Dominik Paris third.
Alpine Skiing
A new star is born: Cyprien Sarrazin.
The Frenchman showed as much, winning back-to-back downhill races on the famous Hahnenkamm mountain in Kitzbühel, Austria, on Saturday (20 January).
The 29-year-old now boasts four speed race victories – three in the downhill and one in the Super G – in as many weeks on the Alpine skiing FIS World Cup circuit.
Sarrazin’s impressive run over the last few weeks signals a threat to world downhill champion Marco Odermatt’s hegemony in speed racing. Their tit-for-tat battle for the top of the podium is a classic rivalry in the making.
Odermatt came out on top in both last week’s downhill races on home snow in Wengen, edging Sarrazin into second place on both occasions. Sarrazin wreaked vengeance on Odermatt in Kitzbühel, winning consecutive downhill races.
Wearing bib number seven, Odermatt briefly held the lead at the top of the standings before Sarrazin knocked him off his perch with a blistering run of one minute, 52.96 seconds (1:52.96) to claim the victory. Odermatt had to be content with second place, 0.91 behind the Frenchman. Italy’s Dominik Paris rounded out the podium 1.44 adrift.
“This is definitely the best moment of my life, for sure!” Sarrazin told Eurosport after the race.
While Odermatt still holds a massive 496-point lead over Sarrazin at the top of the overall World Cup standings, only six points separate the two in the downhill stakes.
Sarrazin's sudden rise has been nothing short of spectacular, with the former giant slalom specialist developing a taste for speed. Before this season, Sarrazin only had two career podiums in technical races. He boasts six this season alone.
Meanwhile, German Thomas Dressen, who won the 2018 downhill in Kitzbühel retired from the sport in his 79th World Cup race.
Kitzbühel, FIS World Cup: Results from men's downhill, 20 January 2024 (top 10)
- Cyprien Sarrazin (FRA) 1:52.96
- Marco Odermatt (SUI) +0.91
- Dominik Paris (ITA) +1.44
- Stefan Babinsky (AUT) +1.69
- Maxence Muzaton (FRA) +1.72
- Vincent Kriechmayr (AUT) +1.73
- Alexis Monney (SUI) +1.75
- Nils Allegre (FRA) +1.76
- Stefan Rogentin (SUI) +1.84
- Christopher Neumayer (AUT) +2.08