Marco Odermatt delivered another masterclass on the brutally demanding Birds of Prey piste Sunday, charging to his third straight Super-G victory in Beaver Creek and underlining once again why he is the most dominant speed skier on the planet.
The Swiss superstar stopped the clock in 1:09.78, beating a resurgent Alex Vinatzer of Italy by 0.36 seconds and edging Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, who claimed the final podium spot just 0.04 seconds further back.
In a race defined by razor-thin margins — only 0.40 seconds separated Odermatt from fourth-placed Loïc Meillard (Switzerland) — the Olympic and double world champion showed why the combination of his physical power, tactical precision and ice-cold nerves remains unmatched in the speed disciplines.
“It’s one of my favorite hills in the world,” Odermatt said after becoming the first man since Hermann Maier (1999–2001) to win three Super-Gs in a row at Beaver Creek. “Every time I come here I feel something special. Today the snow was aggressive, the course was turny and demanding, but I managed to stay on the limit the whole way.”
Vinatzer, better known as a technical specialist, produced the ride of his career to secure his first-ever World Cup podium in a speed event. The 26-year-old from South Tyrol attacked the steep pitch from the start, carrying enormous speed through the Golden Eagle jump and holding his nerve across the abrasive surface that shredded edges all weekend.
“This is crazy — I never expected a podium in Super-G,” a stunned Vinatzer said at the finish. “I just tried to ski like I do in slalom training, stay forward and push every turn. Today everything clicked.”
Kristoffersen, who already has two giant slalom podiums this season, rounded out the podium with another reminder that the Norwegian all-rounder is finding his top speed form just in time for the winter’s major championships.
Home fans had hopes for American stars River Radamus and Ryan Cochran-Siegle, but both struggled with the aggressive, injected snow. Radamus finished 16th while Cochran-Siegle placed 22nd on a day when only perfect execution was rewarded.
With the victory — his 43rd in the World Cup and 15th in Super-G — Odermatt extended his lead in both the overall and Super-G standings as the men’s circuit now heads to Europe for the classic pre-Christmas speed weekend in Val Gardena/Gröden and Alta Badia.
For Odermatt, Beaver Creek has become a personal playground. Three wins in three years, each more convincing than the last.
“I don’t know what it is about this mountain,” he smiled, “but I hope it keeps liking me back.”
