Details

It was almost cinematic: just hours before and during the FIS snow inspection on January 9, winter arrived in Kitzbühel in full force. On the Streif and the Ganslern, deep-powder skis were, for once, the perfect choice. Despite around 20 centimeters of fresh snow, FIS race director Hannes Trinkl was able to get a precise picture of the conditions: “It’s the same every year. You come to Kitzbühel and everything is perfectly prepared—this year is no different. The Streif and the Ganslern are in race-ready condition.”
In the lead-up to the 86th Hahnenkamm Races, the weather showed itself from its best side—and had already done so two months earlier. Herbert Hauser (course chief of the Streif) and Christian Schroll (deputy course chief of the Ganslern) thanked Bergbahn Kitzbühel for the technical snow that had been produced as early as November.
“This allowed us to prepare a large part of the course base already in December,” Hauser explained, also praising the fearless and precise snowcat drivers of the Bergbahn. Even after the FIS course inspection, nothing changed to the detriment of athletes, organizers, or fans: temperatures remained cold and significant precipitation stayed away throughout race week.

The Streif Remains Unpredictable
After the first downhill training, there were occasional voices claiming the Streif had been rougher in the past. But at the latest after Ken Caillot’s crash at the Mausefalle, everyone was reminded that this downhill course must never be underestimated. Fortunately, the Frenchman escaped with bruises. What had already become apparent in Wengen continued in Kitzbühel: Giovanni Franzoni won both downhill training runs.
In the first race, the Super-G, things turned out exactly as many had expected. Marco Odermatt claimed victory ahead of his teammate Franjo von Allmen and Austria’s Stefan Babinsky. The podium closely resembled that of the previous year as well: once again, the Swiss superstar won, flanked by an Austrian (Raphael Haaser last year) and a teammate (Stefan Rogentin).

A Downhill for the History Books
For Marco Odermatt, the Super-G in front of 21,000 fans was little more than a warm-up for the main objective the following day: the downhill in front of 45,000 spectators in a finish arena that had been sold out for days. And that race unfolded in an unusual way.
When start number 2 took the lead, no one yet believed they had witnessed the winning run. But at the latest when start number 12 crossed the finish line just seven hundredths of a second behind in second place—and immediately struggled to hold back tears, not of joy—the crowd knew: something special was happening today. During the flower ceremony, tears finally flowed freely—those of the celebrated winner Giovanni Franzoni, the disappointed Marco Odermatt, and the surprise third-place finisher Maxence Muzaton.
The 24-year-old Italian Giovanni Franzoni has been living through the most emotional period of his life for months. In September, he lost his best friend and teammate Matteo Franzoso in a training accident in Chile. In December, he broke through on the World Cup circuit, and on January 23 he won his very first downhill—of all places, in Kitzbühel.
“I thought about him again at the start,” Franzoni said of Matteo Franzoso, who had been like a big brother to him. “I wish so much that I could be here with him, and I race for him. What happened here today is incredible and so emotional.”
At the evening awards ceremony at the Red Bull finish building, it felt as though tens of thousands were singing Italy’s national anthem, Il Canto degli Italiani (Fratelli d’Italia), along with him.
On Sunday, the wave of emotions continued in front of 21,000 fans on the Ganslern. After ten unsuccessful attempts, Manuel Feller from Fieberbrunn (Kitzbühel district) finally managed to win his home race—despite being “only” in fourth place after the first run. Linus Straßer’s comeback was no less spectacular: the German, who also grew up on the Ganslern and lives in nearby Kirchberg, charged from tenth place to third, finishing behind halftime leader Loïc Meillard.
It was a primal scream of relief that Manuel Feller let out as he finally raised the long-awaited Golden Chamois into the Kitzbühel sky. For the 33-year-old, a circle closed that day, as this victory holds greater value for him than Olympic gold—which he could still win in February:
“The Ganslern is bigger for me than the Olympics, because for me it’s the most difficult slalom slope—and then this atmosphere! Every year, so many people from home are here.”

Conclusion
Michael Huber, head of the organizing committee, also could not overlook the emotions of the superstars:
“Never before have there been so many tears as this year—and all in the spotlight. Athletes rarely show such deep emotions to the world.”
His conclusion on the 86th Hahnenkamm Races fits on a (small) Post-it note:
“It couldn’t have gone better.”

Ph Credit: KSC/Jürgen Klecha