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Marco Odermatt’s home is already filled with trophies. From now on, however, one award will stand out among his Crystal Globes, Olympic medals, and World Championship titles: a life-size wooden bust, presented to the Swiss skier as the winner of the Val Gardena Südtirol Ski Trophy.

With victory in the sprint downhill, second place in the super-G, and another second place in the classic downhill, Odermatt was the most successful skier at last December’s 58th Saslong Classic. Across the three speed events on Val Gardena’s legendary Saslong course, the Swiss star collected 260 World Cup points and comfortably secured the Val Gardena Südtirol Ski Trophy. Along with the title, he received a life-size three-dimensional wooden bust, a €5,000 cash prize, a short stay in Val Gardena, and a guided ascent of the Sassolungo mountain with a local alpine guide.
On Thursday, July 23rd, during a celebration at the Fienile Monte mountain hut on Passo Sella, Odermatt was officially honored as the winner of the Val Gardena Südtirol Ski Trophy, and his wooden bust was unveiled in the presence of his family, mayors Tobias Nocker (Selva di Val Gardena) and Christoph Senoner (Santa Cristina), Ambros Hofer (Dolomites Val Gardena), Massimo Rinaldi representing the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI), Saslong Classic Club President Rainer Senoner, and numerous distinguished guests.

Love at “Second” Sight
Marco Odermatt has reached the podium eight times over the last four editions of the Saslong Classic in Val Gardena—an extraordinary level of consistency. Yet his relationship with the course was love at “second” sight.
“My first couple of years here in Val Gardena didn’t go well at all. The course is fantastic, but it’s flatter than I would normally like, and I found it difficult, especially as a giant slalom specialist. I had to make many changes and adjustments to my equipment, even build completely new skis specifically for this race. Once the new equipment started working, this successful streak began, and since then I’ve almost always been on the podium. Surprisingly, I’m able to ski so fast on this course,” said the winner of 54 World Cup races.
Odermatt was also delighted to experience Val Gardena in the summer. “I usually come here just before Christmas for the races and leave immediately afterwards. There’s never any time to explore the area, for example by doing the Sellaronda. So I’m really looking forward to Friday, when I’ll climb your home mountain, the Sassolungo, together with my family. I think we’ll also manage to go hiking on Saturday. But what I’m looking forward to most is the excellent food,” Odermatt said with a smile during the reception.

Home World Championships Without Pressure – and a Promise for 2031
Asked about the upcoming season and the World Championships on home snow in Crans-Montana, the Swiss superstar replied: “Competing at a World Championship at home is something special. It’s certainly a major goal, but I’m already a world champion in three disciplines. That allows me to ease the pressure a little and simply enjoy having the World Championships at home.” When asked whether he would also be at the 2031 Alpine World Ski Championships in Val Gardena, he made a promise: “I promise I’ll be there. I just can’t tell you yet in what role. Likely, in four and a half years I’ll still be racing. But if that’s not the case, I’ll definitely be here as a fan and a tourist—so I can finally come and ski here.”
One thing is certain: Marco Odermatt will return to Val Gardena and the Saslong already in December. The 59th Saslong Classic is scheduled to feature the super-G on Friday, 18th, followed by the classic downhill on Saturday, December 19th.