BORMIO, Italy, February 14, 2024 – Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland cemented his status as a speed-skiing sensation Wednesday, capturing gold in the Super-G at the Olympic Games in Bormio and becoming the first man to win three gold medals at a single Winter Games since 1968.
A Historic Haul: Von Allmen Joins Skiing Royalty
Von Allmen’s victory follows his earlier golds in the downhill and team combination, placing him in exclusive company alongside legends Toni Sailer and Jean-Claude Killy.
- Franjo von Allmen is the first Swiss athlete to win Olympic Super-G gold.
- He’s the first to achieve the downhill and Super-G double at the Winter Olympics.
- The Austrians, surprisingly, left the Super-G without a medal.
- Ryan Cochran-Siegle secured silver, repeating his 2022 result.
- Marco Odermatt took bronze, falling short of expectations.
“It feels like a dream and I just hope I don’t wake up,” a visibly elated von Allmen shared in an interview with ORF. “On the whole, I was a bit tired today. I was convinced that it wouldn’t be enough for the podium at the finish today, let alone for the gold. Somehow I also had luck on my side with the start number that it might have slowed down a bit.”
Early Start Numbers Prove Advantageous
Von Allmen, starting with bib number seven, finished 0.13 seconds ahead of American Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who acknowledged his own good fortune with an early start. “I was lucky that I got the early number,” Cochran-Siegle admitted. Top contender Marco Odermatt settled for bronze, expressing a mix of relief and disappointment. “On the one hand, I’m lucky, it could easily have been fourth place again. But of course there would have been a chance for gold, I didn’t achieve that.”
The race unfolded on soft snow, creating a distinct advantage for those who started earlier. Runners with later bibs faced increasingly challenging conditions, losing valuable tenths of a second.
Austrian Disappointment and Self-Reflection
The Austrian team faced a particularly frustrating day, failing to secure a medal in the Super-G, mirroring their results in the downhill. Raphael Haaser led the Austrian contingent in fifth place, while Vincent Kriechmayr finished seventh in what was his final Olympic race. Marco Schwarz placed 14th, and Stefan Babinsky finished 21st.
“The ride was basically way too good from top to bottom,” analyzed Haaser, who was 0.57 seconds off the pace. “At the latest when I swung down, I knew that it had all turned out too well.” He has another opportunity to medal on Saturday in the giant slalom.
Kriechmayr, reflecting on his performance, stated, “All in all, it was simply not enough. I maybe got too round at the top once, then I slipped at the start, then I gave a slight wipe.” Despite a decent middle section, he struggled at the bottom of the course. “It’s a bit of a shock, but that’s how it is.”
Course Setting and Individual Struggles
Austrian racer Black (+1.36) attributed his result to a course setting that didn’t suit his style. “I looked for the curves in vain. It’s pretty much gone, so I’m maybe a little lacking in speed training, the high speeds,” he explained. “For me personally, the Super-G would be a little more technically good.”
Stefan Babinsky (+1.72) struggled from the outset. “It just wasn’t good at the top. I actually got off quite well at the start, but the next 20 seconds weren’t what I expected. Then you lose the whole slope,” he said. “You have to accept the whole thing. At the end of the day I just have to keep working on myself so that I can consistently perform.”
Dominik Paris experienced a premature end to his race when a ski detached early in his run, though he appeared to avoid injury.
