Downhill race canceled, Switzerland’s Marco Odermaat and Italy’s Federica Brignone secure Downhill Crystal Globe
Sun Valley, ID, USA – March 22, 2025 – The world’s best alpine skiers gathered on the legendary slopes of Bald Mountain today for what was set to be the highly anticipated Men’s and Women’s Downhill Finals at the Stifel Sun Valley Finals, part of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup. Following an overnight storm that delivered up to six inches of fresh snow across the Valley and accumulating on Bald Mountain, the start was initially delayed for course maintenance and snow removal.
Despite the race crew and volunteers working tirelessly through the night to prepare the track, clearing snow and ensuring a race-ready surface, the FIS Alpine Ski jury and the Olympic Committee (OC) made the difficult decision at 14:00 MST to cancel both the Men’s and Women’s Downhill races due to wind. While the snow surface was in prime condition, the sustained high winds unfortunately necessitated a decision to cancel for athlete safety and race standards.
Even without the final downhill runs, the Warm Springs base was buzzing with excitement as fans lined the course and packed the finish area, cheering for the athletes and celebrating the season’s champions. The excitement remained high as Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt (605 pts) and Italy's Federica Brignone (384 pts) officially secured their downhill Crystal Globes as the best skier for the World Cup season.
“I’m very sad to not race today, I think the crowd would have been amazing. I didn't expect so many people here so that is very nice. Also sad for the hard work on the course, but I guess with that much wind it would probably not have been a good, fair, and safe race, so I think it was the right decision,” said Odermaat, reflecting on the day in Sun Valley. “It's just fun to ski fast and to win races. I think this is what motivates me to continue pushing, to try to stay ahead of my teammates who are pushing really hard from the back,” Odermaat noted in regards to his Swiss teammates.
On the men’s side, the Swiss swept the podium, with Franjo Von Allman (522 pts) and Alexis Monney (327 pts) taking second and third place respectively.
“I mean it was already crazy to fight for it at the end of the season and I've been working really hard to win a race, this is just amazing.” said Brignone, celebrating the momentous victory. “The season has been crazy and even if today I was standing on the podium not first, it doesn't cancel everything that I've been doing, so I was happy.”
For the women, Briganone was joined on stage by Cornelia Huetter of Austria (368 pts) and Sofia Goggia of Italy (350 pts) in second and third place.
All eyes now turn to the upcoming Super-G, Giant Slalom and Slalom events, where athletes will battle for crucial points in the overall World Cup standings. They aim to claim the most prestigious award in the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup–the Overall Crystal Globe, which is given to the skier (male and female) with the highest total points across all disciplines. This award crowns the best all-around skier of the season, considering results in Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom, Slalom, and Combined events.
The stakes remain high as the Stifel Sun Valley Finals will continue to deliver world-class racing at one of North America’s premier venues. All eyes are on the upcoming races and entertainment schedule for the next five days.
For more information on race results, upcoming events, and live coverage, visit Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals website.
Spectator Information:
Spectator viewing is free at the base area and in select zones along the course, allowing fans to experience the thrill of World Cup racing up close. Limited VIP tickets are available for purchase.
The Stifel Sun Valley Finals Spectator Guide offers robust information and instructions on how to watch, what to expect, ski racing history, and more, and the Sun Valley Resort team extends a warm welcome to competing teams, sponsors, partners and valued guests.
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Media Contact:
Jess Fiaschetti, Chief of Media, SunValley@OutsidePR.com