Jan Zabystran stuns Val Gardena with historic super-G win

Czech group celebrating their first World Cup victory / Jan Zabystran / Val Gardena SG / GEPA footage

Jan Zabystran shocks Val Gardena with historic super-G win, denying Odermatt and delivering first males’s Czech World Cup victory

For a lot of Friday’s males’s World Cup super-G in Val Gardena / Gröden, the end result appeared settled.

Marco Odermatt had carried out what he does so usually. He skied with authority by way of the technical center of the course, constructed a commanding benefit, and crossed the road effectively away from the early starters. As soon as the best-ranked super-G skiers had been down, the Swiss star appeared poised to gather his 51st profession World Cup victory.

Then the race turned on its head.

A late cost that modified every thing

With gentle bettering and confidence rising among the many late starters, Jan Zabystran delivered some of the beautiful upsets in current historical past. Racing with bib 29, the Czech skier attacked from the highest, stayed aggressive by way of the center, and unleashed the quickest closing sector of the race to take the lead by 0.22 seconds over Odermatt.

The outcome carried historic weight.

Zabystran earned his first profession World Cup victory, his first podium, and delivered the primary males’s World Cup win in Czech Republic historical past.

“It’s one thing loopy,” Zabystran mentioned. “Two years in the past I dreamed possibly sooner or later I could possibly be within the prime 30, possibly have a podium. To have my first World Cup win — and for my nation — it’s one thing so stunning.”

He emphasised that the outcome was constructed on persistence fairly than a single breakthrough second.

“Two years in the past I scored my first World Cup factors and that already felt actually particular,” he mentioned. “I simply saved pushing and snowboarding like in coaching. Now, two years later, to face right here with a win — I nonetheless can’t actually consider it.”

Zabystran additionally credited the assist round him throughout his rise.

“The Czech group helped me rather a lot during the last two years,” he mentioned. “I’m actually joyful for myself, but additionally for them. I hope this offers all of us motivation for the following races.”

Odermatt sensible once more, however overwhelmed on the end

Odermatt’s run was world-class by way of the center of the course. He was quickest by way of the center sectors and held the perfect cumulative time getting into the ultimate glide. However the place he maintained velocity, Zabystran attacked.

The Czech skier gained 0.39 seconds within the closing sector alone — the decisive margin that reshaped the race.

Odermatt completed second, accumulating his ninety fifth profession World Cup podium and his twenty seventh podium in super-G. It was one other elite efficiency, however on this present day, not sufficient.

Franzoni’s first podium carries deep that means for Italy

Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni accomplished the rostrum in third, incomes his first World Cup podium and his fifth profession top-10 super-G end.

Franzoni skied with confidence after his sturdy displaying in yesterday’s dash downhill, delivering a composed run and one of many quickest closing sectors of the race. However the outcome meant excess of numbers.

“This summer season was very exhausting for us due to the lack of our teammate Matteo,” Franzoni mentioned. “This result’s for him. He was my roommate for a few years, since we had been younger. I believe he can be happy with me.”

Matteo Franzoso, a detailed pal and longtime roommate, died throughout preseason coaching in Chile earlier this 12 months. Franzoni appeared skyward within the end space, visibly emotional.

“He was like an older brother to me,” Franzoni mentioned. “I’ll ski for him all my life.”

Italy’s podium adopted Dominik Paris’ third-place end in Thursday’s downhill dash, giving the house group back-to-back podiums on the Saslong.

VAL GARDENA, ITALY, 19.DEC.25 – Giovanni Franzoni (ITA). Photograph: GEPA footage/ Thomas Bachun

Late starters reshape the race

As gentle improved all through the afternoon, late starters more and more skied into the factors, producing some of the uncommon super-G outcomes of the season.

Austria rebounded strongly from dash downhill disappointment, inserting three skiers inside the highest 10, whereas France put two skiers within the prime 5. Veteran German Romed Baumann, like Italy’s Christof Innerhofer, turned again the clock with a powerful outcome within the Olympic season.

North People: Canada leads a deep factors day

Canada delivered one in all its strongest and deepest super-G performances in current seasons, stacking a number of skiers tightly collectively contained in the factors as circumstances improved for late starters.

The spotlight got here from brothers Brodie Seger and Riley Seger, who completed 14th and fifteenth, separated by simply 0.01 seconds, to face as the highest two North People on the day. Each charged from excessive bibs on a super-G course set by Canadian coach Chris Powers, underscoring the importance of the outcome.

The Canadian depth went even deeper. Raphael Lessard earned his first profession World Cup factors, a milestone second for the College of Utah skier racing for Canada. Lessard, like Riley Seger, adopted an NCAA pathway on his journey to the World Cup, highlighting the rising function of collegiate snowboarding in Canada’s improvement system.

Collectively, the outcomes mirrored a uncommon and inspiring sight: a number of Canadian skiers clustered contained in the factors on one of many World Cup’s most historic velocity tracks.

Canada — World Cup factors

49 | Brodie Seger — 14th | +0.89

36 | Riley Seger — fifteenth | +0.90

18 | Cameron Alexander — sixteenth | +1.00

21 | Jeffrey Learn — seventeenth | +1.04

35 | Raphael Lessard — twentieth | +1.15 (first profession World Cup factors)

Stifel U.S. Ski Workforce: Negomir leads the way in which

For the Stifel U.S. Ski Workforce, Kyle Negomir completed as the highest American, snowboarding aggressively into nineteenth place.

“I used to be happy with the way in which I got here out and attacked it,” Negomir mentioned. “On a comparatively easy super-G like this, small errors price plenty of time.”

Veteran Bryce Bennett additionally scored factors from bib 44, ending twenty sixth on a hill the place he owns two downhill World Cup victories, a confidence-building outcome forward of Saturday’s Saslong downhill.

Sam Morse narrowly held on in thirtieth, whereas River Radamus completed simply outdoors the factors, tied for thirty first. The lone British starter, Roy-Alexander Steudle, didn’t end.