Switzerland’s Justin Murisier made a spectacular start to the speed season by securing his first World Cup victory in the men’s downhill race at the legendary Birds of Prey track in Beaver Creek, Colorado, on Friday. In a thrilling finish, Murisier clocked a time of 1 minute, 40.04 seconds, narrowly defeating pre-race favorite Marco Odermatt, who was 0.20 seconds behind in second place. Slovenia’s Miha Hrobat claimed third, marking his first-ever World Cup podium finish.
Murisier, who has battled through numerous injuries and surgeries in recent years, expressed his joy and relief after clinching the win. “It’s amazing, I’ve dreamed of this for many years. I had so many injuries and surgeries that I was almost not dreaming anymore of this, so it’s so nice to achieve it now and even more on such a nice course,” he said, visibly emotional.
The race, which marked the opening downhill event of the World Cup season, saw Murisier as the third skier to take to the start. He set a fast pace early on, putting pressure on the remaining 60-man field. Despite the fierce competition, Murisier held his ground at the top, nervously waiting as other racers attempted to challenge his lead.
Odermatt, the reigning three-time World Cup overall champion, was a strong contender but could not match Murisier’s pace at the bottom of the course. While Odermatt has dominated the downhill, super-G, and giant slalom events in recent seasons, he had to settle for second place at Beaver Creek for the second consecutive year. In 2022, he was also a runner-up to Norway’s Aleksander Kilde, who is missing this season due to a shoulder injury.
Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr, who had posted the fastest time in training the day before, was expected to contend for a top spot but finished in fifth place after struggling during the race.
The event was briefly interrupted by crashes involving Swiss skier Arnaud Boisset and American Samuel Dupratt, both of whom were taken off the mountain on sleds. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.
This World Cup race marked the highly anticipated return to the Birds of Prey track, which had been canceled last year due to inclement weather. With Murisier’s historic win, the race proved to be a thrilling start to the downhill season, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting competition ahead.
