Marco Odermatt is currently the most dominant all-around ski racer on the World Cup circuit. Competing across three disciplines and consistently podiuming in all three has gained him the overall season title for the last five seasons. Not only that, Odermatt was leading by a margin of almost double that of the next racer. He won the super-G title in the last four seasons, the downhill title in the last three seasons, and the giant slalom title from 2021-22 to 2024-25.
There is no title the Swiss ski racer has not claimed, most of them multiple times: Olympic Champion, World Champion, Junior World Champion. You name it, he has it. But last season he had to surrender the giant slalom season title to Lucas Pinheiro Braathen. Previously, giant slalom had been his strongest discipline, but in the last few years his dominance in the technical discipline has begun to wane. In 2023-24, he gained 900 points in the discipline alone. Last season, it was less than 500.
Now the superstar is admitting that he will focus less on giant slalom and put more emphasis on the speed events. Speaking at a Swiss-Ski press conference in Dübendorf on September 30 ahead of the 2026-27 FIS World Cup season, Odermatt discussed his future, his advancing age and the direction of the World Cup. “I don’t think I’ll continue in this workload for the next five years,” Odermatt said.
The Swiss racer also indicated that his days of competing in every giant slalom are slowly coming to an end. In the upcoming season, he has already confirmed he is considering foregoing single giant slalom races like Kranjska Gora in favor of focusing on the big events, like Adelboden and Kitzbühel.
Trending on SnowBrains
.sb-trending-widget {
background: #f8f8f8;
border-top: 2px solid #e0e0e0;
border-left: 4px solid #ea2e49;
border-radius: 0 4px 4px 0;
margin: 28px 0;
padding: 14px 14px 6px;
width: 100%;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
.sb-trending-header {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 8px;
margin-bottom: 12px;
padding-bottom: 10px;
border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;
}
.sb-trending-icon {
font-size: 18px;
line-height: 1;
flex-shrink: 0;
}
.sb-trending-label {
font-size: 15px;
font-weight: 700;
color: #1a1a1a;
line-height: 1.3;
text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 0.04em;
}
.sb-trending-list {
list-style: none;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}
.sb-trending-item {
border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e8e8;
padding: 9px 0;
border-radius: 3px;
transition: background 0.1s;
}
.sb-trending-item:last-child {
border-bottom: none;
padding-bottom: 4px;
}
.sb-trending-item:active {
background: #fef0f2;
}
.sb-trending-link {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 10px;
text-decoration: none;
color: inherit;
padding: 2px 4px;
}
.sb-trending-thumb {
flex-shrink: 0;
}
.sb-trending-thumb img {
display: block;
width: 80px;
height: 64px;
object-fit: cover;
border-radius: 3px;
}
.sb-trending-text {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 8px;
flex: 1;
min-width: 0;
}
.sb-trending-num {
font-size: 22px;
font-weight: 700;
color: #ea2e49;
line-height: 1;
min-width: 22px;
flex-shrink: 0;
}
.sb-trending-right {
flex: 1;
min-width: 0;
}
.sb-trending-title {
font-size: 14px;
font-weight: 500;
color: #1a1a1a;
line-height: 1.45;
text-align: left;
transition: color 0.15s;
display: inline;
}
.sb-trending-arrow {
font-size: 14px;
color: #ea2e49;
font-weight: 700;
white-space: nowrap;
display: inline;
}
.sb-trending-link:hover .sb-trending-title {
color: #ea2e49;
}
.sb-trending-link:active .sb-trending-title {
color: #ea2e49;
}
document.addEventListener(‘DOMContentLoaded’, function() {
var trendingLinks = document.querySelectorAll(‘.sb-trending-link’);
trendingLinks.forEach(function(link) {
link.addEventListener(‘click’, function(e) {
e.preventDefault(); // Prevent immediate navigation
var title = this.getAttribute(‘data-trending-title’);
var position = this.getAttribute(‘data-trending-position’);
var url = this.getAttribute(‘href’);
// Fire GA4 event
if (typeof gtag !== ‘undefined’) {
gtag(‘event’, ‘trending_widget_click’, {
‘event_category’: ‘engagement’,
‘event_label’: title,
‘trending_position’: position,
‘trending_item’: title
});
} else if (window.dataLayer) {
// Fallback for GTM dataLayer if gtag is not available
window.dataLayer.push({
‘event’: ‘trending_widget_click’,
‘event_category’: ‘engagement’,
‘event_label’: title,
‘trending_position’: position,
‘trending_item’: title
});
}
// Navigate after a brief delay to ensure event is sent
setTimeout(function() {
window.location.href = url;
}, 100);
});
});
});
While retirement is not on the immediate horizon, the ski racer will focus more on speed events. He said he will consider what the next stage of his career looks like after the season. For now, the 2027 World Championships in Crans-Montana will be a key focus. “What will come in the next or last stage of my career, I will think about after the season,” he added.
Odermatt’s season preparations were interrupted last month by a minor injury. “After this year, I will be almost 30,” he mused. He is not talking about retirement, “but I don’t think I’ll continue with this workload for the next five years,” he admits. He acknowledges that maintaining this workload for several more years is unlikely, and he clearly does not feel the need to force it. “I’ve achieved enough, I don’t have to prove anything to anyone,” Odermatt said. So he puts no pressure on himself to compete in Sölden. He is playing catch-up after the injury, but the 28-year-old is not worried. “If it’s not enough time to be ready for Sölden, then hopefully it’s enough for America,” he said. The men’s World Cup schedule moves to North America shortly after the season opener, giving Odermatt another opportunity to begin his season without forcing an early return.
Odermatt also addressed broader changes being considered for the Alpine World Cup during the press conference. The idea of holding the Alpine World Championships every year does not appeal to the Swiss star. “I would be afraid that the status of the World Cup will decrease if it takes place every year,” Odermatt said. He is more receptive to expanding the sport into new locations through occasional major events. Odermatt is also positive about the development of new World Cup locations and joked, “Maybe there will be a slalom in Dubai soon.”
For this upcoming season, the ski star will focus on the home World Championships in February 2027. But with the Swiss star approaching 30, his comments offer an early glimpse at how one of skiing’s dominant athletes may begin shaping the final chapter of his career.
