Kitzbühel (Austria) (AFP) - World champion Marco Odermatt underlined his credentials as a firm favourite for Olympic gold next month by scorching to a narrow victory in the World Cup super-G at Kitzbuehel on Friday.

The Swiss skier, who also won the super-G here last year but is yet to win the famed downhill at the upmarket Austrian resort, timed 1min 08.41sec down the 2.1km-long Streifalm course in brilliant sunshine.

The 28-year-old, who won Olympic giant slalom gold in Beijing four years ago, scooped 101,000 euros ($118,000) for the win, with two similar jackpots on offer for Saturday’s downhill and Sunday’s slalom.

There was a Swiss one-two as Odermatt’s teammate Franjo von Allmen claimed second spot just 0.03sec behind, while Austrian fans had something to cheer about as Stefan Babinsky rounded out the podium.

“It was very close, so naturally I’m satisfied,” Odermatt said. “I was lucky to have the hundredths on my side today.

“It really wasn’t a flawless run. The top and the final section were good, but in the middle and the traverse I wasn’t on the line I actually wanted to ski. I was surprised that the green light came on at the finish.”

Odermatt added: “To win here in Kitzbuehel is unbelieveable. Even if it’s not the downhill, it’s the most important super-G of the year.

“I learned a lot from last year’s victory, I lost less energy,” he said, explaining that the magnitude of that win had left him exhausted ahead of the downhill.

“Now it’s a little bit easier, I know how to deal with it, I’m more ready than last year. The speed is here and definitely for tomorrow!”

- The best event -

Ex-Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and Austrian ski legend Franz Klammer were keen onlookers as a crowd of thousands ringed the finish area.

“It’s the best that we have and we’re very lucky to have an event like this. This beats anything, any event in the world,” said International Ski Federation (FIS) head Johan Eliasch.

“I have to say, it really sucks doing this job because I don’t get to ski as much as I want to.”

It was Odermatt’s 53rd World Cup victory and his eighth of the season and it consolidated his place atop not only the super-G standings but also the overall rankings.

Austria’s Raphael Haaser and Norway’s Adrian Smiseth Sejersted, who took silver and bronze behind Odermatt at last year’s world championships in Saalbach, finished fourth and fifth.

In-form Italian Giovanni Franzoni, fresh from a maiden World Cup victory in Wengen last weekend, could only finish 12th, 0.66sec off Odermatt’s pace.

A notable absentee from the race was Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who suffered a back problem as he bids to return to competition.

Kilde, who is the partner of star US skier Mikaela Shiffrin, suffered a serious fall in Wengen in January 2024 which left him needing multiple surgeries.

“He trained super-G early this morning, but he’s not ready to race yet,” said Norwegian team manager Michael Rottensteiner.

“His back is getting better day by day and the outlook looks very good with regard to starting the downhill in Crans-Montana next week.”

The men’s alpine skiing at the February 6-22 Winter Olympics will take place in the Italian resort of Bormio.