Odermatt wins World Cup opener in Soelden as Radamus is 21st in GS

Edwards’ Olympian River Radamus remained optimistic after finishing in 21st in the World Cup opener on Sunday in Soelden, Austria.

The only American to earn a second giant slalom run on a shortened Rettenbach Glacier course, the Ski and Snowboard Club Vail alumnus finished 1.89 seconds off Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt, who claimed his 46th career World Cup win.

“I wanted more,” Radamus said via U.S. Ski and Snowboard’s Sierra Ryder. “I felt like I prepared really well coming in here. I think I am skiing the best I’ve ever skied — I didn’t put it together today.”

Falling snow and fog pushed the second run back an hour at the 2025-26 men’s season opener. Odermatt led hometown favorite Marco Schwarz by one-hundredth of a second after run No. 1.

“Definitely difficult ones, with the conditions, with the visibility, the snowfall — it was a tough race, but I usually like those tough races,” Odermatt said after claiming his first GS win since last January. The 28-year-old Swiss star now has three victories in Soelden, second only to American great Ted Ligety (4).

“Winning never becomes normal. It’s always a lot of work behind winning, and especially after a long summer when you don’t really know where you are. It’s a perfect way to start the season,” Odermatt told FIS. “It was not the easiest, or not my very best GS season in the end last season. So yeah, after not winning for a couple of months, it’s very nice to be back on the podium on top.”

Schwarz held on for second, 0.24 seconds back, while Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath rounded out the podium, just three-hundredths behind the Austrian.

Even though Schwarz couldn’t deliver a win for the 15,300 fans packed into the arena, getting back onto the podium for the first time in almost two years was extra sweet, especially coming off a season-ending downhill crash in Bormio, Italy, on Dec. 28, 2023. After months of intensive rehabilitation, Schwarz required surgery for a separate injury — a herniated disc — that delayed his return.

“It was a long journey to come back on the podium,” the 30-year-old told FIS. “Last year was really tough for me. I had lots of pain. I struggled a lot with that. I put lots of pressure on myself last year. But this year middle of summer, I was nearly out of pain and I got the joy back in training. That was the key.”

Radamus sat in 20th after run No. 1. He gained confidence near the bottom, posting the ninth-best third sector. Ryder Sarchett was the next fastest American, coming through in 39th, 3.20 seconds off Odermatt’s standard. Isaiah Nelson finished 47th and Bridger Gile, Cooper Puckett, and Patrick Kenney all failed to make it through the second sector.

Radamus said despite some disappointment, he’s “not going to change course now.”

“I feel like the whole team is moving in the right direction,” he said. “We’re carrying a lot of momentum in training and you know it’s always a different beast to put it together in the race.”

The men’s World Cup continues with a slalom in Levi, Finland, on Nov. 16. The circuit swings to North America for the Copper Cup on Nov. 27-28. The men will race a super-G and giant slalom on back-to-back days at Copper Mountain before heading over to Beaver Creek for four days of racing from Dec. 4-7.

“We’re all looking forward to getting on snow in Colorado and trying to defend home soil,” Radamus said.