Alpine skiing: an extraordinary gift for Marco Odermatt

A ski racer usually only receives one gondola after a win at the Hahnenkamm races in Kitzbühel. Marco Odermatt missed his first win at Streif last January as his second in the Super-G by 12 hundredths.

However, tourists can from now on by gondola through the air with «Odi». Not on the Hahnenkamm, but on the Titlis Trübseebahn in Engelberg, a cabin named after Buochs’ alpine plane has been hanging since Monday. “In this case, we wanted to be faster than the Kitzbühel people. And as we are convinced that Marco will win a Kitzbühel gondola in the coming years, we have already dedicated a gondola to him, ”says Urs Egli, Marketing Director at Titlis-Bahnen.

The 23-year-old is as happy as a child for this extraordinary gesture: “This gift means a lot to me, especially since I have a strong connection to this region. During my time at sports school, I lived here for five years. During this time, of course, I did one foolish thing or another here. “But these sins of the youth have now been erased at the latest. Finally, at the inauguration of the ‘Gondola of Odi’, the Abbot Christian of the Engelberg Monastery gave your blessing.

On this occasion, Marco also confesses that he had one drink or another out of frustration on Saturday after the loose ball battle in Lenzerheide: “There were already a few beers that I had with my teammates that night. That is why it was not so easy for me to get up the next morning … »

And how strong are the aftermath due to the narrowly missed World Cup overall victory? “Of course it’s a shame that this ending left a bitter aftertaste. But overall, it was a great season for me. ”And this winter is not over yet for the three-time winner of the season.

Odermatt is expected to compete in the combination at the Swiss Championship in Zinal on Friday. BLICK will broadcast the SM from Valais live starting Wednesday.