The World Cup Finals opened Saturday, March 21, under clear skies in Kvitfjell, Norway, with the men’s downhill delivering a high-speed showcase on the Olympiabakken course ahead of the women’s race later in the day.
Victory went to Italy’s Dominik Paris, who produced a commanding run to beat Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen and Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr. Paris finished 0.19 seconds ahead of von Allmen, with Kriechmayr 0.60 seconds back in third.
At 36, Paris continues to cement his legacy on one of his most successful tracks—he has now won five downhill and two Super-G in Kvitfjell. The victory marked his 20th career downhill win and 25th victory overall and extended his remarkable record at Kvitfjell, where he has now claimed a total of seven victories over the years.
Skiing with precision and aggression, Paris set the tone early, carrying speed through every sector as the green light remained in his favour from top to bottom. Few could match his pace on a course that has long suited his powerful style.
The race was opened by Slovenia’s Miha Hrobat, who set a strong early benchmark with a time of 1:46.23, ultimately finishing fifth.
Switzerland’s Alexis Monney briefly took the lead, undercutting Hrobat’s time, before Kriechmayr became the first skier to break the 1:46 barrier, posting 1:45.97.
That mark held until the podium winner entered the starting gate, with von Allmen delivering a clean, fast run before Paris surged ahead to claim victory.
Swiss star Marco Odermatt, who had already secured both the overall and downhill Crystal Globes, finished seventh, 0.92 seconds off the lead. While not a factor in the race for victory, Odermatt’s season dominance remains unquestioned, with the 26-year-old also having wrapped up the super-G title and in contention for the giant slalom globe later in the finals.
The race also carried emotional weight, marking the final World Cup appearance of Nils Hintermann. The 30-year-old Swiss skier, who just last weekend announced his immediate retirement following a battle with cancer, was given the opportunity by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) to take a ceremonial final run.
Skiing without pressure, Hintermann completed his descent with visible composure—an especially meaningful moment after previously revealing struggles with panic attacks in the start gate. His final run served as a fitting and positive conclusion to his career.
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The women’s downhill is set to take place later today, continuing the opening day of finals competition. Attention will then turn to Sunday, when the men return to the course for the super-G, the next event in the race to close out the World Cup season.
With some globes already decided but others still wide open, the finals in Kvitfjell, which is north of Olympic Lillehammer—are only just getting started.
