Stöckli happy with five crystal globes and more

Stöckli Swiss Sports AG is all over social media with the hashtags #builtforperfection and #builtforchampions. And for good reason, as the 2023/24 winter proved once more. If you had looked into the crystal ball of any fortune teller last fall, only the most optimistic would have foreseen five crystal globes this winter. But that is exactly what happened thanks to both Marco Odermatt and Marielle Thompson. 

Marco Odermatt is the dominant force in alpine skiing, and he demonstrated this by winning the overall World Cup and the small globes for the super-G and giant slalom. But this year, he added another feather to his bow by topping the downhill rankings for the first time too. This downhill trophy is the one of the four from 2023/24 that holds the most personal significance for the man from Nidwalden. “The fact that I’ve done it in the downhill too is unbelievable. Now I can put this trophy up at home too,” said Odermatt in Saalbach. The crystal globe also has further meaning for the 26-year-old as he described a feeling of reassurance to Swiss television: “I've got it now, so if I miss out on this crystal globe in the future, it will be easier to deal with. It’s great and it makes me pretty proud.” The ski manufacturer Stöckli is also proud of Odermatt because he has brought the first men’s downhill crystal globe to Malters. 

In the past season, Odermatt won the four crystal globes but also set records along the way. For example, the man from Nidwalden won by 874 points, which is the largest margin of victory in the overall World Cup, eclipsing the previous record of 743 points set by Hermann Maier 23 years ago. Odermatt's 13 victories in the 2023/24 season place him on a par with Ingemar Stenmark, Hermann Maier and Marcel Hirscher. 

In addition to Odermatt at the top of the back, there are other athletes who have also shown that Stöckli skis can perform at the top level in a wide variety of conditions and disciplines. For example, Thomas Tumler celebrated his third World Cup podium finish with third place in the giant slalom in Saalbach. “This is the best podium finish. After so many low points, it's really great to be standing here now,” said the man from Graubünden.  

There is further cause for celebration for Rasmus Windingstad (NOR/top finish: ninth in the giant slalom in Adelboden), Alexis Monney (SUI/eighth in the downhill in Kitzbühel) and Lars Rösti (SUI), who secured a guaranteed starting place for the 2024/25 World Cup by finishing second in the Europa Cup downhill rankings. Sandro Zurbrügg (SUI) and Marco Fischbacher (SUI) also deserve a mention as they both raced in the World Cup for the first time this season. We also need to mention Marco Kohler’s (SUI) bad luck. He secured his first top-10 finishes in the downhill in Val Gardena and Bormio but then suffered a bad injury in Wengen and missed the rest of the season. 

Fourth crystal globe for Marielle Thompson 
Another Stöckli athlete ended the 2023/24 season by winning a crystal globe. The 31-year-old Canadian Marielle Thompson finished top of the rankings for the fourth time after also doing so in 2012, 2014 and 2017. Thompson won six of the 16 races she took part in and, with the exception of one race (Reiteralm), always qualified for the big final or the small final. “It’s special to be able to win a fourth crystal globe,” said Thompson after the final race of the season in Idre (SWE). “It truly is a privilege to compete against these great competitors, and it means a lot to me to be stood at the top of the pile once more.” 

In the alpine women's event, Aline Danioth (SUI) was sorely missed of course. Janine Schmitt stood out in the B category by winning the overall Europa Cup and the super-G discipline. Together with Nicole Good, who finished second in the Europa Cup slalom rankings, Schmitt ensured that Swiss skiing will once again have guaranteed starting places for the next World Cup winter. 

25-year-old speed specialist Noemie Kolly also managed to finish 15th in the super-G in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in January, which was her third best World Cup result in her career so far. Special mention should also be made of Jasmina Suter (SUI). The 28-year-old from Schwyz returned to racing after a long injury layoff and immediately finished in the points again in the World Cup. And it wasn't just a one-off – she did so in ten races.