Matthias Mayer triumphs on the Streif

American Bryce Bennett opened the race and set a first target time after a clean run. Alexander Aamodt Kilde (NOR) started in fifth position. As he finished second in the Super G the day before together with Matthias Mayer, it was known that the course could suit him well. But at the first intermediate time he was already 32 hundredths behind, which he could only reduce to one hundredth by the finish.

Top favorite Beat Feuz (SUI) had chosen bib number 7. Would it be enough for the big triumph this year? Considering that his great rival Dominik Paris could not participate due to injury, the chances were not bad. But Bryce Bennett must have had a good run, because Beat Feuz was almost two tenths behind at the 3rd intermediate time. But he skied the turns tighter than others in front of him, let the skis run and took the lead by 0.67 seconds.

His compatriot Carlo Janka started after him and was fully involved in the upper section of the course but lost too much time in the lower section to be able to take the lead. Then it was Vincent Kriechmayr's (AUT) turn. Dissatisfied with sixth place in the Super G, he wanted to do better in the downhill and prove to everyone that he can take a podium place. Still trailing Feuz by a small margin at the top, he improved and took a lead at every intermediate time. At the Hausbergkante his lead was still 0.37 seconds. The following traverse he skied well, but the lead melted away. The spectators waited anxiously to see if he would take the lead and when he crossed the finish line, the time lit up green with 0.00 sec. He thus equaled the time of Beat Feuz and was visibly pleased with the lead and his performance.

Two numbers later, the Frenchman Johan Clarey took up the race. At the 4th intermediate time he had a lead of 0.42 seconds over the leaders. But small knocks forced him to correct his ride and slowed down his speed, which is why he finally lacked 5 hundredths to the lead.

With start number 13, Matthias Mayer, another favorite, entered the race. In the upper part he was still more than two tenths behind, but managed to make up the deficit and turn it into a small lead. At the Hausberg edge he had a lead of 8 hundredths, at the following last intermediate time before the finish he was five hundredths behind again. It was an up and down of emotions. He flew towards the finish at high speed and managed to beat Kriechmayr and Feuz by 22 hundredths to win the legendary Hahnenkamm race.

The last favorite, Norwegian Kjetil Jansrud, who won the Super G the day before, was in the lead by three tenths in the upper part of the course. But the punches on the Oberhausberg forced him to correct and slowed down his run, which is why he had nothing to do with the podium places on this day.