Odermatt named 'skier of the year' for 2nd time after winning 13 races and 3rd overall title

SOELDEN, Austria — Swiss standout Marco Odermatt was named “skier of the year” by the federation of ski journalists on Friday, succeeding Mikaela Shiffrin after she won the award for the third time last year.

Odermatt, who won 13 World Cup races on the way to his third straight overall title last season, previously received the Skieur d’Or AIJS Serge Lang award two years ago, after winning two gold medals at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

The AIJS called Odermatt's season “quite impressive,” mentioning his first World Cup wins in downhill and his series of nine straight giant slalom victories, only missing out on what would have been a record-equaling 10th when he failed to finish the GS at the World Cup finals in March.

The AIJS also praised Odermatt “for his kindness with his fans and his keen availability for the representatives of the international media.”

Other winners of the annual award in the past 10 years include Alexis Pinturault of France, Federica Brignone of Italy, and Austrians Marcel Hirscher and Anna Veith.