By The Canadian Press

Giovanni Franzoni’s win in Wengen super-G makes him an Olympic contender for host Italy

Jan 16, 2026 | 6:21 AM

WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Host Italy has a new contender in Alpine skiing with the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics three weeks away.

Giovanni Franzoni claimed his first World Cup victory on the famed Lauberhorn course in a super-G Friday — four months after his close friend and former roommate, Matteo Franzoso, died in a crash during preseason training in Chile.

The 24-year-old Franzoni — a former world junior champion in super-G, downhill and Alpine combined — was the first racer on course and took advantage of the No. 1 bib to deliver a near-perfect run.

Reaching a top speed of 140.44 kph (87 mph), Franzoni finished 0.35 seconds ahead of Stefan Babinsky of Austria and 0.37 ahead of downhill world champion Franjo von Allmen of Switzerland.

Toronto’s James Crawford was the top Canadian in 20th place, 2.46 seconds behind Franzoni. North Vancouver, B.C.’s Cameron Alexander was 24th, and Riley Seger, also of North Vancouver, finished 20th.

Question of the Week

With B.C. moving to end the time change, do you prefer permanent Daylight Savings Time, permanent Standard Time, or the status quo?

Mar 02, 2026

1000 WAYS TO HEAL

1000 WAYS TO HEAL: What are we doing with the land in Kamloops?

Mar 02, 2026

LOOPED IN

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: March 2, 2026

Mar 02, 2026

Franzoni handled the tricky Canadian Corner and Kernen S sections on the upper portion of the course cleaner than anyone else.

“I made the difference on the turn where I crashed a few years ago,” he said, referring to his season-ending fall in a super-G in 2023 that resulted in thigh surgery.

Swiss overall World Cup leader Marco Odermatt, a four-time winner in Wengen, placed fourth, 0.53 behind.

The top American was Ryan Cochran-Siegle in sixth.

Franzoni also led both downhill training sessions and could be a contender in the classic downhill on Saturday. His previous best World Cup finish was third in a super-G on home snow in Val Gardena last month.

Now Franzoni will be among the leaders for Italy’s team in Bormio, where men’s Alpine skiing will be contested during the Olympics.

“If you had told me that I would be third in Val Gardena and then win here — on the two courses that I’ve had the most trouble on — I wouldn’t have believed it,” Franzoni said.

The opening ceremony for the Games is scheduled for Feb. 6.

“I don’t know about the future, but the present has changed,” Franzoni said. “We always live day by day. I carry the memory of Matteo Franzoso with me at every race.”

Marco Schwarz, the Austrian who won the previous super-G in Livigno, Italy, last month, missed the race due to sickness.

Also sitting out this weekend is Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, the Norwegian standout who returned this season after a horrific crash in Wengen two years ago.

“This year,” Kilde said on Instagram this week, “it’s just a little too early.”

___

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

The Associated Press