Even when we compare incomparable, we cannot help ourselves. Let us not ask who is better, but just put the two superhumans next to each other and look for similarities and differences.
The comparison is tricky, but I guess it came to your mind, as well. Both could make the most challenging slopes look easy while their competition struggled. Both could turn the World Cup event into a battle for second place because the first was decided the moment they stood at the start. Both were able to dominate the overall ranking so that the only disciplines where the crystal globe was left for the taking were those they did not compete in.
But on the other hand, we have rarely met two champions so different from each other than these two.
Why This Season Does Not Count
The fans had a unique opportunity to see the two in one competition this season. But it did not count. Marco was in his prime, and Marcel returned after five years of retirement 12 years older. It might have come to direct competition if Marcel had more time to shake off the rust of his skis, but injury broke that off, and it might never come to that.
Racing Style
They raced in different disciplines. Marcel Hirscher could perform a decent super-G run but never excelled in it. So, he has always been a two-discipline racer, a purely technical skier, unlike Marco Odermatt, an allrounder. This does true magic to numbers. Because Hirscher had to win all the slaloms and giant slaloms to get the big globe, which he did. Odermatt can afford a few worse results when he races in three disciplines. But his mission is more demanding physically, and the question is how long he can do that.
We can compare their racing styles in the one discipline they both race: giant slalom. Hirscher was known for his amazing recoveries. He could recover from anything and used his immense power to do that. Odermatt keeps his line clean and rarely makes mistakes. These two racers are also very different in their anatomy. Hirscher is only 173 cm tall, while Odermatt is 183 cm tall. That is a huge difference, and the racing style needs to match that.
I recommend watching this video by skiing expert Reilly McGlashan. He compares Odermatt’s skiing style to that of Croatian racer Filip Zubcic. Zubcic’s style is very similar to how Hirscher used to race. They both use their immense power to remain low at all times. Marco Odermatt, on the other hand, uses the vertical movement of the body to stand higher at certain moments of the turn. Odermatt’s technique is less demanding but a little slower, but his anatomy does not allow any different style.
But in the end, it comes down to numbers, does it not?
Numbers, Facts, and Figures
Bear in mind the unfairness of the comparison. Marcel Hirscher’s career is (probably) complete, while Marco Odermatt still has time to chase his records down. Marco had won three big and six small crystal globes since the 2017 season when he entered the World Cup at the age of 20.
Marcel Hirscher won 8 big and 12 small crystal globes between 2007 (when he first appeared in the World Cup at 21) and 2019 (not counting the comeback season). So, the Swiss has some catching up to do, and as he is 27, he has time. Hirscher finished aged 33.
These numbers show that Marcel Hirscher was a phenomenon, and Marco Odermatt, as impressive as he is, must maintain his terrific form for at least 5 more seasons if he has the ambition to match Hirscher. Two years ago, under the influence of the downhill victory in World Championships 2023, Odermatt talked about his career being complete because he acquired this victory. Many eyebrows rose after this. Career complete? At 26?
However, one must bear in mind the circumstances of that interview. It was late evening, after hours of celebrations with the Swiss fans, and both the racer and the interviewers had glasses in their hands. And that brings us to the final difference between the two racers.
Two Different Personalities
What makes a champion? We, simple human beings, look up to the pedestals where heroes stand and ask what makes them stand apart. But these two champions are as different as can be. Marcel Hirscher was known for his hard-working nature. He did anything he could to win because he hated losing. He was ambitious, best worked alone, had his own team around him, and avoided parties and celebrations. You rarely saw him smile, and he would torture his sponsors and fans by being ambiguous in his statements.
Marco works hard and likes to win; who doesn’t? But if his teammate beats him, he seems to be even happier. Ambitious? Maybe, but he is not working alone. He is a teammate and a team leader and likes parties and celebrations; even if this season, with the press always on his heels, he tuned that down a little. Marco smiles all the time and is open in his statements.
Of course, Marcel Hirscher’s personality evolved over time, and Marco Odermatt will also change in the upcoming years if he remains competitive for five more seasons. Hirscher turned into a true professional from an angry young man who would not even shake his teammate’s hand for beating him (Mario Matt, 2014 Olympics). But Marcel’s passion was for performance, his heart beat for the lead and victory, while with Marco Odermatt, his heart beats for his team.
Only the future will tell which quality suits the champion better. Because Odermatt still has a few seasons with unbearable pressure before him. Will he remain so easy-going and friendly after years under pressure? Will he maintain his form without that soul-eating ambition that drove Hirscher from globe to globe?
We will see, but anything is possible. Because superhumans are, above all, individuals, they are unlike any other. So, we can expect Marco Odermatt to go his own way on his way to greatness.
