Minor concern for Marco Odermatt: he has suffered a slight muscle injury and will not travel to Chile

A minor concern has arisen around Marco Odermatt.

After his first days on skis in Zermatt, the Nidwalden champion had been expected to begin the long four-week training block in September on the Chilean snow, based in El Colorado.

Next Monday, however, the multiple world champion and Olympic gold medallist at Beijing 2022, the overall standings leader from 2022 to 2026 with the last five Crystal Globes in his trophy cabinet, will not board the plane to South America with his national-team teammates. The Swiss ski federation announced this evening that “Odi” had reported pain during this week’s athletic training, and examinations carried out at the Hirslanden Clinic in Zurich revealed a slight muscle injury.

The phenomenon from Buochs must therefore rethink his on-snow training, with treatment and rehabilitation. Only “as soon as it is once again possible to train on snow will the rest of the pre-season preparation be rescheduled.”

With less than two months to go before Soelden, missing the entire block in Chile would certainly not represent the best build-up to the 2026/27 competitive season for the clear favourite for the overall World Cup.