Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen in line to win downhill gold at world championships

SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria (AP) — Swiss skier Franjo von Allmen was in line to win the men’s downhill at the Alpine skiing world championships on Sunday after the top-ranked racers completed their runs.

Von Allmen beat second-placed Vincent Kriechmayr of Austria by 0.24 seconds.

His Swiss teammate Alexis Monney was 0.31 behind in third.

Switzerland’s Franjo von Allmen celebrates at the finish area of a men’s downhill race, at the Alpine Ski World Championships, in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

Defending champion Marco Odermatt was fifth, two days after the Swiss star won gold in the super-G.

The 23-year-old von Allmen is competing in his first worlds. He has yet to win a downhill on the World Cup circuit but finished runner-up three times this season and won a super-G in Wengen.

Results were not official yet because lower-ranked skiers were still coming down the course.

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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing