The hoped -for knot solder for Linus Straßer also fails to stop at night slalom in Schladming. After the tour in the first run, he even missed the podium.
Everything was prepared this Wednesday evening (January 25, 2025) for the third victory of Straßer on the Planai. The 32-year-old had led after the first run at the spectacular “Night Race” with a good three tenth of a second, but ultimately had to give up and even fell off the podium.
Straßer, who won in Schladming in 2022 and 2024, finished fourth in the end. At the finish line, he lacked 0.77 seconds on Timon Haugan from Norway, who celebrated his second win of the season. Behind it also made the local heroes Manuel Feller (+ 0.20 seconds) and Fabio Grein (+ 0.67 seconds) jump to the podium. This in turn remains Straßer this season.
Straßer as unleashed in the 1st run
With the start number 1, Straßer had set the first sign that evening. On the very smooth slopes, he showed a dynamic appearance in the upper part of the eyes of national soccer coach Julian Nagelsmann in a narrowly stuck course and only made a small wobbly shortly before the finish.
On its 50.25 seconds, the competition bit its teeth in rows. The sewingest came to Timon Haugan (+ 0.31), Loic Meillard (+ 0.36) and local matodor Feller (+ 0.46). “I implemented it as I did – not too complicated and with relatively little effort“, said Straßer in the BR interview.
Difficult course in the final
However, the slopes continued to collapse during the first round, which means that there were hardly any top trips possible. In the second run with the reverse starting order, the course was once even more rotated by the German coach Stefan Kogler. This time the slopes hardly decreased. Nevertheless, numerous top drivers such as the four-time winner Clement Noel or giant slalom winner Alexander Steen Olsen (Norway) were eliminated.
Straßer needed a new dream run, especially since the competition around Haugan and Feller had presented. But this time he had problems finding the ideal line in the upper part and lost his lead early. In the last third of the race, Straßer threw everything into the balance again, but even for the podium it should ultimately not be enough.
Braathens evening to forget
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen experienced a bitter evening. The Neu-Brazilian had already made it on the podium twice this season and started the race in the first run. But after the first meantime, the 24-year-old was eliminated and then sitting in the finish area completely starred.
Tremmel, Himmelsbach and Meisen fail
In contrast to the giant slalom the day before, when rain and fog caused difficult conditions, the external circumstances were significantly better this time. Nevertheless, the slopes gave in bit by bit what it made difficult for the drivers with higher start numbers. So also for Anton Tremmel (+ 3.80), Fabian Himmelsbach (+3.99) and Adrian Meisen (+ 4.51), who did not make it into the second round with a clear deficit.