Ski racer Linus Straßer is eliminated from the final of the night slalom in Garmisch-Partenkirchen after a furious run. Mikaela Shiffrin continues her winning streak in Zagreb.
Linus Straßer was on the move excellently, the enthusiastic audience at the brightly lit Gudiberg almost wanted to shout him to the finish line and onto the winner’s podium – but then it happened: After a great intermediate time, the Munich rider slipped away, out of the dream.
“I wanted to drive for victory, that’s how I drove too,” he said and added, slightly annoyed: “I wouldn’t see it as a defeat. If you don’t risk it, you won’t win anything.”
Straßer should have stayed on his feet for a good 20 seconds at the World Cup slalom in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, second place as after the first run would probably have been safe for him, but in extremely difficult slope conditions, the tightrope walk in front of an atmospheric backdrop with around 7000 skiers fans wrong.
Straßer, who was still struggling with the after-effects of angina, therefore immediately looked ahead. “I want to continue skiing as well as I’m doing right now. It’s always the goal to ride for victory,” he said.
The measure of all things on the Gudiberg was once again Henrik Kristoffersen, who had already won the two slaloms last year on the traditional slope next to the Olympic ski jump. The Norwegian won with a huge lead over Manuel Feller from Austria (+1.22 seconds) and Clement Noel from France (1.46).
However, Straßer continued to be aggressive: “Henrik only cooks with water and can be beaten. Adelboden is the next chance.” The legendary Chuenisbärgli in the Bernese Oberland will be raced next weekend.
Like all runners, Straßer also had to struggle with a slope that had become very soft due to the high temperatures of the past few days and the organizers were just able to get it ready for the race. It was “very greasy, restless,” said Straßer.
The second-placed Feller slandered the slope, saying it felt “like throwing a wooden board into the water”. The German Alpin boss Wolfgang Maier nevertheless said that one had to “praise” the organizers for their work, the alternative would have been “not to drive at all”.
Shiffrin races to victory
A few hours earlier, Lena Dürr had also failed to start the new year. In the slalom on the Bärenberg near Zagreb, she missed the second run of the top 30 after a good 35 seconds. In the 81st World Cup victory of Mikaela Shiffrin (USA), Emma Aicher, on the other hand, was the best German with eleventh place.
Aicher, who has already come second at the Olympics and third at the World Championships with the team, also met the association’s internal standard for the World Championships in Courchevel/Meribel in February with her best World Cup result to date in difficult conditions. Jessica Hilzinger also achieved the best result of her career in 15th place.
Shiffrin, meanwhile, continued her remarkable winning streak. With the fifth success in a row, the 27-year-old won the title of “Snow Queen” awarded in Zagreb and thus moved close to the record holder Lindsey Vonn (USA/82 World Cup victories). In the second slalom on Thursday (3 p.m. and 6 p.m. / ARD and Eurosport) she can draw level.