After the slalom in Hafjell, Linus Straße gives deep insight into his world of thought. He talks about the “absurdity” of slalom sports and admits a certain amount of seasonal fatigue.
After races in the Ski World Cup, it is often quick: some of the top runners briefly have their say in the interview, talk about the piste conditions, the weather, about their line or difficulties in the run. Linus Straßer went far beyond the classic question-answer game in ZDF after his eleventh place in Hafjell in Norwegian. In the interview, the Munich man gave deep insights into his world of thought.
The path from the messed up season to the World Cup bronze medal in Saalbach-Hinterglemm is exhausted, the Munich revealed: “I also noticed that the incredibly lot of strength cost me, even mental strength.”
From the failed start of the season to the World Cup medal
After his great success last winter, after he was able to win both slalom classics with Kitzbühel and Schladming, the 32-year-old initially had great starting difficulties in November and December: seventh at the slalom start in Levi, in Gurgl he could not qualify for the second round, two failures followed in a row in Val d’Esere and Alta Badia.
It was only in January, when the heavy, steep and icy slopes were on the program – slopes that lie with the noble technician did he slowly find the old form again. Peu à peu he improved his results, clawed again in the top five in the world, narrowly missed the podium in Adelboden, Kitzbühel and Schladming, until the Ski World Championship in Saalbach-Hinterglemm then fitted together and striked bronze.
Bronze medal had Straßer rabbits
But even when the medal dangled around Straßer’s throat, the Munich mind game was plagued: “The day has the absurdity” Showed by slalom sport, revealed Straßer. In the discipline, a few millimeters often decide on victory, defeat or a thoracic. The Sunday at the Ski World Cup in Saalbach-Hinterglemm was a good example of this: between the bronze medal and fourth place “In the end it was only whether the clement (noel) thread or not. A little absurd because my performance would have been exactly the same”reflected Straßer.
To date, the Munich team has no answer whether the World Cup medal was its greatest success. “There is always a story for every race”said the 32-year-old. “The year before I won Kitzbühel, I became fourth, was a hundredth of the podium and there was a story and there is also a story behind it.”
Straßer reveals: “I have a lot to fight”
At a major event it is different: “You come to a slope, you’ve never really driven it – except for the World Cup final the year before – there is not the story behind it for you, but only that applies to this one day, somehow to get under the three“, says Straßer.
The strenuous weeks that lie between the messed up race in Gurgl and the medal are sustainable to the Athlete from TSV 1860 Munich: “I already have a lot to fight with myself that everything stays upright, the motivation and also a bit of hunger.”
Last chance at the World Cup final in Sun Valley
When the ZDF presenter later wanted to refer and know whether the lack of hunger could be an indication of a possible end of career, Straßer vehemently neglected: “No, no, no – I still enjoy it.”
Straßer has to cope with a single race this season. At the slalom at the World Cup final in Sun Valley, he has the last chance to get a World Cup podium or even the first victory of the season. In the struggle for the crystal ball, unlike last season, when he was working for the slalom overall victory with Manuel Feller until the end of the winter, it doesn’t matter this year.