U-turn in Madonna di Campiglio? Ski racer Linus Straßer is experiencing a difficult slalom season. The start of the “Weeks of Truth” on Wednesday (January 8th, 2025) in Italy almost has to work.
Linus Straßer stuck his right index finger in the air and circled on his skis through the finish stadium in Schladming to the huge cheers of the 30,000 spectators. He had just relegated the entire world elite to places and three days after the slalom in Kitzbühel he also won the floodlit event in Schladming in January 2024. Simple “sensational”said BR expert Rainer Schönfelder. And yes, it was Straßer’s strongest World Cup days to date when he drove through the finish stadium.
How good that there is finally another floodlit race for the German slalom king. On Wednesday evening the strongest slalom skiers will race for points in Madonna di Campiglio (5:45 p.m./8:45 p.m. live stream in the ARD media library). Night races suit the athlete from TSV 1860 Munich. In addition to his victories in Schladming in 2024 and 2022, he was most recently ninth in Madonna di Campiglio in 2023 and third in 2022.
Slalom crystal ball is now far away for Straßer
And this series of successes is definitely important – also for your self-image before the start of the weeks of truth in the slalom. Since the end of the day in Schladming, something has changed in Straßer’s sporting career: the expectations of the 32-year-old have become ever greater, but his earnings have been significantly lower.
He recently failed three times in Gurgl, Val d’Isère and Alta Badia; the last time he experienced such a black series was five years ago. So far we have only achieved seventh place in Levi this winter. Straßer started the season as a contender for the crystal ball as the overall slalom winner in the World Cup. But it is now almost unreachable. Henrik Kristoffersen is currently leading with 270 points, Straßer is 25th with 36 points.
Support from national coach Christian Schwaiger
“I don’t doubt Linus’ strength for a second”said national coach Christian Schwaiger of the German Press Agency. “If everything works, he’s one of the fastest in the world.” And: “He’s had situations like this several times in his career. Failures, failures, illnesses – he’s come back every time.” No need to panic, Straßer needs it “Once again a solid result. That gives you confidence and then it will be okay”.
In fact, there are two factors that give Straßer hope in Italy: on the one hand, his previous achievements – and on the other hand, the weeks of truth.
January is traditionally the favorite month for slalom skiers
Because in January, traditionally the favorite month of the slalom aces, there are now more slaloms than the entire season has seen so far since November. So there will still be a lot of changes in the slalom rankings – also due to the strong January, Straßer came second last year behind the Austrian Manuel Feller in the fight for the slalom crystal ball.
Straßer has prepared particularly well for this. With training sessions on the same Ganslern slope where he triumphed in Kitzbühel last year. Where the Munich native once learned to ski as a child.
At Christmas, Straßer was his daughter’s ski instructor
He also took a family break over Christmas from which he could draw additional strength: He taught his little daughter to ski, she has now had her first days of skiing – he shared the experiences on Instagram, Straßer clearly had fun. Family, wife and daughter are there after all “a thousand times more important” than skiing, he recently told the news magazine “Der Spiegel”.
The family will now also give him strength for these weeks of truth: just four days after Madonna, the guest appearance in Adelboden follows, a week later it’s Wengen – and Straßer’s successful double appearance in Austria last year marks the end of January: Kitzbühel and Schladming. The latter slalom is the dress rehearsal for the World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm in February.
Only Straßer and Tremmel have collected Slalom World Cup points
He used to “brooded a lot” and yourself “tormented when things didn’t go well”Straßer recently told “Spiegel”. “Today I know that the years in which I put the most work and energy into sport were the years in which it worked the least. I first had to be clear in my head in order to be successful.”
The lightness is what Straßer is aiming for again in Madonna di Campiglio on Wednesday. In addition to him, Fabian Himmelsbach, Adrian Meisen and Anton Tremmel from the German team will also be at the start. For them too, it’s about finally collecting World Cup points again. Apart from Straßer, only Tremmel has so far achieved this. This is also a grievance that should change at the German Ski Association in the Weeks of Truth in January.