Linus Straßer seemed a bit incredulous. Although he made two big mistakes in the second round, the ski racer could still dream of a podium at least for a short time at the first of the two slalom world cups in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The Munich driver was able to get over the fact that he ultimately only managed sixth place in the German home race on Saturday. That was a “great result to really step on the gas tomorrow,” said Straßer with a view to the second goal run on Sunday (9.10 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. on ARD and Eurosport).
Germany’s best slalom skier knows: The speed is there – and with it the chance of his second win of the season after the night race in Schladming shortly before the Olympics. “They happened because I tried to get on the podium or to win the race,” said Straßer about his mistakes in the second run. But whining doesn’t help. “I’ll take the positive with me,” emphasized the 29-year-old, “that I have extremely fast passages.”
Straßer’s gap to the Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen was 1.01 seconds. Second was the Swiss Loic Meillard (+0.14) ahead of the Austrian Manuel Feller (+0.51). Meillard’s compatriot Tanguy Nef surprisingly went into the second round as the leader, but then dropped out. Due to the success of Kristoffersen, who banged his fist on his chest with joy in the finish area, there are already seven different winners after seven slaloms of this World Cup season.
The six other German starters – including Alexander Schmid and Julian Rauchfuss, who had won Olympic silver in the mixed team event with Straßer a week ago – did not make it into the second run. On Sunday, on the Gudiberg, where World Cup slaloms will be held for the first time since Felix Neureuther’s victory in March 2010, there will be another slalom run – with Straßer in wait.
The Czech Ester Ledecka won the first of the two World Cup downhill runs for female alpine skiers in Crans-Montana. The all-rounder, who recently won her second Olympic gold in the parallel giant slalom for snowboarders at the Winter Games in China, won in Switzerland on Saturday with a lead of 0.21 seconds over Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel. Third was the Austrian Cornelia Hütter (+0.42). Olympic champion Corinne Suter from Switzerland (+1.22) and silver medalist Sofia Goggia from Italy (+1.47) finished tenth and twelfth.
Starnberg resident Kira Weidle decided not to start after a fall in training on Friday. The Olympic fourth-placed athlete wants to be there again for the second descent on Sunday (10:00 a.m. on ARD and Eurosport).
