Alpine skiing: Slalom ace Straßer beaten at the start – “Winter is long”

Linus Straßer didn’t seem particularly upset, even though he had to watch others cheering. The best German ski racer missed a podium finish in the first World Cup slalom and thus missed a perfect start to the World Cup winter. Unlike his third-placed teammate Lena Dürr on Saturday, the 32-year-old only came seventh in Levi in ​​Finland – the Munich native was more than one and a half seconds behind winner Clement Noel from France.

“Unfortunately I didn’t get the most out of it,” Straßer analyzed afterwards on Bayerischer Rundfunk. While the outstanding Noel as well as Hendrik Kristoffersen from Norway and the Swiss Loic Meillard earned their places on the winner’s podium thanks to courageous and risky rides, the German did not find the right momentum in the final.

Feller is eliminated, Hirscher is far behind

Straßer was not the only co-favorite who came away empty-handed: Austria’s Manuel Feller, the overall discipline winner last season, was eliminated in the second run – as was the German Adrian Meisen. The former World Cup dominator Marcel Hirscher clearly missed the final of the top 30 in his first slalom after a five-year break and the change of nation – the Austrian is now driving for the Netherlands. Scene star Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who took a year off and is now competing for Brazil, came fourth.

Strasser emphasized that the race in the Arctic Circle should not be seen as a setback. “I like to build the whole thing up a bit.” What he means is that he doesn’t want to be at his best early in November, but especially in the most important slalom months of January and February, when classics like Kitzbühel and Schladming and the World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm are coming up.

New opportunity for Straßer and Dürr in a few days

“The winter is long,” emphasized ex-driver and TV expert Felix Neureuther on BR. “Build self-confidence, build security – he can go one better at the next race in Gurgl.” The second slalom double pack for women and men is on the program next weekend in the Tyrolean Ötztal.

Then Lena Dürr also wants to celebrate again – the athlete from Germering has already presented in Levi. After never finishing worse than fourth in Finland in the last six races, she managed to finish on the podium again this time. “The beginning has been made,” she summed up happily. “There’s still room for improvement, and that’s good to know.”

Shiffrin is getting closer to the 100-win mark

US star Mikaela Shiffrin once again celebrated an outstanding victory, while Katharina Liensberger from Austria came second. Dürr’s teammate Emma Aicher showed a fantastic second run in which no rival – not even Shiffrin – was faster than her. In the end she came ninth.

Overall, there was once again nothing that could be done against Shiffrin, who, in addition to the success, was also happy about another reindeer sponsorship in the far north. The multiple world champion, Olympic gold medalist and World Cup record winner celebrated her 98th success in the World Cup and is getting closer and closer to the magical 100 victories mark. In slalom alone, the American now has 61 top placements in the World Cup.