Ski racer Linus Straßer missed a podium finish in the first World Cup slalom of the winter. Despite the fourth-best time in the first round, the 32-year-old ended up in seventh place in Levi, Finland, 0.61 seconds behind the podium. Victory on the slope 170 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle on Sunday went to Clement Noël from France. The 2022 Olympic champion secured first place with a lead of 0.80 seconds over Henrik Kristoffersen from Norway and the Swiss Loïc Meillard (+0.95 seconds ).
Returnee Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who is starting for Brazil after a year off and saying goodbye to the Norwegian association, finished fourth. Marcel Hirscher’s comeback in the Slalom World Cup went much worse. The eight-time overall winner from Austria, who is now competing for the Netherlands, missed the second round in 46th place and afterwards spoke of one of the “worst slalom rides” of his life. In addition to Straßer, only Adrian Meisen (Garmisch) made it into the second round for the German Ski Association (DSV), but was eliminated there. Sebastian Holzmann (Oberstdorf/34th) missed the final, Anton Tremmel (Rottach-Egern) was eliminated in the first run.
