'It doesn't get any better': Strasser wins back-to-back slaloms
Jan 24, 2024·Alpine Skiing
In doubling his career World Cup slalom victory total in just 72 hours, Linus Strasser (GER) did something that hasn't been seen in 34 years.
Strasser won his second race this week on Wednesday, adding the famous Schladming night slalom to Sunday's Kitzbuehel triumph to become the first German man since Armin Bittner in 1990 to win back-to-back World Cup slaloms.
The 31-year-old led after the first run and held his nerve in difficult conditions to deny Timon Haugan (NOR, +0.28s) his first World Cup victory, consigning the Norwegian to second place ahead of Clement Noel (FRA, +1.02s).
"It doesn't get any better," said Strasser, who had won two slalom races, plus one city event, in his World Cup career before this week. "I think the two best races of the season, and especially for me it feels, at the moment, very easy."
It's doubtful many of the other racers found it easy on Wednesday, competing in rain during both runs on salt-injected snow that made for tough conditions that were unlike any other race so far this season.
That led to 19 DNFs out of 73 starters in the first run and a further seven who failed to finish the second run, but Strasser had no such difficulty.
Skiing on a relatively clean track with bib No.3 in the first run, he took the lead by a tenth of a second before facing a nervous wait as the last skier at the top of the mountain in the second run.
"It was not easy because actually it was my first race leading (before) the second run," he admitted. "I was alone at the start, the start intervals are crazy long, and I just heard the staff of Timon cheering (after Haugan took the provisional lead).
"Still in that situation I could focus on my things which I had to do, and in the end, victory."
Strasser relegated Haugan to second for the third time in his career, but the Norwegian put together two scintillating runs, skiing into second from bib No. 12 in deteriorating conditions in the first run and then holding his form in the second run.
"Obviously, it's amazing," Haugan said. "To see the green light coming down in the second run was the craziest feeling I've ever had — here in Schladming, this is truly special."
The 27-year-old had been knocking on the door with four top-10 results in the five slalom races this season before Wednesday, building the confidence and consistency that allowed him to reach his first podium since last February.
"It's a process," Haugan admitted. "I've been on the World Cup a few years now and every year taking new steps. I just try to push the limit in every training to see how good I can become, and it's paying off."
While Haugan missed out on the win on Wednesday, his maiden World Cup victory is not far away, according to the man he pushed into third, Olympic slalom champion Noel.
"He's getting more and more consistent and faster and faster every time, so I think he will win a World Cup soon and I hope for him because he's a really good guy," Noel said.
The 26-year-old Frenchman, who won this race a year ago, made small mistakes throughout his second run and slipped into the red on the final intermediate split before he made up time on the lower section to salvage a podium.
"It was not my best second run for sure but in the end I'm really, really happy with the third place," said Noel, whose second run was the fourth slowest of the 23 who finished.
"Sometimes I'm disappointed with third place but with time I'm learning to be happy. When you do a podium in Schladming you can't be disappointed."
Noel denied Marc Rochat (SUI) what would have been his first World Cup podium, as the Swiss racer moved up six spots in the second run but finished an agonising fourth, 0.06 seconds off the podium.
World Cup slalom leader Manuel Feller (AUT), who had won three of the five races this season prior to Wednesday, was not at his best in either run and finished fifth.
While Feller could not salute in front of his home fans, he still leads the slalom standings by 132 points over Strasser. The German has now put himself in position to mount a challenge for the crystal globe, but for now, he has more important things on his mind.
"I keep the momentum up and try to continue, but first of all, I'm going to celebrate tonight," Strasser said.
