After many setbacks in the Ski World Cup, slalom ace Linus Straßer achieved another podium finish just in time for the Olympic Games. Thanks to a race to catch up, the Munich native ended up in third place at the classic in Kitzbühel. Only winner Manuel Feller from Austria and the Swiss Loic Meillard were faster than the German slalom specialist, who is returning to the top three in the World Cup after a two-year dry spell. After the first round, Straßer was only tenth.
Straßer could still find his form in time for the Winter Games in Northern Italy – the dress rehearsal for the slalom season highlight will take place on Wednesday evening at the next classic in Schladming.
The 33-year-old had not made it into the top five so far this season – which is also due to the fact that he changed his ski supplier in the summer. “It’s tough,” admitted Straßer this weekend. What he meant was that he couldn’t go to the limit like in 2024, when he won in Kitzbühel and Schladming. But now the comeback followed.