While Marcel Hirscher overhauled the great Alberto Tomba, there is a ray of hope for the torn German skiers: Linus Straßer meets half of the Olympic norm.
The Olympic winter had started so well. Felix Neureuther was in the form of his life, Stefan Luitz drove like a contender for a medal. But the injuries of the two best German ski racers are becoming increasingly noticeable, especially since Fritz Dopfer is far from being in shape again after a break in his leg,”and the masters”, said Alpine Director Wolfgang Maier,”don’t fall from the sky”.
At the World Cup races in Adelboden there was a small bright spot after a new low shot. In the slalom on the legendary Chuenisbärgli, Linus Straßer (Munich) showed his best seasonal performance in a “normal” race six days after his third place in the parallel slalom of Oslo: The 24-year-old competed with two determined runs in the previous year’s 10th place and thus fulfilled the Olympic norm in half.
While Marcel Hirscher (Austria) followed the victory in the giant slalom with the victory in the slalom and has already won 52 times in the World Cup, Straßer did not want to break out in euphoria:”Of course I am happy about the result, but there is so much more in it. What a great joy I should be,”he said. In Wengen, Kitzbühel or Schladming he now has to be among the top 15 again in order to meet the standard.
But Strasser’s upswing came at exactly the right time on Sunday: The day before in the giant slalom, the German men had delivered the worst result in a World Cup competition for four years – no one was listed in the final ranking. Julian Rauchfuss (Mindelheim) was eliminated in the first run, Alexander Schmid (Fischen) fell in the second. Dopfer, in slalom 22nd, had waived a start.
Happy the one who has a healthy, exceptional skier. Hirscher had won the giant slalom classic on Saturday at Chuenisbärgli – just ahead of the Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen (+0.11 seconds) and the Frenchman Alexis Pinturault (+0.21). In the slalom he won ahead of his team mate Michael Matt (+0.13) and Kristoffersen (+0.16). Made the victories number six and seven this season.
Hirscher has now passed Alberto Tomba (Italy/50) in the eternal leaderboard and has only Hermann Maier (Austria/54) and Ingemar Stenmark (Sweden/86) ahead of him. In the giant slalom he overtook with his 25th birthday. Victory Ted Ligety (USA/24) and is now alone behind Stenmark (46).
Alexander Schmid has become the last German hope in giant slalom. By a sensational sixth place on the 9th rank. He had qualified for the Olympic Games in Val d’ Isere on 31 December, but alpine director Maier warns of high expectations:”The Bua must now develop. He has very good skills. I’m sure he’ll be at the forefront someday. But he needs time.”
After all, Schmid remained unharmed in his spectacular fall, apart from a few bruises. A further failure would have been just what Maier needed,”just as we have been thinned out”. In Adelboden, the DSV could have started six runners, Neureuther, Luitz and Dopfer even from the first group – but:”They’re not there. It sure hits you emotionally. If you see who’s driving here and our best people are in the hospital, it’s not funny,”said Maier.