"Incomprehensible!" Strasser misses out on the podium - and sharply criticizes his own coach afterwards
dpa
30.1.2025 - 14:30

German slalom specialist Linus Strasser is on course for victory at the ski spectacle in Schladming, but slips out of the podium places in the final - and is annoyed about the course setting.
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- Linus Strasser led the night slalom in Schladming after the first run and was well on his way to taking the first win of the season for Germany.
- However, Strasser, who won here on the Planai last year, dropped back to 4th place in the second run.
- The Munich native blamed his own coach, who had set the second run, for the setback.
German ski racer Linus Strasser put in a strong performance just a few days before the start of the World Championships, but narrowly missed out on his first podium finish of the season. The 32-year-old finished fourth in the night slalom in Schladming. He had won the prestigious and atmospheric event on the Planai in 2022 and last year.
This time too, Strasser was on course for victory after the first run in front of 22,500 spectators, including national coach Julian Nagelsmann. Ultimately, however, the Norwegian Timon Haugan won ahead of the Austrians Manuel Feller and Fabio Gstrein. Strasser dropped back three places in the final.
Strasser annoyed about course setting
After the race, Strasser complained about the extremely twisting course in the second run - which had been set by a German coach. "Simply incomprehensible", he told BR. "I really try to keep the whole thing very normal. The trick is not to do anything special. Then I actually expect the same from my coaches." If you want to be the fastest, you have to be able to do everything. But you can't give away an advantage like that.
In the first run, he "drove cool", analyzed Strasser. He was particularly convincing in the top section of the track, but could perhaps have done a bit better in the lower section.
Despite the annoyance directly after the race, the World Championship dress rehearsal should give the Tyrolean by choice a boost for the title fights in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, from February 4 to 16. Together with fellow slalom racer Lena Dürr, he is Germany's biggest medal hope.