Linus Strasser’s Sensational Double Win: Schladming Night Slalom Sparks 2024 Season Excitement

GEPA pictures/ Gintare Karpaviciute

Linus Strasser is on a roll. He won his first World Cup of the season in Kitzbühel on Sunday, and on Wednesday night, he did it again in Schladming. He increased his advantage to (-0.28) during the second run. There are no bigger races in slalom skiing than those two. No matter what the rest of the season brings, he will consider 2024 his most successful. There are six slaloms left in the season but it is clear there is a battle brewing for the title.

“It doesn’t get any better,” said Strasser, “I think the two best races of the season, and especially for me, it feels, at the moment, very easy.” He continued, “It was not easy because actually it was my first race leading (going into) 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. Still, in that situation, I could focus on the things which I had to do, and in the end, victory.” 

France’s superstar Clement Noel was the third to last skier to race; he relinquished most of his advantage but crossed the finish with (0.06) to spare. At that point, Noel was guaranteed a podium. Immediately after, Noel, Norwegian Timon Haugan also crossed with a lead. However, the Norwegian rocket had grown his time advantage. That left only Germany’s Linus Strasser at the start. And Strasser was not denied his second Schladming Night slalom victory. The crowd embraced him as one of their own.

“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.”

“It was not my best second run for sure, but in the end, I’m really, really happy with the third place,” said Noel, “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.”

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Lead changes

Sweden’s Kristoffer Jakobsen had the lead with ten racers remaining to ski. When he crossed, you would have thought he was Austrian. The crowd enthusiastically showed their appreciation. However, the next racer to finish was Swiss skier Marc Rochat, who took the lead.

Rochat started fending off the men who had finished within a second of the first run leader. First, it was Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, then his teammate Daniel Yule. Then, there were five racers remaining at the start. Italy’s Alex Vinatzer pushed beyond his limits and straddled. Then Rochat witnessed Norway’s Atle Lie McGrath make a mistake and miss a gate. At that point, a podium seemed quite possible, but there were three more brilliant slalom athletes to ski and they all skied with fire.

However, the crowd favorite would start two racers after Rochat. When Manuel Feller started, you could feel the energy rise tenfold. He had a huge deficit to overcome if he was to earn a win but the crowd would do everything in their power to aid him in achieving victory. Unfortunately, their efforts were insufficient, and Feller made mistakes and finished just behind Rochat. However, the fans showed Feller nothing but love. But there would be no Austrian miracle.

Second run winners

The party in Schladming intensified between runs, and the crowd returned with heightened enthusiasm. You would have thought the first racers to ski the second run had won the Olympics. It is a special place, and the Schladming fans are a privilege for racers to perform for. The first Austrian to ski was three-time Olympic medalist Johannes Strolz, and when he crossed the finish with a (-0.70) advantage, the stadium ignited with joy. It is a roar unduplicated in ski racing. The next racer to take the lead was Austrian Fabio Gstrein, and the jubilation increased. There were still 25 racers to compete but the crowd was thrilled.

With an Austrian leader in the finish, every time a racer crossed behind him, it was a significant victory for the crowd. Gstrein was able to hold the lead for the following 12 racers. There is nothing in the sport like an Austrian leading a night race in Schladming. It was finally the 18th skier, Spain’s Tommaso Sala, who displaced the Austrian from the finish area leader’s throne. Gstrein delivered the fastest final run, which earned him 10th place (+1.79). He moved up a total of 16 positions. His teammate Johannes Strolz, Greece’s AJ Ginnis and Bulgarian Albert Popov each gained 11 positions.

North American struggles

The sole North American competing in the final run was Stifel US Ski Team’s Jett Seymour. Seymour had qualified definitively for his first finale of the season. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Seymour’s moment. He struggled at the top of the course, eventually skied off, and did not finish. The North American men’s slalom struggles continue. Their next opportunity will come in Bansko, Bulgaria.

As the night concluded in Schladming, the echoes of cheers and the thrill of competition lingered in the air. Linus Strasser’s back-to-back victories marked a triumphant chapter in his career, solidifying 2024 as his most successful season yet. The passionate crowd, embracing domestic and international athletes, turned the event into a spectacle of energy. Though the podium dreams of some were unrealized, the enthusiasm of the fans and the fantastic performances set the stage for an unforgettable night in slalom skiing.

Schladming night slalom results and analysis of fastest three and USA’s Jett Seymour

Analysis of fastest three and USA’s Jett Seymour