Ski racer Linus Straßer became the fourth German to win the World Cup slalom in Kitzbühel. The 31-year-old from Munich prevailed on his “local mountain” in Austria ahead of the Swede Kristoffer Jakobsen (+0.14 seconds) and the two-time “Kitz” winner Daniel Yule from Switzerland (+0.20).
Before Straßer, only Felix Neureuther (2010 and 2014), Armin Bittner (1989) and Neureuther’s father Christian (1979) had won on the famous “Ganslernhang” for the German Ski Association. For Straßer it was the fourth victory in the World Cup, the third in one Slalom to Zagreb 2021 and Schladming 2022.
“This is how you drive Kitzbühel”
Straßer was “extremely proud” and shed a few tears at the finish. “The goal was, I absolutely wanted to take a chamois home with me. The victory – it has to happen, or you have to let it happen. I feel like I’m skiing better than ever before.”
The reward: a 100,000 euro bonus for Straßer, who learned to ski in Kitzbühel. However, he has always struggled with the “Schweinsberg”, as he once called the “Ganslern”.
Achim Dreis, Kitzbühel Published/Updated: Recommendations: 1 Achim Dreis, Kitzbühel Published/Updated: Recommendations: 4 Achim Dreis, Kitzbühel Published/Updated: Recommendations: 5
“His second run was one piece from top to bottom. This is how you drive Kitzbühel,” said ARD expert Felix Neureuther. Sebastian Holzmann and Anton Tremmel took places 22 and 23.
