Ski racer Linus Straßer continues to search for his best form in the Olympic winter. In the fourth slalom of the season in Alta Badia, the World Cup third placed 17th and was 1.33 seconds behind winner Atle Lie McGrath from Norway. He was 0.94 seconds short of a place on the podium, which also included Clement Noel (France/+0.30 seconds) and world champion Loic Meillard (Switzerland/+0.39). In the first two slalom races, Straßer, who had changed equipment in the summer, came in 13th and 8th, after which he missed the final run in Val d’Isère.
In Alta Badia, what particularly bothered him was the flat section before the finish: “With all due respect,” he said on BR, “but down below, that was high-speed ass shaking.” Sebastian Holzmann from Oberstdorf secured World Cup points for the first time in his fourth race after recovering from a torn cruciate ligament. He finished 24th and, given his lack of training days, emphasized: “I’m super happy. I gave myself a Christmas present.”
