German skier Linus Strasser wins 2nd classic World Cup slalom in Austria in four days

SCHLADMING, Austria (AP) — Linus Strasser became the first German skier in 34 years to win two men’s World Cup slaloms in a row by triumphing at a night race Wednesday, three days after he won the slalom of the classic Hahnenkamm event in Kitzbuehel.

Racing in the rain in front of 22,500 spectators, Strasser held on to his first-run lead as he beat Timon Haugan of Norway by 0.28 seconds.

Olympic champion and last year’s winner Clement Noel of France was 1.02 behind in third.

“Two very nice races for me. Already felt pretty good in skiing before Kitzbuehel, so I took all the momentum to Schladming. And, yeah, super happy,” said Strasser, who was born in Munich but grew up and learned to ski in Austria.

“For me, skiing at the moment, I keep it very simple. That’s one key for the success.”

The last skier from Germany who won back-to-back slaloms was Armin Bittner. The second of his two wins in January 1990 also happened in Schladming.

Two years ago, Strasser also won the annual night race — held at the venue of the 2013 world championships — for his third career victory but didn’t win another event until last weekend.

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Strasser said he has improved on the mental side lately.

“Ski racing is a mental thing, how you are feeling. At the moment, it’s easy for me to just focus on the important things, really only on my tasks, to ski turn after turn and get everything else out of my head,” he said.

“A victory is always a moment, but there is a lot of long and hard work behind it. That is what makes me proud.”

Strasser positioned himself for Wednesday’s win by taking a lead in the opening run. One of the first four starters who had their runs before rain set in, Strasser was 0.10 seconds faster than Haugan.

“It was a very, very good first run. A lot of calmness in my skiing,” said Strasser, who then extended his lead in the final run as he mastered a tricky placement of the gates by Haugan’s Norwegian coach Christian Mitter.

“I feel bulletproof, you can give me whatever course set you want. That doesn’t impress me,” he said.

The result marked Haugan’s third career World Cup slalom podium but kept him waiting for his first win.

Manuel Feller trailed by 1.14 in fifth place. The Austrian remained on top of the discipline standings after winning three of the previous five slaloms this season and leads runner-up Strasser by 132 points. The next slalom is in Chamonix, France, on Feb. 4.

World champion Henrik Kristoffersen came one-hundredth of a second behind Feller in sixth.

Feller’s teammate Fabio Gstrein posted the fastest time in the second run and the Austrian improved from 26th to 10th position.

Mild temperatures and the rain made conditions on the Planai course vastly different from the rock-solid and icy surface at Tuesday’s giant slalom. That race was won by Swiss star Marco Odermatt, who does not compete in slaloms.

Wednesday’s race was briefly interrupted after 30 starters in the opening run when climate activists entered the course behind the finish line and sprinkled powder on the snow in a protest identical to the one at a slalom in Gurgl in November last year.

The men’s World Cup travels to Germany for two super-G races in Garmisch-Partenkirchen this weekend.

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