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ABOUT LINUS
Linus Straßer – ski racer for the German Ski Association (Deutscher Skiverband (DSV)) and member of the Customs Ski Team – was born in Munich on 6 November 1992. As the child of a sports-loving family, he spent almost every winter weekend on the slopes of the nearby Alps, even as a little boy. In particular, the slopes in Kitzbühel, Austria, awakened a great enthusiasm for skiing in Linus at an early age.
He quickly knew that this sport was a true passion, and that skiing meant the world to him. It soon became clear that Linus had the ideal qualifications for the disciplines slalom, parallel slalom and giant slalom thanks to his excellent technique and strong nerves.
A certain relaxedness paired with courage and willpower on the slope became the foundation of later successes. Linus' level-headed and reflective manner also helped him to withstand all the pressure in competitive sport. He works meticulously both in training and in competition to become better and is his own biggest critic in the process.
In his free time, he finds a balance to skiing in other sports. Linus is passionate about tennis and football. Away from sport, he is an absolute family man, which is why the bond with his parents, siblings and friends has always been very close.
Within just four days, Linus was crowned winner of two World Cup slaloms in January 2024, impressively cementing his place among the world's best. The two prestigious slaloms in Kitzbühel and Schladming both went to him, marking his fourth and fifth individual World Cup victories. Linus thus created a novelty in German skiing: Never before has a German skier managed to win the slaloms in Kitzbühel and Schladming in the same season.
King of Kitzbühel and Schladming
For his performance at the Olympic Games, Linus was awarded the Silver Laurel Leaf in May 2022 – the highest state recognition for top performance in German sport. In October, he also received the Golden Ski – a recognition given to ski racers by the DSV for top performances in the past season. Two great honours that inspire Linus Straßer to go one better for the current season – just like the excellent fifth place in the 2021/22 overall slalom standings.
Silver leaf and golden ski
The race in Schladming was also the dress rehearsal before the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in February. For Linus, it was his second Olympic participation after Pyeongchang 2018. In China, he finished the individual slalom in seventh place. It went even better in the team competition: Together with Lena Dürr, Alexander Schmid, Emma Aicher and Julian Rauchfuss, Linus won the silver medal.
Beijing's silver team
Night race in Schladming on the famous Planai – the most prestigious race in the World Cup winter was once again an absolute highlight on 25 January 2022. Especially for Linus, who sat in the leader's box with the best time in the second run and only had to wait for the two leaders from run one. Giuliano Razzoli from Italy went into the race – threaded. Only Kristoffer Jakobsen from Sweden could now knock the DSV athlete off his throne – but Jakobsen also threaded, and Linus' third World Cup victory was perfect!
Number three on the Planai
The Croatian capital seems to be a good place for Linus when it comes to skiing. Exactly six years to the day after he collected World Cup points there for the first time, he celebrated his premiere victory in a World Cup slalom in Zagreb on 6 January 2021. He left the Austrian Manuel Feller one tenth of a second behind and was 16 hundredths faster than Feller's compatriot Marco Schwarz, who finished third at the time.
Zagreb – a good place to be
Stockholm, 31 January 2017: Final of the parallel slalom at the City Event. Alexis Pinturault and Linus Straßer face each other in the starting gate. Linus knew that nobody could take away that second place from him – but the first World Cup victory was also within reach. Focus once more, the light barrier opens, and the action starts. Gate for gate, the opponents are almost equal, but at the finish Linus is faster than the Frenchman and the first World Cup victory is thus achieved!
Crowning in Sweden
The next small step in his career followed on 6 January 2015: Linus scored his first World Cup points in the slalom in Zagreb. He took the momentum from Croatia with him to Adelboden, Kitzbühel and Schladming, where he further improved his points account. The reward for these performances was the qualification for the Alpine World Ski Championships 2015 in Vail/Beaver Creek. With an outstanding tenth place in the slalom, he made the international competition sit up and take notice. And it was to get even better.
The big stage
On 27 October 2013, a childhood dream finally came true for Linus: In Sölden, he was allowed to compete in the FIS World Cup for the first time and measure himself against the world's best athletes. After that, he shuttled back and forth between the European Cup and the World Cup. After winning his first European Cup race in December 2013 and becoming German Giant Slalom Champion shortly afterwards, he regularly competed in the World Cup in the following season.
Among the skiing elite
In February 2011, the time had come: Linus celebrated his first victory in a FIS race. Just one month later, he was crowned German Junior Slalom Champion. Due to an injury including surgery, he was unable to compete in the 2011/12 season. In the following season, he quickly fought his way back and won slalom gold again at the German Junior Championships in January 2013.
Swinging onto the podium
To obtain a German racing licence, Linus moved to a club in Bavaria. There was only one option for him: TSV 1860 Munich. Under the wing of the skiing lions, he skied his first FIS races from December 2007, and a good two years later he made his first appearance in the European Cup. He had already found his favourite discipline in the slalom.
Once a lion, always a lion
Linus Straßer stood on skis for the first time at the age of two. A one-time event turned into regularity, cautious swings into a dynamic passion. Four years later, he skied his first races during a skiing holiday in Tyrol and joined the traditional Kitzbühel Ski Club in the same year. His sporting spirit was awakened, and his career took off.
A Bavarian in Tyrol
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NEWS
Solid start to the slalom season: Linus finishes seventh in Levi
17th November 2024
Linus can build on this first slalom race of the 2024/25 season: The 32-year-old finished in a solid seventh place in Levi, Finland. He arrived at the finish line 1.56 seconds behind the winner, Clément Noël from France, on an icy slope. Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen and Loïc Meillard from Switzerland completed the podium. “The first races are always difficult, so I'll take this seventh place for now,” said Linus after the race. Next Sunday, the runner-up in last season's Slalom World Cup will have the opportunity to compete for the podium again in the slalom in Gurgl/Austria.
Strong season final: Linus on the podium in Saalbach-Hinterglemm
17th March 2024
It was already clear before the final competition: Linus would finish second in the overall slalom standings – behind Austrian Manuel Feller, who secured the small crystal globe. Despite these omens, both gave their all once again in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, the venue for the 2025 World Championships, and went head-to-head. After two runs, Manuel Feller came out on top and finished 0.04 seconds ahead of Linus. Only the Norwegian Timon Haugan, who celebrated his first World Cup victory, was better than the two childhood friends on this day. For Linus, his memorable victories in Schladming and Kitzbühel will be remembered above all this season. And: the last time Felix Neureuther came second in the slalom rankings from a German perspective was between 2013 and 2015.
Chance of small crystal globe preserved:
Linus finishes second in Aspen
3rd March 2024
With two races to go, Linus still has a chance of winning the small crystal globe in the Slalom World Cup. Thanks to a brilliant second run at the race in Aspen, the 31-year-old moved up from sixth place after the first run to second place, putting him back on the podium after his third place in Palisades Tahoe in the USA. In Aspen, only Switzerland's Loïc Meillard was 0.89 seconds faster than Linus – third place went to Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen. As the leader in the Slalom World Cup, Manuel Feller from Austria, only finished in fifth place in Aspen, Linus is only 169 points behind Feller with two races to go. With 200 points still up for grabs, he has thus 200 points still to be awarded.
