The German ski squad missed the hoped-for World Cup medal in the team competition in France. The team led by slalom specialists Lena Dürr and Linus Straßer lost 3-1 to Olympic champions Austria in the quarter-finals of the parallel races in Méribel.
Gold went to the USA, who competed without superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, who narrowly defeated defending champion Norway in the final. Austria lost the fight for bronze against Canada.
“The competition is so fast-paced. Every round is a small final. That’s how it was today,” Strasser told ZDF. “Basically, I think that we did a good job as a team – in this case the Austrians were a bit faster.”
The German Ski Association (DSV) is still waiting for a medal in the title fights in France. After the speed specialists had gone empty-handed in the first week, the technicians in the mixed team event were seen as a beacon of hope. The Germans had impressed in this format at previous major events: they won bronze at the 2021 World Cup in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and even silver at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China a year ago.
In the parallel races, two women and two men compete for a team in knockout duels per round. The nation that wins more duels advances. In the case of a tie, only two times are counted – the fastest for women and men.
The German team beat Sweden 3-1 in the first round in Méribel. Against Austria she quickly fell behind due to the defeats of Andrea Filser and Straßer. Dürr made it exciting again with a narrow victory before Alexander Schmid had to risk a lot – and retired. The World Championships continue on Wednesday with the individual parallel races.
