Strasser tops slalom, another giant slalom win Hector

Germany's Linus Strasser claimed victory in the last men's alpine ski World Cup race before the Beijing Olympics on Tuesday while Swede Sara Hector continued her strong giant slalom form with a third season success.

Strasser rose from fifth after the first run to first at the prestigious night slalom in Schladming, Austria, clocking 1 minute 46.00 seconds for a third career success.

Norway's Atle Lie McGrath trailed by a mere three-hundredth in second place. Austrian Manuel Feller returned from a coronavirus infection to finish third, up from 28th in the first run, .39 behind Strasser.

Sweden's Kristoffer Jakobsen missed a maiden victory when the first-run leader straddled the third gate in the second run.

"The podium in Adelboden (in third place on January 9) was very important," Strasser said. "I realised in the first run that things were going well. It is unbelievable to get the first win (of the season and in Schladming)."

The Schladming race normally attracts up to 50,000 spectators but owing to coronavirus rules only 1,000 were let in.

Lucas Braathen of Norway retained the discipline lead 37 points ahead of world champion compatriot Sebastian Foss-Solevaag while none of the top five in the overall standings lead by Swiss Marco Odermatt were competing.

Strasser became the sixth different winner in as many season slaloms which makes the Olympic race at the Beijing Games February 4-20 wide open.

Hector meanwhile established herself as a big contender for the women's giant slalom at the Games with her latest victory in Kronplatz, Italy, despite a big mistake at a gate in the second run, clocking 2:36.3 minutes.

Slovak first-run leader Petra Vlhova had less trouble at that gate but it wasn't enough to hold on to the lead as she had to settle for second, .15 off the pace. Former world champion Tessa Worley of France rose from eighth to third, .52 back.

Hector won her first race in seven years in December and now has three wins from the last four giant slaloms and finished on the podium in the last five to lead the discipline standings 95 points ahead of Worley.

Olympic giant slalom champ Mikaela Shiffrin meanwhile finished fifth and saw the American saw her lead in the overall standings shrink to 27 points over the defending champion Vlhova.

The women's World Cup continues on the weekend with a downhill and super-g in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

The next men's race is the Olympic downhill next week Sunday, February 6.