Munich races on the podium in the last slalom before the Olympics - and then has to cry about dad

Created: 01/12/2022, 09:35 AM

From: Christoph Klaucke

Lena Dürr celebrates her third place in Schladming.

© Giovanni Maria Pizzato / dpa

Lena Dürr races on the podium in the Schladming night slalom.

The German ski star is in top form just a few weeks before the Olympics.

Schladming - Lena Dürr * surprised at the last slalom before the Olympic Games in Beijing and confirmed her top form.

The 30-year-old from SV Germering raced to third place at the night event in Schladming, making it onto the podium for the third time this season.

Born in Munich, she had already finished third twice in Levi.

There is also a fifth place in Killington this winter and fourth last weekend in Kranjska Gora.

In the last slalom before the Olympics: Lena Dürr races onto the podium in Schladming

"This is for you, Papa," said Dürr with tears in her eyes after she had finished on the podium for the third time this season.

Precisely where her father celebrated the greatest success of his career in 1988 when he finished third on the downhill. 

Victory on the Planai went to the exceptional American rider Mikaela Shiffrin, who was still fifth after the first round.

For Shiffrin it was already the 73rd World Cup success and the 47th in slalom - no one managed more in an individual discipline.

Second was the overall Slovak World Cup winner Petra Vlhova, who already secured the small crystal ball in the gate. 

Lena Dürr races onto the podium at the night slalom in Schladming.

© Harald Steiner / Imago

Dürr was second after the first round, 27 hundredths behind the Slovak serial winner Petra Vlhova, in the end the DSV driver was just under a second behind Shiffrin.

“I tried not to think too much,” said Dürr after the first run: “It's just great fun.” In 2013 she celebrated her only World Cup victory at the City Event in Moscow.

Lena Dürr in top form before the Olympics: medal in Beijing?

Dürr did not want to think about the Olympics in Beijing (February 4th to 20th) and a possible medal.

“I'm not even thinking about that at the moment.

But it's within reach and more realistic than four years ago, "she said." It's just so cool that I could do this.

A dream!

I just enjoy skiing right now. "

Lena Dürr celebrates her third place in the night slalom in Schladming.

© FrankHoermann / Imago

The only 18-year-old Emma Aicher, who had fulfilled the second part of the DOSB standard for the Olympics on Sunday, was surprisingly tenth (+1.04) at halftime, but retired after a threading-in in the second round.