Winter Olympics 2022 - Johannes Strolz holds narrow slalom lead over Norwegian duo as Dave Ryding hopes fade

Updated 16/02/2022 at 04:09 GMT

Johannes Strolz is in pole position to win his second gold medal of the Winter Olympics. The Austrian won the alpine skiing combined event last week, and now leads the slalom after Run 1. He has a narrow 0.02 advantage over Henrik Kristoffersen, with Sebastian Foss-Solevag also in contention. Team GB’s Dave Ryding was work to do after finishing more than a second off the pace.

Johannes Strolz

Image credit: Getty Images

Johannes Strolz holds a slender advantage in the slalom as the Austrian goes for a second gold at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The 29-year-old followed in his father's footsteps when winning the combined event last week, and he posted a Run 1 time of 53.92 to finish just 0.02 seconds ahead of Henrik Kristoffersen.

Just 0.06 seconds separate the top three with world champion Sebastian Foss-Solevag in third, while Team GB’s Dave Ryding showed potential early on before falling almost certainly out of contention when finishing 1.21 seconds off the pace.

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Ramon Zenhausern was out first, but the 29-year-old was “labouring” according to Nick Fellows on Eurosport’s commentary, with the Swiss rider – who won silver in Pyeongchang four years ago but has endured a disappointing season so far due to injury problems – unlikely to trouble with a time of 54.72.

Then it was the turn of Norway’s Foss-Solevag, last year’s slalom world champion, and he made a statement with a 53.98.

That lead was short-lived however, with Foss-Solevag’s compatriot Kristoffersen going 0.04 seconds quicker to take his place in the leader’s enclosure.

The biggest early casualty was Austria’s Manuel Feller – third in the World Cup slalom standings – as he posted the first DNF of Run 1, while Kristoffer Jakobsen’s day was also over moments later.

Loic Meillard moved into third and just 0.28 seconds off the pace, and then it was disappointment for Ryding, who was in the green after the second split before a mistake saw him finish more than a second behind the leaders.

There was then another upset when World Cup slalom leader Lucas Braathen recorded the third DNF of the run.

Kristoffersen was then displaced by Strolz, who was 19th out on the ‘Ice River’ course.

‘This is going to be amazing!’ – Strolz emulates father with combined gold 34 years later

Despite sitting 11th in the World Cup slalom standings this season having recorded four DNFs, Strolz was able to win in Adelboden in early January and appears to be in confident mood after his combined gold on February 10.

He could take some stopping, but Kristoffersen and Foss-Solevag are well placed to challenge the Austrian for gold.

Meillard, Linus Strasser, Clement Noel and Michael Matt will all hope they are capable of making the podium too.

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