After the first part of the alpine Olympic combination in Beijing, three speed specialists are ahead: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (North) and the two Canadians James Crawford and Brodie Seger. In fourth place: the winner of the Adleboden slalom, Johannes Strolz, right in front of combined world champion Marco Schwarz. A medal would be something very special for Strolz. After all, the story of his father Hubert is a very special one in this discipline.
On January 17, 1988, Hubert Strolz won the combination in Bad Kleinkirchheim. It was the first World Cup victory for the man from Vorarlberg, after he had previously been on the podium 14 times. Incidentally, it was to be Warther’s only World Cup triumph, but not his only victory. Exactly one month after Bad Kleinkirchheim, “Hubsi” achieved his biggest coup: after he had placed in the combined downhill at the Olympic Games on February 16, 1988 After completing five, he kept his nerve in the slalom on February 17 and was crowned Olympic champion with the seventh best time, ahead of Bernhard Gstrein from Tyrol and Paul Accola from Switzerland. But there is also a “dark” chapter in Strolz’ combination history. Four years after his moment of glory, the Vorarlberger once again grabbed combo gold at the Albertville Games. “I probably had a three-second lead when I gave up the Olympic victory that I thought was certain three or four goals before the slalom finish,” the 59-year-old recalls in an interview. “I missed a slight wave and slipped on the inside ski.” Regardless of how it turns out for his son Johannes today, Papa Hubert is simply happy that “Johannes can have this experience of being part of the Olympic Games. This is a life experience that only a few people are allowed to have.”
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