The Austrian yelled with delight on finishing his second run in the event that decides the best all-rounder with Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde claiming silver and Canada’s James’ Jack’ Crawford the bronze.
In the discipline that decides the best men’s all-around Alpine skier, the combined event, it was Johannes Strolz who came out on top at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre on Thursday (10 February). The Austrian added to the family trophy cabinet winning the gold medal in the two-run speed and technical event, 34 years after his father Hubert did the same.
The slalom specialist managed to make up 0.75 seconds on the top skier after the first leg, the downhill specialist Norwegian, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde who claimed silver. James ‘Jack’ Crawford dropped one place after the first run to win bronze, Canada’s first-ever Alpine combined medal.
An emotional Strolz said after the race: “When I think about it, all the pictures and the gold medal of my father, it’s hard for me not to cry. It’s just a dream coming true.
“It means the world to me because I was not on the team anymore last summer, and made it back into the team, got the full support again.
“I’m so thankful for the support of so many people. First of all I have to thank my whole family. They always believed in me, and now it’s a dream coming true, making the same gold medal like my father did.
“Finally all the sacrifices and the hard work paid off. I think I’m a good example of never giving up. If you believe in yourself you have to take your chance and keep going.”