Now it's time to celebrate
Manuel Feller: “A lifelong dream comes true!”
The news that the race in Kranjska Gora had been canceled came to Manuel Feller almost out of nowhere. The man from Fieberbrunn has thus secured the slalom crystal globe and is celebrating the greatest sporting success of his career to date. At home in Fieberbrunn, he toasted his success with his closest friends. Meanwhile, head coach Marko Pfeifer and Alpine Director Herbert Mandl went into raptures.
He had just come home with the children when the phone rang - and Feller found out about the greatest sporting success of his career. "It's a bit strange", admitted the Tyrolean, who was welcomed home by his cousin, "I said: now I have to go and buy some beer". However, he couldn't really realize it at first: "I would have preferred to have decided it on the piste, after that there is always more emotion involved, it would have taken my shoulders off in the finish area."
But as so often this season, the weather played spoilsport, with warm temperatures and rain causing the cancellation of the slalom in Kranjska Gora (which had been feared for days) - it was the tenth men's race of the season to be canceled. Which means that Feller has the small crystal globe for sure, he is the ninth Austrian to win it in the slalom, the first since Marco Schwarz three years ago! "It's a lifelong dream come true."
In August, the season was on the brink
Feller had even considered taking a year off in August after suffering from oedema in his hip. "I'm glad I didn't do it." Because seven months later, he is on the throne. And, everyone agrees: the non-sporting fixation does not detract from Feller's performance at all, the ball is the well-deserved reward for an outstanding season. "He has developed incredibly, shown great consistency and mental strength," praises head coach Marko Pfeifer.
The year got off to a sensational start with the home victory in Gurgl, and Feller wore the red jersey throughout from the success in Adelboden at the beginning of January. After the two home races in Kitzbühel and Schladming at the latest, the fight for crystal became a "constant strain on the skull". But the 2017 World Championship silver medallist maintained his form, didn't miss a single race, finished in the top 5 in all nine slaloms of the season and held a 169-point lead over Linus Straßer ahead of the last two scheduled races.
Head coach and Alpine Director take their hats off
The former whistle-blower with a high failure rate has become the best slalom racer in the world. "You have to take your hat off to his development. From a broken skier with back problems to one of the most consistent slalom skiers at the moment, respect," said Pfeifer. "He's fast, clever and an incredible person. Manuel is extremely important for skiing, which is why he is appreciated everywhere."
Alpine Director Herbert Mandl also said: "He's a guy - and skiing needs guys. I'm very happy for him, he absolutely deserves it, he's worked hard for it." For the ÖSV, too, this globe has "a very great significance" in the year before the home World Championships after a recently globe-less season. For Feller, the success also brought a certain satisfaction: "I don't know how many times I've heard over the past few years that he's over now." Despite a total of four slipped discs, two of which were acute, Feller kept biting his way back. "And now I'm the best slalom skier in the world."
Looking forward to a home party in Saalbach
Feller will receive his crystal in ten days' time at the final in Saalbach - after weeks of exhausting racing, he can look forward to a race where he can race without any pressure. "I'm looking forward to a cool finale and want to finish the season with a top result. Now I can ride freely, enjoy it more - and then lift the ball into the air at a home race," smiles Feller.
"I wouldn't say no if Linus and I swapped places next year - I win Schladming and Kitzbühel, he wins the globe. Then we can both retire."
Manuel Feller
Although he previously thanked his challenger Straßer, who immediately congratulated him, for the "cool fight". Even though "he could only win in the end and I could only lose - that makes a huge difference." The two have known each other since childhood, Feller suffered with Straßer over the decision at the green table: "He was robbed of his chance, I was robbed of my emotions." Nevertheless, the ball was "well deserved, Linus had a great season, mine was perhaps an alzerl better". Feller joked: "I wouldn't say no if Linus and I swapped places next year - I win Schladming and Kitzbühel, he wins the globe. Then we can both retire."
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