"Cards reshuffled!"

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Manuel Feller

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Austria's men's skiers are convinced that the world will look very different at home in Gurgl. Manuel Feller remains calm despite the false start.

However fascinating Lapland may be - in sporting terms it was not worth the trip for Austria's slalom men. On the bright side: revenge awaits on Sunday, at home in Gurgl. "The cards will be completely reshuffled there," Manuel Feller is certain. The same Feller who led a red-white-red triple triumph in Gurgl in 2023.

Good omen: there was a triple victory in Gurgl in 2023.

(Bild: AP)

The special snow conditions in Levi, 135 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, caught the Austrians on the inside ski. "But we're not looking for excuses," says head coach Marko Pfeifer. "I'm confident that we'll do much better in Gurgl. I've been in the business long enough and can see that the lads are skiing well."

This week it will be freezing cold in Gurgl, with temperatures dropping to minus 19 degrees. And Austria is keen to make amends. "As a team, we have a lot to make up for," says Adrian Pertl, the best Austrian in Levi in 15th place. "If we bring our training performance to the race, the fans will have reason to be happy." Dominik Raschner (16th in Levi) will "shift up a gear in Gurgl". Joshua Sturm (21st) wants to "make more turns with full conviction". And Michi Matt (25th) says: "I know what it was like in Levi. That's better than being in the dark. Hopefully things will really get going in Gurgl now."

Feller coolly shrugs off the false start (two retirements): "My focus this season is on individual races. Those are my dreams. And one or two failures certainly won't take that away from me." Kitzbühel and the home World Championships send their regards. But Manu wouldn't say no to another home win in Gurgl either. Will Marcel Hirscher start in Gurgl? That remains to be seen. The man from Salzburg will be training from the middle of the week and will decide at short notice.