Manuel Feller

“Had to explain to my kids what “almost” means”

Manuel Feller has put the disappointment of Saalbach behind him.

(Bild: GEPA)

After the bitter disappointments at the World Championships in Saalbach, Manuel Feller and Stefan Brennsteiner are back in the racing action for the first time this weekend in Kranjska Gora. The two tell us how they have come to terms with the biggest defeats of their careers and what new goals they have set themselves.

The "Krone" reports from Kranjska Gora

While Raphael Haaser is bursting with self-confidence and was right on the money at his career highlight to date in Saalbach, others had to lick their wounds. For Manuel Feller, for example. After finishing fourth in the World Championship slalom, he spoke of the "biggest defeat of his career" and left bitterly disappointed and without a medal. "It was hard to get over the first few days. It was really painful, we don't need to go on about it - but there are far worse things than failing in a ski race," said Feller, who did nothing physically for three days and put his skis in the corner for a week. Because: "I've also had more difficult phases in my career - for example, when I woke up in the morning and thought to myself that I had to go skiing and not that I was allowed to."

"Want to win another race this year"
His family, especially his children, gave the man from Fieberbrunn support. However: "When they came to me and told me that I almost came third, I had to explain the term 'almost' to them," laughed the 32-year-old. In Saalbach, he spoke of a feeling of a premature end to the season. "The big tingling sensation is actually no longer there, I have to wait another year until the really big races come around again," he emphasized at the media event in Kranjska Gora. "But I really want to win another race this year, especially in the slalom, because it's possible from a skiing perspective."

Brennsteiner's skis came undone after just a few seconds in Saalbach.

(Bild: GEPA)

"Pulled the plug"
Stefan Brennsteiner left the World Championships on his doorstep no less dejected. Having arrived in top form, his ski broke after just nine seconds of skiing. What caused this is still being investigated. "I think it was force majeure," he now takes it with gallows humor. "It pulled the plug on me after Saalbach, I probably won't be able to get over it completely for the rest of my life." But: "It doesn't help, it goes on." And perhaps Kranjska Gora will come at just the right time for Brennsteiner: the 33-year-old has taken two of his four World Cup podiums here so far.