Mister Slalom
The 32-year-old Tyrolean can currently claim the title “best slalom runner today” decorate. This award was for Marcel Hirscher for years reserved, who in his brilliant era took slalom sport to another level.
But this Manuel Feller was in no way inferior to the 6-time winner of the slalom ball last season.
Quite the opposite: Manuel Feller had a successful runsomething that even the great Marcel Hirscher had only achieved in one winter. The veteran from Fieberbrunn was on his way to victory in the Slalom World Cup in the top 5 in all races of the season – Hirscher was only able to achieve such a quota in the winter of 2012/’13.
Rarely has anyone earned the slalom ball as much as he did At a young age, Tyroleans were decried as gamblers and kingpins. “I know of few people for whom it worked as well as it did for me last year.”
Mister 99 percent
In a certain way, slalom skiing is one too little puzzle rally. The tiresome and often lengthy search for the best boards and the ideal combination of skis, boots and other detailed components has driven some runners half crazy.
Manuel Feller has one in this regard “Lotto Sixes”as the 32-year-old calls it. He found a successful combination of material “that worked in 99 percent of all races last winter.”
Mister Reliable
He was only unable to win the slalom on the ice slope in Kitzbühel (place 4). “Otherwise, in every race that I didn’t win, I would only find the fault in myself,” he says Winner of three seasonal slaloms (Hochgurgl, Adelboden, Wengen).
“It’s a crazy story when the stuff underneath you works in so many different circumstances and all you really have to do is work on yourself.”
Nevertheless, the human factor is of course still crucial. And Manuel Feller has had one in recent years Maturation process completed. Swing by swing, the unconditional daredevil has become a slalom runner who moves with calculation.
“You hardly ever get the feeling that he could be eliminated,” says ÖSV head coach Marko Pfeifer. Actually is Feller’s last slalom failure was almost two years ago. “He has become much calmer.”
Mister confidence
The only thing that can really upset the father of two is his back. But he has now got his chronic problems under control.
Winning the crystal ball did not satisfy the Tyrolean’s hunger for success. Feller was left wanting more. “Success is addictive“, he stated to himself. “I definitely want to experience the moments that I experienced last winter again.”
If Feller’s personal assessment is anything to go by, then his opponents should shudder.
“I didn’t forget anything over the summer.”