Manuel Feller restored Austrian pride with a sensational victory in the Kitzbühel slalom on Sunday. Feller rose from fourth after the first run to first as he won.
Manuel Feller restored Austrian pride with a sensational victory in the Kitzbühel slalom on Sunday.
Feller rose from fourth after the first run to first as he won .35 of a second ahead of Swiss world champion and first run leader Loic Meillard.
The 2024 race winner Linus Strasser of Germany shot from 10th to third for his first season podium, .53 off the pace.
Feller gave Austria lots to cheer the day after the host nation had to swallow its worst ever downhill result in Kitzbühel, with Vincent Kriechmayr their best in 13th.
Feller is the first Kitzbühel slalom winner from Austria in nine years since Marcel Hirscher in 2017. He is the first Austrian to win a slalom this season and the sixth different winner from eight races.
"Right now, it's difficult to put this victory into words," Feller told Austrian broadcasters ORF after a seventh career victory.
"I've often dreamed about it. I've been in a good position a few times, but perhaps I didn't have the nerves for it. Today, it just worked out. It couldn't be any better."
Finland's Eduard Hallberg droppeds from second to fifth and Norway's Henrik Fristoffersen dropped from third to 10th.
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Brazil was fourth and tops the discipline standings 26 points ahead of Frenchman Clement Noel with three slaloms left. Overall leader Marco Odermatt of Switzerland does not compete in the slalom.
Odermatt will return on Tuesday for a giant slalom in Schladming, to be followed by another slalom there on Wednesday.
Category: General Sports
