Slalom in Adelboden

Feller narrowly misses podium as Rassat triumphs

Manuel Feller missed the podium by 18 hundredths of a second.(Bild: GEPA)

Austria's male skiers once again failed to make it onto the podium in the slalom in Adelboden. While Paco Rassat raced to victory on Sunday, Manuel Feller (+0.38) narrowly missed out on a podium place, finishing fifth. Behind the Frenchman, the two Norwegians Atle Lie McGrath (+0.18) and Henrik Kristoffersen (+0.20) took second and third place.

Manuel Feller finished fifth in the Adelboden slalom, his first top finish of the Olympic winter. However, it was others who stood on the podium at the Swiss skiing classic on Sunday. Paco Rassat from France triumphed at Chüenisbärgli after also winning in Gurgl. He finished ahead of the two Norwegians Atle Lie McGrath (+0.18 seconds) and half-time leader Henrik Kristoffersen (+0.20). Feller missed the podium by 18/100.

The result:

"Step in the right direction"
At the site of his previous success – the last eight slaloms in the Bernese Oberland had brought five Austrian victories – Feller managed to reverse the trend. "My skiing was very good. Looking at the podium, I missed out in the first run," said Feller, who was eighth at the halfway stage, on ORF. "It takes a lot of risk to be at the top now. It's a step in the right direction." Thanks to the important points he earned, he will be able to start a little more relaxed in Wengen next week.

Atle Lie McGrath, Paco Rassat, and Henrik Kristoffersen.(Bild: AFP/FABRICE COFFRINI)

ÖSV trio fails to make a leap forward
While Feller secured the slalom team's first top-five result in the sixth race of the season, his teammates performed in line with their previous results. Dominik Raschner (14th), Marco Schwarz (16th), and Michael Matt (18th) failed to make a leap forward after the first run. Fabio Gstrein, Austria's best slalom skier last year, failed to get going at all and missed out on qualifying for the second run in 31st place. The Tyrolean was at a loss. "It's just not working at the moment. Neither in training nor in the race." Adrian Pertl (33rd) was also finished after one run. For Johannes Strolz and Joshua Sturm, the race was over after just a few seconds.

Marco Schwarz(Bild: GEPA)

Close race without "Jägerzaun"
In sunny conditions, it was already extremely close in the morning. Kristoffersen managed to put three tenths between himself and the competition in the first run. The first twelve racers were separated by less than a second during the lunch break. In the final, the course was again rather easy, leading to the expected fierce competition, in which Feller achieved the third-fastest run. "Nothing is boring down the hill. But we've had that a few times this year. The easier the run, the more risk you have to take," said Feller. Clever slalom courses, such as those once set by Ante Kostelic, are now a rarity. Simple courses would result in an exciting race. "But I think it's also exciting when there's a 'Jagazaun' and you have to think about it," said Feller.

Rassat with the fastest time
Rassat won with the fastest time, securing his second World Cup victory with a powerful performance on the steep slope. "Winning here in front of this fantastic crowd is just wonderful." He had not previously scored any points in three starts in Adelboden. McGrath was also satisfied: "Last year I was in the net (in the Adelboden giant slalom), this year I'm on the podium."

Paco Rassat(Bild: AFP/FABRICE COFFRINI)

A matter of confidence
For Schwarz, the slalom is gradually becoming a test of patience. However, the Carinthian does not see himself as far behind as the results list, with 16th place, would suggest. "It may look as if the others are doing something extraordinary, but that's not the case. In the first run, I'm 1.3 seconds behind. These are small things with a big impact."

"Lots of room for improvement"
Schwarz was confident that he had gotten his problem with the outside ski under better control in the second run. "I'm aware that there's still a lot of room for improvement. I just have to believe in myself and work on it." Raschner also noted that his confidence from Gurgl (6th) had remained with him in the last few races. "Two straddles, one mistake too many – that hurts mentally." The second-best Austrian on the day was able to take the positives from his fast turns in the upper section.