Marco Schwarz and Austria are mired in a slalom crisis. © APA/afp / PIERRE TEYSSOT

Another slalom debacle: Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) lamentation

Austria's men failed to find their rhythm at the start of the crucial slalom month of January in Madonna di Campiglio. Head coach Marko Pfeifer laments the lack of an aggressive skiing style.

08 January 2026

From: apa/dl

"It's all or nothing," said Pfeifer, considering the ever-increasing competition in the discipline. The first five World Cup slaloms of the Olympic winter have produced five different winners. So far this Olympic season, not a single Austrian has finished in the top five.

Just before Christmas, Manuel Feller finished eleventh in Alta Badia, the best result for an Austrian. Michael Matt's twelfth place in Madonna is the Austrian Ski Federation's (ÖSV) worst result of the season. Training over the holidays brought no improvements. "We know what the problem is, and we've been working on it," Pfeifer told ORF. "But we only manage to get a few turns here and there. And of course, every race that goes by without a good result chips away at our confidence."

Feller's momentum as a model

In 2024, Feller had won the small crystal globe for the discipline World Cup. Pfeifer cited the Tyrolean's already very short slalom turn as a factor. "Everyone copied that, the line too," said the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) head coach. "They're skiing very aggressively, with a short burst of power. It's getting more and more brutal. If you don't execute that from start to finish and ski with a bit of a safety margin, you'll be overtaken immediately." In Madonna di Campiglio, only 22 hundredths of a second separated third through tenth place.

"Everyone is driving to the limit, we're sometimes too timid in our approach." Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) head coach Marko Pfeifer

"In some cases, the courses in the World Cup were too easy," criticized Pfeifer. He was referring to the first run, which had presented few difficulties and significant time gaps. Pfeifer continued: "You can see that the bar has been raised dramatically in slalom. Everyone is skiing to the absolute limit; we're sometimes too cautious. But there's no point in dwelling on it; the next slalom is in a few days. It's one race after another in January."

Four more slalom races in January

The next slalom is scheduled for Sunday in Adelboden. This will be followed by races in Wengen (January 18), Kitzbühel (January 25), and Schladming (January 28), before the specialists head to the Olympics. The best Austrian in the discipline standings is Matt, currently in twelfth place. "Michi Matt showed some really fast turns at times," praised Pfeifer. He believed Feller was "within striking distance of the podium" until his crash in the second run. Therefore, Feller shouldn't be discouraged. "I still think he'll take the positives from this. He seems very consistent," explained Pfeifer. "But there's no need to discuss it: a good result is a real boost. Now we're hoping for Adelboden."

Manuel Feller was eliminated in the second run. © ANSA / ANDREA SOLERO

Feller won the slalom on the "Chuenisbärgli" in 2024. "Adelboden is a place where I've celebrated many, many great successes. I'll go all out again," said the 33-year-old after his elimination in Madonna. He will continue to push hard. "If I don't take risks, you can quickly find yourself in 15th or 20th place – that's not why I ski, I want to keep moving forward. But I won't let him get into that steep section in Adelboden so carelessly."

Schwarz “certainly has more to offer”

Marco Schwarz, who before the New Year had impressed with his maiden Super-G victory in Livigno and his triumph in the classic giant slalom in Alta Badia, couldn't get into his stride at all. The Carinthian skier missed the second run, finishing 36th, and was baffled. "He's certainly better at slalom skiing," emphasized Pfeifer. The same applies to Fabio Gstrein, who was eliminated in the first run. His third place at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley in March remains Austria's last podium finish in slalom.