Emotional Kitzbühel finale: Feller celebrates home victory

This year's Kitzbühel World Cup races are now history. After Marco Odermatt's victory in the Super-G and Giovanni Franzoni's triumph in the downhill, Sunday's slalom was the moment for local hero Manuel Feller, who brought a sigh of relief to the entire nation.

25 January 2026

From: leo

For the first time in the long history of skiing, not a single Austrian finished in the top 10 in Saturday's downhill race on the Streif. But no one in Kitzbühel was talking about this historic setback 24 hours later. Thanks to a daring run, Manuel Feller sent himself, the thousands of spectators in the finish area, and ultimately the entire ski nation into a frenzy of excitement.

But let's start at the beginning: German coach Bernd Brunner incorporated obstacles into the second, significantly faster run, which posed considerable problems for the athletes. It was therefore no surprise that one of "his" athletes, Linus Straßer, set the first benchmark time. The German, who lives in Kitzbühel and was in tenth place at the halfway point, also opened the battle for the podium positions with his run. Subsequently, numerous top skiers struggled to beat his time – including last year's winner, Clement Noel.

There's no stopping it now.

Only when local hero Manuel Feller conjured up a truly dreamlike run did Straßer have to relinquish his victory chair. The Austrian risked life and limb, managed to keep his momentum short, and then unleashed a turbo boost in the final section. The finish area, lined with numerous sports stars and celebrities, erupted in cheers. The roar grew even louder when Henrik Kristoffersen and Eduard Hallberg also finished behind Feller.

Pure spectacle: The Ganslernhang in Kitzbühel. © APA / EXPA / JOHANN GRODER

Shortly afterward, Loic Meillard, who had been leading at the halfway point, made a furious start from the starting gate. However, his lead steadily dwindled and was completely gone by the time he crossed the finish line. Feller thus celebrated his first victory in almost two years – and right on his home turf. He had never previously stood on the podium in Kitzbühel. No wonder he was close to tears. Straßer was delighted with third place.

A rough day for South Tyroleans

Meanwhile, South Tyrol's slalom skiers experienced a day to forget. Last year's runner-up, Alex Vinatzer, straddled a gate shortly before the finish in the first run, while Tobias Kastlunger and Matteo Canins failed to qualify. The elimination was particularly painful for Vinatzer, as a solid result would have allowed him to advance to the second starting group.