Roland Fischnaller: "And after that I was completely empty"

Before the start of these Winter Games, 40 South Tyrolean athletes had won at least one medal at the Winter Olympics. Andrea Vötter/Marion Oberhofer, Emanuel Rieder/Simon Kainzwaldner, Daniel Grassl and Domme Paris were the five new additions to that list, while Doro Wierer, Lukas Hofer and Dominik Fischnaller increased their medal count.

Roland Fischnaller is not among this illustrious group. For him, who has seven World Championship medals hanging in his trophy cabinet (two gold, three silver, two bronze), this was his last appearance under the five rings. He first competed in 2002 at the age of 21, and exactly ten days ago he made his final appearance in Livigno. Fischnaller has competed in eight Olympic races, more than any other snowboarder in the world. His record includes numerous top finishes: fourth in Beijing 2022, fifth in Milan Cortina 2026, seventh in Pyeongchang 2018, and eighth in Sochi 2014.

"Sport is merciless." After his disastrous quarterfinal exit on Sunday, February 8th, against eventual silver medalist Sangkyum Kim (South Korea), Roland Fischnaller initially withdrew from the public eye: “The hours after my elimination were extreme: On the one hand, I was delighted by the large number of fans who came to the race. Given the long and complicated journey, it was anything but a given that so many would attend. I am incredibly sorry that I couldn't deliver my best performance and disappointed so many people. Nevertheless, everyone was so kind, and lots of photos were taken. Sport is merciless, but in the end, it's still just a game.”

Roland Fischnaller: "The hours after my elimination were extreme" © APA / EXPA/ JOHANN GRODER

Roland Fischnaller doesn't believe he'll rewatch the race for analysis: "No, why would I? I know what happened, what all went down. It was a fantastic day, everything was perfect. I did a superb job in qualifying, I was on a sensational run. And then the coaches come along and rave about how well and strongly my competitors had driven in qualifying, and who had impressed them the most. I thought I must have misheard. The fact is, my confidence was suddenly gone. Even in the round of 16 against the Slovenian Rok Marguc, things weren't going smoothly anymore (despite a 0,59-second lead). And after that, I was completely drained. I wasn't able to properly prepare for the next run in the quarterfinals. I was at the start, looking around to see what the others were doing. I just couldn't flip the switch."

The first sign that Fischnaller was no longer the "normal" Fischnaller became apparent in his subsequent course choice: Instead of sticking to the blue course, the 45-year-old raced Kim on the red course. Fischnaller explained: "This change was a consequence of my doubts. I have to take responsibility for this indecisiveness. I've been in this situation many times before and have always been able to pull it off. This time, I lacked support, specifically someone who had also experienced similar moments, someone like Armin Zöggeler, for example."

Even the coaches were nervous. That the Olympic qualification would be no walk in the park for the Italians, who had enjoyed such success in the World Cup so far, was already evident in the qualifying round: Fischnaller and Aaron March were in a league of their own, finishing first and second respectively, while Mirko Felicetti (10th) and especially overall World Cup winner and giant slalom globe holder Maurizio Bormolini (14th) fell short of expectations. Roland Fischnaller tried to analyze the situation: "We were better prepared than ever before and better than anyone else. No one came close to us in the World Cup, and then we were punished so severely at the Olympics – an unmistakable sign that our team isn't ready for major events. Whether the reason was that the coaches were extremely nervous and that this rubbed off on us athletes – I have no idea. But we'll certainly have to discuss it. Last year at the World Championships, it was completely different; there was a relaxed, easygoing, and confident atmosphere in St. Moritz."

Roland Fischnaller was eliminated in the quarterfinals. © APA/afp / KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV

Fischnaller doesn't point the finger at the coaches: "I have to take the blame for this failure. As an athlete, I am responsible for my own actions and must be in control of the situation at all times."

Benjamin Karl has once again demonstrated how it's done. The 40-year-old from Lower Austria, who has lived in Lienz in East Tyrol with his wife and two daughters for many years, has won two Olympic gold medals, one silver, and one bronze after his final victory against Kim. Roland Fischnaller: "Benni simply has it in the big moments. He was able to ski without a care in the world. He already had several medals at home. He was relaxed, motivated, and better able to handle such situations. And his coaching team is also better at dealing with them. We trained together the day before the race and agreed that we would race against each other in the final – and he kept his word."

No more sporting goals The fact that Benjamin Karl is hot on the heels of the leading Rolli Fischnaller in the World Cup giant slalom standings with four races to go is irrelevant to the skier from Villnöss: “I couldn’t care less and it’s completely uninteresting to me. I already have my globes in my trophy cabinet, that’s no longer an incentive. The highlight was on February 8th, nothing else matters anymore. I will finish the World Cup season and also start in the Italian Championships at the Karerpass at the end of March. And naturally, I want to have good races. I’m in good form and hopefully I’ll continue to enjoy myself. But whether I win one or even two globes is completely secondary to me.”

So, no quick retirement after the 2026 Olympics after all, especially after the disappointing quarterfinal exit? "No, because as the reigning giant slalom world champion, I'm automatically eligible to compete in the 2027 World Championships. I'm not taking anyone's place, and since the World Championships are being held in Montafon (Vorarlberg) and my good friend Lukas Mathis is on the organizing committee there, I will be competing. I will prepare for it in the best way possible."

And he adds as a conclusion: "80 percent of the results are decided in the mind, as Federica Brignone has also shown. The biggest thighs in the world are useless if the mind isn't right."

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Roland Fischnaller: "And after that I was completely empty"

He arrived as a strong favorite for a medal. And he went home a defeated hero. Roland Fischnaller's Olympic medal dream remained unfulfilled. The man from Villnöss participated in seven Winter Games – a South Tyrolean record that will likely stand forever. He never won a medal.

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