Manuel Feller will not travel to Chile for an upcoming on-snow training camp after experiencing another setback during his rehabilitation from back surgery.
The Austrian slalom star shared the news in an Instagram video update, explaining why he had provided relatively few details about his recovery throughout the summer.
“There hasn’t been much to show because rehabilitation isn’t particularly spectacular,” Feller said. “But it is also because, unfortunately, it hasn’t gone quite the way we would have hoped.”
Finding the right balance between increasing his training load and avoiding further symptoms proved difficult. Approximately eight weeks ago, Feller suffered another herniated disc, with additional disc material shifting in his back.
The positive news is that he avoided undergoing a second operation and believes his recovery is once again moving in the right direction. However, the setback cost him valuable preparation time and left him at least one month behind his original training schedule.
“I am on a good path, but overall, in terms of training, I am still at least a month behind,” Feller said. “I am also not yet 100% pain-free.”
Recent Success Before Rehabilitation Setback
Feller’s rehabilitation follows a season that included two significant career accomplishments. In January, he earned his first World Cup victory in Kitzbühel, winning one of the sport’s most prestigious slaloms in front of a home Austrian crowd. A few weeks later, he added an Olympic silver medal in the men’s team combined at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy.
Those results continued a successful stretch for Feller, who captured his first World Cup slalom Crystal Globe in 2023-24. He won four slaloms that season and finished inside the top five in every World Cup slalom on the calendar.
The 33-year-old now has seven individual World Cup victories and two Olympic silver medals. His first Olympic medal came as part of Austria’s team-event squad at the 2018 PyeongChang Games.
Feller Rules Out Chile Training Camp
Feller had initially planned to return to snow during an Austrian team training camp in Chile. In July, he acknowledged that setbacks were possible but remained optimistic that he would be fully prepared for the opening World Cup slalom of the season.
He has now decided that traveling overseas and rushing his return would create an unnecessary risk.
“I will stay at home and continue working hard to get my body back into shape so that I can soon be 100% ready to ski,” Feller said. “It would have been the wrong decision to make a rushed attempt and go to Chile.”
Feller ended his 2025-26 season early in March to focus on his health after dealing with persistent back problems and other physical issues. He subsequently underwent surgery and spent the summer rebuilding his strength and tolerance for training.
He has made it clear that he intends to continue racing, but only if he can return healthy enough to enjoy the sport.
“I said from the beginning that I would like to remain in the sport for another year or two,” Feller said. “But the condition is that it has to be fun. And it is only fun when you are fit and not in pain.”
Feller did not provide a new timeline for his return to snow or indicate how the delay could affect the beginning of his World Cup season. For now, his focus remains on becoming pain-free and rebuilding without forcing the process.
He closed the update with his familiar humor, promising more exciting videos once he is healthy. Until then, he said, his followers can expect “a few vacation and fishing photos.”
This article was based on a video update shared by Manuel Feller on his official Instagram account.
About the Author: SR Staff Report
