Feuz discusses knee pain, goals for next season
After injuring his Achilles tendon, no one had Beat Feuz on the short list this season. But when the speed specialist returned to the snow in Wengen, he shocked fans by skiing to fifth place in the downhill. By World Cup Finals in St. Moritz, Feuz was a force to be reckoned with, winning the super-G and downhill on the same track where this season’s World Championships will be held. The FIS Communications team sat down with Feuz to talk about his comeback.
You’ve had a tough series of injuries between your Achilles, a bone bruise, a torn meniscus and other knee injuries, and have struggled to return to your performance levels from 2012. How are you feeling physically?
So far, I’m feeling quite good. My Achilles doesn’t hurt anymore, but my knee is still a weak point. I learned how to handle the pain in the past years, so I’ll be OK.
In Wengen, you started the race without a single training day on downhill skis. Why was it so important for you to start there? Did the home crowd motivate you?
From the very beginning, it was my goal to comeback in Wengen. But to be honest, I thought I would have more than enough time for good preparation, but then nothing went according to plan. I trained only in super-G and had no idea if my Achilles could withstand the physical strain of a downhill. Luckily, everything went fine, and I started in Wengen. I wasn’t afraid to crash, but I had huge respect for the course.
Looking back, it is safe to say you made a very successful comeback. After Wengen, you claimed podium spots in Kitzbuehel and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and ended the season with two World Cup wins. What was the secret to your success?
It’s unbelievable that my comeback was so successful. In Wengen, I felt that it was possible to finish between 10th and 15th place, but I couldn’t imagine that I would score only top fives from then on. I still don’t quite understand it, but as long as it works, it’s OK for me.
There are a lot of similarities between you and Norwegian standout Aksel Lund Svindal. You came back from the same injury, raced only half the season and ended in the top five of the downhill standings. What other parallels do you see? Did it help you to see him win races at the beginning of the season?
It’s very impressive that Aksel won a race right after his injury. With the World Championships in Vail, he had a goal in the middle of last season and then came back this season in top shape. We had the same injury and had the same surgeon, so it helped me a lot to watch him. I knew when to do which steps in my rehabilitation.
You grabbed two World Cup wins this season in St.Moritz, which seems like a very good sign for the upcoming World Championships. Is this your main focus for next season?
The course really suits me, and I really like St. Moritz. For sure, the World Championships in my home country are the main goal next season, but the classics like Wengen and Kitzbuehel are also on the top of my priority list. The most important thing for me is that my body is in a good shape, so I can go through the winter without injuries and be ready to bring it on at every race.
We hope that the summer preparation is going well for you this year. When are you getting back on skis?
We are staying in Europe this year, and we will mostly train in Saas-Fee and Zermatt. I’ll be back on the snow for the first time mid-August.
In 2012, when you were 25 points behind Marcel Hirscher in the overall rankings, alpine combined was one of your strongest disciplines. Plus, you are a two-time Junior World Championship medalist in slalom. Are you going to start in this discipline again?
I’m not excluding a start in the alpine combined; but also next season, my focus will be on super-G and downhill. In the combined, especially the slalom, the pressure on my knee is huge, and I’m not willing to take that risk as it’s hard to say if it will hold on or not.
Release courtesy of FIS
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