Andrea Filser has returned to the World Cup with her best result in eight years.
The next competition is already waiting today.
Levi / Wildsteig
- she never gave up and always believed in herself.
Nevertheless, Andrea Filser was very happy last Saturday at the World Cup slalom in Levi, Finland.
As 17th she qualified for the second round and ultimately equalized her best World Cup result as 23rd.
"I knew that I was fast, and yet it took a load off my heart," said the wild climber about her finish in the first run.
During training and in one round of the FIS races on the Diavolezza (Switzerland) two weeks ago, Filser had already made people sit up and take notice.
The belief in one's own strength was always there.
“It's just different when you actually see it in the result,” she confesses happily.
"You really know what you've fought for over the past few years."
The trouble was worth it
Filser was in a second round in the Slalom World Cup in 2013, at the age of almost 20, in Ofterschwang (Allgäu).
There followed hard years with injuries and a long, sometimes lonely way back.
The current confirmation that it was worth sweat and effort does the now 27-year-old good.
"But not only for me, also for all those people who were always by my side."
These people, along with some loyal coaches and advisors, were, above all, members of their families.
That's why it's almost a shame that, due to the Corona, they could only be there digitally or in front of the TV.
"At the moment the team is the family, we only move safely and relatively freely within the team," explains Filser.
A charter flight was booked by the International Ski Federation to travel to and from Finland, in Levi everyone only moves in the "bubble", and tests are ongoing.
“But it's pointless to get upset about it,” says the Wildsteiger.
"It's the same for everyone and is therefore no longer an issue."
Next appearance in the parallel competition
But if the cell phone does not work for several hours after landing, she gets nervous.
“At the moment there is a lot of information to be uploaded online before the upcoming World Cups.
You can only start if you have submitted your FIS passport on time, which contains your whereabouts, a current corona test and a completed questionnaire. "
From Levi it went back to Sölden for two more days of training, today (qualification 10 a.m. / competition 5.45 p.m.) the start of the parallel race in Lech is due.
Filser wants to give everything there too.
“The field has grown incredibly close together, nothing works without risk and full throttle.” That was also confirmed in Levi.
In the second run on Saturday Filser made a small mistake on the steep slope.
She has already slipped from 17th place to 23rd place.
On Sunday it made a minor blunder in the flat.
If the top 30 are together in just 1.8 seconds, “you have no chance”.
Nevertheless, she can live with rank 37.
Because Levi has shown one thing: it is Filser's turn to achieve their season goal of establishing themselves in the World Cup and, at the same time, making sure that the ARD colleagues who have known her name since Saturday morning do not forget it anytime soon.
BY KATHRIN EBENHOCH