Leon Felderer – The road back to his best self!
Cortina (FIL/June 16, 2025) One of Italy's hopes in luge is battling with himself to achieve greatness at his second Olympic Games in Cortina in 2026 on home soil.
There are athletes who face their greatest rivals on the track – and others whose toughest opponent is in the mirror. Leon Felderer belongs to the second category. The 25-year-old luge athlete from South Tyrol is a passionate athlete and a relentless perfectionist – and that was both his greatest weakness and his quiet strength last season.
With eleventh place in the overall standings of the EBERSPAECHER World Cup 2024/25, Felderer achieved his best result to date. And yet he is still disappointed. "That wasn't what I had hoped for. I only had one top 10 result – that's a long way from my goal," he says, looking back. Words that reveal more than just ambition – they testify to a deep inner drive that won't let Felderer rest until he has reached his full potential.
Between self-doubt and self-discovery
It was a season full of friction. Even the preparations did not go optimally, and the start of the winter was bumpy. Weight problems, slow starts, a lack of feel for the track – it was a year in which Felderer often searched but rarely found. “I felt strong, but I couldn't transfer that feeling to the sled. And that's what ultimately matters.”
This contradiction between physical fitness and athletic performance became the central dilemma of the season. The attempt to achieve the optimal racing weight ultimately led to a loss of energy. “I made some mistakes in my weight management that I couldn't correct during the season.”
It's a process that also takes mental toll. “Taking steps backward was one of the most frustrating experiences of my career. I was mentally at my limit.”
New impetus from an old mentor
Despite everything, there were rays of hope. In coach Klaus Kofler, Felderer regained a trusted support.
The new head coach of the Italian national team was once Felderer's youth coach – and today, more than ever, he is a motivator, pacemaker, and source of support.
“He was the one who convinced me to keep going in 2019 when I was about to quit. He knows exactly how to challenge me, but also how to encourage me.”
Kofler brought structure, team spirit, and a reminder of why Felderer started luge in the first place: for the joy of the sport. The South Tyrolean now wants to rediscover that lightheartedness. “When you're having fun, you perform better—it's as simple as that sometimes.”
Responsibility and vision — on and off the track
Felderer also shows his mettle off the ice track. As chairman of the FIL Athletes' Commission, he campaigns for better conditions and fair recognition – for example, by extending prize money to places outside the podium or providing clearer retreats for athletes. It is a commitment that shows that Leon Felderer thinks beyond the next corner.
He has also recently spoken out on sports policy. He describes the track in Cortina, the future venue for Olympic dreams, as “the future of luge in Italy” – a project close to his heart, for which he has worked hard behind the scenes. “These Games will be phenomenal. Stories will be written that we will talk about for a long time to come.”
Looking ahead – Milano-Cortina 2026 in his sights
And right in the middle of it all: Felderer himself. Less than eight months to go until his second Olympic Games – this time in his own country. For him, one thing is clear: it will be the most important season of his career so far. “I want to be in the best shape of my life – physically and mentally.”
His goal is not a podium place per se. It is to return to his best self. “I just want to be better than last year.” That sounds modest – and yet it encapsulates the full force of his ambition.
Because Leon Felderer doesn't just want to keep up – he wants to make his mark.
On the track. In the team. For the sport. And maybe he'll achieve the decisive runs in Cortina – the ones that lead to a happy ending in a story in which his greatest opponent has long since understood that perfection isn't the goal. It's progress.
Leon Felderer. 25 years old. South Tyrolean. Luge athlete. Perfectionist. And ready to surpass himself for Italy.
