Rösle and Brandis: Germany’s new hopes in downhill skiing

Two young skiers from the Allgäu region of Bavaria, Felix Rösle and Benno Brandis, swept the speed races at this summer’s South America Cup in Chile and finished ahead of established World Cup racers. Sportschau reports that the pair, friends since the age of twelve, could now lead the next generation of Germany’s downhill and super-G team.

What happened

The German speed squad has struggled since its biggest names left. According to Sportschau, which carries reporting from the Bavarian broadcaster’s sports service BR24Sport, the team has been searching for its line since Kitzbühel winners Thomas Dreßen and Josef “Pepi” Ferstl retired and the experienced Romed Baumann and Andreas Sander ended their careers. Last season, Luis Vogt’s surprise tenth place at the Hahnenkammrennen, the famous downhill race in Kitzbühel, was one of the few bright spots. Otherwise, the report says, racers from the DSV (Deutscher Skiverband, the German Ski Association) were mostly ranked outside the top 30.

Rösle, 21, races for SC Sonthofen. Brandis, 20, races for TSV Durach. Both clubs are in the Allgäu. Their results have run side by side for years: when Rösle became junior world champion in the downhill in 2024, Brandis took the junior title in the super-G.

The pattern repeated in Chile. Rösle won both downhills at the South America Cup and Brandis won both super-G races. Sportschau says they finished ahead of established World Cup athletes including France’s Matthieu Bailet, Sweden’s Felix Monsen and Norway’s Fredrik Möller, who has won in Bormio. “It’s a really nice feeling when things go this well so early in the season,” Brandis told BR24Sport.

The two train together, and their coaches include Dreßen himself. Speaking to BR24Sport, he called the results “the fruits that you can harvest at the moment” and saw them as confirmation of the federation’s work. He was also careful not to overstate them: “The art is not to get carried away after good results at that point, but to keep both feet on the ground and keep working hard.” Dreßen said he saw little risk of that with either athlete and described them as “very down to earth and focused”. He added: “They want to be fast, they are racers. When a race doesn’t go well, it’s better to give them a bit of time to catch their breath.”

Off the piste, the rivalry is friendly. “I think we’re only really competitors from start to finish,” Brandis said. “I was really happy for Felix, he was happy for me, so it’s a very nice way of working together.” Rösle said you could not imagine a better roommate or teammate, though he joked that Brandis was sometimes “a bit too fast” for him.

Why it matters if you live in Germany

For anyone in Germany who follows winter sport, this is the most hopeful sign in some time for the men’s speed disciplines, which have lacked contenders since Dreßen’s generation stepped away. Sportschau notes that the Chile results bring more than confidence. They also bring valuable points, which mean better start positions next season. In speed racing, an earlier start number can make a real difference on a course.

The two have so far raced mainly in the Europacup, the second tier of professional ski racing below the Weltcup (World Cup). Each has had a taste of the top level. Rösle made his World Cup debut in Gröden in 2025, and Brandis started at the 2024 World Cup final in Sun Valley as reigning junior world champion. The plan, according to the report, is for both to race in the World Cup more often this season.

There is also a regional angle. Both athletes come from clubs in the Allgäu, so residents of southern Bavaria have a local reason to watch the coming season. Sportschau says the pair have different strengths. Rösle stands over two metres tall and is described as the classic downhiller. Brandis is seen as the more technically skilled racer, strong on demanding sections. The report says both are built for the world’s most dangerous courses: the Streif in Kitzbühel, the Stelvio in Bormio and the Lauberhorn in Wengen.

Both see a wider change under way. “I’m sure that we’re in a kind of transition right now and that we have a few young athletes with whom we’ll gradually close the gaps,” Brandis said, referring to the gap left by Dreßen and his peers. Rösle was also optimistic: “All the better that we’re slowly building a team again.”

What to watch next

The first test comes at the opening speed races of the World Cup season in North America. Sportschau reports that Rösle will probably be named for those races, while Brandis is hoping for at least one or two World Cup starts this winter.

Expectations should stay realistic. The report says the two are still a long way from closing the gap to their former idols on their own, though the first results are encouraging. It calls the wins in South America a successful first test and a preview of what they might achieve.

The long-term goal is clear. Both racers name the Streif in Kitzbühel, one of the most famous downhills in the world and the course where Dreßen and Ferstl once won, as a major target. If their progress holds, German fans may soon have a reason to watch the Hahnenkamm weekend closely again.

Source: Sportschau