Marcel Hirscher before returning to the World Cup – Austria agrees to change the country
Five years after retiring, the former series winner appears to be considering a comeback. It is said that its appearance should be shiny. Today he wants to comment on the topic.
The return would also be a marketing coup: after his resignation, Marcel Hirscher launched his own ski brand, “Van Deer.”
Photo: Keystone
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It's a report that turns the skating circus upside down, and even shakes it to its foundations: former series winner Marcel Hirscher appears to be on the verge of a comeback. Lots of information on the “Kronen Zeitung” sowie der “Tiroler Tageszeitung” will der achtmalige Weltcup-Gesamtsieger (2012 bis 2019) I am in a training camp in Neuseeland absolvieren und dort einige FIS-Rennen bestreiten, um sich eine wegnsftige Ausgangslage in this Startlisten zu carrying out.
There have been frequent rumors of Hirscher returning to the World Cup in recent years, especially since his rather early retirement in 2019, when he was just 30 years old and clearly the best racer in the slalom and giant slalom. The highly ambitious Salzburg native, who was ahead of competitors in terms of diligence in training and precision, and whose father usually stored 30 pairs of skis in his car and wrote down every detail of the skis in his Red Book, continued to train even after his professional career was over – on and off the piste.
“Marcel tests my skis sometimes,” slalom world champion Henrik Kristoffersen, his former long-term competitor and current leader, told the editorial team in December. “He still skis fast in the giant slalom, very fast actually. If the run is not long, he might It's dangerous for me seriously: a return will definitely be possible.
At least there's no denying it
The Norwegian is under contract to Van Deer, the ski brand founded by Hirscher. A return would also certainly be a marketing coup. Especially since the product is gaining increasing recognition; Timon Hogan, who won the slalom at the World Cup final in Saalbach in mid-March, is also riding with the new slides.
In a meeting with the Kronen Zeitung newspaper in Vienna, Hirscher remained silent about his plans, but no denials were heard. Rather, he spoke about the fact that he no longer feels like property of the Austrian state as he did in his heyday when he won 67 World Cup races. However, today he feels more appreciated. As ORF reported, Hirscher wants to comment on the matter on Wednesday.
Speaking of Austria: Home fans will only be happy if Hirscher returns. Hirscher does not want to start at ÖSV, but for the Netherlands, thanks to his mother Silvia, he has a Dutch passport. The reason for this is that Van Deer is not part of the ÖSV ski pool, so the athlete may have to change the material. It is also said that Hirscher does not want to take a starting place away from any Austrian.
As it emerged on Wednesday morning, the ÖSV party has already agreed to the change of state proposed by Hirscher. Christian Scherer said: “Of course we deeply regret his decision to request a change of nation, but in the end we supported it.” In the past few days, discussions have taken place with “various interested parties, where we have been informed that Marcel Hirscher could envision a return to the international skating rink,” the ÖSV Secretary General continued.
ÖSV tried hard to offer Hirscher “the best possible and individual conditions” in the event of his return, and was able to explain this to him in a personal conversation. But in recognition of his skiing achievements to date, his request to change the association was unanimously approved.
Will there be a duel with Odermatt?
In the recent past, Hirscher has driven motocross races from time to time, but now he may be changing his focus again – at least temporarily. It should primarily concern the 2024/2025 season, with an emphasis on the World Cup at home in Saalbach. Hirscher has won eleven World Cup medals, seven of them gold, and in 2018 became a double Olympic champion.
Hirscher recently said that after his resignation he asked himself very difficult questions like, “What do I do now?”, but in the past few years he has found a good balance in his life. If he does return, the skating circus should receive even more attention than it already has, especially since Lukas Bräthen will also be participating again, for Brazil. Above all, there could be another giant slalom duel between Hirscher and Marco Odermatt, two of the best skiers in history.
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