Alpine skiing
“More Marcel, less Hirscher” – ski star is back
Marcel Hirscher is excited to see how he will fare in his World Cup comeback. photo
© Barbara Gindl/apa/dpa
Marcel Hirscher is making his comeback in the Alpine Ski World Cup. The 35-year-old is excited to see how he will fare. He wants to “gain experiences,” he says. And still be a “fighter”.
Ski star Marcel Hirscher has tempered expectations ahead of his eagerly anticipated World Cup comeback. “There is a desire in me to be more like Marcel and less like Hirscher – that racehorse from before,” said the 35-year-old before the men’s giant slalom in Sölden today (10 a.m. and 1 p.m./BR and Eurosport).
“Two versions of myself are crashing into each other,” explained the eight-time overall World Cup winner. On the one hand, for him it’s about “racing for pure joy” and collecting “experiences instead of results”. On the other hand, he is still the “fighter I used to be.” As soon as he hears the start signal, he feels the adrenaline, says Hirscher.
Returning after a five year break
The return of Salzburg has been the dominant topic in Sölden over the past few days. There was wild speculation as to whether Hirscher would return to the World Cup on the Rettenbachferner after a five-year break or only later this winter. On Friday, Hirscher announced that he would start the season opener.
“It’s logical that I’m not and can’t be at the level I was at. Not yet at the level I might be able to get to,” explained the 67-time World Cup winner, two-time Olympic champion and seven-time winner World champion. But physically he is totally fit. “It makes me feel younger than when I stopped.”
In his comeback, Hirscher benefits from the wildcards that the world association Fis has introduced. He starts for his own ski brand and from now on no longer for Austria, but for the Netherlands, his mother’s home country.
