Alpine skiing legend Marcel Hirscher has decided to halt his comeback bid for the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics. The 36-year-old Hirscher, who returned from a five-year retirement last season to compete for the Netherlands on the World Cup circuit, suffered a setback after tearing the ACL in his left knee just three races into his return.
As an eight-time World Cup overall champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Hirscher had aimed to make a comeback and qualify for the Winter Games in Italy, commencing on Feb. 6. However, he revealed in a video message in German shared on social media that his current performance level is not competitive enough for the World Cup standards due to a recent calf injury that led to a two-week break over the holidays.
Expressing disappointment in the situation, Hirscher acknowledged the challenges he faces in regaining pace and confidence required for high-level competition. Despite his setbacks, he expressed hope to return to racing next season. Hirscher, a veteran of three Olympic Games from 2010-18, boasts titles in giant slalom and alpine combined, along with a silver in slalom.
Despite his illustrious career, Hirscher fell short of claiming an Olympic gold medal in slalom, a discipline in which he excelled. With 67 World Cup race victories to his name, he stands as the second-highest on the all-time men’s list, trailing only Ingemar Stenmark.