The countdown has begun: Marcel Hirscher’s second career begins in 27 days when the first giant slalom of the World Cup season takes place on the Rettenbachferner in Sölden.
After all, it has been clear since the weekend that Hirscher will actually be allowed to start there. Although the former high-flyer, who now competes for the Netherlands, his mother’s country of birth, was denied a wildcard for the entire season, he can apply for such a starting place for newcomers in up to 20 races.
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That shouldn’t be a problem for Hirscher in particular, because which organizer wouldn’t like to have an eight-time overall World Cup winner, two-time Olympic champion and eight-time world champion?
By returning, the exceptional talent is putting his legacy at risk. For him, who was the best skier in the World Cup winter for eight years in a row, it would be a damage to his image if he just followed suit. Especially since critics doubted the sporting seriousness of his comeback plans right from the start, suspecting it was more of a marketing strategy for his ski brand Van Deer.
It was grist to the critics’ mill when the Swiss “Blick” recently reported that giant slalom specialist Alice Robinson (Nzl) was faster than the neo-Dutchman in tests in New Zealand.
“The whole story is nonsense,” Hirscher’s team classified the article as a nonsense. “For me it’s no longer about hundredths of a second. I’m no longer the professional I used to be,” the 35-year-old himself lowered his expectations. For him, the focus would now be on fun and further development.
“Life used to have to fit in with skiing. Now skiing fits in with life,” said Hirscher, who most recently worked out on Mallorca.
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