![Marcel Hirscher will be competing for the Netherlands and no longer for Austria.](https://production-livingdocs-bluewin-ch.imgix.net/2024/08/14/03d59539-8c24-478d-be90-885f735619f4.jpeg?w=994&auto=format)
The news that Marcel Hirscher is postponing his race comeback is making the rounds in the Austrian press on Wednesday morning. In the meantime, the ski crack has set the record straight.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Marcel Hirscher is preparing for his World Cup comeback in New Zealand.
- For the time being, Hirscher, who will be competing for the Netherlands in the future, is not taking part in races but is working hard in training.
- Various media therefore reported that Hirscher was postponing his race comeback. However, a start was never even planned. "We'll let you know when we're racing."
- The World Cup traditionally starts the new season in Sölden on October 26/27 - Hirscher is likely to start there at the latest.
Thanks to a rule change by the FIS, Marcel Hirscher will certainly be at the start of the World Cup opener in Sölden, even if this does not go down well everywhere. Hirscher, who will be competing for the Netherlands in the future, will therefore not have to collect any FIS points. Nevertheless, he has traveled to New Zealand as planned to get himself in shape.
From Thursday to Sunday, two giant slaloms and two slaloms will take place in Coronet Peak, but Hirscher will not be taking part. As a result, there has been talk in many places that Hirscher is postponing his race comeback.
"We'll let you know when we're racing"
Hirscher contradicts this via the media department and clarifies that a start at the first races in Cornet Peak was never planned. A start at the races at the end of the month from August 27th is still up for discussion. Hirscher, who has already posted a few snapshots from New Zealand, says: "We currently have such great training conditions that I would even sacrifice a race. We're looking day by day, we've only just arrived, had some very cool days, incredibly beautiful and high quality. We'll let you know when we're racing."
Hirscher raves about the conditions
"There couldn't be a better start to get back into skiing. It's also pretty cool, the conditions are mega," enthuses Hirscher, who is thrilled with the natural surroundings. Physically, he is training hard to get used to the strain again.
The seven-time world champion can't say where he stands. He jokingly says: "Well, I've already had a lot of best times because I've always skied alone." And without a wink: "I have no idea about that, but it's cool that I can ski fast turns again. We'll see if they're really fast. But it's nice to be back on a track as a racer. I'm really looking forward to it."
But Hirscher knows one thing for sure: the decision to return to racing was the right one for him: "When I look at where I am right now, I've done everything right."
So when you will see Hirscher on the slopes is not yet set in stone. However, the 35-year-old should be challenging the competition at the World Cup opener in Sölden by the end of October at the latest.