Marcel Hirscher's comeback season comes to an abrupt end after a serious slip-up in training. The day after the bad news, the skiing legend speaks out from hospital.
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- Marcel Hirscher tears his cruciate ligament in training on the Reiteralm on Monday and has to abruptly cut short his comeback season after just three outings.
- The Austrian underwent surgery in Graz on Monday evening and spoke from hospital the day after the accident.
- It is bitter for him and his team, says Hirscher. At the same time, he makes it clear: "Luckily it didn't happen when I was 25, but now at 35."
"Last run of the season. What remains is the love of skiing. Many thanks to everyone for their support," wrote Marcel Hirscher in an Instagram post on Tuesday under a video posted showing the devastating incident during training on the Reiteralm.
During a right-hand turn, Hirscher slips away and is able to prevent a fall, but immediately grabs his left knee. "A classic inside ski," says the 67-time World Cup winner from his hospital bed the following day. "I got up again relatively quickly. Until then, it was cool turns that I really enjoyed. It was a very cool training session - until the one turn where I slipped."
"Now I understand how bad this feeling is"
Hours later, the bitter diagnosis of a torn cruciate ligament followed, bringing the season to a swift end. "The cruciate ligament is always unnecessary, but it happened so stupidly that I didn't even have a fall, I just slipped and got up again," says Hirscher, annoyed. "It's a horrible feeling. Everyone who's had this - I now understand how bad this feeling is. You immediately realize that something has happened. It's very bitter right now."
After just three appearances in Sölden, Levi and Gurgl, the 35-year-old's comeback season is already over. "The reality now is tough. I feel sorry for the team that everyone has given their all and we now don't have the opportunity to race the whole season," says Hirscher, who will undergo surgery in Graz on Tuesday.
The thousand hundredth crash
At the same time, the Austrian is aware that such serious knee injuries are part of skiing: "It's a shared fate for a great many skiers. Unfortunately, it often happens to young athletes. I've been very lucky that nothing has ever happened during the millions of turns I've made in my life. Fortunately, it didn't happen when I was 25, but now at 35."
After all, he has fallen down like this a thousand times, says Hirscher and emphasizes: "Yesterday was just the thousand hundredth time. It looks like it was meant to be."
