Marcel Hirscher is in the spotlight at the season opener in Sölden, but may not even be at the start yet. For Felix Neureuther, the announced comeback of the ski star is a "huge story" either way.
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- Marcel Hirscher is about to make his return to the Ski World Cup.
- However, it remains to be seen whether the former dominator, who will now compete for the Netherlands, will be racing at the season opener in Sölden this weekend
- According to his own statement, Hirscher is still a long way from the top athletes. Is the eight-time overall World Cup winner just bluffing to dampen expectations?
Will he or won't he race? Speculation as to whether ski star Marcel Hirscher will return to the World Cup at the season opener in Sölden continues unabated. How fast is the 35-year-old really? Will he venture down the famous Rettenbachferner in the first giant slalom of the winter next Sunday? Or will he wait until later? Hirscher himself will have to make a decision soon. One thing is certain: The announced comeback of the eight-time overall World Cup winner is electrifying the ski world.
Shiffrin and Odermatt, the stars of the scene
The return of his long-time rival and friend is a "huge story", Felix Neureuther told the German Press Agency. Hirscher is "exactly one of the characters and protagonists that we urgently need." There have only been a few of the really big names in alpine sports recently. Marco Odermatt is increasingly becoming a star of the scene. Otherwise, only US dominator Mikaela Shiffrin is currently developing global appeal beyond the sport. Hirscher, who has won 67 World Cup races, two Olympic and seven World Championship gold medals, is just the man for the job.
However, the experts agree on one thing: Hirscher will only start if he really feels competitive. His recent statements have cast doubt on this. Hirscher recently reported on "ServusTV" that he was around four seconds short of the top 15. In addition, he had not been able to train as much in the snow, but instead had to stay in bed sick in the meantime. Doesn't sound very promising - at least for Sölden.
Hirscher: a confidence trickster and tinkerer
But is the former exceptional athlete possibly also bluffing to a certain extent in order to dampen expectations? "He's always been a bit of a confidence trickster," said Neureuther. "But he's always done well with that, it perhaps also takes some of the pressure off him, so it's okay." Moreover, the challenge that Hirscher is facing is already enormous.
The Salzburg native competed in his last race to date in 2019. "Since Marcel was out for so long, he has to develop everything from scratch - and in a short space of time. In addition to skiing, he's also focusing a lot on tuning his equipment," explained Neureuther. "I sincerely hope that he manages to get back to the front. It will take a lot of work and a bit of luck."
World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm as a long-term goal
Hirscher, who has always been one of the greatest tinkerers, now skis for his own ski brand Van Deer. And he will no longer be competing for Austria, but for the Netherlands, his mother's country of birth. Whether the fans with the red-white-red flags will still cheer him on as they used to is the next exciting question surrounding his comeback.
In any case, Hirscher is already looking forward to the World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, in February. This experience is "simply awesome". He definitely wants to take it with him, he announced. He will be working hard and fine-tuning for this. As his return is currently only planned for one season, the World Championships could finally be his last major highlight as an active skier. The conclusion of the "heart project", as Hirscher calls his comeback.
On his return to the World Cup, the former slalom and giant slalom king will benefit from a rule change by the FIS. Anyone wishing to return from retirement can apply to the world federation for a wild card and avoid the detour via lower-level qualifying races.
