Marcel Hirscher returns: The ski star's comeback in the World Cup!

Marcel Hirscher returns: The ski star's comeback in the World Cup!

Marcel Hirscher, the eight-time overall World Cup winner, has officially announced a comeback in the Ski World Cup. The 36-year-old is currently recovering from a torn cruciate ligament that he suffered while training at the Reiteralm last December. After just three races in the preseason, there was speculation about his return due to the injury, but the rehabilitation is going well and the athlete feels ready for the coming season. Hirscher says: “Now you can call it a comeback” and announced that he would start the new season on October 26th in Sölden, but with the necessary amount of patience and work for complete healing.

The current situation offers the former champion an interesting arrangement. According to FIS regulations, Hirscher is allowed to use his wildcard starting places from last season, which benefits him. This “Protected Ranking” rule makes it easier for established athletes who have won gold medals at the Olympic Games or World Championships, for example, to return to competition more easily. Other athletes such as Lindsey Vonn and Lucas Braathen have also benefited from this regulation.

Rehabilitation and support

Hirscher has worked intensively on his rehabilitation in the last few months. Various videos about his rehabilitation and training success have raised high hopes among fans. His “heart project” is to return to skiing and the support of his family and team plays a crucial role in this. Even though Hirscher was only able to make up to 20 starts last winter due to his injury, he still has 17 possible starting places left for the coming season.

The return of athletes like Hirscher is not only personally gratifying, but also important for skiing. Race director Markus Waldner rejected the term “Lex Hirscher” for the regulation, but recognizes that the return of big names benefits the sport as a whole. This shows the relevance that Hirscher has within the ski scene.

The Austrian ski jumper Eva Pinkelnig recently experienced a similar story. She won first place at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Oberstdorf on January 1, 2024 and speaks in a video about her own rehabilitation process and the influence of the “mountain doctor” on her competition preparation. Such success stories help to continue the sport in a dynamic way and inspire athletes.

Marcel Hirscher is now preparing specifically for his return while keeping the challenges and health aspects in mind. The fans can hope for an exciting winter and be excited to see how his return to the World Cup will develop.