Marcel Hirscher celebrates an impressive comeback at the World Cup in Sölden!

Marcel Hirscher celebrates an impressive comeback at the World Cup in Sölden!

Ski star Marcel Hirscher caused a stir with his sensational comeback at the start of the World Cup in Sölden! The former Austrian hero, now officially starting for the Netherlands, secured a remarkable 23rd place in the giant slalom on the Rettenbachferner and thus collected points right from the start. Norwegian Alexander Steen Olsen crowned the day with victory, followed by his compatriots Henrik Kristoffersen and Atle Lie McGrath, who completed the podium.

For Hirscher it was the first race in over five years, and he could hardly put his joy into words: the return felt “super cool”. The enthusiastic fans, waving both red-white-red and orange flags, cheered him on. But the comeback had its pitfalls: Hirscher had long speculated about his condition, but the question was: Would he be able to reach the second round? With start number 34, he started weakly in 28th place, but improved in the finale. Other German runners such as Alexander Schmid (16th place), Linus Straßer (22nd) and Jonas Stockinger (25th) were also able to score points. However, a setback befell the Swiss favorite Marco Odermatt, who fell in the first round and was eliminated.

Drama and emotions on the slopes

Another eye-catching moment was the return of Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who narrowly missed the podium in fourth place and is now starting for Brazil. The atmosphere in Sölden was electric, with 17,200 spectators cheering on the athletes. The start of the World Cup showed once again that the ski world is characterized by dramatic changes! Hirscher, who has 67 World Cup victories and two Olympic victories, proved after his return that he is still a serious competitor. His comeback could mark the start of an exciting season!