Marcel Hirscher: A comeback looking back on five difficult years

Marcel Hirscher: A comeback looking back on five difficult years

On February 12, 2025, the broadcast of the ORF documentary “Marcel” about the former ski star Marcel Hirscher led to an impressive viewership record. Up to 499,000 viewers tuned in, which meant a market share of 15 percent and marked the highest ratings since 2021 apa.at reported. Despite the strong competition from a “ZIB Spezial” on ORF 2, the viewers did not miss Lisa Gadenstätter’s interview and showed great interest in Hirscher’s life story.

Insights into life after skiing

In the documentary, Hirscher gave intimate insights into his emotional roller coaster after the end of his career. “I was burned out mentally and physically,” said the 35-year-old, describing his reasons for resigning in 2019. In the five years since then, he has had to learn to deal with the pressure of public life and accept the facts of his successes. "The speed was definitely too high. I was no longer able to perform," explained Hirscher, who won the overall World Cup eight times. These reflections on the pressures of being in the public eye and the time it took to rediscover his passion for sport showcased the challenges that come with being an athlete kleinezeitung.at.

However, the comeback that many fans had hoped for was abruptly stopped by a torn cruciate ligament in December 2024. “A big dream shattered in a millisecond,” said Hirscher about the missed opportunity to compete at the home World Cup in Saalbach. These setbacks and the associated personal challenges underline the complexity of his life after professional sport and make the documentary a profound experience for the audience.