Alpine skiing legend Marcel Hirscher has announced his decision to halt his comeback attempt for the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics. The 36-year-old athlete, who returned to competition last season after a five-year retirement to represent the Netherlands on the World Cup circuit, faced a setback early on when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee after just three races.
Hirscher, an eight-time World Cup overall champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, had been working towards qualifying for the Winter Games in Italy, scheduled to commence on February 6. However, in a video message shared on social media in German on Friday, he revealed that his current performance level is not up to par for World Cup standards due to a calf injury that required a two-week break during the holidays, leaving him lacking in speed and confidence for competition.
Expressing disappointment in the situation, Hirscher acknowledged the challenges he is facing and conveyed his regrets to fans that he will not be able to compete this year. He concluded by expressing hope of returning to racing in the following season. Throughout his career, Hirscher participated in three Olympic Games between 2010 and 2018, securing victories in giant slalom and alpine combined disciplines, alongside a silver medal in slalom.
Despite his illustrious career, the accomplished skier fell short of claiming an Olympic gold in slalom, a discipline in which he excelled. Hirscher’s impressive record of 67 career wins in World Cup races ranks him second on the all-time men’s list, trailing only Ingemar Stenmark.