Marcel Hirscher did not look for excuses. The eight-time winner of the Alpine Skiing World Cup announced on Instagram that he was giving up competing this winter, drawing a line under participation in the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games which begin in less than a month.
“There is a lot of speculation about whether or not I will start the World Cups. The truth is that this is not possible at the moment. The pace at which I can ski is not that of World Cup level,” said the skier in a video posted on his Instagram account.
“I had to take a two-week break over Christmas due to a calf injury, which doesn’t help with regaining rhythm and confidence. If I want to compete in the World Cup, I want to do it well and that is not possible at the moment. This is why I will not ski this season, and why I will not go to the Olympic Games,” he added.
Not the end of a career
Considered the best skier in history with his eight large crystal globes (record) and his 67 World Cup victories, Hirscher attempted a return to the highest level last winter at the age of 35, after five years without competition. But after only three World Cup races where he finished far from the best, the Austrian, who now races for the Netherlands, ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during training, signaling the end of his season.
Sick, he gave up the opening giant in Sölden in October, before postponing his return several times. He has not raced in the World Cup since November 2024. Hirscher, however, is not giving up on the rest of his career: “I will continue to train and I hope to see you next season. »
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