“Krone” reporter and ski expert Alexander Hofstetter writes in his column about the sensational return of Marcel Hirscher.
What can we really expect from Marcel Hirscher on his return to the Alpine Ski World Cup? Experts, fans, trainers and opponents are sure: “If Marcel returns, then only if he can compete for victories!” It is of course true that this has always been and will remain the claim of the ‘fools’.
But: There will no longer be a Hirscher who ruthlessly subordinates everything to his performance. Hirscher is now 35, has two children, two dogs and last but not least, he runs two companies as an entrepreneur. He will no longer be able to ski and train heavily as a pure full-time job like he used to.
And: The FIS races in New Zealand, where Hirscher wants to get the necessary points, are brutal ‘derbies’. Hirscher will initially start the race with high starting numbers, in piste conditions that will not be a problem even for an exceptional skier like him.
And Hirscher hasn’t competed in a ski race in five years. Since his discharge, he has – by his own estimation – skied about a hundred days, 90 percent of which was in the hobby area (by Hirscher standards). The fact that more and more videos appeared on social media of Hirscher testing his Van Deer skis and doing pole training naturally gave the impression that Hirscher was still up for it and that Marcel might even consider a comeback. However, these racing units were few and far between.
Two scenarios
Not only Hirscher, but also the competition, faces an explosive challenge. If Hirscher has no chance at all, you could say he is spoiling his fairytale career. If he’s still crushing the competition five years later, some people will be asking themselves what makes sense. “Please stay away from us,” Manuel Feller said with a wink to Hirscher’s team.
All in all you can say: “Typical Hirscher”! By the way, about a week after his birthday (March 2) he got really serious about his idea. Then he knew: if he really wants to return, he has to start slowly. According to “Team Hirscher” there is no real, completed master plan when it comes to training and the camp in New Zealand. Or not yet.
The solution with the Netherlands, Marcel’s mother’s home country, was of course obvious. Not least for tourist and economic reasons. Even though ‘orange’ ski racers are a rarity, we know, not least in Austria, how enthusiastic the Dutch are about skiing. It is already clear: the excitement for the 2024/25 World Cup winter, culminating in the gold hunt in Saalbach, couldn’t be better, Hirscher is back!
Source: Krone
I am George Kunkel, an author working for Today Times Live. I specialize in opinion pieces and cover stories that are both informative and thought-provoking – helping to shape public discourse on key issues. My work is regularly featured across the network’s many platforms, including print media and social media.
