Alpine skiing legend Marcel Hirscher has decided to halt his comeback bid for the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics. After coming out of retirement last season at the age of 36 to compete for the Netherlands on the World Cup circuit, Hirscher suffered a setback by tearing the ACL in his left knee after just three races.
The eight-time World Cup overall champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist had been working towards qualifying for the Winter Games in Italy which are scheduled to commence on February 6. However, in a video message posted on social media in German, Hirscher admitted that his current performance level is not up to par for World Cup competition due to a calf injury that forced him to take a two-week break during the holidays. He expressed disappointment in not being able to participate this year and apologized to his fans.
Looking ahead, Hirscher conveyed his hope of returning to racing next season. Despite his illustrious career that included winning titles in giant slalom and alpine combined, as well as a silver in slalom at three Olympic Games between 2010-2018, he fell short of claiming an Olympic gold in slalom, an event in which he excelled. With 67 career wins in World Cup races, Hirscher’s legacy as one of the greatest alpine skiers remains intact, ranking second on the all-time men’s list behind Ingemar Stenmark.