Alpine skiing legend Marcel Hirscher has decided to halt his comeback attempt for the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics. The 36-year-old athlete, who returned from a five-year retirement last season to compete for the Netherlands on the World Cup circuit, suffered a setback after just three races when he tore the ACL in his left knee.
Hirscher, an eight-time World Cup overall champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, had set his sights on qualifying for the Winter Games in Italy scheduled to commence on Feb. 6. However, in a recent video message shared in German on social media, he admitted that his current performance level is not up to par with World Cup standards due to a calf injury that required a two-week break over the holidays. He expressed disappointment over the situation and apologized to his fans for the setback, indicating that he hopes to return to racing next season.
Despite his illustrious career that included competing in three Olympic Games from 2010 to 2018 and securing titles in giant slalom and alpine combined, Hirscher fell short of capturing an Olympic gold in slalom, which remained a coveted achievement for the highly accomplished skier. With 67 career wins in World Cup races, he ranks second on the all-time men’s list behind Ingemar Stenmark.
