“Now you can call it a comeback”
Ski star Hirscher returns to the World Cup again
18.06.2025 – 11:51 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
For Marcel Hirscher, his much noticed comeback last year ended dramatically after only three starts – cruciate ligament tear. Now the 36-year-old announced: he wants to know again.
Marcel Hirscher will return to the ski slope in the upcoming World Cup season. The 36-year-old announced on Wednesday to continue his career-around 200 days after his cruciate ligament tear.
In a video on his social media channels, Hirscher said: “I’m ready for another season on ski racing. Now you can call it a comeback.”
The Salzburger had seriously injured in a training fall on the Reiteralm in early December. Now he emphasizes that his rehabilitation “went pretty well”. He enjoys being traveling again as a professional athlete. Hirscher had surprisingly returned to the ski circus last winter – but no longer for the Austrian Ski Association.
After his resignation in 2019 and the sporting break, Hirscher decided to take a comeback in his own team. From then on he competed for the Netherlands – his mother’s country of birth. Nothing will change in the coming winter. Hirscher is retained by the Dutch Ski Association.
After Hirscher’s return, the World Ski World Association had introduced a special regulation that should enable former overall World Cup winners to start with a lower start number. This rule, which was initially limited to one year, has now been adjusted: since Hirscher could hardly take any starts due to injury, his claim for a total of 20 wildcards was extended – 17 of which he can still use in the coming winter. As a result, Hirscher has 17 other ways to go into the race after the top 30 of the start list.
Slalom expert Hirscher is eight-time winner of the overall World Cup and is one of the most successful skiers in history.