Alpine skiing legend Marcel Hirscher has decided to halt his comeback attempt for the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics. After coming out of a five-year retirement last season to compete for the Netherlands on the World Cup circuit, the 36-year-old Hirscher suffered a setback, 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 aimed to qualify for the Winter Games in Italy, scheduled to begin on Feb. 6. However, in a recent video message in German shared on social media, Hirscher admitted that his current performance level is not up to World Cup standards due to a calf injury that required a two-week break over the holidays. He expressed disappointment that he will not be able to compete this year but hoped to return for the next season.
Hirscher, who participated in three Olympic Games from 2010 to 2018, secured titles in giant slalom and alpine combined, along with a silver in slalom. Despite his illustrious career, including 67 World Cup victories, he fell short of claiming an Olympic gold medal in slalom, a discipline in which he excelled and where his achievements rank him among the greatest skiers of all time.