Alpine Skiing: Everything is possible for Hirscher after a record season

Even a Marcel Hirscher is not accustomed to receiving large World Cup balls:”A wonderful feeling,” said the Salzburg ski star in Aare with a view of the seventh large crystal. He will now continue with media and sponsorship appointments until Wednesday before saying goodbye to his holidays. The decision about the future will be made later.

But he will always remember the final in Aare after the best season of his career with 13 World Cup victories, three ball wins and two Olympic gold medals for other reasons:”This was probably the coldest finale in history” Due to strong winds and snowfall, even the slalom on Sunday had to be cancelled, but Hirscher had already been crowned discipline winner. He now holds a total of 17 balls, seven big ones and 5 small ones each for slalom and giant slalom.

“Vision and wind didn’t play along, it was the right decision. But I have mixed feelings, because we’re all here to race. Everyone is a bit disappointed, including the spectators and sponsors, but Mother Nature was stronger” Hirscher would still have the chance to win 14th place. If he had won the season, he would have set a record. He currently leads this ranking ex aequo with Hermann Maier and Ingemar Stenmark.

Hirscher is now the second-best athlete in the history of the World Cup with 58 victories, and 28 are still missing for the Swedish record holder Stenmark:”The results of Marcel Hirscher speak for themselves, he goes down in history once again. And all this without much preparation after the injury,” said men’s race director Andreas Puelacher. There are no superlatives. What he does is great,” said ÖSV sports director Hans Pum.

When asked if it could get any better, the 29-year-old Hirscher said: “If you climb up a tree, the tree will come to an end. I know that once comes the turning point. I hope I see him early. So far I can say I’m still motivated.”

Pum also made it clear that Hirscher would receive the full support of the association, regardless of his decision. Even if it should go in the direction of speed,”We support him in every respect. Of course, I would also find speed exciting. The point is that he needs targets. And he has to want it and do it with a pleasure, otherwise it won’t work. “And if he wants to do that, you’ll do whatever it takes to make it work for him.”

Hirscher keeps all options open. The spectrum ranges from retirement to continuing as before and the focus on technical disciplines and the overall World Cup to changing to the long crossbars, which would also be a particular wish of Puelacher.

“That would be very attractive, of course. I think I’d like it already, I’ve been able to show that before. But then that definitely means goodbye to the overall World Cup. But a new challenge,” Hirscher said in Aare. However, since the decision on the future is an emotional matter, he will only let a little time pass now.