In July, ski star Marcel Hirscher announced the continuation of his career. Now he can hardly wait to be compared with the competition. 37 days before the start of the season in Sölden on Friday in Vienna, the 29-year-old from Salzburg extended his stay with main sponsor Raiffeisen for another two years, setting the course for the “magical 8”.
Hirscher has won the overall World Cup seven times in a row, last winter alone Olympic double gold as well as the big crystal ball and those for giant slalom and slalom with 13 individual victories. One motivation to continue after the most successful season of his career to date is the continuing opportunity for improvement.
Despite the extension of the contract, the coming winter could also be Hirscher’s last ski racer. “This only means that the cooperation will definitely continue for another two years. Whether with or without ski boots,” emphasized the expectant father in the bright sunshine over the roofs of the German capital.
Hirscher looks relaxed before the coming World Cup season as he has not done for years and is not unhappy that the summer of the century seems to be coming to an end. “I know it’s easy for me to talk because I don’t have to sit in an office when it’s hot outside. But I have the feeling that summer is over,” said the man from Salzburg, who already has ten high-quality training days in perfect conditions on home glaciers in his legs and is looking for a comparison with his team mates in Pitztal next week.
The final countdown for the season opener on 28 October in Sölden, with which the World Cup winter 2018/19 will begin. A season “in which, strictly speaking, I can only lose”, the double gold medallist from Pyeongchang pointed out that no Olympic Games will take place. The decision between further World Championship medals in Aare or an eighth overall victory would be none for Hirscher. The “magic 7” is best followed by the “magic 8”.
But this is all speculation. “I’m not a fan of big forward planning. It is better to focus on the core disciplines and to win races again. If that succeeds, one can see if one is there where the overall World Cup is concerned with the continuation of the season”. However, two victories may have to be enough. “It’s important to see that I can keep up and play a role.”
In view of his successes, marriage and paternity, Hirscher, who will turn 30 next March, is “extremely relaxed”. “I have my lambs in the rain, don’t have to prove to myself or anyone that I can ski.” Whether it will start one or more winters remains to be seen. But he will not extend his career “just because I can still win.” Conversely, he does not want to end up like some successful colleagues who do not even make it into the second round in the end. “Something like that breaks my heart, I almost cry with it.”
It’s hard to imagine Hirscher ever going like this. However, the ski perfectionist from Annaberg is aware that nothing can be guaranteed. Therefore he “warned” against the first comparison with his ÖSV team mates against a looming generation change and referred in particular to Manuel Feller, Michael Matt and Marco Schwarz. “They’ll make good headway in the technical disciplines. They’re ready.”
I hope it is understandable that I can no longer win every race at the age of 29. That is the change of time and in professional sport. But I’m taking that chance.” In any case, there is still a lot to be done. “Soelden is a very crisp start to the season.” “He didn’t take “skittles” about foreign competition so seriously. “It’s like everywhere else. Half is true, the other half is not.”
A very amusing TV commercial together with Hermann Maier, which is about building and living, has already been shot in 2019. “It was more Gaude than work,” Hirscher recalled with a smile the days with the ski giant from Flachau, from whom he occasionally gets tips. “Of course, I’ll ask him how he was doing back then and how he handled it.”