Marcel Hirscher celebrated a perfect start into the new season of the Alpine Ski World Cup with his victory in the slalom of Levi. Already now the calculation begins whether the father of a young boy can win the overall World Cup for the eighth time in a row. Hirscher is also seriously considering a start in the Super-G.
“That was pretty much the best thing possible last year,” Hirscher said at Servus TV. Despite an ankle fracture a few weeks before the start of the season, the 29-year-old clinched his seventh overall World Cup victory in the 2017/18 season.
Even though Hirscher is stacking low as usual, the goals for the current season are probably similarly high. “After the first run, the world was more than fine for me, because I knew I could be with the fastest,” said Hirscher after a long, “very special” preparation in summer.
At that time, there were always considerations as to whether Hirscher would concentrate on the speed disciplines in the coming years. However, Hirscher no longer becomes a downhill racer “because I’m looking forward to more time at home”, as he himself said.
“That would have meant investing much, much more time. It would take at least five years to get to know nearly all the tracks and get to the top. I’ll be 30 in the spring, my priorities are shifting, and that’s a good thing.”
That is why he wants to focus on the technical disciplines this year. “Even though we won in Levi: Even in slalom we still have air to the top. Henrik certainly puts me under pressure,” says Hirscher. “And in the giant slalom the competitors certainly didn’t sleep either.”
But also Hirscher’s coach Mike Pircher spoke about possible applications in the speed area and stated: “Super-G is closer to the giant slalom after all”. That’s why it will certainly work faster with an adjustment than with a descent with big jumps.
That’s why Hirscher is open to additional starts: “The plus and the sugar is the Super-G and the one or other combination,” he said.
Next week the World Cup troop will travel to Beaver Creek, where a giant slalom, a downhill and a Super-G are on the agenda. Especially a start in the latter race is possible. “It’s not out of the question,” said Hirscher.
In the last season Hirscher only competed once in a Super-G. At the season finale in Are, the venue of the World Championships next February, he finished tenth. In the 2016/17 season Hirscher had started with six Super-Gs, four years ago Hirscher also celebrated his only victory so far in the Super-G of Beaver Creek.