Skiing great Marcel Hirscher has said he will not compete at all this season, including next month's Olympics in Itraly, because he is not competitive. The Austrian who now competes for his mother's home country the Netherlands, said in an Instagram video on Friday that training with top athletes in Austria had shown that he can't match them, and that a calf-injury with a two-week break was another setback.
Skiing great Marcel Hirscher has said he will not compete at all this season, including next month's Olympics in Itraly, because he is not competitive.
The Austrian who now competes for his mother's home country the Netherlands, said in an Instagram video on Friday that training with top athletes in Austria had shown that he can't match them, and that a calf-injury with a two-week break was another setback.
"It is not possible at the moment. The pace I can go now is not on a World Cup level," he said, stating that the injury break was also "not good for pace and confidence.
"I decided for myself if I want to compete in the World Cup again then I want to do it properly and that's just not possible at the moment. That's why I am not competing in races this season and also not at the Olympic Games.
"I am also not happy about the situation that it is not going to happen this year. I am going to continue training and hopefully see you next year."
Hirscher won the World Cup a record eight times and has seven world titles and two Olympic golds.
He retired in 2019 but returned in 2024. He competed in three World Cup races, the best result being 23rd in a giant slalom, before suffering a severe knee injury in December 2024.
He has not raced since as a planned comeback for the season-opener in October 2025 did not happen due to illness.
Category: General Sports
