Sensational return to racing, with switch to Holland, by Marcel Hirscher
Clamorous return to racing, with switch to Holland, by Marcel Hirscher
Sensational news has shaken the world of alpine skiing and winter sports: Marcel Hirscher will return to competition, but not for Austria, but rather for Holland, the nation of his mother's birth. Ogi the Austrian federersi has in fact unanimously approved the change of nationality of the man who gave her eight consecutive General World Cups from 2012 to 2019. The final approval, which moreover seems a foregone conclusion, will be up to the international federersci at its spring assembly.
“Over the past few days there have been talks with several interested parties, in which we were informed that Marcel Hirscher was considering a return to international alpine skiing competitions,” said the secretary general of the ÖSV Christian Scherer in an official video call with the media today. “As the Austrian Ski Federation, we have of course done our best to offer Marcel the best possible and also individual conditions in the case of a return to alpine skiing, and we were also able to do so in a personal interview. Of course, we very much regret his decision to ask for a change of country by landing in the Dutch Ski Federation (Nederlandse Ski Vereniging/NSV), but in the end we also supported it. Marcel has done extraordinary things for skiing and for the ÖSV. In recognition of this and in the interest of the internationality of skiing, the conference of presidents of the ÖSV unanimously approved today his request for a change of federation”.
Marcel Hirscher è was born March 2, 1989, so on his return to racing he will be closer to 36 than 35, and will return after five years of inactivity, as he announced his retirement on Sept. 4, 2019. In addition to eight overall crystal balls he è put six giant slalom and six slalom cups in his trophy cabinet, and won 67 World Cup races, 32 slaloms, 31 giants, 1 super-G and 3 parallel and è finished 71 other times on the podium, for a total of 138 out of 245 races held. At the Olympic Games he won two golds and one silver, at the World Championships 5 individual golds and 4 silvers plus two more golds in team arenas.
Over the past five years there has been a lot of speculation about Hirscher’s return, as he has never stopped training and even created his own ski brand, Van Deer, with which Norwegians Henrik Kristoffersen and Timon Haugan have won World Cup races, but he has repeatedly stated that he had no intention of returning. Now the sensational twist, news that in alpine skiing è comparable to that of Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari in Formula 1.
Hirscher’s stated goal è to compete in the World Championships to be held in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, in Salzburg, the state of where he è originated, and in a video on Instagram he justified the decision to change nationality with the fact that he did not want to take away a place on the team from his fellow Austrians. It is to be hoped that this is not just a marketing ploy to boost sales of his ski brand, and that instead the Annaberg outfielder will be able to reappear competitively in the starting gates next season.
