At the ski hall “Snowworld” in the Dutch city of Zoetermeer, Marcel Hirscher held a press conference and made himself available to fans during a well-attended “Meet & Greet” in his new sporting home. “It’s more about gaining experience, not so much about results,” Hirscher said about his expectations.
At the end of the 350-meter long indoor slope of the ski hall, one is four meters below sea level. The contrast to Marcel Hirscher’s Austrian home could not be greater. Nevertheless, he also feels very comfortable in the Netherlands, as he emphasized. “In the past, I used to visit my relatives there very often. I like the country, the people, the relaxed atmosphere, and the calmness. I certainly got that from my mother!” Hirscher alternately answered the numerous attending media in German and Dutch. “I can certainly still work on my language skills, but it will be fine.”
Marcel Hirscher wrote a lot of autographs
© GEPA pictures
For the time being, the focus is primarily on working towards a return to competitive racing. However, Hirscher does not like the term “comeback,” referring to it as the “C-word”: “For me, it’s more of a heartfelt project, a passion,” he says. “In March, around my birthday, I had a test day, and I realized it would actually be really cool to be able to race again. Then it had to happen quickly because there were certain deadlines that had to be met.”
In the next two weeks, Hirscher will focus on his conditioning training; on August 9, he will go to New Zealand for three weeks, where he will compete in several races. “Let’s see how that goes; the snow is supposed to be not so great there,” he says. There he will face much younger competitors. “They will probably think, ‘What does the grandpa want here?'” Hirscher laughs.
Whether it will actually lead to a start at the World Cup opening in Sölden is still uncertain. Likewise, it is not yet a done deal that he will participate in the home World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. “The media always says that. I know that I will be at the World Championships, but whether I will actually be at the start line or there for my company, I can’t say yet.” What is certain is that for Hirscher, the joy of skiing takes priority. “In the past, I lived completely for skiing; now skiing fits into my life. It’s no longer about points or trophies; for me, experiences count more than results. And if I can contribute to the development of skis from my own brand, or perhaps support our racers with my experiences, that’s even better.”
Whether there will also be a large turnout of fans in orange at the ski races, as has been seen in Formula 1 or recently at the European Football Championship, Hirscher cannot assess. “But of course, it would be cool if my participation also stimulates enthusiasm for skiing in the Netherlands!”