“Marcel informed us a few days ago that he wants to return to competition. ÖSV agrees to Hirscher’s change of nationality. He wishes to compete for his mother’s homeland,” says the association’s general secretary Christian Schereri at a press conference.
Austrian Tageszeitung and Kurier write about the 35-year-old’s comeback plans. According to the information, Hirscher, who retired in 2019, intends to go to New Zealand to train and accumulate so-called FIS points in order to be able to return and compete in the World Cup in 2025.
After his career, Hirscher has started his own ski brand and is said to train regularly and be in good physical shape.
Hirscher, who won the overall World Cup eight times, has not commented on the matter himself. But he talks about other things with the Kronen Zeitung.
– At the beginning (after he quit) I asked myself; what should I do now? But in the last two years I have found a good path, found a balance where I feel good, he tells Kronen Zeitung about how he feels right now.
According to newspaper reports, the idea is for Hirscher to switch nations and compete for his mother’s country of birth, the Netherlands. The Austrian does not want to take any of the places for the other Austrian riders.
If the FIS approves the change of nations, there could therefore be a battle for World Cup victories between Brazil and the Netherlands this winter. The Norwegian Lucas Braathen has decided this winter to come back and compete for Brazil.
Hirscher has won two Olympic golds, 5 World Cup golds and 68 victories in the World Cup.
