Ski star Hirscher can make a comeback at the start of the World Cup

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Sölden (dpa) – The path is clear for alpine star Marcel Hirscher to make a comeback at the start of the Ski World Cup at the end of October. The 35-year-old will receive a wild card for the giant slalom in Sölden, Austria, the world association Fis announced. However, the right to start is initially only valid for the first race of the season and not for the other World Cups.

Netherlands instead of Austria

After a five-season break, Hirscher will no longer compete for Austria, but for the Netherlands, his mother’s country of birth. When the return was announced in April, he did not want to take away any starting places from current Austrian squad athletes. Until his career was interrupted in 2019, Hirscher had won the overall World Cup eight times and won two gold medals at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang.

In July, the Fis decided that there could be an exemption for ski racers who, according to the rankings, are not actually eligible to compete in the World Cup. That’s why there was a lot of discussion.