“He was always a bit of a lifer.”

As is known, the exceptional talent Marcel Hirscher returns to the Ski World Cup. But how good of an exceptional skater really is? Opinions differ slightly on what level the 35-year-old is currently at and what he can achieve in sports. But among his teammates, there is respect and admiration for the Salzburg native, who is livening up the world of skating again after a five-year absence.

So for Lucas Bräthen, who will return this year, the matter is clear: Hirscher's return will make “the dream come true”, said the Norwegian, who now starts for Brazil. “Besides Ted Ligety, he is the skater I have studied the most throughout my career. Marcel inspired me even before I came to the World Cup. But there was one thing missing: I did not have the opportunity to compete with him.

Felix Neureuther said the return of his long-time rival and friend is a “huge story.” Hirscher is “exactly one of the characters and heroes we desperately need.” Manuel Feller also sees the reunion with Hirscher as positive, for very personal reasons. Tyrolean is a former teammate and friend of the seven-time world champion. Feller stressed that the two have always been “good friends.” Even the couple's children “play together more often because our two women know each other better.”

However, there is a lot of speculation as to what the eight-time World Cup winner will look like. This fed into Hirscher himself, as he rarely gave any interviews, and when he did, he did not talk about times or goals. The still stubborn worker explained that his physical condition is no longer comparable to what it was before his resignation five years ago, and coordination work on the substance is still far from complete. To make matters worse, he was only able to complete a few days of on-snow training due to illness. However, his project is focused on having fun.

“I don't know how good he really is. But I think it's great that he's racing again,” said American star Mikaela Shiffrin. “He's been the best skier in the world for eight years, so he can be trusted to do anything – including victories.” . Of course, you can't expect him to come back the way he left off. But he no longer has to prove anything to anyone,” Wieler said of the new star of the Dutch ski team.

Hermann Mayer, another Austrian ski giant, made people sit up and take notice with his review. “For me he is capable of winning from a standing start. “He will be one of the winning riders from the first races,” predicted the winner of 54 World Cup races in an interview with Courier. Hirscher has 67 victories so far – and according to Mayer, there could be more to come. “He didn't suddenly start skating again, he was always there. He developed his skiing skills, did a lot of cross-country skiing, and was compared to Henrik Kristofferson, Alexis Pinturault, and a few others.

Marcel Hirscher trained in New Zealand for a few days

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Last week, Hirscher also trained with the Austrians in Sölden and got a direct comparison. “I doubt whether he gave his all,” said Herbert Mandl, president of ÖSV Alpine, a spectator. But even before his career was supposedly over, Hirscher was often not among the fastest when he trained with the team. “He was always a bit of a lowly person,” Neureuther said. “But he always does a good job of it, and maybe it takes some pressure off of him.”

Stefan Kraft believes Hirscher “does exactly what he says. “I think he is still missing something, and if he gets to No. 15, it will be good,” the skier said. “It is different to be at the top with No. 30.” He added: “He knows that He has to take 100% risk, mistakes will happen. He's not used to it anymore and hasn't raced for five years. This does something for you. “That's why it doesn't mean he might not make it to the second round.” However, he also believes Hirscher can get a podium finish. “It's definitely very exciting. I'll definitely be turning on the TV when Marcel drives.”

Only Hirscher can determine whether he is ready to return to Sölden. It will take as long as possible to make a decision. Because Hirscher won't start unless he truly feels comfortable and competitive. The first giant slalom as well as the first competition of the season are scheduled for Sunday. The Salzburg resident competed in his last race so far in 2019. On March 17, he finished 14th in the slalom at the World Cup Finals in Soldeu.