Sensational comeback in skiing: legend Marcel Hirscher (35) returns as… a Dutchman

A remarkable comeback is in the making in the ski world. Austrian skier Marcel Hirscher, who retired in 2019, is planning a return to the World Cup as a Dutchman. The Austrian Ski Federation has now confirmed this. The Dutch Ski Association (NSkiV) also confirms that the 35-year-old Hirscher will ski competitions under the Dutch flag from next season. He uses his double passport.

Hirscher is a true skiing legend. With eight World Cup final victories and 67 World Cup victories, he has an impressive track record. The now 35-year-old Austrian also has seven world titles and two Olympic gold medals. In 2019, the skier ended his career and founded his own ski brand, Van Deer. He did this in collaboration with the Austrian sports drink giant Red Bull, which would now also support him in his plans for a comeback.

And Hirscher does not make that comeback as an Austrian, but as a Dutchman. The slalom specialist has a Dutch mother and therefore also has Dutch nationality. It is known that Hirscher has always felt connected to the Netherlands through his mother. She fell in love with ski instructor Ferdinand Hirscher during a winter sports holiday and decided to build a life with that man in the Annaberg ski village.

And so Marcel Hirscher makes his return at the age of 35. The skier would plan to earn the necessary points in New Zealand this summer to return to the highest level next winter. The big goal is the 2025 World Cup in Saalbach, not far from his home in Austria.

“I especially want to have the opportunity to participate in competitions again, just because I enjoy it,” Hirscher said in a press release. “I have an excellent relationship with the Austrian federation and am grateful to them for everything we have achieved. This new project is best realized as a Dutch person.”