He can still do it: Marcel Hirscher impresses on his return to the big ski stage. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen almost reaches the podium. The Norwegians shine, dominator Marco Odermatt falls.
Ski star Marcel Hirscher made a strong World Cup comeback and finished 23rd in the points at the season opener in Sölden. The victory in the giant slalom on the Rettenbachferner went to the Norwegian Alexander Steen Olsen. Henrik Kristoffersen and Atle Lie McGrath completed the all-Norwegian podium. Alexander Schmid was the best German and finished 16th in front of 17,200 spectators. The Swiss favorite Marco Odermatt unexpectedly crashed in the first round and was eliminated. Last winter, the three-time overall World Cup winner won nine out of ten giant slalom races.
In addition to Schmid, his teammates Linus Straßer in 22nd and Jonas Stockinger in 25th also collected World Cup points. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who is now driving for Brazil instead of Norway, narrowly missed the podium in his comeback in fourth place.
Hirscher overjoyed
His return felt “super cool,” said Hirscher. It was the first race in more than five years for the eight-time overall World Cup winner. Every step and every swing of the Salzburger was accompanied by cameras. In the finish area, fans with red-white-red and orange flags cheered him on. The technology specialist no longer drives for Austria, but for the Netherlands, his mother’s home country – but he still drives really well and really fast.
There had been wild speculation in the previous days not only about the timing of his comeback, but also about Hirscher’s form. The 67-time World Cup winner, two-time Olympic champion and seven-time World Cup gold medalist said it would be a “sensation” for him if he reached the second round. With start number 34, he finished 28th in the first run, and then improved again in the finale.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
