Green light for Marcel Hirscher

Long-time World Cup dominator Marcel Hirscher will also be allowed to compete in the Alpine Ski World Cup in the new season with a wildcard.

02 October 2026

From: apa/dl

As confirmed by the Council of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), the now 37-year-old can compete in races with bib number 31. This means he doesn't have to start in lower-level races or far back in the World Cup starting order to earn better numbers.

The Austrian skier, competing for the Netherlands, wants to return to the World Cup circuit after a nearly two-year injury hiatus. The eight-time overall World Cup champion had already made a comeback in 2024 after switching nationalities, also thanks to a wildcard entry created specifically for him. However, he then tore his cruciate ligament after just three races in training and missed both that season and the following Olympic winter.

Vonn would also receive a wildcard.

Now, however, Hirscher seems determined to give it another go. This week, he posted photos on Instagram from his autumn training in Ushuaia, Argentina. "Great to be here, back on the snow and to share some good training days," he wrote. The first race of the upcoming World Cup season traditionally takes place on the Sölden glacier on October 25th.

Check out this post on Instagram
A post shared by Marcel Hirscher (@marcel__hirscher)

In addition to the two-time Olympic champion and seven-time world champion, the FIS has also reserved a wildcard for Lindsey Vonn. However, the 41-year-old American, after her serious crash at the Winter Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo and numerous knee and lower leg surgeries, has recently shown no intention of attempting another World Cup appearance at such an advanced age for an athlete.

Keywords Alpine skiing Marcel Hirscher Sölden