The great Hirscher-Mania in Sölden

Marcel Hirscher seemed relaxed in the finish area after the first run, although he didn't even know if he would qualify. In the end, he finished in a strong 23rd place. The 35-year-old's return was the number one topic of conversation in the Ski World Cup all weekend. Why is he doing this again? Will he even make it into the top 1? Is it just a marketing strategy to push his ski company Van Deer? These were the many questions fans and media representatives asked beforehand.

Now there is certainty: Hirscher is back - and with a bang. When the Annaberg native was on the track for the first time, the noise level in the finish area in Sölden was at its maximum. Thousands of spectators (a total of 17.200 were there yesterday) pulled out their smartphones to capture the moment of the comeback. Everyone wanted to be there to celebrate this moment. And Hirscher himself seemed to be in a good mood after the event, as if he was even enjoying the hustle and bustle a little. In the past, it had all become too much for him at some point.

Hirscher seems more relaxed In Hirscher and Lucas Braathen, the Ski World Cup has two polarizing faces back. That will be good for the sport. "It's pretty weird after five years of retirement. When I think about the fact that I can do this for the whole season, it's really cool," says Hirscher. The Ski World Cup needs people like that who have a certain impact on the outside world. Marco Odermatt has dominated the men's competition too clearly in recent years. "Odi" may be an everybody's darling, but such clear conditions are not good for any sport. Yesterday, for once, the Swiss was not the center of attention. Odermatt was upset about his absence, but did not seem bitter and after a while he had a smile on his face again.

There was a lot of speculation about how fast Hirscher would really be after more than five years of abstinence. "A little over two seconds behind, that was the case in training too," said the Austrian, who is competing for the Netherlands, about his deficit after the first run. “I have a desire to be more like Marcel and less like Hirscher – that racehorse from the past.” Marcel Hirscher But Hirscher also made people sit up and take notice with other words before the race: "I have a desire to be more Marcel and less Hirscher - that racehorse from before." It seems like a farewell tour because he stopped promptly. Hirscher has rarely been seen so relaxed. Before the race he seemed as tense and focused as he used to be. In the meantime he seems to be able to put all the hustle and bustle into perspective better. A certain distance is sometimes good in life - and that seems to be the case in skiing too. Hirscher seems to appreciate being an athlete again more than ever before. Hirscher's last words before he left the stadium fit in with this: "Thank you for letting me be here."

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The great Hirscher-Mania in Sölden

He outshone everyone else in Sölden on Sunday and shone as brightly as the sun on the Rettenbachferner: We are talking about Marcel Hirscher, who showed a different side of himself.

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