Ski star Marcel Hirscher: “I can only lose this year”

Hirscher has won the overall World Cup seven times in a row, as well as Olympic double gold last winter alone and the big crystal ball and the one for giant slalom and slalom with 13 individual victories. But that's all history now. The countdown is now underway for the season opener on October 28th in Sölden, which marks the start of the 2018/19 World Cup winter. “I certainly can’t top my very best season last year because there are no Olympic Games. Of course there is a World Cup and I won't be able to win every race. “I can actually only lose, but I’m up for the challenge,” said Hirscher.

In the summer, Hirscher trained on the glaciers. © APA / EXPA/JFK

The “Magic 8” After seven overall World Cup victories in a row, the “magic 8” should be the logical goal. But this is all speculation. “I’m not a fan of planning too much in advance. It's better to focus on the core disciplines and on winning races again. If that works, you can see as the season continues whether you are there where the overall World Cup is at stake.” But you might also have to be satisfied with two victories. “The important thing is to see that I can keep up and play a role.”

Given his successes, marriage and future fatherhood, Hirscher, who will turn 30 next March, is “extremely relaxed”. “I have my sheep in the dry and I don’t have to prove to myself or anyone else that I can ski.” It remains to be seen whether he will start one more winter or more. But he won't extend his career "just because I can still win." Conversely, he doesn't want to end up like some successful colleagues who don't even make it to the second round. “Something like that breaks my heart, I almost cry.”

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Ski star Marcel Hirscher: “I can only lose this year”

In July, ski star Marcel Hirscher announced that he would continue his career. Now he can hardly wait to compare himself with the competition. 37 days before the start of the season in Sölden, the 29-year-old spoke in Vienna about the coming winter - and not only.

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