Alpine skiing-Hirscher cleared for another World Cup comeback at 36
(Reuters) -Alpine ski great Marcel Hirscher could be on for an Olympic comeback at the age of 36 after being cleared to return to the World Cup as a wildcard following his recovery from a serious knee injury.
The 2018 double Olympic gold medallist, and winner of a record eight overall World Cups as an Austrian, last October ended five years of retirement to compete for his mother's country the Netherlands.
He suffered a cruciate ligament tear in December and underwent surgery but announced in a video on his Instagram account on Wednesday that, 197 days later, he was ready to go again.
"Rehab was going on quite well, and now we are back in athletic training. This is super fun, being back a professional athlete again," he said.
"I heard FIS made a decision that I am allowed to take my 17 (unused) starts from last year's season into the upcoming season. So that means I'm ready for another season (of) ski racing. And I think now you can call it a comeback."
While Hirscher would have no chance of making the Austrian Olympic team, a superpower in the sport, the Netherlands offers a far easier route to Milan-Cortina 2026 if he can stay clear of injury.
He entered only three races last year, with a best result of 23rd in a giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, leaving him 17 unused wildcards.
The World Cup allows former top skiers to return as wildcards without having to secure qualifying points.
U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn, now 40, is also hoping to ski at the Olympics after returning to the World Cup as a wildcard last season.
"In the end, two questions remained: What do I want from life? What does life want from me?" said Hirscher, winner of 67 World Cup races. "Even in difficult moments, my answer never changed: I want to race again."
Hirscher, who plans to return to snow training in September, said he also wanted to compete again as an athlete to help his ski equipment company improve their racing skis and boots.
The World Cup men's season starts on October 26 with a giant slalom in Soelden.
The Olympics start on February 6, with the men's Alpine ski races in the resort of Bormio.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
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