A summer like in the old days: Marcel Hirscher is back in athlete mode, putting in a daily training workload reminiscent of his peak years – and counting down the days until his return to the slopes.
Eight weeks have passed since then, and 36 weeks since the ACL injury he sustained in training last December. So where does he stand now?
Looking back, rehab and rebuilding couldn’t have gone any better. I never had any pain, the doctors are happy with my knee at every check-up, and I can train without restrictions. I’m very satisfied with my current fitness level and coordination.
“Playing it safe and giving the knee a full nine months of healing time was the right decision.” Speaking of time: last year, time management was “really complex” due to the late comeback decision, the FIS wildcard rule, and his simultaneous responsibilities in two companies and family life. “But the learning curve was steep!
This year, thanks to great support both privately and professionally, I’ve been able to dedicate myself entirely to training. I’m not training less than before – if anything, it’s the opposite. That level of focus is absolutely necessary.”
After an injury, preparation takes on “a whole different quality.”
Otherwise, if you finish a season healthy, progress eventually becomes more incremental. This feeling that something is moving forward every single day has carried me through these past months. The biggest plus? “I’ve definitely improved most in patience,” laughs the founder of VAN DEER–Red Bull Sports.
“My patience was really tested at the beginning – and now again, when I see everyone else skiing already! I’m counting the days until it’s my turn to get back on snow. Our plan remains: back to snow in September. From there, we’ll take the next steps flexibly.”
There’s a bit of uncertainty, since he’s never been in this situation before. “But the anticipation outweighs everything! We’ve also done a lot of material development in the off-season – I can’t wait to test it all on snow.”