Marcel
Hirscher
Austria
·
Alpine Skiing
Date of birth | 2 March 1989 |
|---|---|
Place of birth | Annaberg-Lungötz |
Age | 36 |
Nationality | Austria |
Career start | 2008 |
Disciplines | Alpine Skiing Giantslalom / Alpine Skiing Slalom |
Within the space of two years, alpine skier Marcel Hirscher went from being relatively unknown on the professional scene to well and truly establishing himself as the undisputed king of the slalom slopes.
Between 2007 and 2009, Marcel enjoyed much success in the slalom, GS and Super G events at the Junior World Ski Championships, claiming a series of podiums that included three gold medals, two silvers and a bronze across all three disciplines.
As he approached his late teens, Marcel began setting his sights on the senior circuit. The transition was tough and he suffered some heavy defeats at the hands of his older, more experienced rivals. But all that changed in 2012. Something just clicked and he went from taking 15th place overall in the 2011 FIS World Cup to winning the championship in 2012.
Marcel won the overall title again in 2013 with six victories, including claiming the salom title and runner-up spot in GS. He scored a total of 18 podium finishes out of 19 races in the two technical events.
These successive victories meant he became the first male skier to defend his overall World Cup title since fellow Austrian Stephan Eberharter in 2002 and 2003.
Marcel then went on to take the overall FIS Alpine Ski World Cup again in 2014 and successfully defended his title in 2015, topping his season off with first place rankings in the slalom and GS as well. He continued his skiing dominance throughout 2016 and 2017 with more titles across the slalom and GS disciplines, all while amassing enough points to secure two more overall World Cup crystal globes.
Then, in 2018, he put in another series of powerful displays throughout the season to score his fifth GS and slalom titles and become the first skier ever to win seven overall titles . On top of that, Marcel also claiming two golds in Pyeongchang 2018.
The records didn't stop there. In December 2018, Marcel became the most successful Austrian ever on the World Cup circuit (overtaking Annemarie Moser-Pröll's mark of 62 wins) and eclipsing Ingemar Stenmark's calendar year win record, with an amazing 14 victories.
The 2018-19 season saw the now familiar trio of titles for Marcel, as he wrapped up the slalom and GS disciplines early, before taking an eighth overall title to equal Lindsey Vonn's record of 20 total FIS crystal globes.
Then, in September 2019, aged just 30, Marcel announced his decision to walk away from ski racing at the peak of his powers in order to focus on new challenges. He certainly didn't put his feet up however.
As well as starting his own high-performance skis brand, VAN DEER-Red Bull Sports, Marcel's also taken on all manner of motorsports challenges, including riding MotoGP bikes, racing all manner of cars and even taking on the world's toughest hard enduro race, the legendary Red Bull Erzbergrodeo, showing no little talent for brutal two-wheeled competition.
The pull of competitive skiing never truly left the all-time great and in April 2024, Marcel shocked the skiing world by announcing his comeback after five years away – and, thanks to his dual national status, for the Dutch National Ski Federation team no less. That comeback, however, is currently on hiatus for the remainder of the 2025/26 season as he works hard to get up to his full competitive level following some injury setbacks.
Marcel Hirscher is one of the most decorated skiers of all time
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
Marcel Hirscher is ready to race again
© Erich Spiess / Red Bull Content Pool
Marcel Hirscher now competes for the Netherlands
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
Marcel Hirscher in action
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool