Marcel Hirscher Retires

Here at Sprongo, we know a champion when we see one, and although Marcel Hirscher retires now, he’s every inch a champion. It’s not even the first time we’re talking about this skiing legend. Today, we’re going to look at his medal-littered career on the slopes as we say goodbye to one of skiing’s greats. Here’s to you, Marcel.

Where did he come from?

The son of a skiing instructor, Marcel started out on the slopes at just two-years-old. Right from the beginning, he was the best and went on to win several events in the Junior World Ski Championships. His specialties? Slalom and giant slalom.

What else did he win?

Would ‘everything’ cover it? Marcel Hirscher is one of the most prolific competitive skiing champions we can think of. He’s won:

  • 3 Olympic medals (2 gold, 1 silver)
  • 11 World Championship medals (7 gold and 4 silver)
  • 67 World Cup wins (32 slalom, 31 giant slalom, 1 Super-G, 3 parallel)
  • 20 World Cup titles (8 overall, 6 slalom, 6 giant slalom)
  • 138 World Cup podiums

And he’s only 30.

Why is Marcel Hirscher retiring?

According to Marcel’s latest press conference, the birth of his son in 2018 shifted his priorities. He wants to spend more time at home and less time in training. He said he’d like to quit while he’s ahead before his body starts to give out and rack up injuries. Stopping now means he can be an active father and reorient his career while he’s still young. Marcel Hirscher retires from alpine skiing now, but we don’t think this is the last we’ll be seeing of this legend.

It’s not every sports champion that would stop while they’re at the top of their game, but we’re sure there are a lot of incredibly proud people in Marcel’s team. He’s achieved so much for one so young, and we look forward to seeing where life takes him next. Goodbye for now, Marcel Hirscher, we hope to see you again.

Are you keen to learn from one of skiing’s greats? You can watch his videos by signing up for our subscriber service. Once you’ve subscribed, you’ll be able to access licensed World Cup videos to use for your own training. Think of it as learning from the true experts, without the expert price tag. You can sign up here or contact us for more information.