Many have wondered and waited for news. But it has been very quiet from the Hirscher camp. No training pictures on social media. What he has posted has instead been about riding a motorcycle.

At the press conference today came the message. It's over.

He is only 30 years old. When he should reasonably have some years left in the world top. Seven years younger than Aksel Lund Svindal, five years younger than Lindsey Vonn and Felix Neureuther, some other riders who made their last season this past winter.

Won all

But Marcel Hirscher thought it might be enough now. All training, all competitions, the constant expectations of winning. Constantly recognized and attentive. Austria's greatest athlete in the country's biggest sport.

In addition, he has almost already won everything that can be won. Two Olympic golds, seven World Cup golds, five of them individual, three in slalom. On the podium in over half of their World Cup starts and 67 wins. And thus the winner of the overall World Cup eight times, despite almost only competing in two branches, Grand Slalom and Slalom, whose Cup he also won six times each.

So there was no Olympic gold in slalom. The two golds in South Korea 2018 came in large slalom and combination. In the slalom he went out in the first race, in the competition that André Myhrer then won.

Debuted in 2007

Marcel Hirscher debuted in the World Cup in a grand slalom competition in Lenzerheide in March 2007. 26 riders finished in goal, Hirscher finished 24th. Aksel Lund Svindal won the competition and Hirscher also had among other things. Jens Byggmark appears in the results list. In December of that year came the first World Cup and he was then called "the new Benjamin Raich".

When he now decides to quit so early, it should also be remembered that, unlike many other skiers in the world top, he has managed well from injuries. Many other riders have had injury periods, which helped to extend their careers. In Hirscher's case, it's really only the 2011 World Cup that he missed out on injury, after breaking his foot during a big slalom in Hinterstoder, two days before the World Cup would begin.

Will miss him

We will of course miss Marcel Hirscher. A rider who sometimes, with a purely brutal second year, after a more "normal" first, could turn the downside to victory. He went so fast so you didn't think it was possible.

They waited for him to leave, but he rarely did. On the contrary, he really knew the art of saving himself from the most troublesome situations. Own style, with large angles, only possible to implement with fantastic balance, technology and strength.

Sad that he quit, of course. At the same time, it may thus become more uncertain and exciting competitions this winter.

And then the big question: who will win the overall World Cup 2020?