Portugal Colonial - Hirscher's return to skiing cut short by knee injury

"Marcel Hirscher suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee," his ski company, Van Deer, said in a statement Tuesday.

"Cruciate ligament gone, project over!" said the 35-year-old Hirscher, who retired in 2019 before announcing a shock return to the sport in October.

Hirscher claimed rock-star status in Austria after notching up 67 World Cup wins, two Olympic golds, seven world titles and a record eight consecutive overall World Cup crystal globes (2012-19).

After five years out, he made his comeback in the season opener in Soelden, racing for the Netherlands, the country of his mother.

"Of course it's a tough cut after eight months of a heartfelt project and a huge pity, because the whole team, including me, we all had other plans for this winter," said Hirscher.

"It will certainly be hard to watch the races... As is unfortunately the case with skiing: (that is) part of the game."

"Maybe I'm finally done with my journey," he added, suggesting that last month's slalom in Gurgl may have been his final race.

Hirscher finished 23rd in the giant slalom in Soelden, but then failed to qualify for the second runs in either of the two subsequent slaloms.

V.Dantas--PC