Kristoffersen and co.

Hirscher takes resources away from his “teammates”

The resources will be redistributed between Timon Haugan, Marcel Hirscher and Henrik Kristoffersen (from left to right).(Bild: GEPA)

Marcel Hirscher's comeback continues to stir things up in Sölden. Things have also changed within the Van Deer-Red Bull Sports team with the company founder's comeback announcement. While resources used to be divided between Henrik Kristoffersen and Timon Haugan, the most well-known heads of the project are now focused on Hirscher.

Hirscher's father Ferdinand or the top service people Edi Unterberger and Raphael Hudler used to be there mainly for the two Norwegians, who are winning skiers in the technical disciplines. "He says I'm more of a long-term project because I have several years. Marcel probably has a maximum of two," said Haugan about Ferdinand Hirscher.

Hirscher's father is "still involved in my skiing. We also still talk to each other," Haugan emphasized to APA. "But the last few weeks have been very stressful for them. He doesn't have as much time as he had last year."

Service men in exchange
There were apparently no joint training sessions with Hirscher. Haugan said that he last trained with Hirscher in April 2024. "And I didn't know then that he was coming back. It was a normal training session." They then bumped into each other in New Zealand in the summer. "But that was just one day," explained the winner of the last slalom of the previous season in Saalbach-Hinterglemm. "I didn't train with him at all. But my service man and his are in constant contact. That means we get information about each other, but not in such a direct way."

Kristoffersen doesn't care about comebacks
Kristoffersen appeared slightly annoyed at a media appointment in Sölden when he was asked about Hirscher. He confirmed that there had hardly been any points of contact recently. "My program is my program, he has his program. I was in Ushuaia, he was in New Zealand," said the slalom world champion. When asked about the comebacks of Hirscher and Braathen, he said: "I don't care." Kristoffersen added: "It might be good for skiing in general, but I don't really care."

Hirscher will announce the decision as to whether the eight-time overall World Cup winner will be at the start of the World Cup in Sölden on Sunday at around 4pm.