SOELDEN, Austria — Renowned Austrian skier Marcel Hirscher has officially announced his participation in the upcoming giant slalom event this Sunday, marking his return to competitive skiing after an impressive hiatus of 2,051 days.

“I’m back to the game that we love… I’ve made the decision to go for it,” Hirscher stated in a video shared on his ski company’s Instagram page on Friday.

Hirscher, who holds the record for winning eight consecutive overall titles before hanging up his skis in 2019, surprised many by revealing his comeback plans in April.

In the upcoming race, he will don skis from his own brand, Van Deer-Red Bull, and compete under the ski federation of the Netherlands, which has significance as it is the home country of his mother, Sylvia.

The former champion was initially hesitant to confirm his entry into the season’s first event due to some unfavorable conditions during his preparation phase. A training camp in New Zealand was cut short in August, and he subsequently battled an illness the following month, which limited his time on the slopes and impacted his ability to fine-tune his skis and boots.

Fortunately for Hirscher, he will not need to requalify for the World Cup through lower-tier FIS races. Instead, he will start Sunday’s competition wearing bib No. 31, a privilege granted by a wild card rule recently established by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation in July.

During his decade-long dominance in the sport, Hirscher amassed an outstanding record, including eight overall titles and 12 discipline titles in both slalom and giant slalom, along with 67 victories in World Cup races. Additionally, he secured 14 medals in major international competitions, which encompasses Olympic gold medals in giant slalom and Alpine combined at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.