SOELDEN, Austria — The upcoming World Cup ski season is stirring excitement with the return of two notable athletes who have come out of retirement—Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, both of whom are set to represent their mothers’ native countries. This is particularly notable since Brazil and the Netherlands are not typically recognized as strongholds in competitive skiing. The season kicks off this weekend with a giant slalom race in Austria.

Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who previously competed for Norway, declared his commitment to his Brazilian roots, emphasizing, “I’m an athlete representing 200 million Brazilians. That chapter starts on Sunday. I won’t give up until that flag is raised, all the way to the top.” Braathen, who is the son of a Norwegian father and a Brazilian mother, made his World Cup debut in December 2018, at the age of 18, during Hirscher’s final competitive season. Braathen has an impressive World Cup record with five race victories and he secured the slalom season title last year.

Known for his colorful personality, which includes painting his nails and a keen interest in fashion, Braathen took a year off from competition following a disagreement with the Norwegian ski federation about marketing rights. During this time, he traveled extensively and remained engaged in the skiing industry by facilitating ski development with his equipment supplier, Atomic.

Reflecting on his year away from the slopes, Braathen stated, “It’s been a very interesting year that is behind me, a year of exploring who I am and exploring my other interests.” He officially announced his return to skiing for Brazil in March, reviving a federation that hasn’t been visible in the World Cup since 2016. Brazil has yet to earn an Olympic medal in winter sport.

“I find the coolest aspect of it is that I hope that this mission can transfer some inspiration to Brazil to show the people that you can come from anywhere and you can be whoever you are,” Braathen explained. His support team includes his father Bjorn Braathen, the former coach of Hirscher, Michael Pircher, and physical coach Kurt Kothbauer, who previously worked with reigning champion Marco Odermatt.

“I’m not here for sixth, fifth, or fourth places, I’m here for the podium and for wins,” Braathen asserted, despite having missed out on the early-start group because of his year-long break. Henrick Kristoffersen, Braathen’s former teammate, is optimistic about his ability to achieve success again: “He was not slow,” Kristoffersen said after the two trained together in Soelden.

Marcel Hirscher, a two-time Olympic gold medalist with an unmatched record of achievements, also made headlines with his unexpected announcement to return to skiing. After seven weeks post-Braathen’s comeback news, Hirscher stated he would be racing for the Dutch ski federation. He described his decision as a “passion project” rather than a full-blown comeback, wanting to avoid taking a spot away from any athletes on the Austrian team. Hirscher’s personal ski brand is not endorsed by the Austrian federation, limiting his ability to use his own equipment while racing for Austria.

“It makes no difference if I wear an orange race suit or a red-white-red one. I live in Austria, I feel Austrian, but I am happy to race for my mother’s country,” Hirscher remarked. He aims to bring excitement to the Dutch ski federation, which has been facing issues with resources despite having a youth division.

Hirscher’s career has been remarkable, holding eight consecutive overall titles and achieving 67 race wins, along with 14 medals from major championships. His preparations for the upcoming season faced setbacks due to a training camp in New Zealand cut short by bad weather and subsequent illness. As a result, he was uncertain about participating in the Soelden race this weekend.

“I’ll see day by day, week by week, where this journey takes me,” said Hirscher. He expressed that he was not yet thinking about the 2025 World Championships, set to take place in his homeland.

Thanks to a newly implemented wild card rule by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, Hirscher has secured entry without needing to qualify through lower-ranked races, which he regards as a positive development for the sport. “I’m certainly not the only one making a comeback in the next five years. I am really looking forward to seeing who else is returning,” Hirscher concluded.