SALZBURG, Austria — Skiing legend Marcel Hirscher’s much-anticipated return to competitive skiing has come to an abrupt end, just as it was beginning. The 35-year-old Austrian athlete suffered a torn ACL in his left knee while training for the giant slalom, an incident he described as occurring during a “harmless slip,” he revealed on his official website on Tuesday.

Hirscher underwent surgery on Monday evening and expressed his disappointment, stating, “As is unfortunately the case with skiing: part of the game. Maybe I’m finally done with my journey.” This season marked his first return to racing since he clinched an unprecedented eighth consecutive overall World Cup title back in March 2019. In his brief comeback, Hirscher’s best finish was 23rd place in the season-opening giant slalom in Sölden, Austria.

Reflecting on his experience, Hirscher mentioned that the emotional weight of his second run in that race was one of the most powerful moments of his career. He is now among several ski superstars facing setbacks due to injuries. Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, who took over Hirscher’s crown as the men’s overall champion in 2020, is sidelined for the entire season as he continues to recover from significant injuries sustained in a crash in January during a downhill event in Wengen, Switzerland.

Additionally, Mikaela Shiffrin, the five-time women’s overall champion, also suffered an injury while competing recently. She crashed as she was nearing what would have been her record-extending 100th World Cup victory in a giant slalom event held in Killington, Vermont.

Hirscher isn’t alone in attempting a comeback after a long absence from the sport. Lindsey Vonn, now at 40 years of age, is gearing up for a return, targeting the downhill and super-G events where she previously excelled.