Marcel Hirscher, the world’s best Alpine skier the last six years, will wear a cast for six weeks after breaking his left ankle in slalom training Thursday.
On the first day of preseason training, Hirscher, 28, turned awkwardly hitting a gate in video posted on his Facebook page. He will not require surgery, according to the Austrian Ski Federation.
The World Cup season starts Oct. 29 with the traditional opening giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, where Hirscher has finished on the podium the last five years.
Hirscher owns more World Cup overall titles than any man in history after taking his sixth straight crystal globe this past season.
This only increases the pressure on Hirscher to deliver in PyeongChang. He captured individual world titles in 2013, 2015 and 2017, in different events each year, but lacks an Olympic gold medal.
He was upset in the 2014 Olympic slalom by countryman Mario Matt, taking silver.
Hirscher had his most successful world championships yet in February, sweeping the giant slalom and slalom and missing gold in the super combined by .01.
He could go for four gold medals in PyeongChang with the addition of the team event.
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