REDSTER-HERO MARCEL IS NOW THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

This new highlight in the Alpine skiing era is of historic dimension: Only Atomic-legend Marc Girardelli was able to rack up five overall wins spread all over his career. All other big names from the skiing Wall of Fame reached four globes at most. At age 27 Marcel Hirscher already is the greatest of all time – while still not having reached his own peak …

No ski is like the other. With all the hype surrounding Marcel Hirscher in Kranjska Gora one important factor that describes the phenomenon Marcel pretty well almost got lost: the balance between perfectionism and flexibility. After the first run in the first race the Atomic-hero asked his service-expert Edi Unterberger to get the most famous pair from his Redster GS Doubledeck race collection ready for action. Number 22 out of 40 models in total, is the Redster-rocket Marcel used to win on in Val d’Isère and Alta Badia. And it was the one model that got stolen in Italy over christmas and mysteriously handed back a couple of days later. On this ski with ultra-thin edges (Marcel: „we deliberately have spared it in the first run“) he sealed the deal last weekend in the overall and GS World Cup standings. A third place finish in the first GS, victory in the second, equivalent to his career podiums number 88 and 89. With his third crystal globe in the GS discipline and his historic fifth consecutive overall World Cup victory the 27 year-old Marcel may now be labelled „the Greatest of All Time“.

„This one makes Marcel even hungrier for success, he still hasn’t reached the peak of his abilities“, explained Atomic Race Manager Christian Höflehner. „What Marcel is able to achieve as an athlete he showed once again in Kranjska Gora: he is the man for the moment, when it matters the most! He is converting his chances with unbelievable race instinct. Paired with his feeling for calculated risk that helped him to keep his consistency throughout the season, he stays the measure of all things in the skiing circuit – and this will probably remain the same in the years to come.“

HIRSCHER: „THE REMAINDER OF THE SEASON IS ALL ABOUT JOY“
Marcel Hirscher never gloats with his supremacy, except when he’s actually skiing of course. Best example for this was the Slalom in Kranjska Gora. His commanding victory demonstrated the difference when the Redster-hero doesn’t need to think about the overall standings anymore. „From now on the remainder of the season skiing is all about enjoying“, said Marcel. The effect? 0.81 seconds advantage over Henrik Kristoffersen, who with his second place finish secured the globe in the Slalom discipline. Marcel Hirscher’s World Cup career in numbers so far: 175 races, 90 podiums, 39 wins. It is for certain that this season marks his best ever in history. Marcel already surpassed his 1.355 points record from 2013 by 90 points. More to come at the World Cup finals in St. Moritz, venue also of the World Championships 2017.

FILL AND AAMODT: CAN THEY BRING HOME THE SPEED-GLOBES?
But before that Peter Fill in the Downhill and Redster-Youngster Aleksander Aamodt Kilde in the Super G have it in their hands to take a decisive step towards the small crystal globes at the Speed-Double in Kvitfjell. „I‘m really rooting for these two guys“, said Christian Höflehner. The race manager of what has been the strongest Atomic Team of the last few years is „more than happy with the season. The mix of generations in the team has led to a spirit that also propelled the generation after the superstars Shiffrin and Hirscher to a new level. With lots of room for improvement: We have the right athletes and the right service team.“

A strong showing in Kranjska Gora: Marco Schwarz finished 5th in Slalom, Mattias Hargin 7th and Marc Digruber 14th. Manuel Feller impressed once again in GS with his 6th and 7th place finishes.

In the Women‘s slalom in Jasna Atomic-star Mikaela Shiffrin proved what the saying „coming back stronger than before“ looks like in reality with a victory and 2.36 seconds advantage! Michaela Kirchgasser meanwhile carved to a 4th place finish.

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