SALZBURG, Austria -- Alpine skiing great Marcel Hirscher is ending his effort to make a comeback for the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Hirscher, 36, came out of a five-year retirement last season to compete for the Netherlands on the World Cup circuit but tore the ACL in his left knee after three races.
The record eight-time World Cup overall champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist was aiming to return again and qualify for the Winter Games in Italy that open Feb. 6.
"The truth is it's not possible at the moment," Hirscher said Friday in a video message posted on social media. "The pace which I can go right now is not on a World Cup level."
The former Austria superstar said a calf injury forced him to take a two-week break over the holidays and that he now lacks the pace and confidence to compete.
"Haters are going to love it," he said. "I am also not happy with the situation. I'm sorry that it's not going to happen this year."
He signed off by telling fans he hoped they would see him race next season.
Hirscher competed at three Olympic Games from 2010 to 2018 and won titles in giant slalom and Alpine combined in Pyeongchang plus a silver in slalom in Sochi.
An Olympic gold medal in slalom eluded the best slalom skier of his generation, whose 67 career wins in World Cup races is second on the men's list behind Ingemar Stenmark.