Sawt Falasteen - One more year's skiing for the Dutch, says Hirscher

Austrian-born but with a Dutch mother, Hirscher, 35, announced in April he was dusting off his skis -- hung up in 2019 -- to participate on the World Cup circuit next season for the Netherlands.

His bitter-sweet move was met with disappointment from Austria, but welcomed in the Netherlands, a flatland country better known for its ice-skating than skiing prowess.

"I thought it is fun to be in the race again and it was so much joy," he told AFP at a press gathering, held at an indoor artificial ski slope at Zoetermeer outside The Hague.

"Then I thought to myself okay, why not ski one year for The Netherlands?" Hirscher said.

But he told public broadcaster NOS: "Then I think it's done again. Then I turn 36 and there is a point where you are definitely getting too old for being a professional alpine skier."

Hirscher told AFP he was always at ease being in his maternal country.

"I think sometimes, when I'm in the Netherlands, I always feel very calm, everything is a little bit easier," he said.

Asked what he enjoyed about the country, Hirscher pointed to the Dutch love of a special snack consisting of potato fries, lathered with mayonnaise or curry ketchup and topped with chopped onion.

It was the "most special and unique food that is different from all the other countries," he said.

Hirscher is one of the greats of the sport and his collection of eight consecutive overall World Cup crystal globes from 2012 to 2019 remains a record.

He retired in 2019 with 67 World Cup wins, claimed Olympic gold in slalom and combined at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games, and has seven world titles to his name.

Since his retirement, Hirscher who has rock star status in ski-crazy Austria, set up his own ski company.

E.AbuRizq--SF-PST