Last season began with comeback announcements that thrilled the fans. Nothing like that is about to happen this year. No formerly retired star is clicking into skis in Sölden. But this is the Olympic season. Which means that those who worked hard to get back on top did so with the Olympic torch in sight. Some have already succeeded, some still hope to, and some will be missing when February 2026 arrives.
Who’s Coming Back for Sure
Let’s start with Mikaela Shiffrin (USA). Yes, she returned after that devastating abdominal injury at the World Championships, but it was too soon, and it was not the Shiffrin we hoped to see. Now, after a full summer to recover, the superstar is expected to return in Sölden stronger than before.
Marco Schwarz (AUT) went through a series of serious injuries, ending with surgery in 2024. In his last season, he attempted to race in all disciplines. After the Austrian training camp in Chile, Schwarz says he is finally pain-free and ready to attack the Olympic season, this time focusing on three disciplines: slalom, giant slalom, and super-G.
Marcel Hirscher (AUT) will repeat his comeback this season, as his social media posts from training testify. Some voices said he should give up after the ACL tear he suffered last season, calling his return from retirement a bad idea. He was never this injured during his best years — wasn’t that a sign? But Hirscher did not give up. He explained clearly why he returned: after retirement, he lost all joy in skiing and racing. Now he finally enjoys it again. It is a different Hirscher from the one we used to know. He really seems to be about the thrill and fun of skiing, not just performance. So in Sölden, we hope to see him back not after years of retirement, but after another season cut short by injury.
High Hopes
As this is an Olympic season, it draws the world’s attention. Some athletes hope to join their national teams under the Olympic torch, even though they are still struggling to get back on skis.
One of them is Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (NOR). Kilde underwent a series of serious shoulder surgeries that kept him off the snow since January 2024. At some points, he even doubted he would ever return. But now he is back on snow, testing his form in Chile, and working hard to return to competition in Beaver Creek in December.
Petra Vlhová (SK), the 2021 overall World Cup champion, spent an immense amount of time recovering from her knee injury sustained in January 2024. She underwent two major surgeries but is now safely training on the snow. Her coaches hope that she will return to competition form in time for the Olympic Games in February 2026.
When Hope Is (Almost) Lost
Cyprien Sarrazin (FRA) entered the downhill circus as a shooting star during the 2023/24 season. But his crash during a training run in Bormio in December 2024 cut that season short. He suffered a brain injury, and for a time, it was not clear whether he would ever walk again, let alone ski. Sarrazin has since explained that he still suffers from double vision, and though he never gave up the dream of returning to competition, this will not be his comeback season.
Federica Brignone (ITA) is perhaps the most unlucky of them all. She dominated last season, claiming the overall, downhill, and giant slalom titles — the most successful season of her career. Yet during the national championships in Val di Fassa in April 2025, she crashed hard in the giant slalom, suffering multiple fractures of the calf and tibial plateau and tearing her ACL as well. She has said that the Olympic Games in Cortina, her home snow, are her dream. Yet the timing does not fit. It might, and probably will, be too soon for her comeback.
Who Else Will Be Missing
Some racers never meant to join the Olympic circus this season. Stephanie Venier (AUT) shared a photo of her baby’s ultrasound — she’ll be missing the season for a much happier reason. Max Franz (AUT), meanwhile, continues his long road back after breaking both legs in November 2022. He earned enormous admiration from the skiing world when he took to the skis again as a forerunner during the World Championships in March 2025. Franz has not given up his dream of returning to competition, but it will not be this season.
Who Else to Watch
Last season brought out names that were previously unknown but are now on everyone’s lips. Franjo von Allmen (SUI) grew from a young talent into a regular superstar in a single year. Malorie Blanc (SUI) finished second in her only second World Cup downhill and continued to appear in top positions after that. And the American women entered the top ranks, entertaining the audience with their camaraderie and the pure joy of skiing.
But let us save those names for another article — there are quite a few of them.
