Record eight-time overall World Cup skiing champion Marcel Hirscher is back training on snow nine months after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee — meaning he should be on schedule to compete in the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February.

The 36-year-old Hirscher, who was born in Austria but has competed for the Netherlands since coming out of retirement last season, completed his first slalom turns in his new country: at an indoor skiing facility in Zoetermeer.

“A very good first outing, with three key learnings. First, the knee shows no negative reaction which is really great. Second, the joy of skiing remains. Third, the road back to race mode is still long,” Hirscher said Friday, according to the International Ski and Snowboard Federation.

Hirscher had his return last season from five years of retirement cut short when he was injured in a training fall in December. He only completed one of his three races last season, placing 23rd in the opening giant slalom at Sölden, Austria.

After the injury and ensuing surgery, Hirscher completed 1,000 hours of rehab.

“Nine months ago I was at rock bottom. It was a tough break, but also a valuable learning experience,” Hirscher said. “It was small steps on the way back. I’ve seen others with the same injury and how tough those small steps can be. That’s a part of life experience I was missing until now. I’m especially grateful I never had injuries in my first career. And I take my hat off to everyone who fights their way back after such a setback.”

SnowWorld in Zoetermeer is located three meters (nearly 10 feet) below sea level.

“We had the hall all to ourselves, with perfectly controlled conditions: A leveled slope, consistent snow, no surprises,” Hirscher said. “The snow conditions are the same all day long. Exactly what you need to test the knee and the setup.”

Hirscher’s next step is to test his knee on more challenging outdoor courses before the upcoming World Cup seasons opens in Sölden at the end of October.

“This didn’t yet have much to do with the skiing I’m used to,” he said. “The big question for the future will be: How much risk am I still willing to take? And can I still perform at that level?”

Hirscher’s 67 World Cup wins put him second on the all-time men’s list behind only Ingemar Stenmark’s 86 victories. He also won two Olympic golds, in combined and giant slalom at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, plus a silver in slalom at the 2014 Sochi Games.

Hirscher was able to switch nationalities because he has a Dutch mother. His Austrian father has coached him throughout his career. The move means that if Hirscher decides to compete in the Olympics, he won’t have to qualify for one of the four starting spots that the powerful Austrian team has for each race. Whereas the Netherlands doesn’t have any other skiers of Hirscher’s caliber.

Men’s skiing at the Milan-Cortina Games will be held in Bormio, while the women’s events will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing