Reflecting on her start in Nordic Combined, Hirner revealed, “In the beginning, I wanted to focus solely on Ski Jumping because my father and uncle were former ski jumpers. However, in our training groups in Eisenerz, there were mainly boys engaged in Nordic Combined. So, my coach suggested I try cross-country skiing or just observe the other boys during training. I eventually took up cross-country skiing, initially for fun, but later I began competing in both Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping.”
When speaking about her involvement in her ski club, the Austrian commended her mother’s dedication, stating, “My mother is truly amazing for the fantastic work she does as a volunteer at our SC Erzbergland ski club. Our club in Eisenerz is one of Austria’s largest, and we are all deeply committed to organizing events in our region and successfully recruiting young talents.”
Offering suggestions to enhance the popularity of Nordic Combined among women, Hirner proposed, “Nordic Combined is not as popular as other sports right now. We lack major sponsors, but the introduction of new formats like the Individual Compact and the 7.5km Gundersen could make a significant difference.”
