Austria’s grand old ski man Hermann Maier has returned to training after injuring his knee last March but will not race on the World Cup circuit until November-end.

“I’m not sad about coming back on the snow so late this year,” the 36-year-old who won overall world cup titles in 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2004, said on his website on Monday.

“The winter will be long enough and since I’m only coming back to the world cup at the end of November in North America (Lake Louise), we still have time.”

Nicknamed the ”Herminator”, Maier said he would specialise in downhill and super-G this year as last.

It will be the Austrian’s 14 world cup season.

Maier has competed on the circuit since 1996, winning 54 races, four Olympic medals, including two golds in 1998, and six world championship medals, including three golds.

http://www.hm1.com/