Around the World
Time to say good-bye: Retirements in Alpine Skiing
At the beginning of March, Swiss speed specialist Marianne Abderhalden was the first athlete to announce that this would be her last season of ski racing.
In the 2013/14 season Abderhalden was among the best downhillers in the world as she won in her only World Cup victory in Val d'Isère (FRA), took second in Lake Louise (CAN) and Cortina d’ Ampezzo (ITA) and finished fifth in the downhill standings at the end of the season.
The 29-year-old said that severe pain in her right knee has not allowed her to train intensively and display her best skiing in races therefore she would not be coming back next season.
Another athlete to announce his retirement at the end of the season was Austrian slalom star Mario Matt. Matt suffered an ankle injury during the 1st run of the World Championships slalom in Vail Beaver Creek (USA) in February and a few weeks later announced that he would not return to competition.
In his 15 years of competing at the highest level, Matt won the slalom World Championship titles 2001 and 2007 and is the current Olympic Champion after winning gold in Sochi (RUS) 2014 and celebrated 15 World Cup victories (14 slaloms, 1 combined).
Speed specialist Carolina Ruiz Castillo chose the recent Spanish National Championships in Baqueira-Beret (ESP) as her last competition. (https://www.facebook.com/rfedinvierno/posts/825595270828056)
The 33-year-old Spaniard achieved her sole World Cup victory in the downhill race in 2013 in Méribel (FRA), the same place where she competed in her last World Cup races this season at the World Cup finals. "Knowing that my last World Cup race will be on the same track as two years ago when I earned my victory is very emotional," she commented. Ruiz Castillo’s best season was 2012/13 during which she achieved five top-10 results.
At the Finals in Meribel (FRA) three big names of the sport decided to bid farewell to their professional skiing careers.
The last World Cup races of the season proved the perfect setting to say good-bye for Marie Marchand-Arvier (FRA), Dominique Gisin (SUI) and Didier Defago (SUI).
Marchand-Arvier earned her biggest success in 2009 when she won a silver medal at the World Championships in Val d’Isere (FRA). Since her first World Cup race in 2004, the speed specialist went on to compete in 177 World Cup races and stood on the podium five times, yet she never earned a victory. The 29-year-old wrote about her decision in a lengthy Facebook post -
https://www.facebook.com/33157287894/photos/a.275650627894.144664.33157287894/10152755490392895/?type=1&theater
After a career marked by many injuries, Dominique Gisin decided it was time for her to embark on new adventures and put an end to her skiing career. The 29-year-old made her announcement in a setting very meaningful to her – an airport hangar. Gisin has a passion for flying and is the proud owner of a pilot’s license. After informing the media of her decision; she took off in a small plane.
https://www.facebook.com/fisalpine/photos/a.10152897184975702.1073741825.86272375701/10155279186185702/?type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/DominiqueGisin/photos/a.297840254420.143436.42360914420/10153192162974421/?type=1&theater
Didier Defago had announced that this would be his last season already last spring but few expected him to go out on such a high note – he finished second in his last downhill race in front of over a hundred supporters from his fan club. 16 podiums of which five World Cup victories including both the Wengen and Kitzbühel downhills in 2009 and a gold medal in the Olympic downhill in Vancouver 2010 (CAN) will remain the biggest achievements of Defago’s almost 20-year-long career at the top level.
Only two weeks after Didier Defago celebrated the end of his successful career at the Finals in Meribel (FRA), another Swiss Ski veteran decided to hang up his skis. Silvan Zurbriggen announced he would not be coming back to the World Cup next season.
In his lengthy career, Zurbriggen competed in 254 World Cup races earning 13 podiums and two victories – one in the Kitzbühel Combined in 2009 and a second one in the Val Gardena downhill in 2010. He also earned a bronze medal in the alpine combined at Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and silver in the slalom at the 2003 World Championships in St. Moritz (SUI).
Another Swiss speed specialist recently announced her retirement at the National Championships in St.Moritz. Nadja Jnglin-Kamer decided to conclude her professional skiing career that due to the many injuries she suffered throughout her career.
Jnglin-Kamer earned five podium finishes in her 10 years on the World Cup tour and came close to a World Championships medal when she finished 4th, only 0.04 seconds behind the bronze medal in the Schladming 2013 downhill.
Meanwhile, through a post on his Facebook account, Canadian slalom specialist Julien Cousineau announced his retirement from ski racing.
https://www.facebook.com/julien.cousineau.9/posts/10152681919591987
Cousineau started his World Cup career in Soelden in 2002 and competed in 109 World Cup races, four World Championships and the Olympic slalom in Whistler, Vancouver. His best results are three 5th places from the World Championship slaloms in Val d’Isere 2009, Garmisch-Partenkirchen 2011 and Schladming 2013.
Italian Davide Simoncelli announced his retirement having just earned a second place in the Italian National Championships’ giant slalom race. After competing in 131 World Cup races in which he earned two victories (Alta Badia 2003 and Yongpyong 2006) and eight podium finishes, and participating in seven World Championships and three Olympic Games, the 36-year old giant slalom specialist decided to make the home race his last one.
Marion Bertrand (FRA) chose the French National Championships in Serre Chevalier as her last competition. In the slalom, she skied her last race dressed as Pocahontas and was celebrated at the finish line by all her teammates.
Bertrand competed in 120 World Cup races but earned only one top-10 finish, an 8th place in the Aspen giant slalom in 2008.
In mid-April, Austrian slalom specialist Alexandra Daum announced her retirement from her career as a ski racer.
The 28-year-old Tyrolean has been a member of the Austrian national team since 2004. Daum competed in 94 Europa Cup and 47 World Cup races and achieved two Europa Cup podiums and three top-10 World Cup placements.
The past season, marked by good performances in training and many disappointments in competition, helped Daum to make a final decision regarding her career.
Source: fis-ski.com
In the 2013/14 season Abderhalden was among the best downhillers in the world as she won in her only World Cup victory in Val d'Isère (FRA), took second in Lake Louise (CAN) and Cortina d’ Ampezzo (ITA) and finished fifth in the downhill standings at the end of the season.
The 29-year-old said that severe pain in her right knee has not allowed her to train intensively and display her best skiing in races therefore she would not be coming back next season.
Another athlete to announce his retirement at the end of the season was Austrian slalom star Mario Matt. Matt suffered an ankle injury during the 1st run of the World Championships slalom in Vail Beaver Creek (USA) in February and a few weeks later announced that he would not return to competition.
In his 15 years of competing at the highest level, Matt won the slalom World Championship titles 2001 and 2007 and is the current Olympic Champion after winning gold in Sochi (RUS) 2014 and celebrated 15 World Cup victories (14 slaloms, 1 combined).
Speed specialist Carolina Ruiz Castillo chose the recent Spanish National Championships in Baqueira-Beret (ESP) as her last competition. (https://www.facebook.com/rfedinvierno/posts/825595270828056)
The 33-year-old Spaniard achieved her sole World Cup victory in the downhill race in 2013 in Méribel (FRA), the same place where she competed in her last World Cup races this season at the World Cup finals. "Knowing that my last World Cup race will be on the same track as two years ago when I earned my victory is very emotional," she commented. Ruiz Castillo’s best season was 2012/13 during which she achieved five top-10 results.
At the Finals in Meribel (FRA) three big names of the sport decided to bid farewell to their professional skiing careers.
The last World Cup races of the season proved the perfect setting to say good-bye for Marie Marchand-Arvier (FRA), Dominique Gisin (SUI) and Didier Defago (SUI).
Marchand-Arvier earned her biggest success in 2009 when she won a silver medal at the World Championships in Val d’Isere (FRA). Since her first World Cup race in 2004, the speed specialist went on to compete in 177 World Cup races and stood on the podium five times, yet she never earned a victory. The 29-year-old wrote about her decision in a lengthy Facebook post -
https://www.facebook.com/33157287894/photos/a.275650627894.144664.33157287894/10152755490392895/?type=1&theater
After a career marked by many injuries, Dominique Gisin decided it was time for her to embark on new adventures and put an end to her skiing career. The 29-year-old made her announcement in a setting very meaningful to her – an airport hangar. Gisin has a passion for flying and is the proud owner of a pilot’s license. After informing the media of her decision; she took off in a small plane.
https://www.facebook.com/fisalpine/photos/a.10152897184975702.1073741825.86272375701/10155279186185702/?type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/DominiqueGisin/photos/a.297840254420.143436.42360914420/10153192162974421/?type=1&theater
Didier Defago had announced that this would be his last season already last spring but few expected him to go out on such a high note – he finished second in his last downhill race in front of over a hundred supporters from his fan club. 16 podiums of which five World Cup victories including both the Wengen and Kitzbühel downhills in 2009 and a gold medal in the Olympic downhill in Vancouver 2010 (CAN) will remain the biggest achievements of Defago’s almost 20-year-long career at the top level.
Only two weeks after Didier Defago celebrated the end of his successful career at the Finals in Meribel (FRA), another Swiss Ski veteran decided to hang up his skis. Silvan Zurbriggen announced he would not be coming back to the World Cup next season.
In his lengthy career, Zurbriggen competed in 254 World Cup races earning 13 podiums and two victories – one in the Kitzbühel Combined in 2009 and a second one in the Val Gardena downhill in 2010. He also earned a bronze medal in the alpine combined at Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and silver in the slalom at the 2003 World Championships in St. Moritz (SUI).
Another Swiss speed specialist recently announced her retirement at the National Championships in St.Moritz. Nadja Jnglin-Kamer decided to conclude her professional skiing career that due to the many injuries she suffered throughout her career.
Jnglin-Kamer earned five podium finishes in her 10 years on the World Cup tour and came close to a World Championships medal when she finished 4th, only 0.04 seconds behind the bronze medal in the Schladming 2013 downhill.
Meanwhile, through a post on his Facebook account, Canadian slalom specialist Julien Cousineau announced his retirement from ski racing.
https://www.facebook.com/julien.cousineau.9/posts/10152681919591987
Cousineau started his World Cup career in Soelden in 2002 and competed in 109 World Cup races, four World Championships and the Olympic slalom in Whistler, Vancouver. His best results are three 5th places from the World Championship slaloms in Val d’Isere 2009, Garmisch-Partenkirchen 2011 and Schladming 2013.
Italian Davide Simoncelli announced his retirement having just earned a second place in the Italian National Championships’ giant slalom race. After competing in 131 World Cup races in which he earned two victories (Alta Badia 2003 and Yongpyong 2006) and eight podium finishes, and participating in seven World Championships and three Olympic Games, the 36-year old giant slalom specialist decided to make the home race his last one.
Marion Bertrand (FRA) chose the French National Championships in Serre Chevalier as her last competition. In the slalom, she skied her last race dressed as Pocahontas and was celebrated at the finish line by all her teammates.
Bertrand competed in 120 World Cup races but earned only one top-10 finish, an 8th place in the Aspen giant slalom in 2008.
In mid-April, Austrian slalom specialist Alexandra Daum announced her retirement from her career as a ski racer.
The 28-year-old Tyrolean has been a member of the Austrian national team since 2004. Daum competed in 94 Europa Cup and 47 World Cup races and achieved two Europa Cup podiums and three top-10 World Cup placements.
The past season, marked by good performances in training and many disappointments in competition, helped Daum to make a final decision regarding her career.
Source: fis-ski.com
