The latest retirement in Alpine Skiing was announced on 1st June during a press conference held at a restaurant atop the Zugspitze by Nicole Hosp (AUT). She hinted already at the Season Finals that she was unsure about the future of her career: “The fire is no longer there. I finish my career as healthy and successfully as I started it,” a teary Hosp said in the press conference. She leaves the sport as one of the most decorated Austrian female athletes with three Olympic and six World Championship medals.
Meanwhile, after weeks of uncertainty on whether or not she would be retiring, at the beginning of May, Tina Maze (SLO) announced her future plans via her online channels. The Olympic, World, and 2013 overall World Cup champion will take a year off to evaluate her next steps. Maze plans to use that time to finish her degree and work on different marketing and communication activities before deciding on whether to continue her ski racing career.
Furthermore, speed specialist Hans Olsson (SWE) announced his retirement from the sport with a humorous video posted online. His decision came after three seasons tainted by numerous injuries, which have made him unable to perform at the level he wanted. Olsson will officially begin to work for Åre 2019, the company that will plan and implement the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2019 and he has already attended the Vail/Beaver Creek 2015 debrief in St. Moritz (SUI), on May 1st 2015 and the first Coordination Group meeting for Åre 2019 on 19th and 20th May.
Olsson is not the only Swedish speed skier to bid farewell to the sport this spring. 25-year-old speed hopeful Douglas Hedin, who had missed the past season due to injury decided to hang up his skis. Hedin’s World Cup debut came in 2012 in the Kvitfjell (NOR) downhill but his main focus was on the Europa Cup circuit where his best result was third place in the Wengen (SUI) downhill in 2013.
Source: fis-ski.com
