While many athletes are still enjoying the last bit of winter in several spring training camps, the Snowboard World Cup circuit has had a number of retirements following the 2015/16 season.

The biggest name on the list is 2010 Olympic snowboard cross Champion Maelle Ricker (CAN) who retired at the beginning of the season to move onto the next step in her career and share her knowledge as a coach.

With 2006 Olympic snowboard cross bronze medallist Paul-Henri De le Rue (FRA) another successful athlete has called it quits. Fellow snowboard cross aces Susanne Moll (AUT), Emilie Aubry (SUI) and Luca Berg (GER) also stepped back from World Cup action.

In addition, Ricker’s Canadian compatriots in the alpine and freestyle snowboarding events, Marianne Leeson and Alex Duckworth, have both elected to retire. So did the only Norwegian rider on the alpine snowboard World Cup circuit Hilde-Katrine Engeli as well as her peers Yvonne Schuetz (SUI), Barbara Mueller (GER) and Jernej Demsar (SLO).

Coach Changes

On the coaching side, Korbinian Harder is taking over the role as head coach for the up-and-coming German snowboard team. In addition, Paul Marks will be responsible for the national alpine snowboard team as former German head coach Andi Scheid will focus more on organisational tasks. 

Meanwhile, Swiss Snowboard recently announced that its collaboration with alpine snowboard head coach Ingemar Walder will not be extended.

Walder, a former professional athlete from Austria, was responsible for the national team over the past years and coached Julie Zogg to the overall World Cup title two years ago whilst Ladina Jenny, one of last season's shooting stars, celebrated her career's first World Cup podium finishes last season. A replacement has not yet been announced.

Source: fis-ski.com