The Austrian ski cross team will miss a prominent name on the World Cup starting lists from next season on. Andreas Matt calls it quits after nine successful years on the Word Cup tour.

The Flirsch resident who will turn 34 on October 19, 2016, has been writing red-white-red history quite a few times.

Back in 2009, the Tyrolean earned Austria's first ever world championships ski cross gold in Inawashiro, Japan ahead of his fellow countryman Thomas Zangerl.

One year later, he stormed to silver at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, which was also equal to his home countries first Olympic medal in this thrilling event.

In 2011, he completed his medal collection by bringing home bronze from the Deer Valley worlds. It was also his most successful season on the World Cup tour as Matt not only secured three wins and five runner-up finishes but also the overall World Cup title – again the first snatched by an Austrian.

In total, the two-time Olympian celebrated seven wins and 21 podium results in 106 World Cup starts.

“It's not a matter of course to win two world championships medals and another one at Olympics, especially in a sport like ski cross.

Besides your own performance you also have to hold three competitors at the bay. Bringing home the overall World Cup title was only possible because I was able to constantly deliver over the course of the season,” Matt gave a positive summary of his career.

“At the end of last season, I noticed that I don't have the fire in me anymore. This is why it's time for me to retire.

But it's important to me that I can thank all coaches and staff, especially Gerold Posch and Markus Wittner. Thanks to the support of the OESV, I was able to live the life of a professional ski racer“, he said before adding that he will now focus on breeding Highland cattle.

Source: fis-ski.com