The end of the season is always a sad moment for a number of racers it is especially poignant as they decide to call time on their careers. Two of the top level racers were noticeable in the German resort of calling time: The ever smiling Austrian Mikaela Kirchgasser and Slovakia’s Veronika Velez Zuzulova both bowed out at the Slalom race.
Velez Zuzulova signed for Head at the beginning of the season with the aim of joining Wendy Holdener in taking the fight to the likes of Mikaela Shiffrin and Frida Hansdotter amongst others. Sadly an injury to her knee in pre season training meant she only raced three times this season with a 12th in Lenzerheide prior to the Olympics her best result on the brand this season. With five wins and 15 runners up spots plus ten other podium finishers on the World Cup the 33 year old twice finished second on the World Cup Slalom season long standings.
Michaela Kirchgasser announced after the St Moritz World Championships that she would not be heading to Are for the 2019 Championships and then did not make the 2018 Olympic team for Austria having competed at Sestriere, Whistler and Sochi. In the World Championships she had more success with a silver in the Slalom in 2013 at Schladming and two bronze medals in Alpine Combined in St Moritz (2017) and Vail Beaver Creak (2015). On the World Cup ‘Kirchi’ won three times, was second six times and third eight times, all on Atomic.
Both racers took the opportunity to end their careers racing in their national costumes. The World Cup will be a poorer place having lost these two characters and we wish them the best in their future careers.