One of Austria's most successful speed skiers of recent years is retiring from competitive racing. After 14 years in the downhill and Super-G World Cup, Mirjam Puchner announced her retirement at a press conference.
In January 2013, the speed specialist made her World Cup debut in St. Anton am Arlberg. The Salzburg native celebrated her first victory at the World Cup Finals in St. Moritz in 2016, suffered a broken tibia and fibula there a year later, but fought her way back to the top of the sport. After a total of nine podium finishes, including two victories and two medals at major events, and 178 World Cup races, the 33-year-old is saying goodbye and turning her back on the World Cup circuit.
With a silver medal from the Olympic Games and World Championships in her luggage, she leaves the big stage of skiing: “After many intense years in the Ski World Cup, the moment has come for me to begin a new chapter. This decision, of course, wasn't made overnight. I consciously took a lot of time to reflect, to listen to my inner voice, and to make the right decision. To compete at the very top of the World Cup, you have to be prepared to take the absolute maximum risk. Last winter, however, I felt that something had changed within me. The necessary ultimate commitment and unconditional willingness to take risks were no longer as pronounced as in previous years. When your head and heart tell you that it's time to take a step back, then you should listen to that feeling. For me, it tells me that now is the right time to make room for something new.”
... “I look back with gratitude on a journey that has shaped me profoundly. I was fortunate enough to celebrate emotional victories, stand on the podium at major events, and learn what it means to fight my way back after serious injuries. I gratefully take all these experiences with me into the next chapter of my life. Skiing will always remain a part of me, but now I'm looking forward to everything that comes next. A huge thank you goes to my family, my boyfriend, my coaches, support staff, sponsors, equipment suppliers and partners, the Austrian Ski Federation, and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, who have supported me all these years,” Mirjam Puchner concluded.