Eva-Maria Brem retires from ski racing

After 14 World Cup seasons, Eva-Maria Brem is officially announcing her retirement from active skiing. The Austrian skier conquered eleven podiums and three victories in giant slalom, her main discipline. One of her greatest successes is the small crystal globe, which she won in the giant slalom in 2015/16 season. Now the time has come to turn her back on professional sports.      
    
"I feel that now is the right time for me to conclude this phase of my life, for which I have so far put everything else in the background, and to start positively into something new and unknown. I am grateful, healthy, happy and satisfied with everything I have achieved and experienced as an athlete in elite sports. Even though the last season was difficult and my career end was therefore predictable for some, it still comes as a surprise to me. Because 14 years in the Ski World Cup have also taught me that it is always worth overcoming such phases. Because in our sport, it's often only small details that decide between zero and hero. What is surprising for me is that my inner voice, which whispered 'keep going, keep going' in my ear every day and with every turn, has become quieter. So now is the time for me to do something new, and it feels good and right," the 32-year-old explains her decision.     
    
In December 2005, Eva-Maria Brem made her World Cup debut in Lienz's giant slalom at the age of just 17. After suffering a fractured tibia and fibula in 2010, she fought her way back and won the parallel team event with her teammates at the 2012 World Cup finals in Schladming, achieving two further podium finishes in this discipline. With the third place in March 2014 in Aare (SWE) Eva-Maria really took off and from then on skied consistently in the top 10. At the 2015 World Championships in Vail/Beaver Creek (USA) she captured the gold medal in the team event. She crowned her solid performances in 2015/16 by winning the small crystal globe in giant slalom and was subsequently voted Austria's Sportswoman of the Year. The following winter, however, she was set back again by an injury (fractured tibia and fibula). Now the giant slalom specialist is ready to start a new chapter in her life.

Release courtesy of ÖSV