'Saying goodbye to the love of my life': retiring stars bid farewell to Alpine skiing

The conclusion of the 2023/24 Alpine skiing season last month also signalled the end of some athletes' careers on the World Cup tour and beyond. With the dust — or snow powder, more appropriately — now settled on the season just gone, we salute the retiring class of 2024.

'No second thoughts': Mowinckel calls it a day at the top of her game

Popular Norwegian Ragnhild Mowinckel is the biggest name to step away from the sport this year, having announced her retirement prior to her home races in Kvitfjell in early March before being given a farewell tour throughout the rest of the season.

Despite being only 31 years of age, and having showed excellent form last season, including winning her first World Cup downhill race in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Mowinckel does not regret her decision to hang up the boots.

A four-time World Cup winner and a two-time medallist at both the Olympic Games and world championships, Mowinckel's list of accomplishments in the sport is so long that she has trouble picking out one in particular.

"I think it's very hard to choose a highlight of my career, but for sure all my firsts, from first victory (in giant slalom in Ofterschwang in 2018) to first podium (third in super-G in Val d'Isère in 2017), first Olympic medal (silver in giant slalom at PyeongChang 2018), first world champs medal (bronze in Alpine combined at Are 2019), all of my 'firsts' have extra special meaning for me," she said.

But beyond simply the highs of victories and medals, and the lows of two knee reconstructions, Mowinckel learned a lot more about the sport, and herself, during her career.

"Alpine skiing for me is one of the most complex sports, because you have so many factors relying on how you succeed and how you go about it," she explained.

"There is no correct way because my way of skiing would not be the same as either of my teammates, but we can pick qualities from each other and strengths that I would like to keep with me from other people.

"You've got to figure out your way to navigate different ways of skiing, and that process really has been the most unique and also one of the coolest processes that I've ever been through in my life."

The team element in an individual sport that Mowinckel mentioned was especially relevant during her career, as her friendship with Kajsa Vickhoff Lie (NOR) has been one of the strongest bonds on the World Cup tour, with the pair regularly and enthusiastically celebrating each other's achievements on the snow.

"It's really important that you are happy to be on the team and that you wish your success for both yourself but then also including your teammates because I feel that's what we do really well in Norway," Mowinckel said.

"Hopefully with Kajsa and also the next generation coming up after her, they'll have at least some of the mentality and the idea of what it means to be on the team and how you can both contribute but also what you can take away from the team to progress yourself."

While Mowinckel is no longer part of that team, the spirit that she helped to forge will remain in her absence, and she says she won't be lost to the sport.

"I'm going to pop up at some races, I want to see both my girl Kajsa and the rest of the Norwegian girls and my other friends that you have on the World Cup do well," she said.

While Mowinckel is no longer part of that team, the spirit that she helped to forge will remain in her absence, and she says she won't be lost to the sport.

"I'm going to pop up at some races, I want to see both my girl Kajsa and the rest of the Norwegian girls and my other friends that you have on the World Cup do well," she said.

Beyond cheering on her teammates, Mowinckel will now adjust to life after skiing, and she feels her years as an elite athlete have prepared her well for whatever comes next.

"I want to use all of the experience and knowledge and everything that I feel like I've learned and bring it with me to the other side of civil life," she said.

"I think it's a very unique situation to have been in and I absolutely want to use that to develop further."

'Both my passion and my fulfilment': German speed guns hang up their boots

German speed racers Thomas Dressen (GER) and Josef Ferstl (GER) headline the biggest retirements on the men's tour, with Dressen unable to get his body right after years of injuries and Ferstl admitting that, at 35, his time had come.

In 2018, Dressen won the famed Kitzbuhuel downhill race at age 24, becoming an instant legend as the first German man to conquer the Streif in 39 years.

He seemed on track to become the next superstar of the sport, but repeated knee injuries limited him to just 80 World Cup starts and meant that he was not able to completely fulfil his potential, despite winning five World Cup downhill races.

"I've really tried everything over the last two years and given everything to be able to ski again, but I have to admit to myself that it no longer makes sense under these circumstances," Dressen, 30, told the German Ski Association.

"My knee no longer allows me to compete at the highest level. It means I can no longer fulfil my ambition to deliver world-class performances.

"This decision was very difficult for me because, on the one hand, I have invested an enormous amount in the sport, in every single rehabilitation measure, and on the other hand, skiing was both my passion and my fulfilment."

Ferstl, five years Dressen's senior, was a two-time World Cup winner in super-G but his last victory — and podium — came in 2019. Last season, he only managed one top-20 result from 10 starts and realised that his best days were behind him.

"I tried everything again this season to assert myself among the best speed riders in the world," he told the German Ski Association. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to improve and stabilise my performance level to achieve further top results.

"It was always my ambition to live racing to the fullest. But when your head is no longer ready to take full risks, it's time to draw a line."

'One hell of a ride': Other retirees say goodbye to Alpine skiing

Several other ski racers also opted to finish their careers this season, with many of them expressing pride in what they achieved even though some admitted that they were unable to reach their ultimate goals.

The women's retirees include:

Christine Scheyer (AUT): 88 World Cup starts including one victory in a downhill in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee in 2017 and another podium (second place) in Courchevel/Meribel in 2022.

Elisa Moerzinger (AUT): 40 World Cup starts with one podium (2nd in a parallel giant slalom race in Sestriere in 2020), 64 European Cup starts with three victories.

Chiara Mair (AUT): 53 World Cup starts (career-best of fourth in a slalom in Schladming in 2022) , 75 European Cup starts with one victory.

Lisa Hoernblad (SWE): 45 World Cup starts (career-best of 11th in a downhill in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 2019), 79 European Cup starts with three victories.

Karoline Pichler (ITA): 63 World Cup starts (career-best of 13th in a super-G in Lenzerheide in 2022), 110 European Cup starts with three victories.

Charlie Guest (GBR): 48 World Cup starts (career-best individual result of 13th in a slalom race in Schladming in 2022) , 64 European Cup starts with three victories.

The men's retirees include:

Roland Leitinger (AUT): 72 World Cup starts including two podiums, silver medal in giant slalom at the 2017 world championships.

Gilles Roulin (SUI): 102 World Cup starts (career-best of fourth in a downhill race in Val Gardena in 2017), 111 European Cup starts with 10 victories.

Stefan Hadalin (SLO): 130 World Cup starts including one podium (3rd in an Alpine combined race in Bansko in 2019), silver medal in Alpine combined at the 2019 world championships.

Right back at you Stefan. To you and all the retiring class of 2024, best of luck in the next phase of your lives and thanks for the memories!