Lilian Vaxelaire (FRA) & Constantin Schnurr (GER) end their careers
Mar 26, 2020·Nordic Combined
At just 22 years, Lilian Vaxelaire has decided to call it quits, as the Frenchman announced on his social media on Monday night.
He competed in his last race in the Continental Cup of Planica (SLO) where he finished in 46th place. Vaxelaire was vice Junior World Champion with the team in 2017 in Park City (USA) but never succeeded in confirming these kind of results at the World Cup level, where his best result remains his 39th place won in Ruka (FIN) last December.
“A page turns and a chapter ends,” Vaxelaire wrote. “From the age of 8, I followed the Nordic Combined route out of passion without really knowing where it would take me or how long my journey would last. Little by little on this road, we meet obstacles that make us think and progress once they are overcome. Sometimes you doubt the path you take, you wonder if there was perhaps an easier one. But very quickly you remember why you started this adventure. You think back to the dreams and goals that drove you to take this path over another. I met fellow travellers with whom I shared my sorrows but especially my joys. Some accompany you for a large part of your journey, others a little shorter, but each person you meet helped to make this route richer.”
He continued: ”After walking for a long time, a new crossroads presents itself with the opportunity to take a break and contemplate the road traveled. I am thrilled with pride and gratitude, but the urge to see other landscapes, to meet new people and to have other goals pushed me leave the path I followed from the start. So, it’s happy with the progress we have made, from the little jumping hills to the World Cup circuit, with no regrets, with memories in my head and new goals that I’m stopping with Nordic Combined now. I wanted to thank everyone who accompanied me on this trip."
Reporting by Nordic Magazine.
Germany's Constantin Schnurr ended his career at just 21 years after spending seven years mainly on the Alpencup and Continental Cup circuits. His biggest success was a team silver medal at the FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships in Kandersteg (SUI) in 2017 and two Alpencup podiums at his home venue of Baiersbronn (GER) in 2016.
"After many highs and lows in the last couple of years, I actually made the decision to end my career a while ago. Especially the lows, combined with three crashes on the jumping hill lead to this decision. Despite everything that happened, it was not an easy decision because Nordic Combined has been my life. I was able to learn and experience so much and this will shape me as a person forever. When I look back on the time now, I only have great memories", Schnurr wrote on his Instagram account.
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