Markus Schairer (AUT) announces retirement
Oct 03, 2018·Snowboard Cross
Just over seven months after his crash at the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, snowboard cross legend Markus Schairer (AUT) has announced his retirement from competition. The Vorarlberg native had suffered a cervical fracture in his crash in Korea, though he fortunately suffered no permanent damage.
Immediately after his return from Korea, Schairer underwent surgery for his injury during an operation in Austria. However, with the road to recovery proving more difficult than previously thought, Shairer decided it was time to hang up his boots.
"The three-month post-operative healing process went very well, but with the increase in training load I realized that regeneration takes much longer than before the fall. So although I find it extremely difficult, I have to accept that time has come to end my career, "said Schairer, who has competed for over a decade at the upper echelons of snowboard cross.
In 2008/09 Schairer won the overall SBX World Cup title, and also raced that season in Gangwon (KOR) to World Championships gold. In January 2013 he won his second World Championship medal by taking a silver in Stoneham (CAN). In addition to four World Cup victories in individual competition, Schairer counts a triumph in the team event with his compatriot Alessandro Hämmerle and twelve other podium finishes (eight in individual events, four in team) for his career totals.
Schairer's list of achievements would probably be much longer if the 31-year-old had not been repeatedly hampered by injuries, including a crash just before the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games at the X Games in Aspen (USA) that left him with several rib fractures. Despite his injuries, he persevered to get the first of what would be three Olympic starts, earning a 23rd place in Vancouver.
Schairer was also unlucky at the 2015 World Championships on home soil at Kreischberg (AUT), when he crashed spectacularly in the finish area after a qualifying run that gave him the third-fastest time on the day. However, suffering an ankle injury in the crash, he was unable to compete for his Austrian fans in the finals.
"Looking back at my career, I'm very proud of what I've achieved. I've won two World Championships medals and the World Cup overall title, and took my most emotional victory with a home win at Montafon in December 2013. When I attended the awards ceremony with 5,000 cheering fans and the music concert setting, I still get shivers today.
"It hurts, of course, that I was so abruptly pulled out of the snowboard cross World Cup by my injuries. However, on the other hand I have more time now at home to take care of my family, and I'm looking forward to that, "added Schairer, who is the father of a one-year-old daughter.
Commenting on Schairer's career Christian Galler, the sports director for snowboarding in the ÖSV, said, "Markus Schairer played a key role in shaping our snowboarding team for more than a decade, but his role was not only important in his own team but also in the World Cup in general. He has been an important role model for our younger riders. I wish him all the best in the future, and I would be happy if he could remain involved with Austrian snowboard cross as a coach or adviser."
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