Matthias Mayer ends his skiing career

The 29th of December started with a shock announcement at the World Cup in Bormio. Matthias Mayer, three-time Olympic champion and HEAD Worldcup Rebel since 2004, took everyone by surprise before the Super-G when he declared his immediate retirement from ski racing.

"Like everyone, I am very surprised, it's a bit of a shock. I had absolutely no idea and had never even considered the possibility," said HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber. "Following Beat Feuz's plans to retire, this is now a very unusual situation for us. It's not just that we will be missing Matthias Mayer's performance and potential medals, we will also miss him as key member of the group. I know he will have good reasons and will have thought it over carefully. I hope that he is as successful in life as he is in skiing - that he makes clear decisions and implements them accordingly. That's what made him so exceptional as an athlete. He has won three Gold medals at three Olympic Games. It is unlikely that anyone will match what he achieved. And his announcement to retire is just as extreme. Should he ever change his mind, we are always here for him. I hope that we will still be in touch in some way in the future. With his great experience and expertise, he has always been particularly important to us."

"For me, the time has come"

"Skiing was incredible, it was my thing from a young age. It was an awesome time. But the point has come for me to say that it's over. I've always wanted to stop spontaneously, so I don't need a specific reason for doing it right now. For me, today felt like the right day, and that's why I wanted to make the announcement straight away. It was an amazing time and I'm looking forward to the future," Matthias Mayer explained in an interview with Austrian television channel ORF.

Three Gold medals at the Olympic Games

Matthias Mayer set a very special record during his career. The 32-year-old from Carinthia became the first alpine ski racer to win a Gold medal in each of three consecutive Winter Olympics: the 2014 Downhill in Sochi, the 2018 Super-G in Pyeongchang and the 2022 Super-G in Beijing. In total, Mayer has stood on top of the podium eleven times in the World Cup: seven times in the Downhill, three times in the Super-G, and once in the Combined event. The Austrian athlete celebrated his World Cup debut on 22 February 2009 at the Super Combined event in Sestriere.