Steven Nyman Announces Retirement

Three-time World Cup winner and Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Steven Nyman is retiring from professional alpine ski racing at 41 years old.

“My love for the sport of alpine ski racing burns strong but I have taken it to my limits physically and cannot compete on the highest stage anymore,” said Nyman. “I am happy to say my last run will be this weekend in Aspen on home snow.”

Nyman has been a key member of the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team since 2004. The Utah native began his career at Sundance Resort before moving to the Park City Ski Team. In 2002, Nyman was chosen to represent the United States at World Junior Championships where he won the slalom and finished second in the combined.

Nyman quickly found his way onto the national team and made his official World Cup debut at World Cup Finals in Flachau in 2002, where he finished 15th in the slalom. Since then, his career has been decorated with three Olympics, five World Championships, three World Cup wins and a total of 11 World Cup podiums.

“As a kid, I dreamt of the Olympics and racing on the World Cup and in World Championship events,” said Nyman. “I exceeded those dreams many fold—standing on the top step of World Cup podiums, competing in multiple Olympic Games and World Championship events. There is nothing like expressing yourself on a mountain in such a vulnerable fashion.”

Nyman racked up a number of successful seasons throughout his career, notably 2015, when he finished sixth in the downhill rank overall, and 2016, when he podiumed four races in a row, starting with the PyeongChang Olympic test event in Jeongseon (third) and then Chamonix (second), Kvitfjell (third) and St. Moritz (second). Nyman was on track to qualify for the 2018 Olympics, but injury kept him out just a few weeks prior to the event. Nyman also earned the title of King of the Saslong, having podiumed a mind-blowing four times on the famed Val Gardena track, including three wins. He also had great success on Beaver Creek’s Birds of Prey course, podiuming in front of the home crowd three times.

During Nyman’s long tenure, he has taken on a leadership role within the team, inspiring his teammates and the greater U.S. Ski & Snowboard organization, including many athletes in other sports as he rehabbed a number of injuries at the USANA Center of Excellence, including both Achilles tendons, multiple broken legs, hand surgery and blown knees.

“Steven Nyman has had tremendous success on the World Cup circuit the past decades, and we at U.S. Ski & Snowboard are so lucky and thankful for his years of commitment, leadership and success,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “We know that Steven will continue to inspire generations of skiers to come both on and off the team as he takes this next step in his life.”

Nyman currently resides with his long-time partner Charlotte Moats in Park City, Utah, and the two are parents to two daughters, Nell and Ayla. Nyman loves being a father, and is enjoying regularly skiing with his children.

“My time is done and I’m ready to move onto the next phase and challenge myself in other ways using the knowledge and experience I have gained through ski racing,” said Nyman. “I will miss it, but I am excited for what’s next! Thank you for all the support and cheers.”

Nyman will cap off his storied career at the Stifel America’s Downhill at Aspen, an Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup on home soil next week, March 3-5.

To read more about Nyman’s career, U.S. Ski & Snowboard worked with the Associated Press to help announce his retirement.