Retiring Stars Hang Up Their Boots & Bid Farewell To Competition

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.

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.

"I have not had any second thoughts, I'm still very happy with my choice." Ragnhild Mowinckel
 
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."