French veteran Nicolas Burtin retires

French veteran Nicolas Burtin retires{mosimage}CHAMONIX, France – France’s Nicolas Burtin retired from World Cup skiing Saturday after a men’s downhill was canceled because of fog.

Burtin — who was on the French national team for 17 years and joined the World Cup circuit in 1993 — was given an ovation in the finish area of the Piste Verte by thousands of fans who had come to see the race.

The 34-year-old had one World Cup victory, a downhill at Kvitfjell, Norway, in 1998. He also collected three second-place finishes in downhill, all that year.

Burtin tore his knee ligaments five times, three times in his right knee, twice in his left.

His best result this season was a 24th place in a downhill in Beaver Creek, Colorado, in December.

– The Associated Press