Goergl retires from World Cup racing

After two decades on the Austrian national team, speed skier Elisabeth Goergl has decided to retire. She made the announcement at a press conference on Monday after months of speculation.

Photo by GEPA / Philipp Brem

During 2016-17, she did not qualify for the World Championships team for the first time since 2003, and despite decent results in super-G–seventh in Crans-Montana and fifth in Aspen–she got relegated from the Austrian Ski Federation’s national team, which probably influenced her decision to step back.

During her 15 years on the World Cup tour, she started in 378 races, earned 42 podiums and skied to seven victories. Goergl holds the record for the oldest female World Cup winner thanks to a win in the 2014 super-G in Val d’Isère.

The highlight of her career came at the World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where aside from singing the official song, “Between Heaven and Hell,” she also claimed two World Championship titles in the downhill and the super-G.

“My biggest success and my most beautiful sporting season was certainly at the World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in 2011,” Goergl recalled. “I remember how I sang the World Cup song at the opening and the next day to win was very special!”

Beyond that, Goergl earned a bronze World Championship medal in the alpine combined at Val d’Isère in 2009 and two Olympic medals from Vancouver 2010. The 36 year-old imagines her future in the fitness industry and is also dedicating herself to her music career. She even released a new single, “It’s Up To You,” and performed it at the press conference.

Releases from FIS and the Austrian Ski Federation