Austrian alpine skiing star Stephanie Venier, current world champion in the Super-G discipline, officially announced her retirement from professional alpine skiing on Thursday, August 7, 2025. The decision has taken the international sports community by surprise, as it comes just six months before the start of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, where Venier was expected to represent Austria once again as one of its top athletes. At 31 years of age, Venier brings to a close a career spanning more than a decade at the elite level of alpine skiing, during which she achieved 12 podium finishes and three victories in the World Cup since her debut in 2013.

Her greatest triumph, however, came earlier this year when she was crowned Super-G world champion in her home country of Austria, during the 2025 Saalbach World Championships — a victory that thrilled thousands of fans and marked the pinnacle of her career. It was precisely that win that gave Venier the clarity to recognize it was the right time to bid farewell to professional sport. In her public statement, the skier explained that she no longer feels the motivation required to compete at the highest level and has been dealing with physical discomfort, particularly in her knees, which led her to deeply reflect on her personal well-being and future.

“My heart no longer beats with the same strength at the start gate. I feel I have given everything I had to give,” Venier expressed with serenity and gratitude, thanking her team, family, and fans for their constant support throughout the years. Venier’s retirement represents a significant loss for the Austrian national alpine skiing team, but it also leaves behind a legacy of perseverance, flawless technique, and commitment to the sport.

Her decision has been respected and celebrated by fellow athletes and coaches, who acknowledge her courage in stepping away at the height of her career, prioritizing her physical and emotional health over the pressure to continue competing. With her retirement, Stephanie Venier joins the select group of athletes who have managed to step away from the sport after reaching the top, leaving a lasting mark on the history of world skiing and opening the door to new personal projects that, in her own words, “will remain connected to the mountains and the spirit of sport.”