Two very close ski friends are now separated: Elena Stoffel (left) and Aline Danioth.

Sad farewell: Two ski friends are separated

A sudden end to his career caused a stir and a lot of tears in the Swiss ski team.

March 12, 2025

From: det

Skiing is essentially an individual sport. Yet, this business creates many friendships, a strong sense of camaraderie, and a family atmosphere. This is also evident in the words of Swiss skier Aline Danioth, who bid farewell to her good friend Elena Stoffel after her retirement with a touching Instagram post.

Stoffel announced her retirement live on TV on Sunday after the slalom in Åre. "The passion for competitive sports is no longer burning," said the 28-year-old, who shed a few tears in the finish area. She probably wasn't alone in this. The retirement also hit her good friend and fellow slalom skier Aline Danioth hard.

Aline Danioth (left) and Elena Stoffel.

"Colleague," Danioth's Instagram post begins, "Together, over the past 15 years, we've laughed countless hours skiing, shed a whole container full of tears, fought, beamed, and talked. Countless hours spent working together on skis and in the gym toward the same goal."

“The hard days were a little less hard thanks to you.” Aline Danioth

Danioth, who had to cope with an unusually high number of injuries during her career, writes that the two were always there for each other. "Thanks to you, the hard days were a little less hard, and the good moments even better. I will miss you incredibly on the racetrack, but I'm looking forward to all the adventures that await us off the track," Danioth told her friend.

Check out this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aline Danioth (@alinedanioth)

The post was accompanied by several snapshots of the two – and an emotional closing sentence: "Thank you for all these moments, congratulations on your hard work, your great successes, and the person you've become during this time! You won't get rid of me anytime soon."