A German ski ace has quit.

Ski retirement: “Unfortunately not everyone can be world class”

There were a few resignations in the German ski team during and after the season. Now a ski lady has also announced the end of her career.

15 April 2024

From: sn

The German ski racer Katrin Hirtl-Stanggaßinger has announced her retirement from competitive sports at the age of just 25 and admits that “not everyone can make it to the top of the world”.

Hirtl-Stanggaßinger started her career at the age of 16 and achieved significant success early on. Among other things, she won medals at the Youth Winter Olympics in Lillehammer and at the Junior World Championships in Sochi. The German was also able to prove herself in the European Cup (83 starts and two podium places) and in the World Cup (41 starts in total).

Hirtl-Stanggaßinger competed 41 times in the World Cup. © AFP / JOE KLAMAR

The athlete announced her retirement via Instagram, where she looked back on her 15-year career. Despite numerous successes, she also spoke about the challenges she has faced in recent years, including disappointments and unachieved goals. She fulfilled her childhood dream early on with her successes.

An emotional farewell message

The 25-year-old writes on Instagram: “The last few years haven't been easy and I've had to deal with a lot of disappointments. Unfortunately, not everyone can make it to the top of the world and crown their career with medals at world championships or even the Olympic Games. I always gave everything to get to the top, but now I have to admit that unfortunately it wasn't enough for me." Such an admission is very rare in sport and therefore requires a lot of courage.

Hirtl-Stanggaßinger thanked her team, the German Ski Association, the Federal Police, her family, friends and sponsors for their support. She expressed gratitude for the moments and experiences she had. From now on, the German will concentrate on her work with the Federal Police.