Shortly before the start of the season: A ski world champion retires

The upcoming 2025/26 ski season will feature the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina. Just before the Olympic season, a French ski star announced his retirement.

15 October 2025

From: dl

Mathieu Faivre officially retired from skiing eleven days before the start of the new ski season. The 33-year-old announced this on social media. Faivre was a three-time world champion and also won bronze in the giant slalom at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games.

He achieved a total of ten podium finishes in the World Cup – all in giant slalom. Faivre finished at the top twice. The Frenchman celebrated his greatest success four years ago at the World Championships in Cortina, when he took gold in the giant slalom. Faivre won the other two World Championship titles in a parallel competition.

Mathieu Faivre (left) won giant slalom gold in Cortina in 2021 ahead of Luca De Aliprandini. © APA/afp / ANDREAS SOLARO

Over the past three winters, Faivre has been struggling to keep pace. His last top-ten finish in the World Cup was more than three years ago. Faivre wasn't even on the French national team's roster for the Olympic season. Now, he's pulled the plug before the World Cup kicks off in Sölden.

Keywords Winter sports Alpine skiing FIS frankreich Resignation