A French woman says "Goodbye". © Social Media

"Tears in her eyes": Frenchwoman ends her skiing career

The female skiers completed their final giant slalom race before the World Cup Finals in Hafjell, Norway, on Friday in Åre, Sweden. For one Frenchwoman, the race marked a double farewell, as she ended her career.

March 14, 2026

From: leo

Following Tessa Worley's retirement three years ago, Clara Direz took over the leadership role in the French giant slalom team. However, the star athlete has now had enough of skiing. As she announced on Saturday after finishing 25th in Åre, she is ending her skiing career at the age of 30.

“Because you have to close a chapter to continue writing the story, it’s time for me to say goodbye to skiing,” Direz wrote on social media. “I’m ending my career here under the beautiful Northern Lights with a heart full of emotion and tears in my eyes.” The last 14 years have been an emotional rollercoaster, with good and not-so-good results, as well as many unforgettable encounters.

Clara Direz bids farewell to the ski circuit. © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / EZRA SHAW

"It is the end of a unique life adventure. With trepidation, nostalgia, but above all with renewed excitement, I look ahead to this new path that opens up before me," writes Direz, who concludes by thanking all her companions along the way. "From the bottom of my heart, I thank my parents for their unwavering support, my coaches who believed in me during the most difficult moments – certainly more than I believed in myself."

An unhappy ending

Direz celebrated one World Cup victory in her career, triumphing in the parallel giant slalom in Sestriere in 2020. It was her only podium finish. The 30-year-old also boasts six World Championship starts and two Olympic appearances. The season – and thus her career – ended bitterly on Friday in Åre, as she missed out on the World Cup Finals by just three points.