Super-G World Champion Stephanie Venier announces her retirement

The announcement of her retirement did not come out of the blue. Stephanie Venier had already mentioned a possible retirement shortly after her surprising title win at the World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm in February. The reason for reconsidering her sporting future were inadequate conditions within the Austrian women's team.

The Tyrolean harshly criticized head coach Roland Assinger. She and some of her teammates found the Carinthian's management style and his treatment of the athletes a thorn in their side.

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"I laughed, cried, fought, doubted. I fell - and got up again every time," Venier wrote in her Instagram post. "I'm leaving - healthy. Fulfilled. And happy. The snow remains - but my chapter is written. With pride. With love. With open arms for what's to come."

Stephanie Venier has won three World Cup races, two downhill races and a super-G. At this year's World Championships, five days after her triumph in the super-G, she also won a medal in the team combined. She secured bronze alongside Katharina Truppe. She has already won a medal at a World Championships once before; eight years ago in St. Moritz she took silver in the downhill.

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