Alpine skiing
Former Kitzbühel winner Dreßen ends his skiing career
Ski racer Thomas Dreßen announces his retirement during a press conference by the German Ski Association in Kirchberg. photo
© Georg Hochmuth/APA/dpa
Thomas Dreßen won the Streif in Kitzbühel in 2018, he is one of the best downhill skiers in the world. But then injuries keep throwing Upper Bavaria back. Now he has to end his career.
The place of his greatest triumph is the beginning of his career Thomas Dreßen ended early. Germany’s long-time top downhill skier will throw himself down the infamous Streif in Kitzbühel again on Saturday (11.30 a.m./ARD and Eurosport) and then retire from active competitive sport. He skips the departure on Friday. At the age of just 30, his body forced him to end his career after many injuries and injuries, Dreßen announced somewhat surprisingly at the team hotel of the German Ski Association (DSV).
“It’s just that it’s not physically possible to be at the front,” he said. “Of course the decision wasn’t easy for me.” Dreßen emphasized that there is life after competitive sports and that he wants to be able to continue doing sports with his children later on.
In January 2018, Dreßen sensationally raced to victory in Kitzbühel and thus catapulted himself into the world’s best. Four more World Cup successes followed in the downhill – no German ski racer has won more often in the supreme Alpine discipline. There are also five more podium places in the World Cup.
Dreßen’s last World Cup victory was in February 2020
But numerous health setbacks also characterized Dreßen’s relatively short time in the World Cup. The Upper Bavarian has had to undergo several operations in recent years – on his hip, but especially on his right knee. He suffered, among other things, a torn cruciate ligament and cartilage damage. Dreßen celebrated several comebacks, but never reached the same level as before. He celebrated his last World Cup victory in February 2020 in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, where the World Cup will take place next year.
This winter, the SC Mittenwald athlete wanted to attack again – inspired by the birth of his daughter Elena last June. But he was well behind the lead and, contrary to what he had hoped, was still in pain. An 18th place in the Super-G in Val Gardena shortly before Christmas – nothing more was possible so far.
After the Lauberhorn descent in Wengen last Saturday, it was already clear that Dreßen was facing the end of his career. The body is no longer functioning properly, he said in Switzerland. He reported renewed symptoms and fought back tears. The otherwise self-confident top athlete expressed pure desperation; he had rarely seen him so emotionally touched before.
In Kitzbühel, Dreßen took part in the first training session on Tuesday, but he skipped the second one on Wednesday. Now he no longer wants to continue the fight against his own body.