Resignation on live TV: the ski star suddenly ended his career – not even his wife knew about it
Created: 12/29/2022, 2:43 p.m
By: Antonio Jose Riether
Completely surprisingly, Matthias Mayer is ending his thoroughly successful alpine career with immediate effect.
The 32-year-old did this on live TV.
Bormio - Nobody expected that.
The Austrian ski racer Matthias Mayer ended his career unannounced on Thursday.
During a television interview on Thursday, the 32-year-old declared his career in racing to be over with immediate effect.
Matthew Mayer \" |
Born: June 9, 1990 in Sankt Veit an der Glan (Austria) |
Disciplines: downhill, super-G, giant slalom, combination |
World Cup victories: 11 |
Greatest achievements: 3 gold medals and a bronze medal at the Olympics |
Matthias Mayer ends his career with a television interview - "It's time I resigned"
Before the Super-G in Bormio, Italy, "Mothl" Mayer stood at the ORF's microphone and surprised the audience and moderator Rainer Pariasek.
"I've been thinking for the past few days and I have to say it's time for me to retire from the Alpine World Cup," said Mayer, who no longer took part in the subsequent race.
Actually, Pariasek only wanted to ask Mayer, because he had canceled the downhill race on Wednesday due to gastrointestinal problems.
Instead, he was caught off guard by Mayer.
“It was a tremendous season with the third gold medal.
I got off to a good start this year, but that's enough.
The time has come for me to retire from the Ski World Cup,” said the eleven-time World Cup winner.
The Austrian ski star Matthias Mayer surprisingly ends his successful career.
© Eibner-Pressefoto/imago
Matthias Mayer declares immediate resignation: "I don't need a fixed reason"
"I did my last inspection today and that's enough for me," added the Carinthian.
When asked about the trigger for his drastic decision, he replied calmly: "There is no main reason, I just don't have the bite anymore".
Pariasek checked again, which could not be seen during the ORF broadcast.
"Not even the family, the wife, anyone?" asked the moderator.
"No!" Mayer replied, adding: "I've always wanted to just stop spontaneously.
I don't need a specific reason for it."
At the end, Mayer thanked his association and his sponsors.
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Three-time Olympic champion Matthias Mayer suddenly resigns – "There were no signs at all"
Mayer's sudden resignation caused many reactions from those around him.
"There were no signs at all," said ÖSV speed trainer Sepp Brunner.
ÖSV President Roswitha Stadlober described him as an "exceptional" and a "role model, not just in terms of sport". Mayer had "left indelible marks in skiing".
With a gold medal in three consecutive Olympic Games, he was the first alpine athlete to achieve historic success in February at the Super-G in Beijing.
He had previously won gold in the downhill in Sochi in 2014, and in Pyeongchang in 2018 he also won in the Super-G.
He also won the bronze medal in Beijing 2022 downhill.
(ajr)