He was one of the few Finnish skiers in the Alpine Ski World Cup. Now Samu Torsi has ended his career – and finally gave special insights.
Vaasa – Last season, the two ski racers Elian Lehto and Samu Torsi were the only Finnish athletes to finish in the points in the men's Alpine Ski World Cup. From now on, however, Lehto will have to fly the flag of his home country alone. Torsi, who had been active in winter sports for over 13 years, has now hung up his skis - and quite emotionally. At the end of his career, he took his fans back to the highlights of his career.
| Samu Torsti | |
|---|---|
| Born: | 5 September 1991 (aged 31 years), Vaasa, Finland |
| Discipline: | Giant slalom |
| World Cup debut: | 20 December 2009 in Alta Badia |
| Greatest successes: | 10th place at the World Cup in Adelboden (2016/17), 17th place at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang (2018) |
Ski racer Torsi ends career – "It wasn't love at first sight, but almost"
In an Instagram post, Torsi announced the (imminent) end of his career, which he once began on the small three-lane ski jump Öjberget near his hometown of Vaasa. "When all is said and done, it's time to step aside. My journey as an alpine skier has come to an end and my career is almost over," he said. He had always hoped to stop when "I will have completely emptied my tank and squeezed the juice out of the guy," said the 31-year-old. "Now the moment has come."
In the post, he took his fans with him once again and reviewed his journey through the ski circus – starting with a key experience as a teenager: "I remember how I saw for the first time in 2004 on the Sölden Glacier how the knees were nicely aligned and the ski made a cutting turn." Shortly afterwards, he knew that his path would lead him to the giant slalom: "It wasn't love at first sight, but almost," the Finn wrote with a crying eye. Another slalom skier, Marie-Therese Sporer, on the other hand, was recently inconsolable about her expulsion from the national squad.
Giant slalom skier Samu Torsi has ended his career emotionally. © Imago / Sammy Minkoff
At his best best career result, ski racer Torsi cried with joy
And he also spoke about his nervous debut as an 18-year-old: "When I rode my first World Cup in 2009, I just staggered and thought: Now we're far away." The following seasons were mainly characterized by fluctuations in performance: "Sometimes it felt as if we were getting closer, and sometimes as if we were further away from what we wanted to achieve," confessed the Finnish ski racer at the end of his active time. Torsi was largely spared injuries – unlike the German ski racer Marlene Schmautz, who recently ended her career because of it.
But above all, the 31-year-old emphasized the positive moments of his career. He described the feeling of having collected World Cup points for the first time with a 13th place in the giant slalom in Beaver Creek in 2014 as "particularly great". At the finish line, he laughed a lot with a colleague. And three years later, the emotions were the same – but the picture was completely different: When he achieved his best career result with tenth place in the race in Adelboden, he "cried with joy" with his roommate at the time, Eemeli Pirinen, also a ski racer.
Finnish skier Torsi "very proud" of three Olympic participations
After Sochi in 2014 and Pyeongchang in 2018, when he finished in the top 25 in each case, he represented his home country at the Beijing Olympics for the third time last year. The Games "have always felt like special journeys," wrote Torsi, who is "very proud" to be able to call himself an Olympian – as well as his seven World Cup participations. Also this year he competed at the Alpine World Ski Championships in Courchevel and Méribel in France and also finished 150th with seven points. in the overall World Cup last season.
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Finally, he thanked some of his companions, but especially his family. His partner Jenni has "always supported him and we have the most wonderful son in the world at home," the Finn said happily about his family status. His parents have always advised him to "not worry" and to give "just everything". That was "good advice," Torsi said, drawing a line under his eventful career.
His former colleague in alpine skiing, Felix Neureuther, recently devoted himself to a chocolate croissant with relish when he retired from skiing - and thus annoyed his wife Miriam. (wuc)