Daniela Ulbing announces retirement from competitive snowboarding

Austrian snowboarder Daniela Ulbing has officially announced her retirement from competitive snowboarding at the age of 27. Ulbing, a prominent figure in alpine snowboarding, has decided to conclude her athletic career after a period of reflection and a break from competition.

Ulbing's career has been marked by significant achievements on the international stage. She made a sensational impact by winning the gold medal in the parallel slalom at the 2017 FIS World Championships in Sierra Nevada, Spain, during her first appearance at a major event. Her Olympic journey includes a silver medal in the women's parallel giant slalom at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Additionally, she secured another silver in the same discipline at the 2023 World Championships in Bakuriani, Georgia.

Throughout her career, Ulbing amassed a total of 11 World Cup victories—five in individual events and six in mixed team competitions. She also claimed three Crystal Globes: for the 2016/17 parallel slalom season, and in the mixed team events for the 2018/19 and 2022/23 seasons, partnering with Benjamin Karl and Andreas Prommegger, respectively.

In her retirement announcement, Ulbing expressed that after her hiatus, she found it challenging to set new performance goals, which affected her motivation. She stated, "I have also not been able to define any performance-related goals after my break, and of course, motivation has suffered as a result. A few percent are simply missing to give everything in preparation so that I can compete for victories and podium places again in winter. Therefore, the right time has come to set new priorities."

Ulbing looks back on her career with pride and gratitude, acknowledging the support from the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV), coaches, and support staff. She emphasized her desire to give back to the sport by mentoring young snowboarders. Currently, she is also advancing in her Master's studies in Applied Economics at the University of Vienna.

Christian Galler, the sports director for Snowboard Alpine and Cross, commented on Ulbing's retirement, stating, "We hoped that Daniela Ulbing would return to our team after her break, but I understand and respect her decision. Thanks to her talent and hard work, she has won three medals at major events and achieved remarkable success in the World Cup. I appreciated Dani as a determined athlete and team player and wish her all the best for her private and professional future."

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) extends its heartfelt congratulations to Daniela Ulbing on an outstanding career and wishes her continued success in her future endeavors.

For more information on Daniela Ulbing's career and achievements, visit her FIS athlete biography.