Two-time Olympic champion Michelle Gisin has ended her competitive skiing career, announcing her immediate retirement nearly 11 months after a serious training crash. The 32-year-old Swiss athlete will not return to the World Cup, although she hopes to ski again outside the demands of elite competition.
Gisin crashed during downhill training in St. Moritz in December 2025. Travelling at high speed, she fell before a left-hand turn, broke through a safety net and came to a stop in front of another. She was taken to a specialist clinic in Zurich and underwent surgery on her cervical spine that evening. The crash left her narrowly avoiding paralysis and also caused serious wrist and knee injuries, requiring several operations.
Gisin had left open the possibility of a World Cup comeback and said she would need to get back on skis before making a decision. In a statement from the Swiss federation, she described her retirement as the result of a long process that had unfolded during her rehabilitation and in the years before the crash. She said she was now happy with the decision and looking forward to the future.
Her greatest achievements came at the Winter Olympics: she won gold in the combined event at Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022, and bronze in the super-G in Beijing. She also earned two World Championship medals and a World Cup slalom victory. Gisin reached the World Cup podium 20 times across all disciplines.
Sources: Der Spiegel.