“I feel like the last thing”
Olympic champion sharply criticizes his own association
October 18, 2025 – 10:41 amReading time: 2 minutes
Benjamin Karl is an Olympic champion and five-time world champion. But the snowboard star is angry with his own association – and lacks appreciation.
A special season is about to begin for athletes who love snow and ice. Next year there will be the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo starting in February. But the mood is not good everywhere. The Austrian snowboarder Benjamin Karl, for example, sharply criticizes his own association.
The 2022 Olympic champion told the “Kurier” from Austria: “This denigration from our own association is crazy.” Why? “We can never go overseas to train. We’re talking about the big ÖSV here. And we’re talking about training at the highest level and World Cup level.”
He asked the association what would happen if there wasn’t enough snow in Austria to train. He then received “we hope” as an answer from the association. Unsatisfactory for Karl, especially considering the medals at the last games in Beijing.
There the Austrian snowboarders won precious metal four times. Three of these medals were gold. In addition to Karl, Anna Gasser was also crowned Olympic champion in Big Air, as was Alessandro Hämmerle in snowboard cross. Daniela Ulbig also secured bronze in the parallel giant slalom.
However, Karl said to the “Kurier”: “There is simply no money for us to train really professionally. This has been gnawing at me for years. The achievements we achieve are simply not appreciated.”
According to Karl, things were better under the former president of the ÖSV, Peter Schröcksnadel. He complained that the new president, Roswitha Stadtlober, had visited the skiers but not the snowboarders.
“At the moment I feel like the last thing,” said Karl, who wants to end his career after the coming season. And the 40-year-old also made it clear: “I’m already an Olympic champion. Another World Cup title would be nothing more than a Wikipedia entry. There are no longer any big goals in snowboarding that motivate me. I’m not interested in the 2027 World Cup at home either. I’ve worked my ass off, but I’m tired now from all the fighting.”
And what is the Olympic champion’s plan? Get on the bike, as he said. “Because I don’t see that you can no longer be productive at 40,” says Benjamin Karl.