The last dance, the last ride, the last lap, the last shot – these winter athletes have experienced their last Olympic Games and are ending their careers. Some resignations were known in advance, others came as a surprise.
Franziska Preuss – Biathlon
After 297 World Cup races, several World Cup and Olympic medals, Franziska Preuß says goodbye. The 12.5-kilometer Olympic mass start was the last race for the Ruhpolding native. “I’m happy that it’s now done”said the 31-year-old after shooting the targets at the shooting range for the last time.
The resignation came as a bit of a surprise to the public during the Olympics. Not for Preuß herself, as she said in the sports show: “I already made a list in Ruhpolding. I think I will miss three things and I won’t miss 15. It was a clear ranking.” Preuß has won almost everything in her career and was the overall World Cup winner last season. The only thing that was denied her was the dream of an individual Olympic medal.
Dorothea Wierer – Biathlon
Dorothea Wierer also remains without an individual Olympic medal. The 35-year-old, who won the overall World Cup in 2019 and 2020, went on the lap of honor together with Franziska Preuß after the mass start in Antholz. In front of many thousands of fans who gave a standing ovation. “It was very special. I didn’t expect how family and friends and fans reacted. But I was lucky enough to run the last few meters together with Franzi Preuß.”said the Italian in the sports show.
The four-time world champion ran twice more in individual races at her home Olympics, finishing fifth and taking mixed relay silver. “It makes me very proud to have so many fans, it was very emotional. Maybe that’s worth more than a medal.”
Christopher Grotheer – Skeleton
The end of the career of skeleton pilot Christopher Grotheer came as a bit of a surprise. After winning bronze in the mixed relay with Jacqeline Pfeifer, the 33-year-old said dryly and yet with a tear in his eye: “It was the last race for me. It’s still hard to say that, but that was the end of my career.”
Grotheer won Olympic gold in 2022, the overall World Cup in 2023 and was world champion three times. The former ski jumper celebrated his first World Cup podium in 2012. Since 2019 he has regularly competed among the world’s best skeleton riders.
Johannes Lochner – Bob
Retiring at the peak of your career – not many athletes manage to do that. Johannes Lochner does. The 35-year-old had to admit defeat to bobsleigh dominator Francesco Friedrich for years.
This season, “vice” Lochner struck back: he won the overall World Cup in the two-man and four-man bobsleigh. Lochner crowned his career at the Olympics. With gold in the twosome and gold in the foursome. A perfect finish.
Katharina Schmid – ski jumping
Katharina Schmid’s departure was not at all perfect. The 29-year-old had her greatest moment at the Winter Games not on the ski jump, but at the opening ceremony. Because she was chosen as the standard bearer. Arriving with medal hopes, she didn’t get past 16th place on the normal hill. On the large hill, she even missed the final of the best 30 in 41st place – and shed bitter tears.
Even if the graduation didn’t go as planned, the Oberstdorf resident can look back on an extremely successful career. Seven World Cup titles, two Olympic silver medals and 22 World Cup victories – Schmid was not only a pioneer in women’s ski jumping, but also one of the best ski jumpers.
Jessie Diggins – cross country skiing
Jessie Diggins leaves the big stage as the most successful cross-country skier in the USA. The 34-year-old reached the podium four times in 22 Olympic races and was also able to celebrate at the games in Val di Fiemme. She won bronze in the 10 kilometer freestyle – even though she started with a painful bruised rib. The seven-time World Cup medalist is known for pushing her own physical limits. In her last Olympic competition, the 50 kilometers in classic technique, she could hope for a medal until the very end. In the end she came fifth and still cheered: “It was so cool that I was able to show the best in my sport in my last Olympic race. I’m also proud that I took part in the first 50 km at the Olympics for women.”
Diggins competed in 376 World Cup races, won 33 of them and was on the podium 88 times. Their legacy, Diggins hopes “will have nothing to do with results and everything to do with mental health”. The two-time world champion spoke openly about her own psychological problems and an eating disorder, among other things. She wants to finish her career now “Be a good person and help make the world a better place”.
