Industry News
Austrian ski racer Richard Leitgeb announced his comeback plans on social media this weekend. The 30-year-old has not been competing for the last three years but intends to compete at the 2024-25 World Cup as well as the World Championships in Saalbach, Austria, under the Hungarian flag.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) approved Leitgeb’s change of nation in the summer, and Leitgeb headed to Argentina for training. He competed in races in South America, where he won the Slalom at the Argentinian Continental Cup in Bariloche and won three other FIS Slalom races in Argentina. His series of victories meant that he earned a starting position in the World Cup for the 2024-25 season.
“To be standing in the starting gate again was the purest form of joy I could have ever asked for!”
— Richard Leitgeb
Leitgeb was on the Austrian National Team for only one season but competed for several years as an independent skier, training with the World Racing Academy. He has competed at the World Cup and Europa Cup levels before, but his results were not good enough to keep him on the very competitive Austrian national team. He kept competing independently until the Austrian Ski Association wouldn’t grant him any more starting spots for Europa Cup or World Cup races.
His comeback now after three years of absence from competitive racing under the Hungarian flag is an inspirational story of grit and determination. While Leitgeb has the support of the Hungarian Ski Association, funding is another problem, and the Austrian-turned-Hungarian is actively looking for sponsors for a GoFundMe campaign. So far, he has received sponsorships from big names like Salomon, Shred, and Holmenkol, but he is looking for more sponsors, including head sponsors, to finance the upcoming World Cup season. “I would like to thank Hungary and the Hungarian Ski Federation for giving me the opportunity to compete in alpine ski racing again and that I can finally follow my dreams,” Leitgeb shared on his GoFundMe page. “I feel like I am getting that second chance in life that so many people talk about.”
Leitgeb has calculated that it will cost around €30.000-40.000 ($33,500-44,680) for the season. So far, his GoFundMe campaign has raised €12,500 towards his target. We wish Leitgeb the best of luck and hope he can raise enough funds to make his dream a reality.
