Reigning Super-G World Champion Stephanie Venier, a standout on the Austrian alpine ski team for more than a decade, announced her retirement from competitive ski racing on Thursday, August 7. The 31-year-old can look back on a 12-year World Cup ski racing career that includes three World Cup victories, three World Championship medals, and three Junior World Championship medals.
“The thought of ending my career isn’t new—it’s been growing inside me for a while,” Venier admitted in a statement released by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). “But I wanted to take the time I needed for such a major decision, because once it’s made, there’s no turning back for me. The deep will and determination required for elite sport just hasn’t been there in recent months in the way I expect from myself.”
Venier made her World Cup debut in January 2013 at St. Anton, Austria, and quickly emerged as a promising talent. That same season, she claimed gold in the Super-G and silver in the Downhill at the Junior World Championships in Québec, Canada. She followed with another silver in super-G the following year in Jasná, Slovakia (unlike World Championships which are held bi-annually, Junior Worlds are held every year).
She went on to claim her first podium on the World Cup circuit during the 2016-17 season, when she came second at the Super-G in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, behind Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami. She backed up her strong performance with a silver medal in Downhill at the 2017 World Chamionships in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Two years later, she capped the 2018-19 season with a runner-up finish in the World Cup downhill standings.
Venier’s career reached its high point earlier this year when she won gold in Super-G and bronze in the team event at the 2025 World Championships in Saalbach, Austria—fulfilling a personal dream to medal at a championship on home territory. “My biggest dream was to win a medal at the home World Championships in Saalbach — and with a gold and a bronze, I more than fulfilled that,” Venier said. “Even though the Olympic Games are coming up next year, now feels like exactly the right time to bring my racing career to a close. I look back on what I’ve achieved with great satisfaction.”
Over the course of her career, Venier amassed 54 World Cup top-10 finishes, including three wins and nine additional podiums. Known for her strength in Downhill and Super-G, the athlete admits that she does not have concrete plans for her future, yet. “For me, skiing has always meant the world, and I could never imagine a life without the sport,” she said. “But now I feel that a new phase is beginning—and I’m curious about what exciting things the future holds.” Venier also cited recurring knee issues as a factor in her decision to retire while still healthy. “Fortunately, I was spared from major injuries, but I no longer want to push the recurring knee problems and risk my long-term health,” she said. “As the saying goes: the best time to retire is at the top.” Her professional career aside, Venier’s next chapter in her life will kick off with her wedding to fellow ski racer Christian Walder. The pair have been dating since 2023.
She expressed her gratitude to those who supported her throughout her career, including her family, friends, coaches, support staff, sponsors, the Austrian Ski Federation, and the Customs Sports division, where she worked. Many European athletes are employed and financially supported by the customs office, police, or military. “A big thank-you goes out to my family and friends, my coaches and support staff, my partners and sponsors, the Customs Sports division, and the Austrian Ski Federation,” Venier said. “Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible to live this dream.”
Venier departs the World Cup circuit as one of Austria’s most accomplished speed racers of the past decade and leaves behind a legacy defined by perseverance, pride, and podiums.
