Industry News
U.S. ski racer, Junior World Champion, World Cup skier, and Olympian Alice Merryweather announced her retirement on social media today, May 16. The 27-year-old made the tough decision after a difficult 23/24 FIS World Cup season. After a 3.5 year break from competitive skiing, the American ski racer made her World Cup comeback in December 2023, but remained without FIS points after six races. Merryweather had suffered several injuries in her career as well as struggled with eating disorders, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The New England native made her debut on the World Cup circuit in 2016 at the age of 19 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. She won the Downhill event at the 2017 Junior World Championships in Åre, Sweden, and scored the first FIS World Cup points in the 17/18 season, qualifying her for the 2018 Olympic Games.
In September 2021, Merryweather crashed during Downhill training in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, and suffered a shin and calf fracture in the left leg, meniscus damage, and an internal and cruciate ligament rupture.
The Downhill and Super-G ski racer shared the difficult decision with her social media followers on Instagram, stating honestly that the decision was breaking her heart. She admits that “without the support of the US Ski Team moving forward, I don’t see a realistic path towards achieving my world cup and Olympic dreams.” Merryweather had been skiing last season on the B-Team of the U.S. Ski Team but the announcement implies that she was dropped from the national team for the upcoming 24/25 season.
“Naturally, I feel devastated to “give up” before accomplishing my highest skiing goals. I am also incredibly proud of the work I put in along the way, and I will forever be a better, stronger person because of this sport.”
— Alice Merryweather
While the athlete is naturally devastated too leave her dreams behind, she also admits to being grateful for all the support she has received over the years. Thanking her parents, teammates, and everyone at the U.S. Ski Team. “They’ve been the best eight years of my life and I couldn’t have done any of it without you.”
Her announcement has been met with an outpouring of love and support from ski racers across the globe, be it Greta Small from New Zealand, Joana Hälen from Switzerland, and Sofia Goggia from Italy, to former teammates at home like Mikaela Shiffrin, Isabella Wright, and Keely Cashman. U.S. freestyle athletes were also quick to chime in, with posts from mogul skiers Kai Owens and Lulu Shaffer, and Slopestyle athlete Grace Henderson.
We wish Alice Merryweather all the best for her future and will miss seeing her at the World Cup.
