Why Alpine Skiing Icon Ragnhild Mowinckel Is Ending Her Legendary Career

The six-month-long Audi FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup leg, which kick-started on 28th October 2023, is set to conclude on 24th March 2024. Several skiers have added laurels to their storied careers, while others have faced setbacks as well. The reigning queen Mikaela Shiffrin, who’s currently on her run to nab the sixth World Cup title this season, had made way for another Downhill phenom.

Ragnhild Mowinckel, the Norwegian alpine skier, clinched the Cortina d’Ampezzo downhill win on January 27. Arch-rival Sofia Goggia, who had outpaced the 31-year-old in the same event in PyeongChang 2018, trailed this time. But is this victory Mowinckel’s last? Is she drawing a line in her illustrious career?

Alpine skiing legend Ragnhild Mowinckel’s retirement ahead

Missing out on the entire 2020 season in the wake of back-to-back anterior cruciate ligament injuries has been a major setback for Mowinckel. But pulling herself up and making a comeback in the 2021 season stood as a testament to her undying spirit. Since then, she has only steered her wheel to reach the top. But after the 2023/24 FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, the 31-year-old will step into retirement. But is there a reason behind such an unforeseen declaration? No. To solidify it, she penned on her social media, “I’m happy to walk away on my own terms”. 

Boasting a career that has been fulfilling to the maximum, made her say, “I think 8-year-old Ragnhild would be very proud of 31-year-old Ragnhild. It’s been a journey and even though it doesn’t seem like it now, I’m still happy about the decision. I feel very lucky.” Let’s take a look at her gorgeous skiing career which is soon going to end.

Mowinckel’s career so far

Starting with the Junior World Championships in 2012, the 31-year-old finished with a gold on the combined GS and Super. At Zagreb in 2012, she made her World Cup debut with slalom but went forward with collecting WC points with her GS position. In the 2018 season, she nabbed her first podiums, followed by the Winter Olympics in Korea, where she won two GS and Downhill silver each.

Her first WC win came on account of the giant slalom in Ofterschwang in March 2018, but soon the streak was crushed due to an ACL injury. In December 2021, she finished second in the super-G in Val d’Isère. The 2022 Winter Olympics has seen Ragnhild Mowinckel in her top form, which culminated in the 2023/24 World Cup season with her greatest Downhill win. Towards the end of her skiing profession, we wish to see more of her off the slopes.

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