One of Austria’s most accomplished speed skiers, Mirjam Puchner, has announced her retirement from alpine ski racing.
After 14 seasons on the World Cup circuit, Puchner confirmed her decision during a press conference in Austria on Tuesday, June 2.
The 34-year-old leaves the sport with two World Cup victories, nine World Cup podiums, an Olympic silver medal and a World Championship silver medal, capping a career defined by resilience, longevity and success at the highest level.
Why Mirjam Puchner decided to retire
Puchner said the decision came after months of reflection and a realization that the mindset required to compete at the highest level had changed.
“After many intensive years in the Ski World Cup, the moment has now come for me to open a new chapter,” Puchner said. “Of course, this decision was not made overnight. I consciously took a lot of time to think about it, to listen to myself and make the right decision. To compete at the top of the World Cup, you have to be prepared to take the absolute maximum risk.”
She explained that the willingness to accept that risk no longer felt the same during the 2025-26 season.
“Last winter, however, I felt that something had changed in me,” she said. “The necessary final consequence and unconditional willingness to take risks were no longer as pronounced as in previous years. If your head and heart signal to you that it’s time to take a step back, then you should listen to that feeling. It tells me that now is the right time to make room for something new.”
A career highlighted by major-event success
Puchner made her World Cup debut in St. Anton in January 2013 and went on to make 178 World Cup starts.
During her career, she earned nine World Cup podium finishes — six in downhill and three in super-G. Two of those podiums were victories, both in downhill.
Her first World Cup win came in St. Moritz in December 2016. She added a second victory at the 2019 World Cup Finals in Soldeu, Andorra, establishing herself among the top speed skiers of her era.
Puchner’s greatest successes came at major championships.
At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, she won silver in the super-G, finishing just 0.22 seconds behind gold medalist Lara Gut-Behrami of Switzerland.
Three years later, she delivered another memorable performance on home snow at the 2025 World Championships in Saalbach, earning silver in the downhill. Puchner finished only 0.15 seconds behind American Breezy Johnson, who claimed the world title.
Even late in her career, Puchner remained competitive. In December 2025, she returned to the World Cup podium in St. Moritz, finishing third behind Lindsey Vonn of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and fellow Austrian Magdalena Egger.
Grateful for the journey
Looking back on her career, Puchner expressed gratitude for both the successes and the challenges she experienced along the way.
“I look back gratefully on a journey that has had a great impact on me,” she said. “I was able to celebrate emotional victories, stood on the podium at major events and, after serious injuries, learned what it means to fight your way back. I gratefully take all these experiences with me into the next phase of my life. Skiing will always be a part of me, but now I’m looking forward to everything that comes next.”
Puchner also thanked the people who supported her throughout her career.
“A big thank you goes to my family, my boyfriend, my coaches, supervisors, sponsors, outfitters and partners, the Austrian Ski Association and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, who have supported me all these years,” she said.
Going out while still competitive
Puchner remained a factor on the World Cup speed circuit through the end of her career.
She finished the 2025-26 season inside the top 20 in both the downhill and super-G standings, a reflection of the consistently high level she maintained throughout more than a decade in the sport.
Earlier in the season, she represented Austria at her second Olympic Games, finishing 11th in the downhill at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
The Olympic result helped secure her place at the World Cup Finals, marking the 10th Finals appearance of her career and bringing an end to a remarkable run among the world’s elite speed racers.
Austrian federation pays tribute
Christian Mitter, sporting director for Austrian Alpine skiing, praised Puchner’s achievements and her influence on the team.
“With Mirjam Puchner, the Alpine Ski World Cup has not only lost an outstanding athlete, but also a strong personality,” Mitter said. “Mirjam has proven over many years that she belongs to the absolute world top in the speed sector. Her successes — from World Cup victories to medals at major events — speak for themselves.”
Mitter added that retirement was understandable given Puchner’s assessment of her own mindset.
“If an athlete feels that the necessary willingness to take risks for ski racing is no longer one hundred percent, retiring is a consistent and absolutely understandable step,” he said. “I congratulate her on her extraordinary career and wish her all the best and much success for the new phase of her life — both professionally and privately.”
What comes next for Austria?
Puchner’s retirement follows that of former world champion Stephanie Venier, creating another significant gap in Austria’s women’s speed team.
The program will now look to veterans Cornelia Hütter and Nina Ortlieb for leadership while former junior world champions Magdalena Egger and Lena Wechner continue their development at the World Cup level.
For more than a decade, Puchner represented one of Austria’s most reliable speed racers. Her career included 42 World Cup top-10 finishes, nine podiums, two victories and silver medals at both the Olympics and World Championships.
As Austria enters a new era in women’s speed skiing, Puchner leaves behind a legacy built on perseverance, consistency and success against the strongest fields in the world.
About the Author: Matt Garcka
