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Romed Baumann has ended his career as an active ski racer, closing the chapter Saturday with his 167th World Cup downhill start in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
The 40-year-old speed specialist leaves the sport as the athlete with the most downhill starts in World Cup history, surpassing Italian Kristian Ghedina’s longstanding record.
Baumann’s final run came on home snow for the German Ski Association (DSV), the federation he joined ahead of the 2019–20 season after competing for Austria for the first 15 years of his World Cup career.
A Career That Spanned More Than Two Decades
“The decision has matured, and it feels right that I’m doing this now in Garmisch,” Baumann said. “I can look back on a long career, I’ve celebrated successes, and I’ve always had fantastic teams. More than 20 years in the World Cup is an incredibly long time. It’s hard to put it all into words.”
Baumann made his World Cup debut in downhill in Sestriere in the winter of 2004 — nearly 22 years ago. A native of Tyrol, he began as an all-around racer for the Austrian Ski Association, finding early success in the combined and downhill before later specializing fully in the speed disciplines.
Over the course of his career, Baumann recorded:
- 2 World Cup victories
- 11 World Cup podium finishes
- 82 top-10 results
Seventeen of those top-10 finishes came after his nationality switch to Germany and his renewed focus on speed events.
World Championship Highlights
Baumann competed in three Olympic Winter Games — Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014 and Beijing 2022 — along with 10 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.
His greatest championship moments came eight years apart.
In 2013, racing on home snow in Schladming, Baumann captured bronze in the alpine combined for Austria. Then in 2021, representing Germany, he delivered one of the most emotional performances of his career, winning silver in the Super-G at the World Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
“I’ll never forget the move to the German Ski Association and winning the medals in Schladming and Cortina, or even the podium finish in Kitzbühel,” Baumann said. “Thinking back on it still gives me goosebumps.”
387 World Cup Starts
With his final appearance in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Baumann concludes his career with 387 World Cup starts — a testament to both durability and consistency at the highest level of the sport.
Though his racing days are over, his involvement in skiing is not. Baumann began coaching training last year and is expected to remain active within the sport in a new role.
After more than two decades pushing the limit in downhill and Super-G, Romed Baumann steps away not only as a medalist and winner — but as a record-holder whose longevity sets a new benchmark in World Cup history.
Source: German Ski Association
About the Author: SR Staff Report
