Two-time Olympic champion Michelle Gisin retires at 32

Nov 03, 2026

Michelle Gisin celebrates her PyeongChang 2018 alpine combined gold. (GEPA pictures)

Michelle Gisin, 32, announced her retirement Tuesday at a news conference on Titlis, above Engelberg. The two-time Olympic Alpine combined champion ends her World Cup career nearly a year after a training crash in St. Moritz left her with serious injuries.

When everything changed

Gisin crashed during downhill training in St. Moritz last December. She injured her cervical spine, wrist and knee, tore a cruciate ligament and the medial collateral ligament in her knee, and underwent multiple surgeries.

In a Swiss-Ski press release, Gisin said, “It was a long process that took place alongside my rehabilitation, but also in the years leading up to it. When I returned to St. Moritz in September, I felt a great deal of gratitude — for my health, but above all for all the wonderful moments I’ve been fortunate enough to experience throughout my long career.”

A true World Cup all-rounder

Gisin made 291 World Cup starts and recorded 114 top-10 finishes. She earned 21 individual podiums across five disciplines. FIS lists 22 World Cup podiums overall, including the team event.

Gisin made her World Cup debut in Semmering on Dec. 29, 2012, at age 19. She earned her first individual podium in December 2016, finishing second in the Val d’Isère alpine combined.

Her first World Cup victory came in the team parallel at the 2016 World Cup Finals in St. Moritz, a resort that had always been close to her heart.

Eight years after her World Cup debut, Gisin won her only individual race: the Semmering slalom in December 2020. She finished ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin and Petra Vlhová, who placed third and fourth, respectively.

Major championships record to remember

Gisin won three Olympic medals: Alpine combined golds at PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022, plus super-G bronze in Beijing. Teammate Lara Gut-Behrami won gold in that 2022 super-G.

Gisin also won Alpine combined silver at the 2017 World Championships in St. Moritz and bronze at the 2021 World Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo. She had hoped to compete at another home World Championships in Crans-Montana in 2027.

Instead, Gisin will serve as an ambassador for the Crans-Montana World Championships, a role she has held since the event’s bid phase.

“A great asset to our team”

Hans Flatscher, Swiss-Ski’s Alpine director, said in the press release, “During her 13 years in the World Cup, Michelle was always a great asset to our team — both athletically and, above all, personally. The fact that she achieved podium finishes in all disciplines demonstrates her exceptional all-around talent.”

Final reflections

Gisin can ski again, but she has decided not to pursue a return to competition. “Now I’m incredibly excited to finally be able to do what I’ve missed all these years: ski, on the slopes of my own choosing.”

Reflecting on her career, Gisin said, “It was a wonderful time — and I truly appreciate that I was able to enjoy it so much.”

Her retirement follows Gut-Behrami’s announcement in August. As Switzerland’s team moves into a new chapter, racers including Malorie Blanc and Camille Rast could take on larger roles.

Gisin will be remembered as one of her generation’s leading all-rounders and a key member of a successful Swiss team.

About the Author: Matt Garcka

Matt Garcka is the co-host of the Skiing is Believing podcast and an emerging voice in ski racing journalism. Introduced to the sport by his co-host and grandfather, Garcka began following alpine ski racing four years ago and quickly developed a deep passion for the World Cup circuit and the athletes who define it. That passion helped launch Skiing is Believing, now in its third series, where Garcka combines analysis, storytelling, and fan perspective to cover the sport. At just 16, he began building a career in sports journalism and hopes to one day become a senior ski racing commentator.

Related Post