U.S. Ski Team’s Wiley Maple announces official retirement

By Published On: March 4th, 2020Comments Off on U.S. Ski Team’s Wiley Maple announces official retirement

Wiley Maple entered the 2019/20 season with full intent on racing a full World Cup schedule, but unfortunately, the 29-year-old’s body could not keep up. Maple, who has been competing for 10 years on the World Cup circuit, announced his retirement last week after deciding that his back pain was too strong to keep fighting.

Maple started in the Beaver Creek, Lake Louise, and Bormio, and did not see the results he was hoping for. Looking ahead at the January leg that contains downhill beats such as Wengen and Kitzbuehel, Maple chose to make the tough decision.

“In 10 years, I never got hurt skiing, specifically. I was confident in my skill to avoid catastrophic injury. This year is the first I don’t trust my body at all,” he told the Aspen Daily News. “The clarity I wasn’t going to be successful on the World Cup came clearly into view.”

For now, Maple plans on staring school full-time in the fall at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, where he started taking classes in 2013. He plans to graduate in 2021.

For a deep-dive into Maple’s decision to retire, check out the full story from Aspen Daily News.

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About the Author: Mackenzie Moran

Born and raised in Metro-Detroit, Michigan, Mackenzie grew up ski racing all over the Mitten.​ She moved out west in search of mountains and attended the University of Oregon, where she achieved degrees in Journalism and Environmental Science. She raced USCSA and was captain of the UO Alpine Ski Team.