Where to Ski And Snowboard - Chemmy Alcott announces retirement

Chemmy Alcott announces retirement

25th March 2014, by Abi Butcher

Britain's most successful alpine skier will retire next month

Chemmy Alcott has announced her retirement from competitive skiing.

Alcott, 31, is Britain’s most successful alpine skier, despite battling serious injury in the latter stages of her career. This morning she announced “with a heavy heart” her retirement following the 2014 British Alpine Championships in Méribel at the end of this month.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from ski racing, a sport that defines me,” said Alcott. “I am not retiring from skiing and believe that I still have much to offer the sport.”

Chemmy Alcott represented Team GB at four Winter Olympics, and recorded five top-10 World Cup finishes. She is the only British racer in World Cup history to place in the top 15 in three disciplines (Downhill, Super G and Giant Slalom). Alcott and Martin Bell were the only two British ski racers to have ever placed in the top 15 in World Cup Super G, and her ninth placing in downhill in Cortina in 2004 was the first World Cup top ten finish by a British female racer since 1972.

Alcott was the first and only Briton to win a run in a World Cup race in the giant slalom at Sölden in Austria in 2008. In February, she finished in 19th place in the women’s downhill at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

This summer, Chemmy Alcott marries British downhill racer Dougie Crawford.