Skistar Maria Niederndorfer: retired at the age of 23!

Skistar Maria Niederndorfer: retired at the age of 23!

Maria Niederndorfer, an emerging slalom talent from Upper Austria, surprisingly ended her career in professional skiing at the age of 23. The decision that you announced in an emotional Instagram post is the result of numerous injuries that always returned and took the opportunity to permanently assert herself in the World Cup. "The pain steamed my fire," she explained in this emotional message and reflected both the heights and the depths of her ski career.

Niederndorfer, which was active in the B squad of the Austrian Ski Association, was able to win five FIS slaloms between 2023 and 2024 and was about to move to the top of the world. Despite their talent, their ambitions were repeatedly interrupted by serious injuries. In a “love letter to skiing”, she also expressed her wish to devote herself to studying medicine in the future, with the aim of being able to learn how to repair worn skiers.

career and risk of injury in skiing

The decision of Maria Niederndorf also throws a light on the challenges that many athletes face in alpine skiing. According to current reports from the German Ski Association, the risk of injury has recently increased among skiers. In the 2023/2024 season, an increase in the injured athletes was registered, with around 46,000 to 48,000 ski athletes to be treated with a doctor due to injuries.

The risk of inpatient treatments due to skiing accidents remained stable at 1.73 per 1,000 skiers, which corresponds to around 7,200 to 7,300 inpatient treatments. In addition, the risk of knee injuries increased from 2.70 to 3.01 per 1,000 skiers, while the collision accidents have also increased. The proportion of collision violations in all skiing injuries is now 21 percent, which underlines the need for preventive measures to reduce injury.

The DSV and the Foundation for Safety in Ski Sport are increasingly relying on preventive measures to ensure the safety of the athletes. This includes education, improvements in equipment and increased security awareness. Personalities such as Maria Niederndorfer, who now wants to switch to the medical field, could make a decisive contribution to reducing the injury rates in skiing and sport in the future.

Teammates in the ÖSV are moved by their farewell. Niederndorfer's decision to give up her career makes it clear how serious the consequences of injuries in professional sports can be and illustrates the basic wish of many athletes to take responsibility for their physical health and future.

The developments around Maria Niederndorfer and the increasing number of injuries in skiing make it clear that prevention must remain a central topic in the future of alpine skiing. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop and what way the other athletes will follow.

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