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Torino 2006 - Isolde Kostner Retiring
Italy's best known and greatest female skier is pregnant and retiring from competition. Isolde Kostner will not compete at the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games to be held next month. Although Kostner has not been as successful in recent years she was one of Italy's premier athletes and many hoped she would medal in Torino.
At 30 years of age Kostner is one of the best known female athletes in Italy. Kostner said "my skiing career ends here. I will not participate at the Olympics. My next challenge will not be winning a gold medal but becoming a mother.
Kostner's career of winning ski competitions began in 1994 when she won the Garmisch downhill as a 19-year old. She went on to win bronze medals in both downhill and Super G at the 1994 Olympic Games held in Lillehammer, Norway.
Isolde Kostner's first downhill title, in March 2000, made her the first Italian skier of either sex to win a World Cup downhill championship. When she won the downhill World Cup title in 2001, she became the first Italian to win the women's downhill World Cup for the second straight year.
In 2002 Kostner won a silver medal in downhill at the Salt Lake City USA Winter Olympic Games.
In addition to her Olympic medals Kostner won three world championship gold medals in Super G. Her medals were won in 1996 at Sierra Nevada, USA, Sestriere, Italy in 1997 and St. Anton, Austria in 2001.
Kostner suffered a concussion at Lake Louise during the start of the 2002/2003 season. Her only win since her accident was at the 2004 World Cup downhill held in Haus Im Ennstal, Austria.
During her 15 year career Kostner won 15 World Cup races, 12 downhills and three Super G's. She won a total of 51 medals.
"From one day to the next my outlook for the next month and a half has completely changed," Kostner said. "But my joy to live and my life goals, having a family and becoming a mother, have not changed."
Kostner also said "I'm grateful to God for giving me this gift. It was completely unexpected and I know some will think it was bad timing."
Italian ski federation president Gaetano Coppi called Kostner "one of the greatest champions Italy has ever had. Isi has received a great gift, perhaps the greatest a woman can get. But I would have preferred her to get it a bit later."
Carolina Kostner will carry the Italian flag during the opening ceremony at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympic Games. Carolina is Isolde Kostner's younger cousin and is an Olympic figure skater.
Posted by Jackie on January 12, 2006
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