Switzerland’s top women distance skier Nathalie von Siebenthal announced her retirement Tuesday from elite level cross-country ski racing. According to the International Ski Federation (FIS), von Siebenthal took a break after the World Cup season and did not regain the motivation to continue.
“The decision to take a break in spring was really important for me,” von Siebenthal told FIS. “In autumn I felt like my body was ready to go fully into training again. After a few days however, I had to admit that neither my body, nor my mind wanted to continue. Now I am sure that resigning from the professional sport is the right thing to do for me.”
At twenty-six-years-old, von Siebenthal leaves the sport at a relatively young age.
She emerged at U23 Worlds in 2014 with an eighth place in the 7.5 k/7.5 k skiathlon. A year later at U23s, she placed third in the 10 k freestyle and won the skiathlon.
On the World Cup, she posted numerous top-ten results. Her best individual World Cup races were a fifth place in 2017 during the Davos 10 k skate, and a fourth during the 2018 10 k mass start skate in Oberstdorf, Germany – part of the Tour de Ski.
At the 2017 Lahti World Championships, she was fourth in the skiathlon. Most recently, von Siebenthal raced to seventh overall at the 2019 World Championship 30 k skate in Seefeld, Austria.
During the 2018 PyeyongChang Olympics, she was sixth in both the skiathlon and 10 k skate.
According to FIS, von Siebenthal raced on the World Cup for five seasons.
