Austrian Alpine skiing champion Hermann Maier fought back tears as he announced his retirement from the sport. The Olympic gold medallist, who had been planning a return to the World Cup circuit in November after recovering from a knee injury, said he wanted to retire while he was still in good health.
Maier competed on the circuit for 13 years, winning four overall World Cup titles, four Olympic medals, including two golds in 1998, and three world championship titles. A late developing ski racer, who had previously mixed working as a ski instructor at his father's ski school in Flachau with brick-laying in the summer, Maier's career appeared to be over in 2001 when he nearly lost a leg following a motorcycle accident, requiring seven hours of surgery. However, he made a remarkable comeback after more than a year on the sidelines, winning the World Cup super-G race at his favourite Kitzbuhel in January 2003.
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