End of career

Ski athlete quits: “Had to throw up a lot!”

Norwegian ski athlete Markus Fossland announced the end of his career.

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Norwegian Markus Fossland is retiring from the ski circus at the age of just 25 and reveals that he often threw up before races and felt like he was "putting his life on the line".

"I've gained a different perspective on skiing this year. Competing in World Cup races in the fast disciplines involves a certain amount of risk," writes Fossland on Instagram.

I threw up before most of the races this year. Feeling like I was putting my life on the line every weekend was tough.

Ski-Athlet Markus Fossland auf Instagram 

Emotional words
"I thought I could handle it. But it's not like that. The experience of not being able to accept this risk was painful, frustrating and shocking. I threw up before most of the races this year. Feeling like I was putting my life on the line every weekend was tough. It was even worse that I couldn't give 100 percent on race day," he explains.

In addition, the Norwegian has been suffering from back pain for years. "The reason for my retirement is a combination of these two factors," says Fossland. These are emotional and honest words that show how tough it can really be in skiing. But Fossland emphasizes: "I was lucky to be able to pursue my dreams for so long."

The Norwegian has competed in the World Cup a total of 26 times, with his best result being a 27th place in the downhill in Val Gardena/Gröden in 2022.