Head no longer ready

World champion surprisingly retires shortly before the World Championships

Barbara Aigner, who was world champion in giant slalom in 2021, retired before the Paraski World Championships, which start on February 2 in Maribor.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Barbara Aigner won World Championship gold in giant slalom, World Championship silver in slalom and World Championship bronze in giant slalom in her career. At the Paralympics in Beijing 2022, the Lower Austrian took silver in the slalom and bronze in the giant slalom. The 19-year-old ended her career just a few days before the Para-Ski World Championships in Maribor, which begin on February 2.

Barbara explained: "I'm in excellent shape, I feel really good physically. But none of that helps if your head is no longer right and you can't take any more risks in the race." The coaching team had previously recommended that she take a break because skiing is too dangerous under these circumstances.

Then there was the frustration of the classification. Although she, like her sister Veronika who is two years older, has cataracts from birth and, like "Vroni", has less than ten percent vision, she was classified lower than her sister and other competitors. This meant that "Babsi" no longer had a real chance in sport.

Barbara Aigner (far right) with her Paralympics medals, which she won in Beijing in 2022. Next to her is her guide at the time, Klara Sykora. On the left are Babsi's sisters Veronika and Elisabeth.

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Interesting new plan
The 19-year-old leaves with a smile and a tear in her eye. On the one hand she is relieved, on the other skiing was a big part of her life. But she already has an interesting new sporting plan in mind. It's quite possible that we'll see her at the Paralympics in the summer in a few years' time...

At the World Championships in Maribor, she is keeping her fingers crossed for her twin brother Johannes and her sister Veronika. Both are absolute medal candidates. There will even be a bus from Gloggnitz to the giant slalom in Slovenia on February 11. There are still places available.