Sports · Other Sports · 2 hrs ago
Austrian skier Max Franz ends his career at 37
Austrian skier Max Franz has ended his career at the age of 37.
He said the sport had shaped his life, but his career also brought setbacks and injuries.
A training crash in Copper Mountain in 2022 broke both his legs and led to numerous operations.
Franz won three World Cup races, reached the podium 10 times and took bronze in the downhill at the 2017 world championships.
He returned to World Cup racing in December 2025, but went out of the downhill race in Gröden after a jump.
He said his health meant it was time to stop, after years of trying to recover and return.
It is not yet clear whether he will stay involved in skiing.
Austrian speed skier Max Franz has ended his career at 37.
He announced his decision on Sunday, citing the end of his time as a ski racer after many years in the sport.
A serious crash at Copper Mountain in 2022 left him with fractures in both legs and nerve injuries.
Franz returned to the World Cup in Gröden in December 2025, but did not finish the downhill race.
He won three World Cup races and recorded ten podium finishes, including downhill bronze at the 2017 World Championships.
- Who
- Max Franz, a 37-year-old Austrian speed skier.
- What
- He ended his career as a competitive ski racer.
- When
- He announced the decision on Sunday, October 18, 2026.
- Where
- He made the announcement on social media. The crash that halted his career happened at Copper Mountain.
- Why
- He said it was time to end his career. His recovery from serious leg injuries did not lead to a lasting return to racing.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Franz suffered serious injuries to both legs in a training crash at Copper Mountain.
He returned to the World Cup in Gröden but went out in the downhill after a jump.
Franz announced that he was ending his career.
- Age
- 37
- World Cup wins
- 3
- World Cup podiums
- 10
- World Championship medal
- Bronze in the downhill at St. Moritz in 2017
- Crash location and year
- Copper Mountain, 2022
3 sources
What people are saying
After many years in ski racing, the time has come for me to end my career as a ski racer.
Skiing was my life. It shaped me and gave me unforgettable moments. But my path included not only successes, but also many setbacks.
I never gave up, even when the road was often rocky.
A fighter, a role model, a wild one!