Tina Weirather: Life After Racing, Still in a League of Her Own – Where the Ski Legend Stands Today
You don’t have to think long when it comes to the most defining faces in alpine skiing over the last decade. Tina Weirather is right up there. Even though we don’t see her in the starting gate for speed events anymore, the native of Liechtenstein with Swiss roots has stayed connected to the sport. Whenever a classic race rolls around in St. Moritz or Wengen, it crosses your mind: Man, she used to cruise down that slope with such authority.
The news of her retirement in spring 2020 hit like a bolt of lightning. But let’s be honest: anyone who followed her career knew that her body, after all those hard landings and injuries, was going to send a signal. Tina was never one to fight for every single start at any cost—she was the one who brought a near-unbelievable coolness to the table when it really mattered. Her style was that elegant, flowing glide that made a tough piste look like a fluffy carpet.
For a young Tina Weirather, daughter of Hanni Wenzel and Harti Weirather, the pressure was naturally immense. But she didn’t just carry the name; she gave it a new meaning. Winning the crystal globe for Super-G in 2018 was the crowning achievement of a season where she was simply untouchable. If you watched the races in Lake Louise, you know: that was her personal comfort zone. That’s where she showed she wasn’t just the "princess" from the principality, but a fiercely tough competitor at the World Cup level.
Her World Cup achievements read like a who's who of the speed elite:
- World Cup discipline title in Super-G (2017/18 season) – the small crystal globe for sheer consistency across an entire season.
- Seven World Cup victories in speed disciplines, including several on the classic courses in North America and Europe.
- Five additional podium finishes at World Championships and Olympic Games, including 4th place in Pyeongchang 2018 – a finish every racer knows: so close yet so far, but a testament to her class.
So what is Tina Weirather up to these days? After retiring, she didn’t just fade into the white noise of sports history. She consciously stepped back to give her body and mind a break. Along with her husband, Swiss ski racer Andreas Sander, she now splits her time between the Austrian Vorarlberg region and her home in the Rhine Valley. Anyone who meets her today senses that calm. She enjoys living life without a race bib, occasionally appears as an expert on TV—and yes, she’s introducing her little ones to the fun of snow. Completely without performance pressure, just pure joy.
For us in Switzerland and neighbouring Liechtenstein, Tina Weirather remains one of the most charismatic athletes we've ever had. That mix of easy-going coolness and iron will was her trademark. And that’s exactly why it’s great to see her on the slopes every now and then—no longer in a racing suit with a timer, but with her family, a smile on her face. That’s the best proof: you can retire from your career without losing your passion.
When you think of Tina Weirather, the saying comes to mind: old love never rusts. For the Swiss and Liechtenstein ski community, she’s not just a former racer. She’s one of us. As long as there are World Cup races in Switzerland, there will be moments that spark that connection—and we’ll think back to the time when Tina stood on top of the podium, lifting that crystal globe with her inimitable smile. That’s what I call class that sticks around.