Adrien Théaux ends his career: the doyen of the Ski World Cup says goodbye

It's moments like these that leave you speechless as a sports fan: Adrien Théaux, the longest-serving ski racer in the World Cup circuit, has announced that he will be putting his skis away for good after this season. Anyone who has ever seen him thunder down the legendary Lauberhorn run or the icy slopes in Val Gardena knows: there is not just an athlete going there, there is a living legend going.

A Frenchman who loved speed

When you talk about Adrien Théaux, you can't avoid one number: 13. The Frenchman was on the podium of a World Cup race thirteen times in his career. Three of these times at the top – a triumph that not many can achieve. His exploits in the speed disciplines are particularly memorable, where he shone with a mixture of elegance and pure risk. All I'm saying is: Adrien Théaux @ 2022 Val Gardena/Gröden Alpine Ski World Cup - back then he skied on the infamous Saslong against the best in the world and showed why, even in his late thirties, he was still a competitor that no one could underestimate.

His name is often spelled with or without an accent – Adrien Théaux or Théaux – but no matter how you type it, the sound is a household name in the ski scene. The man from the French Pyrenees was the calming pole in the French speed team, someone who was always there when it mattered. And one that never bent.

Rivalries and a name that connects

Of course there were also big duels. Who doesn't think of the thrilling duels with the Italian Mattia Casse? Especially in the training and races in Bormio or Val Gardena, the two fought thrilling duels for hundredths of a second. And then there is the family touch: Many fans wonder whether the name Timothee Théaux is not a coincidence. Yes, Timothee is the younger brother, also in the ski circus, although more in technical disciplines. The Théaux brothers – two thoroughbred skiers who have shaped French skiing for years. However, Adrien was the one who ignited the really big lightning bolts.

The bare numbers of an extraordinary career

Before he finally hangs up his skis, let's let the facts speak again - they are impressive enough:

• 3 World Cup victories – including downhill and super-G, which only the best win.
• 13 podium places among the world's best, proof of years of consistency.
• Over 200 World Cup starts – a number that only a few achieve.
• Multiple French champion and participant in the Olympic Games and World Championships.

Hello, Adrien! What remains is respect

For us Austrians, who grew up with ski fever, Adrien Théaux was always something like the "eternal Frenchman". Someone who never gave up, who continued to attack even at 40, while the boys around him were already on their last legs. Now that he has announced his resignation, it says: Thank you for the moments! Thank you for the daring rides, the smiles in the finish area and the fair duels with our athletes. The ski world will be a little quieter without him - but the memories of Adrien Théaux remain.