Tina Weirather: Life After Racing – Where the Skiing Legend Stands Today

When you think about the most defining faces in alpine skiing over the past decade, one name comes to mind immediately. Tina Weirather belongs in that league. Even though we no longer see her in the starting gate for speed events today, the Liechtenstein native with Swiss roots has stayed connected to the sport. Every time a classic race rolls around in St. Moritz or Wengen, a thought crosses your mind: Man, the way she used to carve down that slope with such authority.

The news of her retirement in the spring of 2020 hit like a bolt of lightning. But honestly, anyone who followed her career knew that her body, after all those hard landings and injuries, was going to call it a day. Tina was never the type to fight for every single start at any cost—she was the one who raced with an almost effortless cool when it really mattered. Her style was that elegant, smooth glide that made the hard-packed snow look like a plush carpet.

For a young Tina Weirather, the daughter of Hanni Wenzel and Harti Weirather, the pressure was naturally immense. But she didn't just carry that name; she gave it a whole new meaning. Winning the small crystal globe in Super-G in 2018 was the crowning achievement of a season where she was simply untouchable. Anyone who watched the races in Lake Louise knows: that was her personal happy place. That's where she showed she wasn't just a "princess" from the principality, but a fierce competitor at the highest World Cup level.

Her World Cup successes read like a who's who of the speed elite:

• World Cup Discipline Title in Super-G (2017/18 Season) – the small crystal globe awarded for sheer consistency over an entire season.
• Seven World Cup victories in speed events, including multiple wins on classic courses in North America and Europe.
• Five additional podium finishes at World Championships and Olympic Games, including 4th place in PyeongChang 2018—a result every racer knows: so close yet so far, but a true testament to her world-class caliber.

What is Tina Weirather up to today? After retiring, she didn't just fade into the background noise of sports history. She consciously stepped back to give her body and mind a break. Today, she splits her time between Vorarlberg in Austria and her home in the Rhine Valley with her husband, Swiss ski racer Andreas Sander. If you meet her now, you sense this deep-seated serenity. She enjoys moving through life without a bib number, occasionally appears as an expert on TV, and yes, she’s teaching the next generation the joy of playing in the snow. Completely free from competitive pressure, just for the fun of it.

For us in Switzerland and neighboring Liechtenstein, Tina Weirather remains one of the most charismatic athletes we've ever had. That combination of laid-back ease and an iron will is what set her apart. And that's exactly why it makes me happy to still see her on the slopes every now and then—not in a race suit with a stopwatch, but with her family, a smile on her face. It's the best proof: you can end your career without losing your passion.

When you think of Tina Weirather, an old 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 remember the time when Tina stood at the very top of the podium, hoisting that crystal globe with her unmistakable smile. That’s what I call true class, the kind that endures.