Just before season start: Skiing outsider ends career
The 30-year-old competed in two different Olympic Games.
Latvian ski racer Liene Bondare is stepping away from the ski stage.
As the 30-year-old skiing outsider announced via social media, she will no longer compete in races next season.
"Some chapters are so special that you wish they would last forever. And after living my childhood dream for more than a decade, it is now time to say goodbye to ski racing," said Bondare.
The 30-year-old never quite achieved a major career. The Latvian only competed in five World Cup races, but she did make it to the Olympic Games in 2022 and 2026, as well as several World Championships. In the 2025 World Championship slalom in Saalbach, she finished 27th.
"Would do it all again in a heartbeat"
She will miss the "incredible privilege" of "being able to lead an athlete's life."
"Knowing that indescribable feeling of standing at the start of our sport's biggest competitions. These are the feelings, the moments, and the experiences I will cherish forever."
"I would do it all again in a heartbeat – without hesitation," writes Bondare.
