Alpine skiing: newly retired, Yannick Chabloz recounts his decline

A curious situation than that of Yannick Chabloz. Since Saturday, the Nidwalden-Vaudois has woken up, at just 25 years old, in the shoes of a retiree. Competitive skiing, sure, but from a retiree all the same. Even more unusual, it has actually been around for almost a year, in fact.

At the heart of an intense weekend marked by the spectacular falls, serious injuries and crazy performances of Alexis Money, the world of Swiss skiing learned in relative discretion of the end of the career of the older brother of Maxime Chabloz (23 years), world champion of freeride then kitesurf.

It was through a message posted on Instagram that the downhiller born in Aigle announced the news: “After this long journey with many ups and downs, the time has come for me to retire. This is and will probably be the hardest decision of my life, but I took the time to listen to my feelings and my body, so that I can make this decision with a clear mind and a heart filled with love for this sport.

The exercise was not easy to carry out, by his own admission: “I had been distancing myself from the high level for a while, but drawing a line under it cost me. Taking the plunge was more difficult than I thought. After all, this has been my life for 15 years. I received a quantity of messages, all positive, which touched me enormously.

Having not appeared in an official race for two years, due to physical problems, Yannick Chabloz ended up stopping chasing time. “The delay I accumulated was too great. I wasn’t ready, mentally, to be able to fill it. The current level in the World Cup is very high, starting with our Swiss team. Finding my place in this environment, given where I came from, would have been extremely complicated.”

Before Marco Odermatt became the “Cannibal” of the White Circus, Justin Murisier found the path to success and Alexis Money asserted himself, Yannick Chabloz was part of the quickly awaited Swiss generation. Bronze medalist in super-G at the 2020 Junior World Championships then Swiss vice-champion in downhill the following year, he wasted no time in confirming himself in the elite.

From his second start in the World Cup, he took 13th place in Val Gardena, in December 2021, just after winning in Santa Caterina what will remain his only victory in the European Cup. A month later, he was selected to participate in the Beijing Olympic Games. Where the spiral will suddenly reverse.

In China, he fell heavily during the combined event and suffered multiple injuries to his left arm. Second blow of fate the following winter: this time, he fell in Bormio. The medical verdict is still heavy. Marked by these impressive accidents and their consequences, Yannick Chabloz allowed a mental blockage to set in. In addition, chronic back pain handicaps him and prevents his return to racing. Anti-inflammatories do not solve the problem, nor do osteopathy sessions. An operation? The idea was put to him but he declined. “I couldn’t be guaranteed that it would solve my problems,” he comments.

Tired of being bogged down, the adopted Nidwalden decided to take a step back at the beginning of 2024 in order to clear his mind. A simple parenthesis in his quest for redemption, he thought at first. This will in fact be a turning point. Freed from the daily demands of professionalism, he rediscovers the pure pleasure of sporting practice. At the same time, he resumed engineering studies in Sion.

His horizons broadened, gradually relegating ski racing to the background. Until closing the chapter definitively: “I took the time to sit down to take stock and consider what’s next. High level is not the healthiest for the body. Mine is both my Achilles heel and my greatest strength. I had to make a choice and I chose to preserve myself, so as not to damage my life. Announcing my retirement was a relief, because it helps me find closure. The situation weighed on me. I was often asked when I would return and felt like I was being dishonest. Basically, I didn’t even ask myself the question.”

When it comes time to take stock, the man with 5 World Cup starts says he is “more than proud”: “I had talent but I always had to fight and in the end, I climbed all the ranks . I only missed a podium. I have achieved things that so many people dream of…” His fondest memory? “If we’re talking about pure emotions, it’s Val Gardena,” he says. My father was there, I was a success on a track that I love, the feeling I felt when I saw my ranking at the finish… The Olympics, I didn’t have time to prepare for it. The other athletes had been planning for four years while I only had a few days. When I arrived in Beijing, I was done.”

From now on, Yannick Chabloz is tackling another life. Boredom should not get to him, as he is so full of projects: “In addition to my bachelor’s degree, I plan to obtain my ski instructor’s certificate. I also want to share things with my brother, whether freeriding or in the summer, even if nothing is concrete at the moment. And in the background, I want to start training as a mountain guide.

The retreat promises to be well signposted. This is the advantage at 25 years old.