After 2006 Olympic Gold medallist Tanja Frieden (SUI) had torn both of her Achilles tendons after falling in her first qualifier run at the Snowboard Cross World Cup at Stoneham, Quebec, the 33-years-old athlete with one World Cup win to her belt (Sierra Nevada, ESP, 2005) has announced her retirement from the active sport.
While having undergone successful surgery already in the hospital of Hirslanden, the frustrating diagnosis was not only equivalent to the end of Frieden's Olympic dreams but also of her career. „It's not the end of my career I was looking for. It's more the logical consequence of what happened" the snowboard cross athlete stated.
After having competed in 45 World Cups claiming ten podiums and taking Olympic Gold at the 2006 Torino Winter Games the next weeks and months are characterised by recovery and healing. In addition, the Swiss rider also has some new visions of her future in mind which are - according to her - not finalised yet but hopefully will after discussions with her sponsors.
