World Cup slalom 支持する／優勝者 Lucas Braathen retires from skiing two days before season starts
SOELDEN, Austria (AP) - World Cup slalom 支持する／優勝者 Lucas Braathen retired from his sport on Friday at the age of 23 in a surprise 告示 by the Norwegian スキーヤー two days before the season starts.
Braathen said he made the 決定／判定勝ち（する） a few weeks ago and that he was "happy" and "感謝する for everything I have been through in my career," 追加するing he had 知らせるd his チーム仲間s only the evening before.
"I am done. I am a person that have always followed my own dreams and what makes me the happiest - and I´m never going to stop doing that. And I´m so proud of that," said Braathen, who got into a 論争 with the Norwegian ski 連合 recently after doing modeling work for a 競争相手 brand of the 連合´s 着せる／賦与するing 供給者.
Braathen won five World Cup races and had 12 最高の，を越す-three results in his five seasons on the 回路・連盟.
In a ビデオ 地位，任命するd on his Instagram account, he thanked his fans.
With the Norwegian leaving, skiing loses one of its most vibrant personalities. Son of a Norwegian father and a Brazilian mother, Braathen is known for 絵 his fingernails and having a taste for fashion, while he also has a line of 宝石類 for sale.
Norway's Lucas Braathen wipes his 涙／ほころびs during a 圧力（をかける） 会議／協議会 in Soelden, Austria, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
"For the first time in at least half a year I´m happy, after making this 決定／判定勝ち（する）. For the first time in years I feel 解放する／自由な," Braathen said.
He said his ambitions to "transcend the sport" have been 限られた／立憲的な by a 契約 with the 国家の 連合 all Norwegian World Cup スキーヤーs have to 調印する and which 規制するs their individual marketing and 後援 権利s.
"Up until the point where I debuted, the (2018) World Cup race in Val d´Isere, with skis that my dad tuned in his garage 支援する home, that is the day where I lost my freedom," Braathen said. "I （機の）カム to find that I´m locked. I cannot do my difference, whatever I do is wrong."
The Alpine sports director of the Norwegian 連合, Claus Johan Ryste, said Braathen had not been given 許可 to do 宣伝の work for J. Lindeberg, a 競争相手 brand of the team's outfitter, Helly Hansen. The スキーヤー had not paid the 罰金 課すd by the 連合 for 違反ing the 支配するs in his 競技者's 契約, によれば Ryste.
Braathen won two メダルs at the 2019 junior world 支持する／優勝者s before celebrating his 打開 勝利，勝つ in the season-開始 World Cup 巨大（な） slalom in Soel den the に引き続いて year, though he had that season 削減（する） short by a 膝 傷害.
Last season, Braathen racked up three 勝利，勝つs in いっそう少なく than a month before having 外科 for appendicitis just ahead of the world 選手権s in フラン. He returned in time to race the slalom in Courchevel, where he placed seventh, and went on to take the World Cup slalom discipline 肩書を与える.
Speaking to The Associated 圧力（をかける） the day before his 告示, Braathen called winning the 水晶 globe last spring "definitely a season I will never forget. And I do also have to 収容する／認める that I´m intrigued to see if I can ever make make a season any more special than that."
Braathen said it´s been やめる a 旅行 since his first World Cup 勝利，勝つ three years ago.
"I can´t believe that I´ve got a globe 支援する home in my apartment," he said. "You know it´s been a 代表 of all the sacrifices and the tremendous 量 of work and a lot of hard 決定／判定勝ち（する）-making throughout my career ーするために make that happen. I´m 極端に, 極端に proud of that."
Many スキーヤーs 反応するd to Braathen's 告示 by leaving comments on his Instagram 地位，任命する.
"Oh no, bro, we need your samba on the slopes," Italian スキーヤー Christof Innerhofer wrote.
"You can´t do this!!!," said Johan Clarey, the French 退役軍人 who retired last season. "Guys like you are so important for our sport, hope it s not 最終的な."
Norwegian チーム仲間 and の近くに friend Atle 嘘（をつく） McGrath wrote: "Always with you."
The International Ski and Snowboard 連合 regretted the 決定／判定勝ち（する） of one of skiing's most prolific competitors.
"Very bad news for us," FIS men's race director Markus Waldner said. "He was a race machine, but he was also a party guy, a colorful guy. We need those guys on the 小旅行する. Hopefully after some time he can solve the 問題／発行するs with his 連合 and he finds a way 支援する. Our door is always open."
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Eric Willemsen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/eWilmedia
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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/中心/skiing
Norway's Lucas Braathen …に出席するs a 圧力（をかける） 会議／協議会 in Soelden, Austria, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
Norway's Lucas Braathen …に出席するs a 圧力（をかける） 会議／協議会 in Soelden, Austria, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
