Alpine skiing star Anja Paerson says she will retire from the sport in 2010. “That’s my goal — to quit next year,” the 27-year-old Swede said in a TV interview on Sunday with Swedish network TV4.
Paerson, who is expected to compete at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics next February, is one of the sport’s greatest female athletes. She has won two World Cup overall titles, seven world championship gold medals and one Olympic gold, in slalom at the 2006 Turin Games.
During her 11 years on the World Cup circuit the versatile Paerson won 40 races and is one of only four female racers to win in all five disciplines. She is the only female skier to win gold at the worlds in all disciplines.
Paerson was bothered by a sore knee this season, when she failed to medal at the world championships in Val d’Isere, France — her first worlds without a medal since her debut at Vail, Colo., in 1999.
“I have learned to live with my bad knee,” she said. “I know the consequences what could happen and it could be over already tomorrow.”
Paerson has been testing skis at her hometown of Tarnaby in northern Sweden, which also is the birthplace of men’s all-time alpine ski great Ingemar Stenmark.
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