Austrian ski star Hermann Maier has announced his retirement, blaming physical problems for his decision.

The 36-year-old won Olympic gold in the Super-G and Giant Slalom events in 1998 at Nagano and also claimed a silver and a bronze in 2006 in Torino.

He won three world titles in Super-G and downhill in 1999, and in the Giant Slalom in 2005. He also claimed two silvers in 2001 and a bronze in 2003.

Austria’s grand old ski man Hermann Maier has returned to training after injuring his knee last March but will not race on the World Cup circuit until November-end.

“I’m not sad about coming back on the snow so late this year,” the 36-year-old who won overall world cup titles in 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2004, said on his website on Monday.

“The winter will be long enough and since I’m only coming back to the world cup at the end of November in North America (Lake Louise), we still have time.”