Benjamin Karl to continue snowboarding career

Olympic snowboarder Benjamin Karl has decided to continue his professional snowboarding career, reversing his earlier decision to retire and transition into cycling. The 40-year-old Austrian athlete, a two-time Olympic champion and five-time world champion, stated that his desire to remain a snowboarder remained strong after reflecting over the summer.

Karl’s primary objective for the upcoming season is the World Championships being held in Montafon, Austria, in March 2027. He is currently beginning intensive season preparations with the Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) team in a ski hall in the Netherlands.

His previous plan to pursue cyclocross for the 2030 Winter Olympics was complicated by the International Olympic Committee's decision that Winter Games must exclusively take place on snow and ice. Karl remains one of Austria's most successful alpine snowboarders.