Italy's former slalom leader Giorgio Rocca announced at Kitzbühel his decision to end his career on the World Cup tour after suffering another painful injury while training two weeks ago.

The 35-year-old athlete from Livigno, the slalom World Cup champion in 2006 with an impressive series of five consecutive victories, injured himself at his left groin while training in Domobianco, in Piedmont, a few days prior the races at Adelboden, in Switzerland.

"I have been offered by the Italian Olympic medical unit the possibility to receive a special shock-treatment to be eventually available to compete in Canada, but I declined that proposal as I was not sure to be able to fight for a a medal there," he explained during a press conference at Kitzbühel.

"I wanted to make this announcement here because it's the resort where I enjoyed my first World Cup podium eleven years ago. I also feel some pain at my knees so I would certainly not be in my best shape in a month," the three-time father also told the press-

"I was pretty satisfied with my season start and I was hoping to keep on improving my level this month but that injury prevented me to keep on racing at Adelboden and Wengen where I won my very last race in January 2006. It's pretty tough to be obliged to pull out that way - I was really motivated prior the season and ready to fight hard to attend once more the Olympics."

A winner in eleven slalom races since 2003, Rocca also excelled in medal events, grabbing silver and bronze medals at FIS World Championships in slalom and combined, first in 2003 at St Moritz and then in front of his fans in 2005 at Bormio. He didn't get through the other FIS World slaloms at Are in 2007 and at Val d'Isère in 2009.

A top favourite at the 2006 Olympics at Sestriere, he failed to successfully defend his chances, straddling one of the very first gates out of the start-house in slalom. He ended the Olympic combined event in 5th place.

A series of health problems, mainly back and knee injuries, prevented Giorgio Rocca to fully achieve his potential on the World Cup tour and win more races.

He has not drawn any plan for his near future for the moment. "I have waited to make this official and final announcement prior to start checking what I could do during the coming wintertime. I also need to so how I'll feel in the next weeks. I may attend the Vancouver Olympics as a reporter for an Italian TV station or some newspapers. I'll see at the various proposals," he explained.

"I'm not really afraid to get bored as I have to start taking care of my family. I have three kids and they need full attention now," added the former champion who mostly lives in Switzerland where he was born.

"I'm sorry to leave my friends now, especially my colleague Razzoli with whom I normally share my rooms on the tour. He is ready for much more and I would have enjoyed helping him out."

A very gentle and colourful racer, Giorgio will also be missed as a nice person who brought great excitement to the ski world during his nice career, in Italy as well as in the rest of the alpine countries.

by Patrick Lang
FISalpine.com
Sunday 24 January 2010