Age is no bar when it comes to sports, and Austria’s Claudia Riegler has proved it right on. On Sunday, February 8, the 52-year-old snowboarder competed in her fifth Winter Games at the Milano Cortina 2026. She was knocked out of the women’s parallel giant slalom race event. As one of the oldest athletes in the Winter Games 2024, she was defeated by the Czech two-time Olympic champion Ester Ledecka, followed by her loss to Austria’s Sabine Payer.
Before exiting, Riegler showcased a thrilling performance at her age, making it past the elimination round among 36 riders to finish in No. 16. She was also paired with Ledecka, finishing just 1.13 seconds behind her.
Sharing her feelings post-match, Riegler said, “I’m really proud that I’m here today and that I had a really good run against Ester. I’m happy that I made it to the finals today and I even made a really good final run.”
The Austrian snowboarder made her Olympic debut back in 2002 at the Salt Lake City. After getting dropped from the team by the coach at the age of 29, Riegler has kept it going for a while now, coming with the same energy and skills at the Winter Games 2026. She kept training, and after three years, she returned to the squad after Austria’s coach was changed. Following her return, she went on to make a brilliant run to win the parallel giant slalom world championship in 2015.
Riegler’s showcase at the Winter Games 2026 draws inspiration from the age she is participating in, which keeps her alive in the game while competing alongside young and emerging participants in the event.
“I have to say my biggest motivation now is my age because I was kicked out of the team when I was 30 and they told me I’m too old. So at that moment I said to myself, no, it was not over. I will continue by myself. And if he’s saying this, it doesn’t have to be the truth. I have to find my own truth. That’s the thing which is motivating me a lot.”
Born in 1973, Riegler, who competed in her fifth Winter Games, had first participated in the World Cup tournament back in 1994. The snowboarder is currently aiming for next year’s world championship to be held in Austria, which is expected to be her final career participation.
