Sudden retirement shocks biathlon world: Austria’s Felix Leitner quits at 28

Austrian biathlete Felix Leitner has abruptly ended his career at the age of 28, a little more than a month before the World Cup opener.

Leitner shared the news on Instagram, writing that many of his best days came from celebrating moments with the people closest to him. He added that he spent the past 16 years in the “wonderful biathlon everyday life” laughing, crying, marveling and enjoying—and that’s how he will remember it.

Over the course of his career, the Tyrolean became a youth and junior world champion and won the 2018 European Championship gold medal in the individual race. Long considered one of Austria’s most promising prospects, Leitner ultimately never managed to establish himself consistently among the very top of the senior World Cup field. The announcement’s timing, so close to the season start, caught the biathlon community off guard.