The news that Nathalie von Siebenthal is definitely turning away from elite sports didn’t come as a surprise. At the end of last season, the young woman from Lauenen confessed she was having motivation issues and felt physically and mentally drained.

This has led to her decision to take a break from training and competition. This autumn, she then felt like she wanted to train again. “However, after only a few days, she was overcome by physical and mental issues. “Now I’m sure that I’m making the right decision to resign from top-class sport,” said the 26-year-old.

Five years in the World Cup
Nathalie von Siebenthal is considered to be the best Swiss distance skier of recent years. She fought for World Cup points in the past five seasons, training slightly differently but no less hard than her team-mates in the summer. This was confirmed by Hippolyt Kempf, lead cross-country skier from Swiss-Ski, who deeply regrets her decision: “I was impressed by her hard work in training”.

As early as her third World Cup race in Davos in 2014, she finished in the points and continued with more than 20 top ten places in World Cup races over the years that followed.

The surprising 6th place at the 2015 World Championships in Falun over 10km was one of her finest moments. “That was a great experience.” Around a fortnight earlier, she’d won the skiathlon title at the U23 World Championships in Kazakhstan’s Almaty.

Fond memories and promising prospect
“I’ve many beautiful memories from five years taking part in the World Cup to cherish for the rest of my life,” said Nathalie von Siebenthal, looking back. These include tricky moments that she experienced together with her teammates. She was very grateful for this and for her friendships with her fellow athletes. She also thanked all those who supported Swiss-Ski, as well as all the major and minor sponsors. “My biggest thanks go to my family, because without them, I wouldn’t have made it to the World Cup,” von Siebenthal said.

So, it was no surprise when she said, ”Now, I’m looking forward to free weekends and New Year’s Eve at home.” She doesn’t see herself going into coaching. Nevertheless, she’s assured everyone that she’ll still go cross-country skiing: “As far as I want and at my own pace.”

Based on AvS/Jenny Sterchi
Translated by Justine Hewson

Nathalie von Siebenthal’s greatest achievements:

• U23 skiathlon World Champion 2015 in Almaty (Kazakhstan)
• Over 20 Top 10 World Cup rankings since 2014
• Two Olympic diplomas at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea
• 6th in the 2015 World Cup in Falun (Sweden)
• 4th in the 2017 WC in Lahti (Finland)
• 7th in the 2019 WM in Seefeld (Austria)
• Three Swiss championship titles (2014 in Leysin, 2015 in Kandersteg and 2016 in Zweisimmen)