Marie-Pier Prefontaine of Canada looks at her time following her second run during the women's giant slalom, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010, at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games in Whistler, B.C. Prefontaine has retired from the national alpine ski team after a 10-year career. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mathew McCarthy
Republished May 17, 2016 - 10:46 AM
Original Publication Date May 17, 2016 - 9:05 AM
CALGARY - Olympic alpine skiers Marie-Pier Prefontaine and Morgan Pridy announced their retirements from the Canadian team Tuesday.
Prefontaine, a 27-year-old from St-Sauveur, Que., raced for Canada in both the 2010 and 2014 Winter Games. Her best result was a 20th-place finish in super-G in 2014.
Pridy, from Whistler, B.C., placed 10th in men's super-G and 20th in super combined in 2014. The 25-year-old has been on the national team since 2011.
Prefontaine posted a career-best sixth in giant slalom at a World Cup in Austria in 2014. She was also part of the Canadian squad that won silver in the new mixed team event at the 2015 world championship.
Prefontaine says she feels lucky that injuries aren't the reason she's retiring after a 10-year career.
"I'm happy to be able to do it on my own terms,” she said Tuesday in a statement released by Alpine Canada. "I'm healthy. I qualified for the 2016-'17 team and I’m really happy with my career as a whole."
The two-time national champion in giant slalom founded her own ski scarf and bandana company while she was competing.
"When I was growing up, she was the best in Quebec and the girl to beat," said teammate Marie-Michele Gagnon. "I always looked up to her."
The retirements came just days after women's downhill specialist Larisa Yurkiw announced she was done ski racing. Alpine Canada unveiled its 18-member alpine ski team for next season on Monday.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2016