On Sunday, at the Livigno snow park, Claudia Riegler, in her fifth appearance at the Olympic Games, reached the round of 16 in the snowboarding parallel giant slalom, before being eliminated by the two-time Olympic champion of the event, Ester Ledecká, 22 years younger and just one second faster that day. However, the 52-year-old athlete did not let herself get discouraged. For Riegler, it's not the victory that makes her happiest, but rather the simple gliding on the track, cutting wide curves with the edge of the board. And in doing so again, she became the oldest athlete ever to participate in a Winter Olympics. “It was so fun,” said the Austrian snowboarder, before interrupting the interview for a moment, distracted by the audience's applause, according to a report from The Athletic. Riegler made his World Cup debut in 1994 and was given a Harley Davidson motorbike in 1999 as a reward for winning the parallel giant slalom. At the age of 30, a trainer told her that she was “too old” and that she would not win any races again. According to him, it was on a downward trajectory. “I’m going to do it alone,” Claudia said to herself at the time. And so, for the last 22 years, she has worked alone. “We set our own limits. I can still compete with these young talents”, said Riegler proudly, after the last race, at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Riegler competes in a sport that is not for the faint of heart. The parallel giant slalom demands speed and precision, with athletes descending side by side, weaving between gates on two almost identical courses. Over the years, little has changed, neither in his training nor in his nutrition. «I eat healthy, without McDonalds!», reveals the athlete whose main result was the world title in parallel giant slalom in 2015, in addition to having also won silver (parallel giant slalom) and bronze (parallel slalom) at the 2011 World Championships. Goodbye to the Olympic Games, but still with an eye on the World Cup The Austrian, who finished second in the World Cup in Yanqing, China, in 2024, trained as a neuro-mental coach, focusing on restructuring thought patterns and mentality. «I take very good care of my body, mind and soul», he assures. «I consider myself one of the girls here. It keeps me young. Someone has to show what is possible. Lindsey [Vonn] show it, Ester (Ledecká) shows it. We have to break down these barriers», he further argues. Despite still wanting to take part in the world championships at home in Austria next year, Milan-Cortina marked their last appearance at the Olympic Games.