Niels Hintermann
DisciplinesDownhill, Super-G,
Combined
ClubHausen am Albis
Birth date5 May 1995 (age 31)
Birth placeBülach, Zürich, Switzerland
Height1.89 m
Wcdebut28 November 2015 (age 20)
Retired13 March 2026 (age 31)
Websitenielshintermann.ch
Olympicteams1 – (2022)
Olympicmedals0
Worldsteams3 – (2019, 2021, 2023)
Worldsmedals0
Wcseasons9 – (2016–2017, 2019–2024, 2026)
Wcwins3 – (2 DH, 1 AC)
Wcpodiums7 – (6 DH, 1 AC)
Wcoveralls0 – (13th in 2022)
Wctitles0 – (2nd in AC, 2017)
Show-medalsyes

Niels Hintermann (born 5 May 1995) is a Swiss World Cup alpine ski racer. Born in Bülach, Zürich, he specialized in the speed events of downhill and super-G.

Career

Hintermann made his World Cup debut at age 20 in November 2015 at Lake Louise, and was 40th in the downhill.[1] He scored his first World Cup points three weeks later at Val Gardena, at 29th place in the downhill. Hintermann won his first World Cup race (and first podium) the following season, in the combined at Wengen in January 2017.[2] In October 2024, Hintermann announced that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma, which is why he did not compete in any races during the 2024–25 World Cup season.[3] On 13 March 2026, Hintermann declared his immediate retirement, citing what he regarded as the excessive risks of the sport. He stated that before his last downhill races, he had suffered from panic attacks.[4] Since he had qualified by finishing among the top 25 in the 2026 downhill standings, race organizers at the World Cup Finals gave Hintermann a farewell run at Kvitfjell – the site of Hintermann's two downhill World Cup victories.[5]

World Cup results

Season standings

Season
AgeOverallSlalomGiant
slalom		Super-GDownhillCombined
201620122———4842
20172153——41372
201822injured; did not compete
20192369——552328
20202433———1219
20212593——5528rowspan=6
20222613——277
20232724——347
20242833——336
202529injured; did not compete
20263059———18

Race podiums

  • 3 wins – (2 DH, 1 AC)
  • 7 podiums – (6 DH, 1 AC), 27 top tens
Season
DateLocationDisciplinePlace
201713 January 2017   Wengen, SwitzerlandCombined1st
202218 December 2021Val Gardena, ItalyDownhill3rd
28 December 2021Bormio, ItalyDownhill3rd
4 March 2022  Kvitfjell, NorwayDownhill1st
5 March 2022Downhill3rd
202320 January 2023Kitzbühel, AustriaDownhill3rd
202417 February 2024  Kvitfjell, NorwayDownhill1st

World Championship results

Year
AgeSlalomGiant
slalom		Super-GDownhillCombined
201923———2123
202125———DNF—
202327———12—

Olympic results

Year
AgeSlalomGiant
slalom		Super-GDownhillCombined
202226———16—

References

  1. ^ "Niels Hintermann - Athlete Biography". FIS-ski.com. International Ski and Snowboard Federation. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  2. ^ Dunbar, Graham (13 January 2017). "Unheralded Swiss wins World Cup Alpine combined race". apnews.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 4 March 2026.
  3. ^ Breitenstein, Eva (9 October 2024). "Niels Hintermann ist an Lymphdrüsenkrebs erkrankt – seine Heilungschancen sind gut" [Swiss ski racer Niels Hintermann has been diagnosed with lymphoma – his chances of recovery are good.] (in German). Neue Zürcher Zeitung. Zürich: NZZ Mediengruppe. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  4. ^ "Per sofort - «Will Leben nicht riskieren»: Hintermann verkündet Rücktritt" ["I don’t want to risk my life": Hintermann announces his retirement] (in German). Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen. Bern: Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. 13 March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  5. ^ Schneemann, Julia (19 March 2026). "Ski Racer Announces Immediate Retirement: "Given a 2nd Lease on Life—I’m Not Willing to Risk That"". SnowBrains.com. Retrieved 20 March 2026.