Three-time Olympian Belle Brockhoff announces retirement weeks before Winter Games
Updated . First published
Three-time Australian Olympian Belle Brockhoff has announced her retirement from elite snowboard cross, just 21 days before the 2026 Winter Games.
Her retirement marks the end of a 16-year international career, which includes 17 World Cup podiums and four victories, as well as a 2021 mixed team World Championship alongside Jarryd Hughes.
Brockhoff was aiming to qualify for next month's Milano-Cortina Games.
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Australia’s Belle Brockhoff competes at Genting Snow Park. Getty
Last March, Brockhoff suffered a serious back injury during a high-speed crash in a World Cup race in Georgia.
Brockhoff fractured her L1 vertebra and was airlifted from the course to the nation's capital of Tbilisi before being medically evacuated to Greece for surgery.
At the time, Brockhoff had only just returned to the World Cup circuit after undergoing surgery on her arm for a compound fracture in November 2024.
In a statement posted to her Instagram on Friday, Brockhoff explained that the physical toll of her injuries and the realisation of her body's limitations led to her decision to retire from racing.
"Snowboarding has given me so much over the years — but above all, I'm most grateful for the lifelong friendships that have come from it," she said.
"To my teammates, rivals and the entire snowboard cross community — we have shared epic battles and unforgettable moments. You pushed me, inspired me, and made the sport better. You've all given this sport its heart."
After making her World Cup debut in parallel giant slalom in 2010, Brockhoff switched to snowboard cross in 2012 and soon became the first Australian woman to win a World Cup medal in the discipline.
The 33-year-old represented Australia across 63 World Cup starts, and at three World Championships and three Olympic Games: Sochi 2014, PyeongChang 2018, and Beijing 2022.
At Beijing 2022, Brockhoff was hospitalised after crashing during the heats of the mixed snowboard cross team race. Brockhoff received treatment for a sore neck.
Brockhoff comes from a prominent alpine family; her uncle Peter competed in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics, and her great-aunt Joyce was a national champion skier.
"They all sparked those first big dreams of what could be possible. Those childhood dreams, fuelled by hard work, curiosity, belief, and endless passion, carried me all the way here," Brockhoff said.
Belle Brockhoff at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Getty
Australian Winter Olympics Chef de Mission Alisa Camplin praised Brockhoff's career and acknowledged that her leadership would be missed at Milano-Cortina.
"Belle's relentless drive and determination throughout her career have been truly inspirational. She's an incredible athlete, and her experience and leadership will be missed as we head to the Milano Cortina Winter Games," she said in an Australian Olympic Committee statement.
"Her career really speaks for itself. Congratulations to Belle on setting an incredible benchmark for the future of Australian Women's Snowboard Cross. Hats off to a truly amazing career, and I wish her all the very best for what lies ahead."
