Swiss ski veteran Cuche to retire at season's end

Veteran Swiss alpine ski racer Didier Cuche, the reigning World Cup downhill and Super-G champion, announced Thursday that he will retire at the end of the season. The 37-year-old, who won Olympic super-G silver in the 1998 Nagano Games and world gold in the same discipline in 2009, has enjoyed a stellar career. Cuche has six individual World Cup titles to his name (4 downhill - 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011; 1 super-G - 2011, 1 giant slalom - 2009), and 18 race victories dating back to January 1998. Despite his age, Cuche is still at the top of his game and topped training here on Wednesday in his hunt for a fifth downhill title at Kitzbuehel. He will be hoping for one last hurrah on the what is acknowledged is the toughest descent of the World Cup circuit, and another opportunity to show off his signature post-race kicking-off and catching of one of his skis.