The Austrian Ski Federation (ÖSV) has delivered a significant shake-up to its roster, confirming that Adrian Pertl, the 2021 World Championship silver medalist, has been excluded from the official national squad for the upcoming season.
The 29-year-old from Carinthia, once hailed as a rising pillar of the Austrian “Wunderteam,” failed to meet performance benchmarks during a 2025/26 World Cup campaign marred by injury and inconsistency.
The primary requirement for retaining a spot on the elite squad is a top-30 finish in the seasonal World Cup standings. Pertl, a slalom specialist, fell well short of this target. His season was defined by a series of DNQs (Did Not Qualify) and DNFs (Did Not Finish), with his only points-scoring performance being a 14th-place finish in Wengen.
Complicating his efforts were persistent back problems, which forced him to withdraw from three key races in the middle of the season.
“Of course, this is a major setback for me. It’s bitter, but I didn’t meet the requirements,” Pertl told the Krone newspaper. “It doesn’t feel like it’s all over—I want to try again with good preparation to make the leap back to the top.”
While Pertl has been granted permission to continue training with the ÖSV World Cup group to maintain his form, the privilege now comes with a personal price tag.
Training Fees: Pertl must now pay a deductible to cover his training costs, as he is no longer a fully funded federation athlete.
Military Contract: His future as a military athlete (Heeressportler)—a vital source of income and insurance for Austrian winter sports stars—remains in jeopardy. Without an official squad placement, extending his contract this summer will be a major hurdle.
Pertl’s Career at a Glance
Despite his recent struggles, Pertl’s resume remains one of the strongest in the Austrian technical camp:
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2021 World Championships (Cortina): Silver Medal in Slalom.
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2020 Chamonix World Cup: 3rd Place (Podium).
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Top 10s: Seven career finishes in the top 10 at the World Cup level.
Just last week, Pertl showed flashes of his potential by securing a bronze medal at the Austrian National Championships at Reiteralm, finishing behind Christoph Meißl and Joshua Sturm. For Pertl, the path back to the World Cup podium will now be a self-funded journey of resilience.