Michaela Dygruber has announced her retirement ©Getty Images

Austrian Alpine skier Michaela Dygruber has announced her retirement from the sport at the age of 25.

The slalom specialist made her debut on the European Cup circuit in 2015 before graduating to World Cup level in November 2018.

She finished third in the slalom at the Austrian Championships last year, with her best World Cup performance a 23rd-place result in Zagreb, Croatia in January 2019.

Her last World Cup outing was in Kranjska Gora in Slovenia in February, where she came home 26th.

"The last few years have been very instructive and I can look back on a great time," said Dygruber, an army athlete. 

Michaela Dygruber is a slalom specialist ©Getty Images
Michaela Dygruber is a slalom specialist ©Getty Images

"I would like to thank everyone who has accompanied me on this path. 

"In the last few weeks, however, I have noticed that the necessary passion is no longer there that is needed, among other things, to make it to the top. 

"It is therefore time to take a different path and face new challenges. 

"I would now primarily like to complete my business studies and then reorient myself."