Finlay Mickel has announced his retirement from international ski racing - despite the lure of next year's Winter Olympics.

The 31-year old has been part of the British team for 13 years but has seen his promising career stalled by injuries for the past two years.

He competed at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, finished in the top ten of the demanding Wengen World Cup and had been hopeful of competing in Vancouver next year.

However, family commitments have forced him to think again.

"It's a happy and sad day for me," said Mickel, who won a sixth national downhill title earlier this year.

"I can look back on a very illustrious career and put myself in a small group of British skiers who have made it into the top ten in World Cup competitions - joining legends such as Konrad Bartelski and the Bell brothers.

"For the past two years my focus has been on recovering from injuries sustained at World Cup races.

"Coming back to racing this year and knowing the commitment required to get back to top flight racing and the risks you have to take to do it - I don't feel I can justify that anymore, especially now I have my two year-old son, Jenson, to consider.

"I want to be based at home more and be more involved with my young family".

Mickel now wants to work mentoring Britain's up and coming talent and his contribution was hailed by Graham Bell, Snowsport GB's alpine director


"His eleventh place at the World Championships on a very demanding course in Bormio proved Finlay could challenge the best in the world," he said.

"He was a consistent top thirty performer on the World Cup circuit. His knowledge and experience will be missed on the British Alpine Ski Team and we hope that he will continue his involvement for the foreseeable future."