Age just a number for Olympic champ Karl

LIVIGNO, Italy — Veteran Austrian snowboard star Benjamin Karl said thoughts of retirement can wait after he retained his Olympic men's parallel giant slalom title, before throwing himself half-naked onto the snow on Sunday.

The 40-year-old stripped to the waist and flopped to the ground after overcoming South Korea's Kim Sang-kyum in a thrilling final at Livigno Snow Park during the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.

"I had no mistakes. Nothing. I found the perfect line, the snow conditions were amazing, we couldn't have it better. So it was really fun.

"We have four runs, it was really long, we are sweating full gas — it's like you're coming out from the sauna," he said. "I wanted to lay longer in the snow to cool down."

Karl is now the most decorated snowboarder in Olympic history, with two gold medals, a silver and a bronze in his collection.

The Austrian said it was too early to say whether this would be his final season in the sport.

"I was thinking about it many times last week," he said. "There are some things I can do after snowboarding and I will think about it after the season.

"But, maybe, I come back for cyclocross in four years for the next Olympic Games."

"I started cycling," he added. "And there is the motivation. Because then I'm the underdog again. And I like to be an underdog."

Cyclocross has been suggested as a possible addition to the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps.

Karl said his future in snowboarding hinged on his internal drive.

"If the motivation is high, if I can give anything to the sport," he said."I don't want to be just one of the riders, I want to be the best.

"Since I was 10, I always wanted to be the best. And I'm not a good loser. I reached so much. You have to do so much to be on top."

He added: "You saw me with my naked body. And I think you can be in super good shape until 40, and maybe until 50."

Karl said his dramatic celebration was in honor of Austrian skiing great Hermann Maier.

"My upper body free session was about a tribute to Hermann Maier," he said. "He did it once and he was always a big idol for me.

"And I always wanted to do it, and I waited a long time to do this.