The Olympian Ander Mirambell and pioneer of skeleton in Spain has announced his retirement as a pilot to start a new stage as a coach, at the same time as sports director of the Spanish federation.
The 39-year-old Catalan is hanging up his sled and helmet after fourteen seasons in the sport, in which he has participated in four Winter Olympic Games (Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, Pyeongchang 2018 and Beijing 2022) and eleven World Championships.
As announced by his press agency, Ander Mirambell’s new professional challenge will be to manage Belgian rider Kim Meylemans and to accompany future skeleton talents in Spain as sports director of the Royal Spanish Ice Sports Federation.
Considered the pioneer of skeleton in Spain, Mirambell began his journey in 2005 in the ranks of the Club Atletismo Calella (Barcelona) with the dream of participating in the Winter Olympic Games, recalls Efe.
His perseverance was rewarded and, after creating a structure completely from scratch, he was able to compete against teams with more tradition and budget in skeleton.
Many thanks
Ander Mirambell made the announcement of his farewell on Tuesday at an event on the Barceloneta beach in Barcelona.
« I feel this moment not as a farewell, but as an opportunity to thank everyone for their efforts to achieve these results. I feel like the runner who crosses the finish line and embraces his family, who are waiting for him. I would have loved to say goodbye at the World Cup in Saint Moritz, my favourite circuit, but my personal future and that of skeleton in Spain ask me to leave the luge behind », said Mirambell, according to the statement sent to the media.
« I would like to thank, in particular, Bernat Buscà, my long-time physical trainer and much more than a friend; the professionals of the CAR of Sant Cugat; my coaches, Ueli, Mickey, Martin Rettl and Richard Bromley; all my rivals and teammates of all these years, who have been my family for many months each season; the different professionals of the IBS, who have been my family for many months each season; to the different professionals of the IBSF; to the institutions that have allowed skeleton to be where it is (REFDH, CSD and COE); and to my friends and communication managers, Alberto Montenegro and Cristian Mestres. But, above all, to my family, without whom none of this would have been possible », concluded the former skeleton pilot.
