Kyle Nissen of Canada looks up at the track during the training session Men's Aerials at the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics in Sauze d'Oulx, Italy, Tuesday Feb. 21, 2006. Nissen qualified seventh Monday for finals scheduled for Thursday Feb. 23. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)PETER DEJONG/The Associated Press
Two-time Olympian Kyle Nissen of Calgary has retired after a decade on the Canadian freestyle aerials ski team.
The 30-year-old won a dozen World Cup medals during his career, including two golds. He participated in four world championships and two Olympics.
Nissen finished fifth in both the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. He was ranked first heading into his final jump in Vancouver in February, but did not score well and dropped out of a podium finish.
"I haven't been missing the jumping at all," said Nissen. "The Games left a valley in my desire to ski. I wanted to see if once the pain of the Games wore off my desire would come back (and) it hasn't.
"That's not to say he doesn't miss other aspects of the sport. I already miss the travelling and the people."
Nissen's best season was 2006, when he finished second in the overall World Cup standings.
His teammate Steve Omischl of North Bay, Ont., also retired this summer after a career that included four world titles. Nissen will study computer science at the University of Calgary this fall.