Former moguls world champion and four-time Winter Olympian Britt Cox has announced her retirement from the sport.
In a statement on social media on Tuesday, the 27-year-old said it was "a really tough decision" but that she has "recently felt a pull towards other passions" that she wants to pursue.
"Whilst I'm hanging up my competitive ski boots, I will remain closely involved in the world of sport as I chase my dreams of communicating the amazing stories and lessons that sport has for us all through the media, as well as mentoring young athletes," she said.
"There are far too many people to thank for the roles they have played in my career, but for now I just want to say thanks to the sport for being my love from the very beginning.
"[F]or giving me dreams and purpose, for teaching me the value of hard work, effort and resilience, for showing me the world and the amazing people that exist within it, for giving me a whole extra family, and for helping me discover my true values.
At 15, Cox was the youngest athlete at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, and has appeared at every Winter Games since then.
The Victorian won Australia's first women's world cup moguls medal when she finished third at the 2011/12 freestyle skiing tournament, which she followed up with another bronze the following season.
But 2016/17 was her real breakout moment, bagging seven gold medals across various competitions to equal the record held by former Olympic great Alisa Camplin.
She subsequently became the first Australian women to win the Crystal Globe for women's moguls — the Grand Slam of women's freestyle skiing — after dominating in various disciplines including moguls, aerials, ski cross, slopestyle, half-pipe and big air.
Cox's career almost came to a premature end in 2019 when a horror crash in China saw her break six ribs and a collarbone.
But after intense physical rehabilitation, she was able to work her way back onto Australia's winter roster for the Beijing Winter Olympics earlier this year, where she made the superfinal alongside countrywoman and world champion Jakara Anthony but missed out on a medal.
