Veronika Aigner
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| Born | 13 February 2003 Neunkirchen, Austria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Austria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Alpine skiing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability | Visually impaired | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disability class | B2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Veronika Aigner (born 13 February 2003) is an Austrian visually impaired para alpine skier. She won two gold medals at the 2022 Winter Paralympics.[1]
Early life
Veronika Aigner was born with a visual impairment in 2003 to parents Petra, who is also visually impaired,[2] and Christian Aigner. She was raised on the family farm in Gloggnitz in the Neunkirchen District of Austria with her four siblings.[3][4] She began skiing before the age of two.[5]
Career
Aigner began competing in para alpine skiing when she was nine. She made her world cup debut in the 2018-19 season,[5] competing with her guide and sister, Elisabeth at the World Cup in Zagreb, Croatia in January 2019. At only 15, Aigner was too young to compete in that year's World Para Alpine Skiing Championships. She won five gold medals in the 2018-19 World Cup season and the season's Crystal Globe in slalom. Aigner won six races at the start of the 2019-20 season, but had an injury that, in combination with the COVID-19 pandemic, ended her season early.[3]
In the first race of the 2020-21 World Cup season in Veysonnaz, Aigner won four of her five races.[6] She tore a ligament and meniscus in both knees in January 2021 while training, ending her season; she was then in a car accident in November 2021 and was unable to compete in the 2022 World Championships. As such, the giant slalom at the 2022 Winter Paralympics was her first race of the season.[7] Aigner won gold medals in the giant slalom VI and slalom VI events at the 2022 Paralympics.[8][9]
Aigner won gold in slalom and giant slalom at the 2023 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships.[10] She and her guide, Elisabeth, were awarded the Breakthrough Award at the 2023 PARA SPORT Awards.[5] Aigner won gold in slalom and giant slalom at the 2025 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Maribor.[11][12]
Personal life
Aigner's siblings, twins Barbara, and Johannes, are both visually impaired para skiers.[13] Her older sister, Elisabeth, is Aigner's sighted guide.[4]
References
- ^ "Alpine Skiing Results Book" (PDF). 2022 Winter Paralympics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ "Keeping it in the family – Aigner twins join the dynasty". International Paralympic Committee. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Aigner sisters make skiing family proud". International Paralympic Committee. 27 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ a b Waldstein, David (13 March 2022). "The Skiing Aigners Are a Nation Unto Themselves". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "PARA SPORT Awards: Veronika Aigner wins Breakthrough Award with guide Elisabeth". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Rowbottom, Mike (19 February 2021). "Germany and Aigner family the big winners at Leogang Para Alpine Skiing World Cup". Inside the Games. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Winter Paralympics: Veronika and Elisabeth Aigner win skiing gold in Beijing". BBC Sport. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Veronika Aigner". paralympic.org. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Golden family: Aigner siblings achieve Paralympic glory". paralympic.org. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Espot 2023 FIS Para Alpine World Ski Championships: Slalom (Women) Official ranking" (PDF). FIS. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Veronika Aigner holt zum WM-Abschluss Gold im Slalom". NÖN.at (in German). 11 February 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Veronika Aigner gewinnt Slalom-Kristallkugel". www.bmi.gv.at. 24 March 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Keeping it in the family – Aigner twins join the dynasty". paralympic.org. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.