Olympic skiing champion Hermann Maier of Austria has announced his retirement.

Maier won gold at the 1998 Nagano Olympics in the giant slalom and Super-G. He won 54 World Cup races and was a four-time overall World Cup champion.

The 36-year-old Maier, nicknamed "The Herminator," underwent knee surgery in March.

"My body is surprisingly good," Maier said Tuesday, "[but] after a few days of consideration I have come to the decision to draw a line and finish my career as a skier."

Maier was heavily favored to win the downhill at the 1998 Nagano Games, but crashed during his run. He came back a few days later to capture gold in the giant slalom and Super-G.

A motorcycle accident in August of 2001 kept him out of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. He returned in 2004 to capture the overall World Cup crown.

Maier won a bronze medal in the giant slalom at the 2006 Olympics in Torino and added a silver in the Super-G. His final race victory came last November at the Super-G in Alberta.

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