Valentin Giraud-Moine has announced his retirement from Alpine skiing ©Getty Images

French Alpine skier Valentin Giraud-Moine has announced his retirement at the age of 29.

Giraud-Moine earned two downhill podium finishes at the Alpine Skiing World Cup during his career as he took silver in Kvitfjell in 2016 and in Kitzbühel a year later.

The Frenchman, who had been part of his country's elite Alpine squad for 13 years, also won downhill bronze at the 2013 Junior World Championships in Quebec.

Giraud-Moine suffered a serious injury in a downhill race in the German resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in January 2017, forcing him to spend a prolonged spell on the sidelines.

The 29-year-old was unable to match his form from early on in his career after suffering a serious injury in 2017 ©Getty Images
The 29-year-old was unable to match his form from early on in his career after suffering a serious injury in 2017 ©Getty Images

After completing his rehabilitation, Giraud-Moine endured a difficult return to the World Cup circuit but found success in the lower-tier European Cup.

He topped the European Cup downhill rankings in 2020 and finished 14th in what proved to be his final race in Val d’Isère in December.

"The President of the French Ski Federation, Anne-Chantal Pigelet Grevy, the national technical director, Fabien Saguez, as well as all the sports and administrative staff of the Federation would like to thank Valentin for his career as a high-level athlete and for the spirit and tenacity he has shown throughout these years," the French Ski Federation said in a statement.