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A photo dated 10 March 2004 showing Italian skier Isolde Kostner in Sestriere. Italian Olympic hope Isolde Kostner announced her retirement from Alpine skiing on Tuesday 10 January 2006 after discovering she was pregnant with only a month to go before the Turin Games. Isolde had been Italy's flagbearer at 2002 Salt Lake City Games. Her cousin, iceskater Carolina Kostner, will be Italy's flagbearer in Turin. 'My career as a skier finishes here', the 30-year-old said in a statement on her personal website. 'I won't take part in the Olympics because I'm expecting a baby and therefore my next big challenge will be to become a mother rather than to chase the gold medal'. Kostner won downhill silver in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and was also bronze medallist in downhill and super-G at Lillehammer in 1994. The most successful Italian woman downhill racer, with World Cup titles in the discipline in 2001 and 2002, she was also a two-times super-G world champion. (KEYSTONE/EPA/ONORATI/FERRINI)