Austrian · St. Pölten, Austria · Born 16 October 1985Austrian snowboarder and the most decorated parallel racer in the sport's history, who became the oldest individual gold medalist in Winter Olympics history at 40 by defending his parallel giant slalom title at Milan-Cortina 2026.
Benjamin Martin Karl was born on 16 October 1985 in St. Pölten, Lower Austria, and began skiing at two before switching to snowboarding at 15. A serious 1995 accident that fractured three of his thoracic vertebrae nearly ended his career before it began, but he returned within a month to win a regional title, and became a salaried athlete of the Austrian Armed Forces in 2004 to support his full-time training. Karl won the overall World Cup title in the 2007-08 season and claimed his first World Championship gold in parallel slalom in 2009. At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics he won silver in parallel giant slalom, and at the 2011 World Championships became a double champion by winning both parallel disciplines. He added a fourth World Championship gold in 2013, becoming the first snowboarder to defend a parallel giant slalom world title, and added a bronze at the Sochi 2014 Olympics. Karl's most remarkable achievements came late in his career: at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, aged 36, he won gold in parallel giant slalom to become Olympic champion for the first time, and at Milan-Cortina 2026, aged 40, he defended the title in a tense final against South Korea's Kim Sang-kyum, becoming the oldest individual gold medalist in Winter Olympics history at 40 years and 115 days - a record broken just eight days later by American bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor. The victory made him the first athlete ever to win four Olympic medals in snowboarding and a five-time World Champion overall. He announced his retirement after the 2026 Games, closing a 20-year career with 215 World Cup starts, 58 podiums, and 27 victories. Separately, in 2021 Karl was involved in a fatal road accident in Austria that killed another driver, for which he was convicted of negligent homicide in 2022.
Becoming the oldest individual Winter Olympics gold medalist in history at age 40, defending his parallel giant slalom title 20 years into his career
How They Played
Technically precise, tactically composed parallel racer known for consistency across two decades of World Cup competition
Lasting Impact
Widely regarded as the most successful Austrian male snowboarder and one of the greatest parallel racers ever, whose remarkable late-career longevity redefined expectations for competitive lifespan in the sport
Career Honours
- 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, Parallel Giant Slalom (2022, 2026)
- Oldest individual gold medalist in Winter Olympics history (40 years, 115 days)
- 5x World Champion in parallel events
- First snowboarder to win 4 Olympic medals
Austrian Athletes