Steamboat Springs, CO – Following this past Olympic season, a rash of athlete retirement announcements have been flowing from the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association offices in Park City, Utah. The latest is from Alex Glueck, as the Steamboat Springs-based athlete has announced his retirement with the U.S. Nordic Combined Team after nine seasons.n”Skiing was great, I really enjoyed it. I always did it because I enjoyed it, not because I was the best at it,” admitted a humble Glueck who, like many impressionable young children, flew into the world of ski jumping because his “friends did it.” Experiencing early success with a Junior Worlds medal, he quickly set his sights high aiming for the World Cup. In 2006, his goal became a reality, competing in the Sapporo, Japan World Cup.

“I was happy with the opportunities that the U.S. Ski Team gave – it definitely gave me chances,” explained Glueck. “I had a few highs in my career, but mostly not high enough. It was a good experience to have to fight for everything.”

Hard work and dedication were finally rewarded during the 2008 season when Glueck stomped his way into his first top-10 World Cup B finish since 2002, with a third place podium in a sprint in Lake Placid, N.Y. He expanded his success, scoring another World Cup B top-10 result finishing ninth in Hakuba, Japan.

“I learned a lot about leadership, how to deal with individual attitudes and goals, how to use each other to reach our individual goals and to support one another in doing so,” said Glueck.

Glueck is already looking forward. He recently received his associates degree and will be attending the University of Colorado at Denver in the fall, double majoring in philosophy and English literature. Following his undergraduate education, Glueck looks to jump right into getting a masters and PhD in philosophy with hopes of being a college professor.

Although he has the next five or six years planned out, Glueck still thinks back on fond memories of being a member of the U.S. Nordic Combined Team.

“I’m pretty proud of my last day on the hill. I knew that I was looking at the end of my career. I was able to have some of the best jumps I’ve had in weeks and was able to respond to my coaches,” said Glueck. “I was just happy to end on my home hill and enjoy it, skiing well enough where I was proud of the results.”