Benjamin Karl

Benjamin Martin Karl (born 16 October 1985) is an Austrian professional snowboarder and one of the most accomplished snowboarder racers in history. Over the course of his career, he has made over 215 World Cup starts, collecting 58 podium finishes including 27 victories, and won the overall World Cup title three times. He is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, five-time World Champion, and has been a salaried athlete of the Austrian Armed Forces since 2004. His 2026 Winter Olympics gold medal in parallel giant slalom made him the oldest male individual gold medalist in Winter Olympics history, at 40 years and 115 days of age.

In the 2004–05 season, Karl won the Junior World Championship in parallel giant slalom, the overall European Cup title, and the Austrian national title in both parallel slalom and parallel giant slalom.

At the 2011 World Championships in La Molina, Spain, Karl won gold in both the parallel giant slalom and the parallel slalom, becoming double World Champion. He successfully defended his parallel slalom title from 2009. Just eight days later, this record was surpassed by 41-years old American bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor who won gold medal in the women's monobob event.

In November 2025, Karl announced that the 2025–26 season would be his last, stating: "This will definitely be my last season." He expressed his intention to end his career at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics after more than two decades at the top of the sport.

On 29 April 2022, Karl was convicted of negligent homicide at the Zell am See District Court. A court expert testified that the accident would have been avoidable had Karl obeyed the speed limit, and that following the principle of driving on sight would have required a speed of only 65 km/h. Karl expressed remorse, saying "I am incredibly sorry", and accepted full responsibility. He was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, suspended on probation. The verdict was not yet legally binding at the time of sentencing, as the prosecutor reserved the right to appeal for a harsher penalty.