Julia Mancuso dons Wonder Woman costume to mark retirement

Julia Mancuso, the most decorated U.S. Olympic female alpine athlete, marked her retirement by completing her final run in a Wonder Woman costume Friday in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Mancuso, 33, graced the podium in 36 of her 399 FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup outings, while also claiming four Olympic and five World Championship medals during her career.

Hip problems prevented Mancuso from qualifying for a fifth Games in Pyeongchang, prompting her to announce her retirement at the venue of her first World Cup podium in 2006.

Mancuso, whose run was accompanied by the Wonder Woman theme tune through the public address system, finished last of those who completed the course.

Sofia Goggia edged another U.S. skiing legend in Lindsey Vonn to win the ladies' downhill race.

“It has been an epic battle with my hip injury, and the past three years I have put everything into returning to competition at the highest level and the goal to reach my fifth Olympic Games,” Mancuso said in a statement (via USA Today). “There have been really promising days during this challenging process, and I have kept my spirits up despite many who questioned or doubted me. Sadly, I haven’t found the progression to compete with the best in the world again, but I’m proud to have fought until the very end. It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to ski racing, but I do so with a full heart.”

Mancuso will serve as part of NBC’s broadcast crew during the Winter Games next month in South Korea.