The 35-year-old broke the news on social media, revealing she will hang up her rifle before the 2023 World Championships in Oberhof, which had been in the German's sights before her pregnancy. 

"I had a dream, I had a goal and I had a plan on the way to Biathlon Oberhof... and then life intervened," Hildebrand wrote.

"Now I'm looking forward to the new tasks that await me as a mother next year."

Hildebrand enjoyed the majority of her World Championship success in the women's relay, winning gold medals in 2015 and 2017 in Kontiolahti and Hochfilzen.

Sandwiched between the two events were a bronze medal in the women’s relay and a silver medal in the mixed relay in 2016 in Oslo.

Hildebrand competed at the Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics.

The German's best result at the Olympics was eighth in the women's relay at Pyeongchang 2018.

On the Biathlon World Cup circuit, Hildebrand achieved 30 podium finishes, including 14 victories.