Dave Ryding dedit scaled

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Patrick Thorne

12 Jun 25

Dave Ryding Confirms Aim to Compete at 2026 Winter Olympics

Patrick Thorne

12 Jun 25

Dave Ryding, the only British skier to win an Alpine World Cup race, has confirmed his intention to retire at the end of the 2025/26 season after aiming to compete in his fifth Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina in February next year.

Having established himself as one of Britain’s finest winter sport athletes over the course of his career, Ryding (38) made history in January 2022 with victory at the Kitzbuhel Slalom World Cup, one of seven career World Cup podiums to date.

“Competing internationally, representing my country on the World Cup circuit, and going to four Olympic Games so far has been the privilege of a lifetime. I’ve always said that I’d only carry on for as long as I think I can perform to my best level, and making this decision now frees me up to give one last push to try and go one step further over the next season,” said Ryding, adding, “I know I’ve still got it in me to perform at the top of my game, but I’m also really aware that I’m at a different stage in life than I was even a few years ago. I’ve had the most incredible support along the way from so many people, but nobody more than my family, and making this decision now is also about making a decision to prioritise time with the people I love in the years to come.

In a career packed full of record-breaking achievements, Ryding also boasts three World Championships top 10 finishes including a sixth place in the 2025 World Championships which marked Britain’s best Men’s Alpine World Championships result since 1934, and two Olympic top 10 finishes from the 2018 PyeongChang Games with ninth in the Slalom and fifth in Team Parallel.

Long recognised as the standard bearer for British Alpine skiing, Ryding’s 2024/25 season saw him record three World Cup top-10 finishes in Gurgl (seventh), Val d’Isere (ninth), and Alta Badia (eighth) alongside World Championships sixth place, which will see him enter his final season on the international circuit as Britain’s highest ranked Alpine skier ahead of World Cup squad teammates Laurie Taylor and Billy Major.

The provisional 2026 Alpine World Cup schedule is scheduled to see Levi, Finland, host the first of the season’s Slalom World Cup races on 16 November. This season has ten scheduled Slalom World Cup races before the World Cup Finals in Lillehammer, Norway, on 21-25 March 2026.

“I’m so grateful for all the support I’ve received along throughout my racing career, from the fans, teammates, sponsors, the media, and everyone who’s helped me live out my dream over the past fifteen years. I hope in doing that, I’ve also showed for other Brits that you can do what I did, start out on the dry slopes, work hard, and make it to the top,” added Ryding, concluding, “There’ll be time to reflect as the year goes on, but for now I’m just focused on getting my head down, training hard this summer, and making sure I’m in the best possible shape to go out with a bang this season. It’s been one hell of a journey, and I’ve loved every second of it. Now it’s time to make this final season a special one.”

Dave Ryding Career Highlights