Dave Ryding exclusive: Brit welcomes podium battle with youngsters despite age gap – ‘I still believe’

Great Britain’s Dave Ryding says he still believes he has what it takes to compete for podium places with the young guns in the Ski World Cup despite recently turning 36.

Ryding finished 23rd in the opening slalom race of the 2022/23 season in Val d’Isere on Sunday, dropping down from ninth after a mistake at the start of his second run.

But the Brit, who celebrated his latest birthday less than a week earlier, told Eurosport that he believes age is no barrier to him achieving some good results in the coming months.

“Like always, I just want to compete with the best in the world. If my best skiing gets me a top 10 or a podium then that’s great,” said Ryding.

“I still believe I can do it. Even though I’m 36, I still believe I can match the young guys, otherwise I wouldn’t do it.

“In the first run I was in the mix, just the second I made a mistake. The skiing is there, we’ve just got to keep going.”

Norway’s 22-year-old Lucas Braathen took gold in Val d’Isere, with Manuel Feller of Austria and Loic Meillard of Switzerland joining him on the podium.

Ryding put in a strong first run to raise hopes of a top-10 finish or better.

But he lost – and then regained – control at the start of his second run and the mistake cost him precious seconds as he tumbled down the standings.

“It was intense, difficult. The snow, everything today,” he said.

“I was trying, I thought I had a good rhythm at the top. And then I tried to let my skis go maybe one or two gates too soon and I got this ejection from the piste and then it was over.

“I knew it was over but I tried to ski well to the finish, but not my day today.”

Next on the World Cup calendar is Madonna di Campiglio in Italy on 22 December.

“I’ll just do some training. I’m in good shape, my body’s good, everything is fine,” he said.

“I just have to keep pushing and keep fighting. That’s the game in slalom, one day you can be 20th, the next day you can win.

“Stay strong in the head, keep pushing in the body and go to Madonna.”

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