‘I’ll be there’ – Dave Ryding is targeting what would be an incredible fifth Olympics in Milan-Cortina in 2026

He’s Britain’s most decorated Alpine skier, with numerous World Cup podiums to his name along with that famous win in Kitzbuhel in 2022 his career highlight. But an Olympic medal is missing from his trophy cabinet, and while that will be a tough ask in the twilight of his career with so much competition in the men’s slalom, the Brit certainly seems up for the challenge.

He’s just finished with his best-ever season’s ending result, a joint-seventh in the overall slalom standings in what was his 15th world cup season. Age seems to be no barrier to success for Ryding – but money might be, with UK Sport cutting the Alpine team’s funding for this Olympic cycle. It was a decision that clearly irked the likeable skier, and one he has been refuting with his performances.

“I’ve got over the hump now of the Olympic cycle,” he said. “I’ve done two years, it’s actually less than two years now to the Olympics. I’m still able to do seasons that are better than I’ve ever done before.

“If everything goes to plan, I’ll be there… I never looked back with ‘what ifs’ but, certainly, I’m out there to prove myself and to prove those people wrong, whether they deemed me unfundable.

“I really want to prove them wrong, to keep trying to show that I am worthy and I am still capable of doing these great results even though I am 37 now.”

By the time the next Olympics comes around, Ryding will be 39 years old but that is relatively youthful when you consider that Frenchman Johan Clarey won the men’s downhill in Beijing aged 41.

“I don’t really know, but I guess it’s something in the Northern grit,” said Ryding about how he is able to keep going.

“And just staying motivated, keeping on top of my body health-wise and I’ve done that for 20 years now, so maybe that’s paying off more so than, say, other athletes that haven’t taken care of themselves over the years as well as I have.”