British slalom veteran Dave Ryding expects a completely open race in this Monday’s Olympic race (16) and bet on a “softer” route to say goodbye to his fifth and final Olympics in style.
At 39, Ryding — the most successful British skier in World Cup historyafter the landmark victory in Kitzbuehel, in 2022 — arrived in Bormio this week determined to achieve his .
“It’s going to be a very open race on Monday. I think we’re going to see some names that are going to surprise. I hope to be one of them,” Ryding told Reuters. “If the snow conditions are good, I think it will be a very open race and fun to watch.”
Although the legendary Stelvio track in Bormio is known for its difficult downhill races, the section used for the slalom is relatively flat compared to the usual World Cup layouts.
Ryding learned to ski on a plastic slope in Pendle, Lancashire, and only competed on real snow when he was 12. He debuted at the 2010 Vancouver Games, and his best individual result was ninth place at Pyeongchang 2018.
The Briton watched on television, last Monday, the slalom leg of the combined team race, held at the same location as this Monday’s race. Despite this, he believes that gatekeepers should tighten the route, after many athletes classify the route as easy.
“I watched the team combine and, with all due respect to the track I’m going to race on on Monday — without wanting to jinx it or put some kind of ‘voodoo’ on it — it’s a calmer track than the ones we normally compete on,” said Ryding, known as “The Rocket”.
“I was thinking about what they had set up. There weren’t many changes in direction. It was actually surprising how simple the route was.”
He considers, however, that the scenario must change in the official test. “I imagine it won’t be exactly like that, as it’s the official slalom. But we’ll see.”
According to Ryding, on a track like this, the experience can weigh less than in traditional locations like Wengen or Kitzbuehel, known for their more demanding terrain. “Here it’s much more about skiing at full speed. Younger people maybe have a little more agility than the old fox”, he joked.
Great Britain has only had an athlete on the Olympic alpine skiing podium once: Alain Baxter finished third in the 2002 Salt Lake City slalom. However, the bronze was later withdrawn after the athlete tested positive for a banned substance.
