Featured Image: Provided by Emma Carrick-Anderson
In the second episode of the new top ten series on the Skiing is Believing podcast, brought to you by Ski Racing Media, Alan Rigg and Matt Garcka welcomed former British World Cup racer, Emma Carrick-Anderson, back to the show. Together, they discussed their top ten current female racers.
Great Stories
Matt, Alan, and Emma chatted about some of the best moments from last season. Carrick-Anderson shares intriguing stories from the time she has spent training with her sons, Luca, Zak, and Freddy, this season. The likes of Lara Colturi and Zrinka Ljutic were involved in the conversation; they’ve also trained alongside Team Carrick-Smith at some stage in the season.
Additionally, they reminisced on memories from their time with some of the very best on the circuit. A standout moment from the episode was their discussion of Mikaela Shiffrin’s incredible success. Despite battling injuries this past season, she reached a remarkable milestone with her 100th World Cup win in Sestriere and has continued to deliver world-class performances on the slopes.
You’ll also hear some of Emma’s unforgettable moments from the TNT Sports commentary booth over the last couple of seasons and how she has enjoyed watching everyone on the top 10 list.
Current Legends
Despite the advancing age of some of the top competitors, the current women’s tour remains incredibly strong. Federica Brignone, now 35, claimed the overall title and three discipline globes. Lara Gut-Behrami, at 34, secured the Super-G globe, while 32-year-old Sara Hector continues to perform at an elite level. Together, these athletes represent a new step in women’s ski racing, proving that it’s not only possible but increasingly common to be at the top of the sport well into your 30s.
Matt, Alan, and Emma took a deeper dive into successful highlights during the 2024/25 season. A standout performance they spoke about was Lindsey Vonn, who finished off an incredible comeback season with a second-place finish in the Sun Valley Super-G at the FIS World Cup finals.
Future Contenders
They shared their thoughts on the current stars who could potentially be part of this conversation in the future, with Emma Aicher coming close to a place on the list. Emma Carrick-Anderson, as one of the best British female racers of all time, also told the listeners her opinion on the current strength of the younger racers like Lara Colturi and Lauren Macuga. These are some of the racers that they emphasized would be considered for the list in the future.
This is the second episode of the Skiing is Believing podcast’s new top ten series, so stay tuned for more. Next week, join Matt and Alan with one of the world’s best sports psychologist. Follow the podcast throughout the off-season on Instagram and YouTube at @skiingisbelievingpodcast, and feel free to reach out to the podcast with feedback, advice, or any questions at any time using mattgarcka.skiingisbelieving@gmail.com.
About the Author: Matt Garcka
