Dave Ryding / 2026 Olympics / GEPA pictures
On Monday, Feb. 15, British ski racing witnessed the final Olympic chapter of its most influential modern athlete.
At 39, Dave Ryding — the 2022 Kitzbühel slalom winner and the standard-bearer for British alpine skiing — finished 17th in his fifth Olympics, just behind teammate Billy Major in 16th. The result itself will not define him. The moment might.
Ryding said, “Four years ago, I think I said to everyone I would rather cry than be at the next Olympics. I took it year by year and then this year day by day, and I managed to give myself a chance. I wanted to stay in the fight.”
On a day marked by difficult conditions and Atle Lie McGrath’s heartbreaking DNF, the three-man British team once again showed its progress on the global stage. But the focus inevitably returned to Ryding, now 16 years removed from his Olympic debut — the athlete who proved Britain could win a World Cup slalom.
He added, “I think I was quoted as ‘I will ski race until my legs fall off,’ and I think they pretty much have. I have no regrets. I will never look back thinking ‘What if?’ I will never look back thinking ‘Did I stop too soon?’ I gave it my all until the last gate, and that is a representation of my career.”
The question remains whether Ryding will see out the final one, possibly two, races of the World Cup season.
“There is one more [World Cup race],” Ryding said. “I will see if I can get off the sofa. I need to go home and just relax. If it is it, it is a good way to go out with one last hurrah at the Olympics. I gave it everything I had.”
Major’s Second Olympics
Billy Major will go into next season as the British No. 2 slalom skier and a continued pillar of the program’s depth. Major recorded a 16th-place finish at the Olympics to go with a 15th-place result last year at the World Championships.
Major said, “I gave it everything. I went for an attacking mindset and unfortunately just made some mistakes in some really important areas. It cost me a lot.”
Major was 13th after the first run but was unable to carry that speed and execution into his second run.
Still, his performance reinforced Britain’s growing consistency in men’s slalom — no longer a one-man story, but a competitive trio.
Major and Taylor Reflect on Ryding
Regarding his teammates, Major said, “It is amazing to share these moments with Dave and Laurie. We are very close; we have built strong friendships over the years. I am proud of both of them as well.
“I said to him that today doesn’t define his career because he’s an absolute legend and he has inspired a whole nation of skiing. He has definitely inspired me. I am extremely grateful that I was able to work alongside him for so many years. We really pushed each other in the good and bad times, and that is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
On Ryding, Taylor said, “He’s a huge inspiration, and it’s going to be sad not being able to learn from him. We are all close friends, and he’s always there with advice, especially after tough days like this. I’m sure on a day like today he’ll have some words of wisdom for me.”
Major added, “He won Kitzbühel in 2022, and that is still the highlight of my career. Seeing Dave win and put Britain at the top spot, I will never forget that day. He has shown everyone in British skiing that anyone can do it with the right work and the right people around you.”
Taylor’s Thoughts
After a disappointing day at the office, Laurie Taylor said, regarding his own race, “Conditions were not that bad. It was a tough course with tricky and technical sections you needed to prepare for. A little bobble changes the line and makes those sections even trickier.”
He added, “The visibility was fine. The light was a bit flat, so the definition isn’t great. We compete in a lot worse than that. It’s been a great season, my first so far. But some days are hard on the World Cup circuit. We do this because it’s not easy, but we’ve got to be pushing.”
A Lasting Legacy
This four-year Olympic cycle has emphasized a significant change in British skiing and the role of the “smaller nation” in the sport. There were national and Olympic records throughout this competition alone.
From breakthrough World Cup results to Olympic top-20 finishes delivered by multiple athletes, British skiing has again moved from hopeful outsider to legitimate contender.
Regardless of what comes next, Dave Ryding’s pioneering Kitzbühel victory before the Beijing Games and his influence across more than a decade have permanently altered the trajectory of the sport in Britain.
He did more than win races. He shifted belief. And that legacy may endure far longer than any final result sheet.
About the Author: Matt Garcka
