Freddy Carrick-Smith’s 12th in Sölden Makes British GS History

Oct 28, 2026

Freddy Carrick-Smith / GEPA pictures

Freddy Carrick-Smith scored his first World Cup points in Sölden, finishing 12th in the 2026/27 men’s season-opening giant slalom. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen won the race with his fourth straight elite giant slalom victory. Carrick-Smith’s result gave Britain its first men’s World Cup GS top 30 since March 2022.

More than a result

Carrick-Smith’s twin brother Zak and elder brother Luca watched from the finish area. His mother, four-time British Olympian Emma Carrick-Anderson, remains his technician and watched from the wings. Freddy’s father, Phil Smith, remains watched from the top. Freddy heard him last before pushing out of the Rettenbach start gate.

This wasn’t just Freddy’s first World Cup points result. It also put Britain back on the giant slalom map. His family has worked nearly 20 years for this moment.

Speaking exclusively with the Skiing Is Believing podcast less than 24 hours after the race, Carrick-Smith said, “The whole family was there … and we were over the moon after the second run.”

The race itself

This was only Carrick-Smith’s fifth World Cup start and second in Sölden. He made his World Cup debut there 12 months earlier. He finished 54th after the first run, more than 1.6 seconds outside the top 30.

Carrick-Smith started with bib 46 and tied Norway’s Hans Grahl-Madsen for 21st after Run 1. “When I saw the 21st on the screen, I was happy and actually snapped my pole while celebrating,” he said.

He then produced the fifth-fastest second run and climbed nine places. The course had one speed trap before the final flat, measuring the speed racers carried into the closing stretch. Carrick-Smith posted the fastest reading in Run 1 at 82.20 km/h. His 80.20 km/h in Run 2 ranked second.

Carrick-Smith summed up what the result meant to him: “If you don’t enjoy the journey, you’re not going to enjoy the result.”

British history

Jeremy Palmer-Tomkinson’s ninth-place finish in Méribel, France, on March 10, 1968, remains Britain’s best men’s World Cup GS result. Carrick-Smith’s 12th was the country’s best in the discipline since then.

Charlie Raposo had Britain’s last men’s World Cup GS top 30 before Sölden. He finished 27th in Kranjska Gora on March 12, 2022, then placed 16th the next day.

Charlie Raposo reflects on history

Raposo was in Sölden on Sunday and told Ski Racing Media, “I’m very glad that someone has come along and taken that.”

Raposo also praised Carrick-Smith’s skiing and focus between runs: “It was super fun to watch. He was calm, super dialed and super focused between runs so super excited for him.”

Carrick-Smith also became the first British man to score World Cup points in Sölden. Chemmy Alcott remains Britain’s top finisher there, placing 10th in 2008.

Looking ahead

This result means the Carrick-Smith family’s schedule for late November and December now looks a little different. Freddy’s 12th-place finish opened a start opportunity for Zak at the men’s World Cup giant slalom in Copper Mountain, Colorado, on Nov. 29.

Before then, Freddy might make his World Cup slalom debut in Levi, Finland, on Nov. 15. Dave Ryding’s retirement after the 2026 Olympic Winter Games could create an opening alongside slalom specialists Laurie Taylor and Billy Major.

The dream season start

Freddy and Zak turn 20 in February. The Sölden result gives Freddy a chance, with limited pressure, to leave his footprint in the snow. It could also put two Carrick-Smith brothers on a World Cup start list together.

The next generation of British athletes is stepping up to the top level. Whether it’s Freddy, Luca or Zak, the Carrick-Smith name on the World Cup results sheet is one fans may have to get used to.

The Skiing Is Believing podcast also featured Carrick-Smith in its Sölden review show. Listen below on Spotify or YouTube, with special guests Britt Janyk and William St-Germain.

About the Author: Matt Garcka

Matt Garcka is the co-host of the Skiing is Believing podcast and an emerging voice in ski racing journalism. Introduced to the sport by his co-host and grandfather, Garcka began following alpine ski racing four years ago and quickly developed a deep passion for the World Cup circuit and the athletes who define it. That passion helped launch Skiing is Believing, now in its third series, where Garcka combines analysis, storytelling, and fan perspective to cover the sport. At just 16, he began building a career in sports journalism and hopes to one day become a senior ski racing commentator.

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