Coulet, AJ Ginnis, Vietze / GEPA pictures
AJ Ginnis pushed out of the Olympic start gate in Bormio one final time — not to chase a result, but to close a chapter on his own terms.
The 31-year-old slalom specialist, born to a Greek father and American mother, announced his retirement ahead of the 2026 Olympic slalom. In a gesture of respect for his unique contributions to the sport, organizers granted him the privilege of a ceremonial farewell descent with bib 31 during the first run. As a result, he slid through the finish to sustained applause, ending one of alpine skiing’s most compelling underdog stories.
“I am overwhelmed with emotion,” Ginnis told Eurosport. “My skiing career comes to an end today at the world’s biggest stage and I couldn’t be happier. Pushing out of the start gate, it’s like a temple. I was just thinking about my career, what ski racing has meant to me, the coaches on the side, the relationships I’ve built over the years. It was a magical feeling.”
Vermont Roots, Global Ambitions
Alexandros Joannis “AJ” Ginnis began his FIS career representing the United States. As a graduate of Green Mountain Valley School in Waitsfield, Vermont, he built his foundation there as a slalom specialist with elite-level quickness and aggression.
His first major international breakthrough came in 2015, when he earned bronze at the FIS Junior World Alpine Championships, finishing behind Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway and Marco Schwarz of Austria — two names that continue to dominate the World Cup tour.
However, Ginnis’ career was never smooth.
Early Setbacks and a Relentless Mindset
From the beginning, knee injuries followed him. His first ACL tear came in La Parva, Chile, while training downhill as an entry-level athlete on the U.S. Ski Team. Although the injury was severe, his reaction was immediate.
His first question to his coach was simple: When will I be back?
That mindset ultimately defined him.
Through multiple knee surgeries and setbacks, Ginnis rebuilt himself again and again. Physically, the toll was real; mentally, his belief never wavered. Because of that resilience, he continued to chase the world’s best.
A Turning Point — and a Bold Decision
When the U.S. Ski Team dropped its World Cup men’s slalom program, Ginnis faced a crossroads. Rather than step away, he returned to college racing and skied for Dartmouth during the 2020 season, maintaining intensity while reassessing his path forward.
That decision became the bridge to reinvention.
For the 2021 season, Ginnis officially began his Greek World Cup journey. To lead the effort, he turned to a trusted friend from his Green Mountain Valley School days — Sandy Vietze. Their connection ran deep, built on years of shared training and racing. Vietze, who himself skied one World Cup race for the United States, understood firsthand what it takes to compete at the highest level.
However, skiing for Greece required far more than switching flags.
Without the infrastructure of a major federation, Ginnis was not only the sole athlete on the program — he also had to manage the team and secure sponsorship support. Logistics, budgets, equipment partnerships, travel planning — much of it ran through him. In many ways, he operated as both CEO and racer.
Building Something From Nothing
The project began lean and ambitious.
Midway through that 2021 season, Vietze brought in his best friend from the University of Vermont Catamount ski team — Gaby Coulet of Chamonix, France — to help strengthen the operation. Coulet’s calm approach and experience proved extremely valuable, particularly when it came to supporting both Ginnis and Vietze.
Although resources were limited, the structure steadily improved.
By 2023 — the season that would redefine Ginnis’ career — after a season away, Coulet returned to the staff, reinforcing the small but committed team. Meanwhile, Vietze carried an enormous workload. He tuned skis late into the night, set courses, prepared training lanes, and managed race-day execution. The margins in slalom are razor-thin, and he attended to every detail.
Together, they built something from scratch. Traveling light but thinking big, the group maximized every opportunity. In that environment of loyalty, trust, and relentless work, AJ’s talent flourished.
Historic 2023 Season
The breakthrough came in February 2023 in Chamonix. Starting with bib 45, Ginnis exploded in the second run, climbing from 23rd to finish second — thereby earning the first alpine World Cup podium in Greece’s history.
Soon after, at the 2023 FIS World Championships, the men’s slalom unfolded in Courchevel on L’Éclipse — a demanding venue that rewards strength and fearless execution. There, Ginnis delivered again. He secured a historic slalom silver medal behind Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, cementing himself among the discipline’s elite. For Ginnis, it remains the defining competitive moment of his career.
Moreover, he qualified for the World Cup Finals in both 2023 and 2024, proof that his success was not a one-week surge but sustained excellence built through years of persistence.
In a dramatic snowstorm at Palisades Tahoe, shortly after the World Championships, he appeared to win his first World Cup race by leading in combined time. However, a straddled control gate — confirmed by the jury — erased what would have been another landmark result.
Even so, history had already been made.
Injuries Return
Despite the success, knee issues never fully disappeared. Ultimately, one surgery too many — combined with lingering complications from his most recent procedure — forced a difficult decision.
He competed in only one World Cup race after November 2024, which came in Levi in November 2025. Meanwhile, the physical demands of modern slalom — strength, timing, and the ability to push at the limit without hesitation — require total confidence in the body. Over time, Ginnis no longer felt he had that.
Ahead of the Olympic race, he shared the reality.
“Tomorrow (February 16), at the Olympic Games, I will push out of the starting gate for the final time,” he wrote on Instagram. “Complications from my last surgery won’t allow me to compete at the level this sport demands. That is a reality I have had to accept.”
He added: “I won’t be attacking the gates one last time. Instead, I have been given the opportunity to leave the start gate and slide down and finish my career on my terms. And for that, I am deeply grateful.”
“Tomorrow isn’t about the clock or the results. It’s about gratitude. It’s about respect for the sport that shaped my life. It’s about finishing the journey where every athlete dreams of standing.”
A Career That Bridged Nations
Throughout his career, Ginnis carried a Mediterranean nation — one not traditionally associated with elite alpine skiing — onto one of the sport’s biggest podiums. At the same time, he remained deeply respected within the U.S. ski community that helped shape him.
To many, he was still one of their own.
“I was hoping to be a contender at these Games,” Ginnis said. “But I’m very thankful to the organisers and everybody that allowed me to take this opportunity to have my last run down in this monumental event. I’m just very thankful.”
Ultimately, his legacy is not only medals and podiums. Instead, it is resilience. It is independence. It is the willingness to build a World Cup program from scratch and push himself back to the top after devastating setbacks.
From La Parva to Courchevel. From Vermont to Greece. From ACL tears to Olympic farewell.
AJ Ginnis leaves the sport as a World Cup podium finisher, a World Championship silver medalist, and one of the most determined slalom racers of his generation.
The tour will miss him.
About the Author: Matt Garcka
