Dave Ryding, the most accomplished alpine skier in British history, has announced he will retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
Nicknamed “The Rocket,” Ryding made history in 2022 by becoming the first Brit to win a World Cup alpine skiing event, claiming gold in the Kitzbühel slalom. In 2024, he delivered Britain’s best men’s World Championship result in 90 years by finishing sixth.
The upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina will be Ryding’s fifth and final appearance on the Olympic stage. Speaking to BBC Sport, the 38-year-old said, “I’m going all in for one last year to see what’s possible. It just feels like the right moment to stop my body’s still in great shape, I’m still competitive, and I want to bow out while I’m at the top.”
Remarkably injury-free for such a physically demanding sport, Ryding explained, “It’s rare to feel this good in skiing. I don’t want to reach a point mid-season where my legs give out. As long as I still have it in me, I’ll give everything I’ve got.”
Over his career, Ryding has earned seven World Cup podium finishes, the most notable being his landmark win in Austria. That triumph was a testament to his grit and perseverance values deeply rooted in his background. Unlike many of his peers, Ryding didn’t grow up on snow. His journey began on a dry slope in Pendle, Lancashire, when he was just six, and he didn’t regularly train on real snow until his teenage years.
Despite a late start, he broke through in his mid-20s, collecting his first World Cup points just before turning 26 and making his podium debut with a silver in Kitzbühel in 2017. His most recent World Cup medal a bronze came in Madonna di Campiglio in December 2023.
His Olympic best was ninth in PyeongChang in 2018, a result he believes doesn’t reflect his full potential. “I feel I’ve left something on the table at the Olympics,” he said, adding that his daughter Nina, nearly three years old, will be watching him compete for the final time in February.
For his last season, Ryding will continue training with fellow British skiers Billy Major and Laurie Taylor, who now carry the torch he lit. “It’s surreal hearing young skiers talk casually about podiums. That belief didn’t used to exist,” Ryding remarked. “Now, the next generation expects it and that’s the biggest win of all.”
Ryding’s influence on British skiing extends far beyond his medal count. He redefined what’s possible for athletes from non-traditional backgrounds in a sport often dominated by wealth and early access to snow. His career path, forged from a dry slope in the north of England, has inspired a shift in what British skiers believe they can achieve.
As one tribute put it, Ryding’s legacy isn’t just in his results, but in the faith he’s instilled in future generations: that greatness doesn’t require privilege only passion, persistence, and the courage to chart your own course.
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