Hard to beat experience in Alpine Skiing’s eternal battle for top spot

Alexis Pinturault (FRA) best sums up the one consistent feature in the ever-changing world of international Alpine ski racing.

“The young are always pushing the old to the end of their career, pushing them to the exit,” said the 32-year-old with 338 starts on the Audi FIS World Cup tour to his name. “They want to take their places, they want their places on the podium.”

It is a battle Pinturault knows well. And one he, and many of his fellow veterans are still managing to win. Of the 24 World Cup men’s and women’s races so far this season, 20 have been won by unarguable superstars of the sport – with Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) and Marco Odermatt (SUI) alone sharing nine of them.

On top of this, the four somewhat unexpected victors are not quite in the first flush of youth – comprising Cyprien Sarrazin (FRA) 29, Domink Paris (ITA) 34, Bryce Bennett (USA) 31 and Jasmine Flury (SUI) 30.

These seem startling statistics given the cascade of thrilling young talent across the genders. But for Pinturault, it is no shock.

“Knowledge of the slopes, knowledge of equipment, the snow and also of course knowledge of yourself – this is all key,” said the man who won his first Olympic medal back in 2014 but took another five years to claim a maiden individual major title. “Experience is so important to build your settings up, to build your strategy up.”

Perhaps no skier better illustrates the power of age and experience than Federica Brignone (ITA). The Italian was 29 years old when she claimed her first Crystal Globe – topping the Alpine combined standings in 2019. In the four seasons since, she has won three more Globes and is currently in the midst of arguably her greatest season ever, three wins and three podium places to her name already. For her, this late career renaissance, is all down to two things you can only learn in time.

“It’s really important to be consistent before the season, not just during it. Then it is a state of mind,” Brignone said, before considering what she would go back and tell her young self, if she had one of those coveted time machines.

“I would do what I have been doing since I was 25 from when I was 18,” she said laughing. “But maybe I was not ready. Maybe if I did all that when I was 18 I would have stopped by now.”

The importance of going through these experiences is not lost on those undertaking the journey right now. The 19-year-old Zrinka Ljutic (CRO) – picked by Brignone as the young skier she admires most – is at the vanguard of the new generation and is loving every moment.

“There are a lot of good things about being a young skier. One is that I’ve realised that I am actually really young and I don’t need to stress about results,” Ljutic said smiling. “Every race is valuable for me. No matter what I do, I always get something new or interesting out of it. I can just drown in these new experiences.”

It is an attitude that is delivering success too. Ninth in the giant slalom standings, she has already finished in the top-10 twice this season and is leading the Longines Rising Ski Star standings.

This season-long award is given to the best U21 women’s and U23 men’s skiers and has a glittering array of past winners and current contenders. Emma Aicher (GER), already an Olympic and world championship team parallel medallist sits behind Ljutic, while reigning double junior world champion Hanna Aronsson Elfman (SWE) took top spot last season.

During her brief career at the top, Ljutic has learned that the most important things to do are “trust yourself” and “not really think too much”.

“I just let myself do it,” said the Croatian who grabbed a first World Cup podium spot in the slalom in Spindleruv Mlyn in January 2023. “I like to have race days as a reward for training try to be as spontaneous and as loose as possible.”

The young Norwegian Vikings are leading the way for the new generation on the men’s tour. Ultimate standard bearer Lucas Braathen may have retired this season, but in Alexander Steen Olsen, a World Cup winner last season, plus Atle Lie McGrath they have some serious firepower.

However, it is not just week-to-week success that all skiers chase. And the quest to carve your name on to the ultimate honours boards is one that youngsters occasionally master too.

“The US has a storied history of ‘big event skiers’ and I try to channel that and raise to another level at big races,” explained River Radamus (USA) who has already managed fourth-place individual finishes at the both the Olympic Games (in GS at Beijing 2022) and the World Championships (in Alpine Combined in 2023, at event at which he also won team parallel gold).

Neither he nor fellow 2023 world champion James Crawford (super G winner) have yet had sustained success on the World Cup tour, but both now possess something else that even many of the most successful World Cup skiers envy.

“The thing that draws me to sport in general is the real, tangible, pursuit of greatness."