Latest news with #alpine skiing
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Olympic skiing hero dead at 49 after horrifying accident
Norwegian ski cross star Audun Groenvold has died after being struck by lightning at his cabin on Saturday. He was 49 years old. News outlet NRK in Norway reports that Groenvold died from his injuries that occurred three days prior. The Norwegian ski federation confirmed the news on their official website, remembering him as an 'outstanding athlete on the national alpine team for a number of years before becoming a pioneer in Norwegian freestyle and ski cross.' Federation president Tove Moe Dyrhaug said, 'Norwegian skiing has lost a prominent figure, who has meant so much to both the alpine and freestyle communities. 'Audun had a great career in both alpine skiing and ski cross, before becoming the national ski cross coach. The Norwegian Ski Association also remembers his efforts on the ski board. There will be a big void after Audun.' Groenvold leaves behind a wife and three children. His wife, Kristin Tandberg Haugsjå, posted a memorial on social media. 'Audun, my great love and my best friend for twenty years... today you left us,' she posted on Facebook. 'What started with a lovely summer vacation ended last Saturday with you being struck by lightning while we were out at our cabin. Although you quickly received treatment and were taken to hospital, you died from your injuries last night. 'Sanna, Selma, William and I will carry you with us in our hearts. The loss of you is enormous.' Groenvold was previously a member of the Norwegian Alpine skiing team, competing in the sport from the 1993/94 season up until the 2003/04 season. In addition to his third place finish at an FIS Alpine World Cup event in Spain in 1999 in the downhill, he won the national championship gold medal in the same competition in 2003 and 2004. He transitioned to ski cross - an Alpine-adjacent skiing discipline that incorporates terrain park features like banked turns and big-air jumps. It sets itself apart from other alpine racing by involving more than one skier at a time. A sport popularized by its appearance at the X Games since 1998, the FIS adopted it as a discipline in the Freestyle World Cup in 2004. Groenvold won the ski cross World Cup title in 2007. The sport became an Olympic event for the first time in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver - after the popularity of the snowboard version of the same discipline became an Olympic event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Groenvold competed in those games and won a Bronze medal behind Swiss skiier Michael Schmid in the Gold medal spot and Austrian Andreas Matt taking Silver. After Vancouver, Groenvold retired from competing in the sport. He continued to be in the sport as a coach for the national team. Groenvold also spent time as a TV commentator with NRK.
Independent Singapore
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Independent Singapore
Alpine skier Dave 'The Rocket' Ryding to retire at the end of the 2026 season
Known as Britain's most successful alpine skier, Dave 'The Rocket' Ryding announced that he will retire from the sport after the 2025-2026 season at the age of 38. The upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will be his fifth and final Games. The athlete made history in 2022 by becoming the first British skier to clinch a World Cup gold in slalom. Moreover, he successfully claimed Britain's best men's World Championship finish earlier this year by finishing in sixth place. Ryding told BBC Sport : 'I'm committed to doing one more year all in and seeing what we can achieve…Everything feels right now to draw a line after the Olympics while my body's good. I'm still at the top of the sport and still able to compete with the best, I still feel I can go all in.' He added, 'I sit here with no niggles, no pains in my body, which is really rare in skiing… I don't want the legs to fall off; it's not fun if the legs fall off mid-season. So while I still can, I'll do all I can to be the best in the world.' Ryding's athletic performance throughout the years Throughout his sporting career, Dave Ryding has reached the World Cup podium seven times. This includes his historic gold in the Kitzbuhel slalom. After this historical moment, Ryding admitted that he 'never stopped believing, never stopped trying,' and this simply shows how determined and resilient he is despite all the challenges. The athlete's first World Cup podium was in Kitzbuhel in 2017, where he won silver. His latest medal was in Madonna di Campiglio in December 2023, where he won bronze. Furthermore, his best Olympic result was placing ninth at the PyeongChang 2018. With the upcoming Games, he believes that he can do so much better, now that he will be cheered on by his daughter, Nina. For his final season, Ryding will prepare with his British teammates, Billy Major and Laurie Taylor, the athletes who will continue the British skiing legacy that he achieved. In a social media post made by GB Snowsport, Dave Ryding shared a message about his last season. The caption stated: 'If you'd have told me at 23 that I'd still be doing this at nearly 40, I don't think I'd have quite believed you. But here we are—and after 15 incredible years on the World Cup circuit, seven podiums, one victory, and the honour of flying the flag for Great Britain, I've decided this will be my last season on the slopes.' 'I've never lost the determination to be the best skier I can be, and I still feel that fire burning inside me. To my family, coaches, sponsors, federation, and every single fan who's ever cheered me on—thank you for always having my back. It's been the privilege of a lifetime. Let's make this final push one to remember. See you out there. ⛷️💙' Netizens showered Dave with admiration and support in the comments, calling him 'an absolute legend and inspiration ❤️❤️' and praising his career with messages like 'What a career and what a sportsman 💙' and 'A true inspiration for the rest of British skiing!' Ryding's sporting history Ryding didn't grow up skiing on snow, and first tried the sport at the age of six on a dry slope in Lancashire. He didn't receive proper training until he was 13, and he just kept on racing on dry slopes into his early twenties. He earned his first World Cup points by the age of 26 as he started late in the top level of skiing.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Great Britain's most successful alpine ski racer Dave Ryding to retire
Dave Ryding, Great Britain's most successful alpine ski racer, will retire at the end of the 2025-26 season. The 38-year-old made history in January 2022 by becoming the first British alpine skier to win World Cup gold thanks to victory in the Kitzbuhel slalom. Advertisement He hopes to compete at the fifth Winter Olympics of his career in February next year at the Milan-Cortina Games in Italy. 'Competing internationally, representing my country on the World Cup circuit, and going to four Olympic Games so far has been the privilege of a lifetime,' Ryding said in a statement. 'I've always said that I'd only carry on for as long as I think I can perform to my best level, and making this decision now frees me up to give one last push to try and go one step further over the next season.' Lancashire-born Ryding has been a regular on the World Cup circuit since 2009 and achieved seven podium places, including his landmark gold. Advertisement The slalom specialist finished sixth in the 2025 Alpine World Championships – Britain's best men's result since 1934. 'It's been one hell of a journey, and I've loved every second of it,' he said. 'Now it's time to make this final season a special one.'
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Great Britain's most successful alpine ski racer Dave Ryding to retire
Dave Ryding, Great Britain's most successful alpine ski racer, will retire at the end of the 2025-26 season. The 38-year-old made history in January 2022 by becoming the first British alpine skier to win World Cup gold thanks to victory in the Kitzbuhel slalom. He hopes to compete at the fifth Winter Olympics of his career in February next year at the Milan-Cortina Games in Italy. 'Competing internationally, representing my country on the World Cup circuit, and going to four Olympic Games so far has been the privilege of a lifetime,' Ryding said in a statement. 'I've always said that I'd only carry on for as long as I think I can perform to my best level, and making this decision now frees me up to give one last push to try and go one step further over the next season.' Lancashire-born Ryding has been a regular on the World Cup circuit since 2009 and achieved seven podium places, including his landmark gold. The slalom specialist finished sixth in the 2025 Alpine World Championships – Britain's best men's result since 1934. 'It's been one hell of a journey, and I've loved every second of it,' he said. 'Now it's time to make this final season a special one.'
