Winter Olympic Games: Dave Ryding's last dance: What are the British legend's medal chances at Milano Cortina 2026?
Published 13/02/2026 at 09:10 GMT
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Ahead of Dave Ryding's last dance, we thought the time was right to take a look at the British skiing legend and check out his medal chances at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games. The Rocket will be competing at his fifth and final Winter Olympics next month, with the Brit expected to hang up his skis at the end of the 2025/26 season. This will be his fifth appearance at the Winter Olympics.
Who are Team GB’s best medal hopes in Milano Cortina?
Video credit: TNT Sports
Dave Ryding will hang up his skis at the end of the 2025/26 season, meaning the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games will be his last chance to show what he can do on the grandest stage.
The Rocket has already enjoyed a glittering career on the slopes, establishing himself as Britain’s most successful alpine ski racer ever ahead of his fifth and final appearance at the Winter Olympics.
The Games got underway on February 6, live on TNT Sports and discovery+, with the closing ceremony scheduled for February 22 at Verona Arena.
Ahead of Ryding's last dance, we take a closer look at his impressive career, and analyse the possibility of him standing on the podium.
Medal chances
Despite putting on some stunning performances over the years, Ryding is yet to win a medal at the Winter Olympics.
His four previous appearances at the event came at Beijing 2022, PyeongChang 2018, Sochi 2014, and Vancouver 2010.
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Watch: Olympic torch lit in Olympia ahead of Milano Cortina 2026
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His best showing came in PyeongChang, where he finished ninth in the slalom and fifth in the mixed team.
He believes that he can still do better at Milano Cortina.
"I think ninth is not a true reflection of my ability," he told BBC Sport.
However, if the Brit's World Cup form is anything to go by, he will have to produce a phenomenal upset to finish on the podium.
Ryding is currently 22nd in the overall slalom World Cup standings after a mixed start to the season.
He got off to an impressive start, finishing in seventh at the opening event of the campaign in Levi, but followed it up with a 25th place finish in Gurgl.
Ryding produced a 15th-place finish in Alta Badia, but he did not qualify at Madonna di Campiglio at the start of January.
He bounced back by finishing 13th in Adelboden four days later.
However, he did not qualify in Wengen.
So, he has a lot of work to do if he wants to win a medal at his final Winter Olympics appearance.
But there is still hope - his last World Cup Podium came in Italy at Madonna di Campiglio in December 2023.
How old is Dave Ryding?
The Rocket is one of Britain’s most experienced athletes in Milano Cortina. He is 39 years old and will turn 40 on December 5.
What has Dave Ryding said?
The skier may be in the twilight of his career, but he is still one of Britain’s most exciting athletes.
He has previously hinted that he wants to retire while still competing at the highest level.
"I'm committed to doing one more year all in and seeing what we can achieve," he told BBC Sport.
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"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.
"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."
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What has Dace Ryding achieved?
He made history after winning Britain's first alpine skiing World Cup gold medal in the Kitzbuhel slalom in January 2022.
Prior to the start of the Winter Olympic Games, he has seven World Cup podium finishes to his name, and earlier this year, he secured Britain’s best men's World Championship result since 1934 with a sixth-place finish in Saalbach.
His first World Cup podium came in January 2017 when he finished second in Kitzbuhel, and he followed that up with a silver in the parallel slalom in Oslo two years later.
In 2021, he finished third in the slalom at Adelboden, but his crowning achievement would come in 2022.
He made a superb start to the year, ending Britain's wait for an alpine skiing World Cup gold with a stunning display in Kitzbuhel in January.
The Rocket capped a career-defining few months with a second-place finish in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in February.
Ryding again finished second in Kitzbuhel in January 2023, before his most recent triumph in Madonna di Campiglio in December that same year.
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The cauldrons are lit... and the Olympic Winter Games begin!
Video credit: TNT Sports
Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on discovery+. Available across all subscription plans, starting at £3.99.
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