Ryding First Ever Brit to Win a World Cup Ski Race
- Posted on January 22, 2022
Dave Ryding has made history wining Britain’s first gold in the Alpine Skiing World Cup, 55 years after the tour was created.
Ryding won the Hahnenkamm slalom race at Kitzbühel in the Austrian Tirol, where he had previously taken silver five years ago in 2017.
Ryding, 35, who was already Britain’s most successful ever Alpine ski racer, was lying in sixth place after his first run, but moved into the lead after a 49.86 second second run, with the five racers skiing after him either skiing out or not matching his time.
This Eurosport report contains video of the win.
Norwegians Lucas Braathen and Henrik Kristoffersen were second and third respectively, Kristoffersen, visibly excited for Ryding’s win at the finish, moving up more than 20 places from his first run position.
“You know, I’m 35 now, but I never stopped believing, I never stopped trying, and to bring the first victory for Great Britain in a World Cup, in Kitzbuhel… I mean, I don’t know if dreams are made better,” Ryding commented in the post race interview.
Ryding’s win came the day after ceremonies in Mürren, Switzerland, commemorated the centenary of the creation of the slalom race format by British ski racing pioneer Sir Arnold Lunn. The first ever slalom race took place that or January 21st, 1922.
Hahnenkamm race organisers also noted that Britain’s Gordon Cleaver won the Combined race at the first ever staging of the meeting 91 years ago in 1931.
Along with the gold, Ryding, who learned to ski on a dry slope in Lancashire and is off to his fourth Winter Olympics in a few days’ time, won a CHF 110,000 prize.
The win also takes Dave up to 4th in the FIS World Cup Slalom standings. Images credit Red Bull.
Dave Ryding has made history wining Britain’s first gold in the Alpine Skiing World Cup, 55 years after the tour was created. Ryding won the Hahnenkamm slalom race at Kitzbühel in the Austrian Tirol, where he had previously taken silver five years ago in 2017. Ryding, 35, who was already Britain’s most successful ever Alpine ski…