GB alpine ski star Dave Ryding: "I don’t feel much older than 25"

It's been a memorable 2022 so far for Team GB alpine skier Dave Ryding.

In January, the 35-year-old claimed a historic win in World Cup and then he had the honour to carry the British flag at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Games, along with Scottish curler Eve Muirhead.

"It's been a great year so far, but I’ve got to remember what got me there and make sure I keep doing it - that's how I hopefully keep doing these great things," said Ryding, who races in the Winter Olympic men's slalom on Wednesday.

"The World Cup victory takes a huge pressure off my shoulders - to finally do it - and just reiterates that I'm doing the right things and need to keep doing them."

Ryding: I've always respected my body

The slalom specialist, who learned to ski on a dry slope in North West England when he was eight, made his World Cup debut in 2009 and he's what people call a 'late bloomer'.

He started to collect World Cup points in 2013 and had to wait until he was 31 to make his first of four podiums.

Now at 35, Ryding is at his fourth Winter Games, while he's probably living the best time of his career: how can he explain this extraordinary longevity? "I've always respected my body. I came to the sport a bit later than a lot, so maybe in my younger years I didn't bash my body as much, which for sure helps because you set your knees,” he said.

"They certainly wear out eventually, but I'm sitting here with no aches and pains. I'm feeling well, I don't know how you feel at 35, but I don't feel much older than 25."

The Lancashire-born skier revealed how work ethic was key in keeping him fit at his age: "I think it's day by day, just trying to be better than the day before. Keep working hard even if you're tired or you don't want to do it, you’ve just got to do it. It’s that commitment to being the best you can."

A Great Britain alpine skier has never medalled at the Olympics so far, and Ryding admitted that "everyone’s dreamt of it" and that it "would mean more for the sport than it would be for me."

Men’s slalom has been very unpredictable this season, with six different winners in the six World Cup races held so far, and the Brit believes a medal is up for grab on 16 February:

"I just do my best, though, it’s so competitive at the moment. There are so many guys that have got to take it day by day going into the race and see how it goes on the day."

Ryding is confident about his chances and is not worried about the conditions of the ‘Ice River’ course, despite 38 competitors out of 88 failed to finish in the women’s race:

"Everyone is talking about this man-made snow, but I think it’s overplayed because we ski on a lot of man-made snow in Europe and the World Cups anyway. So, it's maybe a bit drier over here because of the climate," he said before testing the Olympic track of the Beijing National Ski Centre in Yanqing.

"It’s slightly different in that sense, but if anything I prefer aggressive, drier snow. I'm hoping it suits me."

Whatever happens on race day, Ryding just hopes to represent his local community back home in Tarleton, Lancashire, where he also owns a café with his fiancée Mandy.

“I like being part of the area. I'm really proud of where I've grown up and I love the area,” he said. “So yeah, hopefully they can live a little bit with me on the TV and say, ‘Oh, we met that guy in the café’!”

Ryding will be at the start gate of the men's slalom on Wednesday 16 February: the first run starts at 10:15 local time (3:15 CET, 18:15 PST on Tuesday), while the second descent is scheduled at 13:45 (6:45 CET, 21:45 PST)