Johan Clarey’s journey to become the oldest man to win an Olympic medal in alpine skiing at Winter Olympics

The flying Frenchman clinched silver in the men’s downhill to take home his first Olympic medal and the distinct honour of becoming the oldest ever to win a medal in alpine skiing by almost five years.

4 minBy Chloe Merrell
Johan Clarey poses with his silver medal after the men's downhill competition at Beijing 2022

(Getty Images)

At last Johan Clarey – the “papy” of France’s alpine skiing team - finally has the Olympic medal he has been hunting for.

The 41-year-old took silver in an extraordinary men’s downhill race on Monday (7 February).

The French skier finished just 0.10 seconds behind eventual winner 34-year-old Beat Feuz of Switzerland, one of the race favourites after picking up bronze in the downhill and silver in the Super-G at PyeongChang 2018, four years ago.

31-year-old Matthias Mayer of Austria took the bronze to round off the oldest Olympic alpine skiing podium in history.

For Clarey, the shining silver medal that now adorns his neck means more to him than the accompanying 'alpine skiing’s oldest Olympic medallist' title.

It’s the result of something of an ever-quest for the sport’s Benjamin Button who, like a fine wine, seems only to have gotten better with age.

MORE: Beat Feuz: Ready when it counts

(2022 Getty Images)

Johan Clarey oldest Olympic medallist in skiing: A late bloomer

Clarey had always said that Beijing 2022 – his fourth Olympics – would be his last.

Debuting at Vancouver 2010, his Olympic experiences have been far from smooth sailing. After the lows of Sochi 2014, where he suffered a DNF in the downhill, the skier thought about giving up entirely.

Resolving not to, at PyeongChang 2018 he finished in 18th in the downhill assuming that it would be his last.

However, results from the last three seasons soon changed the his mind. The skier, whose twenties were marred by ACL injuries, found himself steadily improving.

In 2019, a 38-year-old Clarey won his first world championship medal thanks to a second-place finish in the Super G competition. Just last year he finished in the top five of the downhill World Cup for the first time ever in his career.

The downhill veteran’s uptick in success promptly shifted a change in perspective and it was then that Clarey decided on a fourth and final Olympic appearance.

With the might of his unconventional trajectory behind him – positively interpreted as “experience” - the Frenchman had an air of confidence about when he spoke to Olympics.com last month:

“My history is special. I’ve done a lot of things late in life: learning to walk, having my adult teeth come in (according to my mum), and getting married. So maybe, the [success in] my career has to come later too.”

We can now confirm, it certainly has.

(2022 Getty Images)

Johan Clarey making history: The fastest skier on earth

Today may have been all adding a new chapter in the Winter Olympic history books but adding footnotes to the annals of alpine skiing is something Clarey is familiar with.

For one, the native of Tignes is the fastest skier on the earth.

Back in 2013, on the iconic slopes of Wengen, Clarey became the first man to break the 100mph (161kmh) speed barrier in a World Cup contest.

Nine years later, his record remains untouched.

The Beijing 2022 men’s downhill alpine skiing Olympic podium isn’t the only dais either the Frenchman has graced in his older age.

Demonstrating that father time has little influence over his winning ways, Clarey became the oldest World Cup medallist just this January in Kitzbühel.

Though it wasn’t the first-place finish he has been trying for ever since he made his debut on the World Cup circuit back in 2003, that he is achieving such heights into his forties still surprises him more so than anyone else:

“After turning 30, I suffered far fewer injuries and I was able to take more pleasure in my skiing,” said Clarey. “I’ve had my best years between 35 and 40 years old, which is incredible.

“To keep skiing at 40 years old, even if I’m not feeling having this age in my mind, is incredible.”

MORE: How to watch alpine skiing at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022

(2022 Getty Images)

More from