Atle Lie McGrath: “When I have fun outside of the slopes, I do better on them”
In an exclusive chat with Olympics.com the young Norwegian skier explains what he learned from his Olympic debut at Beijing 2022 and why it's important "not to take life too seriously".
Alpine Skiing
Who said that alpine skiers just need to be constantly focused on their job and control – if not completely hide – their emotions?
Young Norwegian star Atle Lie McGrath proved that you can be successful in the sport by simply being yourself. In his case this means sometimes sporting a retro hairstyle or growing a moustache so you can have fun with your fellow teammate, and ‘partner in crime’, Lucas Braathen.
'Business in the front, party in the back', the 22-year-old wrote on social media as he described his latest ‘mullet haircut’.
“It's more just about realising that I can be myself and that I don't need to take myself too seriously. And when I have fun outside of the slopes, I do better on the slopes. So I've just been focussing on having a bunch of fun,” McGrath admitted in an exclusive interview ahead of the season.
And his laid-back attitude helped on the snow too:
“Last year after the Olympics I was just thankful to be skiing and enjoyed myself, and the results came with it. So it's a bit this year as well, you know, just doing fun things, not taking life too seriously.”
McGrath: I don’t need to go crazy to win races
After a disappointing Beijing 2022 experience (DNF in GS and 31st in slalom), McGrath collected his first World Cup win in the Flachau slalom in March, followed by another success at the Finals in Courchevel-Meribel.
“The end of last year was so cool because that's when I really felt like I got my potential out on the hill,” the 22-year-old explained.
“I've been skiing really well for a lot of years, but not fully like getting it out in the World Cup. And then being really close to win a couple of races and finally getting my first and then my second one right away was just awesome."
While his friend Braathen had already stood at the top of the podium twice before Beijing, Atle needed a bit more time to blossom.
What made him finally click?
“What I learnt from last year is that I don't need to go 100% and ski with my head under my arm and, you know, go crazy. I don't need to do that to win races," he said.
"I can actually ski smart and I just need a good solid skiing. And that is enough to be up there and fight for, you know, good results. So I think that's the most I took from last year and that gives me a bit of confidence and towards this season as well.”
McGrath: Why not show some true emotion?
You don’t often see a skier cry out of joy on the podium, like it happened to him last season after the night slalom in Schladming, or wildly celebrate after a win.
McGrath, whose father Felix used to race for the US, explains why he enjoys expressing his emotions.
“I love sports because of the way it makes me feel. You know, I get nervous, I get excited, I cry and I get emotional,” he said adding that he probably doesn’t reflect the typical stereotype of the 'cold-blooded' Scandinavian athlete.
“I think my American side probably shows because when I do this, I don't think, it just happens.
“But the only thing I focus on is that, you know, people like seeing when people are happy. So I think just, 'why not show some true emotion and how cool it is to actually ski?' Because I really love it.”
McGrath is part of a new generation of skiers who are helping reshape the image of a sport that over the last few years has been perceived as closed and conservative.
“I think that's really important because my dad skied alongside (Alberto) Tomba in - I would almost say - alpine skiing’s golden age," the Norwegian said.
"And I remember seeing videos from there and those guys were just so cool, you know, it was full show every time. They were taking it seriously, but it was a lot of fun. And for me, that's kind of what I'm just trying to focus on: If I have fun and I show some good, positive energy that might, you know, go over on others as well. So I don't think that much about like revolutionising anything. I'm just a small piece in a big sport and I just try to be myself.”
McGrath: Focus on Milano Cortina 2026
And the tech specialist was also candid as he reflected on his Olympic debut in Beijing.
“It was a humbling experience being in Beijing, because I had dreamed so much about it from when I was a kid. And I set myself the goal of like, ‘in 2022, I want to be in the Olympics’. So realising that I actually made that goal was incredible,” he confessed.
“And then in the Olympics, although the skiing wasn't that great, I got to see, you know, a couple of my team-mates: Aleksander Aamodt Kilde got his first championship medal, Sebastian Foss Solevaag redeemed himself from PyeongChang.
“And like just seeing how the Olympics brings together everything and that the sport is more than just results, I think that was like the changing point for me that I don't have to ski for results, I can ski for cool experiences instead. And that was like a great thing to do last year.”
This season the 22-year-old has also made progress in Super G (fifth place in Beaver Creek) and the impression is that he will be a more mature and complete athlete come Milano Cortina 2026: “Italy has my favourite mountains,” he admitted. “What I’m most excited about are the food, the people and the amazing snow.”