British Alpine Skier Freddy Carrick-Smith delivered a standout performance at the FIS Alpine World Cup season opener in Sölden, Austria, finishing 12th overall. The result is even more impressive considering he raced with bib 46. The 19-year-old marked his arrival on the global stage by posting the 5th-best second-run time, proving his potential as a rising talent in British skiing.
A breakthrough on the Rettenbach Glacier
The men’s giant slalom on Sunday 25 October 2026 was a dramatic start to the 2026/27 FIS Alpine World Cup season. Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, the reigning Olympic giant slalom champion, won by 0.48 seconds from Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard, with fellow Swiss superstar Marco Odermatt a hundredth of a second back in third.
Further down the leaderboard, Carrick-Smith was quietly writing his own piece of history. Starting from bib 46, he was tied for 21st after the first run. His second run, timed at 52.21 seconds, was the fifth fastest of the day and lifted him nine places to 12th, 1.26 seconds off the winner’s pace. Enough to earn him 22 World Cup points.
Making British ski history
These numbers put the result into context: Carrick-Smith’s 12th place is the best finish by a British man in a World Cup giant slalom since the modern World Cup began in 1967. It improves on the 16th place Charlie Raposo achieved at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, in March 2022. The historic result came in only his fifth World Cup start, and he was the youngest racer in the field.
A new chapter for UK Skiing
While British alpine skiing has historically lagged behind ski nations like Austria and Switzerland, Carrick-Smith’s performance is a welcome sign of progress, especially after Dave Ryding’s retirement following the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina 2026. His ability to perform in such a physically and mentally demanding race on the Rettenbach glacier suggests he could become a key figure in elevating the profile of UK skiing on the world stage.
What comes next
With the 2026/27 season just beginning, all eyes are on Carrick-Smith as he continues to chase strong results and qualifications for second runs. Sölden has shown that he can attack from a high bib and turn a modest first run into a big result. For now, his 12th place is a powerful statement: the UK has a new alpine talent to watch.
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