Dave Ryding becomes first Briton to win Alpine skiing World Cup race after stunning victory in Kitzbuhel slalom

Updated 22/01/2022 at 17:40 GMT

"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," Dave Ryding said after he became the first Briton to win a race on the Alpine skiing World Cup. Stream the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games live and on demand on discovery+

‘Sensational!’ - Ryding makes history in Kitzbuhel with World Cup win

Dave Ryding became the first Briton to win a race on the Alpine skiing World Cup when he stunningly captured the classic Kitzbuhel slalom.

Ryding was sixth after the first run but put down a stellar second run in heavy snowfall to beat Lucas Braathen of Norway by 0.38 seconds.

The victory comes less than two weeks before the start of the Beijing Olympics, where Ryding will now suddenly be viewed as one of the medal contenders in the slalom. He was included in Britain’s team for Beijing on Friday.

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The 35-year-old Ryding had three previous podium finishes on the World Cup, including second place in the Kitzbuhel slalom in 2017. But no Briton had ever won a race in the 55-year history of the Alpine skiing circuit -- until now.

'Oh god he did it!' - Ryding's team break down in tears after emotional victory

"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 said.

Ryding knew as soon as he crossed the finish line that he had produced something special. Seeing his name atop the leaderboard, he raised both arms in the air before pumping his fists and shouting "yeah" toward the crowd. With the snow making for difficult conditions on the course, none of the five remaining starters were able to come close to Ryding's final time of 1 minute, 41.26 seconds.

"I've gone blank," Ryding said when asked to sum up his emotions. "There was so much emotion when I finished and now I just, I don't know what to say, I'm normally not lost for words but now..."