Dave Ryding

Dave Ryding, aka “The Rocket”, is Britain’s most successful alpine skier and has no plans to stop despite entering veteran territory – in the sporting world, that is – at 37 years old.

Four Winter Olympics down, he plans to make it five in 2026, having said last year he will continue to compete “until the legs fall off”.

That was after some hesitation over whether he could handle another four-year Olympic cycle, but ahead of his 16th World Cup season, Ryding has said he is now over the “hump”.

“I’ve done two years, it’s actually less than two years now to the Olympics. I’m still able to do seasons that are better than ever I’ve ever done before,” he told BBC Sport. “If everything goes to plan, I’ll be there.”

The World Cup campaign for Ryding begins in Levi, Finland on 16-17 November as he is a slalom specialist. He stunned the field when topping the podium in Kitzbühel, Austria two years ago.

Ryding has been on the podium on six more occasions, while at the Olympics his best placing was ninth in the slalom at PyeongChang 2018.