French Ski Racer Alexis Pinturault Quits Slalom Skiing

French ski racer Alexis Pinturault announced on his Instagram account that he has decided to not compete in Slalom skiing in the upcoming 23/24 season. Pinturault is one of the most successful skiers of all time and is one of the rare all-rounders, who competes across the four alpine events of Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom and Slalom.

Now the all-rounder has announced he will be hanging up his slalom skis and will focus instead on the remaining three alpine disciplines. The 32-year old shared the announcement on his Instagram account:

“It’s time to be back on skis and this season will be without small skis.
Slalom brought me a lot of pleasure, challenges, work and successes: victories, podiums and successes in alpine combined.
But today I inspire renewal for this last part of my career. Speed ​​has always been a part that I liked so much and for which I never left a lot of time.
Today I want to get down to it. I have a lot to discover, to learn, to progress!
I’m excited at the idea of ​​having a new calendar, a new way of working!
Of course Giant Slalom will remain 100% in my program: you never give up on your first love”

Slalom skiing requires shorter skis than the other alpine disciplines, as skiers need to achieve a smaller radius for the short turns around slalom poles, hence the use of the phrase “small skis”.

Pinturault started his FIS career in 2006 in Argentina and entered the World Cup circuit in Åre, Sweden, in 2009, one week before his 18th birthday. In the 14 seasons since, he has continued to fascinate ski fans with his consistency, aesthetics, versatility and success around all four alpine disciplines.

In both the 12/13 as well as the 13/14 ski season, Alexis Pinturault and Mikaela Shiffrin were awarded the Longines Rising Star. Longines, the official timekeeper of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, supports young athletes with this prize which recognizes the best young female athlete under 21 and male athlete under 23, with a trophy, a check for CHF 20,000 and a Longines Conquest Classic watch.

So far in his career, Pinturault has won a total of 34 World Cup races, more than half of those in his favorite discipline Giant Slalom. He has won the Overall World Cup Crystal Globe in 2021 and has won five discipline globes in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. He has competed and medaled at three Winter Olympics (2014, 2018 and 2022) and seven World Championships, where he has won the Champion title three times, most recently in the 2023 Courchevel & Méribél, France, World Championships, where he won the combined.