Olympics
Greek-American alpine skier AJ Ginnis will push out of the Olympic start gate one final time tomorrow, February not to chase a result, but to close the chapter on a career defined by resilience, reinvention, and history-making moments for Greece.
In an emotional message shared on social media, Ginnis revealed that complications from his most recent knee surgery will not allow him to compete at the level elite slalom demands. “Tomorrow isn’t about the clock or the results,” he wrote. “It’s about gratitude. It’s about respect for the sport that shaped my life.”
Rather than attacking the gates in full race mode, Ginnis has been granted the opportunity to take one ceremonial final start at the Olympic Games—sliding down the course on his terms, on the sport’s biggest stage.
Born in Athens to a Greek father and American mother, Alexandros Ioannis “AJ” Ginnis learned to ski on Mount Parnassos before moving to Austria at age 12 and later to Vermont to attend Green Mountain Valley School. At 17, he joined the U.S. Ski Team and raced under the star-spangled banner for several seasons. But a string of injuries resulted in Ginnis being dropped from the national team in 2020. Due to the funding challenges of being an independent skier, Ginnis made the pivotal decision to represent Greece in the 2020–21 season. The move would rewrite Greek ski history.
In 2021, he became the first Greek skier ever to score World Cup points. In February 2023, he stunned the slalom world by delivering Greece’s first-ever World Cup podium in Chamonix. Two weeks later, he claimed Greece’s first Alpine World Championship medal: a silver in slalom at the 2023 World Championships in Courchevel, France.
For a country not traditionally associated with alpine skiing success, Ginnis became a symbol of possibility. His new home nation is bidding farewell to its most successful ski racer with appreciation and respect. “For us at the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the athlete’s health is of greater value than medals,” said Hellenic Olympic Committee President Isidoros Kouvelos in a statement, confirming that Ginnis will not officially compete.
During his career, Ginnis suffered six major knee injuries—three ACL tears, multiple meniscus tears, and an MCL tear—across both knees. He has undergone numerous surgeries and rehabilitation cycles, including stem cell treatments. He missed the 2022 Olympic Winter Games because of injury. The 2024-25 season was derailed again after fracturing an osteophyte—an abnormal bone growth—in his knee during fitness training. Another surgery followed and recovery proved more complicated than expected. “It’s worse than expected,” he said earlier this season. He gave every effort to come back for the 2025-26 season but the hope of returning for one more competitive Olympic run ultimately gave way to medical reality.
His announcement on social media has been met by an outpouring of love and support from the ski racing world. Australian speed specialist Greta Small wrote, “AJ you’re a pioneer! Sending love & light for your final run.” Alex Vinatzer called Ginnis a “Great skier, even greater person.” Albert Popov thanked him for “the great moments together, in and out of the life of a skier. Be proud and wish you all the best in your next chapter FRIEND.” U.S. ski racer Steven Nyman wrote, “Take a bow and enjoy the moment AJ.”
Instead of a final full-gas slalom attack, Ginnis will take a symbolic final start—a farewell at the Olympic Games, the stage every ski racer dreams of.
For Greek skiing, for his family, and for a career that refused to follow a straight line, it is a fitting ending.
