He hasn’t digested it and doesn’t hide it. Alexis Pinturault, the biggest winner in French alpine skiing, said Tuesday evening that he had “badly experienced” the situation around the Olympic quotas even if he still had a small hope of participating in the Milan-Cortina Olympics which will be held from Friday February 6 to Sunday February 22, 2026.
“Bad, like almost everyone who was concerned,” replied the triple Olympic medalist to the media after his disappointing 25th place in the giant of Schladming, the last before the Games.
The Courchevel skier with 34 World Cup victories, three Olympic podiums and three world titles, was not selected on Monday among the seven men selected in alpine skiing before the French camp recovered in the evening an additional quota which remains to be allocated.
“We don’t necessarily know which foot to dance on”
“We knew two days ago that we weren’t qualified, basically. And then, last night, we learned that there was a turnaround. So it’s definitely not easy to manage. We don’t necessarily know which foot to dance on. No, it’s not very simple,” he regretted.
The podium on Tuesday for the young Frenchman Alban Elezi Cannaferina, third in the nocturnal giant of Schladming, seems to once again close the door that had been half-opened, even if he still wants to believe in it, while the decision must be taken after the slalom on Wednesday evening.
“It’s hard to say. I think there are four athletes (still in the race), he estimated. There is Alban, Thibaut (Favrot), Victor (Muffat-Jeandet) and me. We will have to make a choice because there is only one place. And it will still depend on tomorrow (Wednesday). »
4 candidates for a single ticket for the Games
At 34, “Pintu” had made the Olympics one of his main sources of motivation to continue his career after two serious knee injuries (January 2024, January 2025).
Triple Olympic medalist, the first time in 2014, he decided this season to abandon the speed events to which he had devoted himself for two years to concentrate solely on the giant, but without obtaining big results this winter (three top 15, five top 20 in six World Cup races).
