Victor Muffat-Jeandet is mad as hell. © AFP / FABRICE COFFRINI

"A disgrace": Ski star rages after Olympic exit

The Olympic Games are just around the corner – but some well-known names are missing. Now, a slalom star has spoken out after being dropped from the team and really let loose.

27 January 2026

From: det

Victor Muffat-Jeandet is a veteran of the ski circuit. The 36-year-old slalom specialist has completed an impressive 260 World Cup races, reaching the podium eleven times. But now the Frenchman has been denied what is likely the last major highlight of his career: he was not nominated for the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina.

On Monday, the French Olympic Committee announced its team roster, and Muffat-Jeandet's name was not on the list. That evening, the veteran took to Instagram to express his frustration – and was very upset. However, his anger wasn't directed at the French federation, but rather at the Olympic Games regulations.

Never worse than 20 for a year.

“I’m currently ranked 14th in the Slalom World Cup standings. For over a year, I haven’t finished outside the top 20 in any World Cup race. My sport has never been so competitive and demanding, and I could have competed in the Olympic slalom with bib number 8. But I won’t be going to the Winter Games,” begins Muffat-Jeandet’s post.

Victor Muffat-Jeandet is not allowed to go to the Olympics. © APA / EXPA/ JOHANN GRODER

The reason for this is a complicated new regulation regarding Olympic quota places. This regulation hit France's ski team particularly hard ten days ago: instead of the expected eleven men's starting places, there are only seven. Muffat-Jeandet was therefore left out, just like... Superstar Alexis Pinturault.

"In the end, it's always the athletes who pay the price." Victor Muffat-Jeandet

“My Olympic flame,” wrote Muffat-Jeandet, “and my values ​​have just suffered a severe blow. What kind of image do we send to younger generations who dream of their sport when events, spectacle, and politics are more important than work and results? What a disgrace, what a lack of respect for the athletes and teams who dedicate their entire lives to realizing their dreams. They are always the ones who ultimately pay the price.”

The starting number paradox and a glimmer of hope

Muffat-Jeandet criticizes the fact that smaller nations are exploiting these new regulations to send athletes at any cost, even resorting to naturalization if necessary. What the Frenchman also finds paradoxical is that Olympic races award points for the World Cup start list. "So I'll lose points in a race I'm not even allowed to participate in. This will likely drop me out of the top 15 and cost me a good starting position."

There is still a glimmer of hope for Muffat-Jeandet, however. Because Norway has declined a quota place, France now has eight starting spots. It is not yet clear who will receive this last Olympic ticket.