Alex Vinatzer went all out. © APA/afp / FABRICE COFFRINI

Vinatzer: "I can't blame myself much this time."

“I tried. A full attack was my only option,” said Alex Vinatzer after his crash in the second run of the Olympic giant slalom. “I would have needed a super run for a medal. And even then – I don’t know if it would have been enough.”

February 14, 2026

From: ar

Vinatzer's disappointment was limited this time. "I gave it my all. The way the race unfolded, I had to risk everything in the second run. So I can't really blame myself," said the 26-year-old from Val Gardena, who was in eleventh place at the halfway point – 0,82 seconds behind third. Vinatzer got off to a fantastic start in the second run, posting the second-fastest time at the top, but then slipped on his inside ski and had to abandon his medal hopes in the giant slalom.

“I skied well at the top,” said Vinatzer. “But then I got a little snow on my goggles and was skiing too directly. That’s when it happened.” Vinatzer emphasized that Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, Marco Odermatt, and Loic Meillard were “well-deserved medal winners.” “They were consistently at the front throughout the entire World Cup winter; they earned it.”

Vinatzer still has a chance at a medal. © ANSA / GUILLAUME HORCAJUELO

The Olympics aren't over for Vinatzer yet. The slalom takes place in Bormio on Monday. "We'll be attacking again there," said the skier from Wolkenstein. His coach, Mauro Pini, will set the first run. "I'm obviously pleased that Mauro is the course setter. We need to use that advantage," Vinatzer emphasized. "A lot can happen in an Olympic slalom. Let's see what the course is like. We've seen that a low starting number is a huge advantage here."

Vinatzer looks ahead

Vinatzer has put the team combined drama behind him. "In skiing, you have to be able to forget. These have been Games of highs and lows for me so far. We're all fighting for every hundredth of a second. I'm certainly not giving up. We've trained hard. I'll give it my all on Monday, even take risks, because only the medals count."