A Storied Career Ends: Alexis Pinturault Announces Retirement
One of the most decorated skiers in French history, Alexis Pinturault, has announced his retirement from competitive alpine skiing. The announcement came on March 14, 2026, coinciding with his 35th birthday, marking the end of a remarkable 20-year career. His final race will be at the World Cup Finals in Lillehammer, Norway, on March 25, 2026.
Pinturault’s career boasts an impressive 34 World Cup victories across six different disciplines – slalom, giant slalom, super-G, combined, super-combined, parallel, and city event – a versatility rivaled only by Marcel Hirscher among his contemporaries. He secured the overall World Cup title in 2021 and has earned three World Championship titles. He also claimed three Olympic medals, though an Olympic gold remained elusive throughout his career.
The French skier began his FIS journey on August 14, 2006, in Cerro Castor, Argentina, at the age of 15. Over the next two decades, he established himself as a dominant force in alpine skiing, particularly in the combined discipline, elevating it to an art form and winning three World Championship titles in the event.
His best season came in 2020-21, where he achieved seven victories, including wins in Alta Badia, Adelboden (twice consecutively!), Lech/Zürs in parallel, and Hinterstoder (double victory), culminating in a final win in Lenzerheide.
While Pinturault’s career is filled with accolades – 34 World Cup victories, 3 World Championship titles, 1 overall World Cup title, and 3 Olympic medals – he will be remembered as the greatest French alpine skier in history. Fabien Saguez of Le Journal du Dimanche noted that Pinturault “realized masterpieces” throughout his career.
The upcoming World Cup Finals in Lillehammer, Norway – the country of his mother’s birth – will provide a fitting stage for Pinturault to bid farewell to the sport he has dedicated his life to. Olympics.com reports that the new generation of skiers acknowledge the impact Pinturault has had on the sport, stating they “gain time thanks to him.”
Ski-nordique.net describes Pinturault as possessing an “âme d’un vainqueur” (soul of a winner) and “capacités physiques de folie” (insane physical abilities).
His retirement marks the end of an era for French alpine skiing, leaving behind a legacy of versatility, artistry, and unwavering determination. Ski-nordique.net reports that Pinturault is drawing the curtain on a 15-year reign of dominance in the combined alpine event.
