BORMIO, ITALY, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Italy’s Christof Innerhofer, 41, became the oldest male to complete an Alpine skiing event at the Milano Cortina Olympics on Wednesday, adding another milestone to a career that has stretched across five Winter Games.
The speed specialist, born in 1984, has returned to the very same Stelvio run that he first conquered in a 2008 World Cup win.
The South Tyrolean veteran is best known for his glittering 2011 season, where at age 26 he captured gold in super-G, silver in the combined event and bronze in downhill at the World Championship in Garmisch‑Partenkirchen, Germany
"What inspires me is showing that age is relative, and that with a lot of sacrifice, passion and training, you can keep going and even push beyond your limits," Innerhofer told Reuters after the Olympic super-G race in Bormio, which he finished in 11th position.
"Today I’m here at 41, at the Olympics, and I can still finish in the top 10 or top 15. That alone means it’s already a success to be here — but above all, for me, it’s a great life message: that at 40 you’re still very young and can do the same things as someone who’s 20."
MORE ALPINE SKIERS COMPETING IN THEIR 40s
Traditionally, Alpine skiers would retire well before their mid‑30s.
But Innerhofer is among a handful of older skiers who have pushed the sport’s age boundaries in recent years thanks to medical advances, technological improvements and sheer grit.
France’s Johan Clarey won downhill silver at Beijing 2022 aged 41 years and 30 days. Seven-time Olympian Sarah Schleper, a former U.S. champion now competing for Mexico, is turning 47 on February 19, is due to become the oldest Alpine skier in a Winter Olympics when she competes at later events.
U.S. great Lindsey Vonn, 41, who made a stunning comeback after a string of injuries, hoped to medal again at this year's Olympics, but her dream was abruptly cut short after a terrifying crash on the Tofane run on Sunday.
Innerhofer, whose Olympic résumé also includes a silver medal in downhill and a bronze in the combined from the Winter Games in Sochi 2014, as well as over a dozen World Cup podiums, says his passion for the sport is unabated.
"I love competing — racing against the young guys, trying to improve every day, competing with them, training every day."
The Italian skier says he is contemplating competing in the next World Cup season, but had not set a clear age limit for his skiing career.
"If I can still finish 10th or 15th, it still makes sense to race. But if I’m 40th and 4 seconds behind the winner, then it makes no sense," he said.
(Reporting by Lisa Jucca in Bormio; Editing by Alison Williams)
