Alexis Pinturault, the most successful French alpine skier in World Cup history with 34 victories, has announced he will retire following the 2025/2026 season finals, marking the end of a legendary career.
Record-Breaking Career
Pinturault holds the French record for World Cup victories with 34 wins across 355 races and won the overall title in 2021.
Retirement Timeline
The 34-year-old athlete will officially step away from professional skiing after the World Cup finals at the end of the 2025/2026 season.
Major Achievements
His trophy cabinet includes three World Championship gold medals and four Olympic bronze medals in giant slalom and combined events.
Injury Impact
The decision follows a difficult recovery from a serious ACL tear sustained during a super-G race in Wengen in January 2024.
Alexis Pinturault, France's most decorated alpine ski racer in World Cup history, announced his retirement on March 14, 2026, and will end his career after the World Cup finals at the close of the 2025/2026 season. The 34-year-old holds the French record for World Cup victories with 34 wins across 355 races. His announcement came on the same day as his final competitive appearances were drawing near, closing a career that spanned three Winter Olympics and seven World Championships. The decision was described by Pinturault himself as the moment to move on.
„Le moment de tourner la page” (The moment to turn the page) — Alexis Pinturault via Le Parisien
Pinturault's career achievements place him among the elite of alpine skiing. He won the overall World Cup title in 2021 and claimed three world championship titles: the Team Event in 2017 and the Alpine Combined in both 2019 and 2023. His versatility across disciplines — from slalom and giant slalom to combined events — defined his career and made him one of the most complete alpine racers of his generation. He represented France at seven World Championships and three Winter Olympics, accumulating four Olympic medals according to his Wikipedia entry. His 34 World Cup victories stand as the highest total ever recorded by a French skier.
355 (races) — World Cup races competed by Pinturault in career
The later stages of Pinturault's career were shaped by a serious knee injury. He suffered an ACL tear during a super-G race in Wengen in January 2024, a setback that cast doubt over whether he would race again at the highest level. He returned to competition for a final season, completing his career on his own terms. The injury in Wengen marked a turning point after which Pinturault worked through rehabilitation to reach the 2025/2026 season. His decision to retire after the World Cup finals gives him a defined endpoint to a career built over more than a decade at the top of the sport.
Alpine skiing's World Cup circuit has been dominated in recent decades by a small number of multi-discipline specialists capable of competing across speed and technical events. France has a long tradition in the sport, and Pinturault, born on March 20, 1991, in Moûtiers, emerged as the country's standout talent of his era. His 34 World Cup victories surpassed all previous French records in the discipline. The Alpine Combined, one of his signature events, tests racers across both downhill and slalom disciplines in a single competition day, rewarding the kind of all-round ability that defined Pinturault's career.
Alexis Pinturault career milestones: — ; — ; — ; — ; — ; —