The iconic sport of alpine skiing can be traced back to prehistoric times through the discovery of wooden planks in peat bogs.
From a method of transportation to one of the most beloved winter sports in both competition and leisure, it has since become a mainstay of the Olympic Winter Games since it's introduction in 1936.
With Milano Cortina 2026 around the corner, here we answer all of your questions on alpine skiing at the Olympics.
What are the alpine skiing events at an Olympics?
On the most simple terms, there are two types of alpine skiing event at the Olympics: technical and speed.
Most skiers focus on just one or the other, but there are always exceptions.
There are five disciplines across the two events.
The speed events are the downhill and Super G; the technical events are the giant slalom and slalom, and combined is a mix of both.
A piece of British sporting history 🇬🇧
— Team GB (@TeamGB) January 22, 2022
Bravo @daveryding, that was epic 🥇pic.twitter.com/iaB1tsCeTO
What's the difference between the alpine skiing disciplines?
Downhill: This is the simplest of the alpine skiing disciplines, in that the aim is to get down the mountain as quickly as possible. In the Olympics, each athlete gets one run down the mountain, with the gold medal going to the athlete with the quickest time.
Super G: This stands for 'super giant slalom' and combines the speed of downhill with the turns of giant slalom. It has less of a vertical drop and has gates placed closer together than the downhill but further apart than the giant slalom. After a 90-minute inspection of the course, athletes have one chance to produce their fastest run and take home a medal.
Giant Slalom: The fastest of the technical events is the giant slalom, with an approximate 20-30m gap between each gate. Contested over two heats on one day, both run times are added together to decide the winner. Each of the two courses are different and the second run sees a reverse order, with the athletes who recorded the fastest times on the first run, dropping last.
Slalom: The most technical discipline in alpine skiing, the slalom sees athletes navigate close together poles with rapid changes of direction. The course is also the shortest distance of the disciplines, taking around 50-60 seconds to complete. Similar to giant slalom, this discipline is contest over two heats on one day, with the second run in reverse order and both times added together to determine the winner.
Combined: This team event sees a male and female competitor from the same nation compete together. The competition format is a downhill run and a single slalom run, with the two athletes taking on one each. The result is calculated based on the aggregate times of the two athletes in each team.
The gold medal run 🤩🤩
— Team GB (@TeamGB) February 10, 2025
Freddy Carrick-Smith flew down the slopes with a combined time of 1:37.71 in the alpine skiing boy’s giant slalom event, securing Britain’s first medal of the EYOWF 🥇#TeamGB #Bakuriani2025 pic.twitter.com/4DbmBHXI9L
How fast can alpine skiers go?
Speeds in alpine skiing can depend on the discipline.
Downhill skiers can reach up to 130 kilometres per hour, with Frenchman Johan Clarey holding the downhill World Cup speed record of 161.9 kilometres per hour from his run in 2013. That's over 100 miles an hour!
The slowest discipline of slalom sees athletes still reach speeds of around 60-70k/ph.
What happens if you miss a gate in alpine skiing?
If an athlete misses a gate on their run in any discipline, they are immediately disqualified from the race.
Do you get a redo if you fall in alpine skiing?
A fall in an alpine skiing run almost always results in a disqualification as it is considered a major error in the race course. Athletes will recieve a DNF for their run and not be allowed to continue.
What are poles used for in alpine skiing?
Poles are used in skiing for balance, accuracy and support, especially when navigating sharp turns on a steep slope.
Racing poles have their own distinctions depending on the event.
Super G and downhill poles are designed to bend around the skier's body while in a tuck position to minimise drag, while slalom poles are straight due to reduced speeds and greater reliance on the pole. They will often come with a hand guard attached to the grip as well, to deflect any gates during the run.
Where will the alpine skiing be held at Milano Cortina 2026?
The alpine skiing at Milano Cortina 2026 will be separated across two of the venue clusters.
The Stelvio Ski Centre in the Valtellina cluster will play host to the men's alpine events.
Stelvio is known as one of the most scenic, technical, and challenging slopes in the world, and includes the famous Muro di San Pietro - a jump of 45 metres with a gradient of 50%.
The women's alpine skiing will be at Olympia delle Tofane in Cortina, which is 2,560m long and has an elevation of 750m.
Sportsbeat 2025