The British delegation got off to a perfect start at the 2025 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival in Bakuriani, Georgia, with impressive performances in skiing. It all began on February 9th with Freddy Carrick-Smith, who, after a stunning first day, clinched the gold medal in the giant slalom. This marked a first for the British team, as no British skier had ever won an alpine medal at this competition. His brilliant performance sparked great hopes for the future of British skiing, just a year after his brother Zak Carrick-Smith made waves at the Gangwon Youth Olympic Games, where he won three medals, including two golds, in alpine skiing.
Sandra Caune and Zak Carrick-Smith Medalled Back-to-Back
The following day, 16-year-old Scottish talent Sandra Caune added a second medal with an outstanding performance in freestyle skiing. After finishing sixth in the first run, she dazzled the crowd with a second run scoring 80.00 points, earning her the bronze medal. She finished just 2.5 points behind Denmark’s Silje Kinkead, who took silver, but was further behind Estonia’s Simona Revjagin, who claimed the gold with 86 points. This success closely follows Freddy Carrick-Smith’s achievement and showcases the rise of British skiing among young athletes, many of whom, like the Carrick-Smith brothers, are based in France or other countries more accustomed to winter sports.
Finally, on February 12th, Zak Carrick-Smith, Freddy’s older brother, secured a bronze medal in the slalom after posting a time of 1:32.92, just one second behind the Norwegian winner Storm Andre Hagen. This third medal, also in skiing, capped off an incredibly promising start for British skiing, highlighting the depth of talent within the British youth, who have already surpassed the total medal count of the 2023 edition of the Games, which was two medals.
