The opening day of the 2025 Winter European Youth Olympic Festival in Bakuriani was marked by a historic achievement for the British delegation. Freddy Carrick-Smith claimed gold in the giant slalom, securing Team GB’s first-ever alpine skiing medal in the competition. Thanks to an outstanding second run, the 17-year-old skier is now establishing himself as one of Britain’s most promising talents in alpine skiing.
A Blistering Second Run Secures Historic Triumph
Last year, Zak Carrick-Smith won multiple gold medals at the Winter Youth Olympics. Yesterday, it was his brother, Freddy Carrick-Smith, who made headlines in the men’s giant slalom event held in Georgia. Sitting in second place after a solid first run clocked at 49.27 seconds, he delivered a stunning performance in his second attempt. With a blistering time of 48.44 seconds, he posted the fastest run of the round and surged to the top of the final standings. His combined time put him 0.67 seconds ahead of Norway’s Storm Andre Hagen and 1.23 seconds ahead of Croatia’s Ziggy Vrdoljak. This victory is historic: never before had a British skier won an alpine skiing medal at the EYOF. The triumph further confirms the rise of British skiing, coming just a year after his twin brother Zak’s heroics at the Gangwon Youth Olympic Games.
A Promising Opening Day
While Britain is not traditionally known for strong performances in winter sports, the first day of competition—beyond Carrick-Smith’s remarkable victory—was an encouraging one. His brother Zak narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the giant slalom, finishing fourth just half a second shy of third place. Meanwhile, Hamish Blyth and Toby Stephen placed 17th and 34th, respectively. Over on the ice in Batumi, Savi Buffey and Albie Barlow made their debuts for Team GB in short track speed skating, while in freestyle skiing, Artemii Teplov and Sandra Caune successfully qualified for their respective finals, set to take place today.
