Why the hell has he already announced his retirement from sport for the end of this season? At 42, the Olympic downhill vice-champion Johan Clarey has just signed a new feat, with a second place on the legendary downhill of Kitzbühel (Austria). Yet 18th the day before, he was only beaten by the essential Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde this Saturday. This is the third year in a row where our dashing quadra ends up on the box in Kitzbühel.
At 42, the Frenchman pushes back his own record for the oldest skier to stand on a World Cup podium. All despite personal concerns that forced him to withdraw last minute last week in Wengen (Switzerland), and which seemed to have taken him out of the game in Kitzbühel.
“A record that will be hard to beat”
“Wednesday I was at the bottom of the hole … I was emotionally and morally very low, but I never let go,” he explained in the mixed zone. The Streif, diabolical track where skiers look danger in the eye like nowhere else, Clarey masters it. He climbed on Saturday on his fourth downhill podium in Kitzbühel (3rd in 2017, 2nd in 2021, 2022 and 2023), in addition to a 2nd place in super-G in 2019. Under the eyes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, arm in arm , arm in arm with former champion Lindsey Vonn in the finish area, the tricolor colossus (1.91 m) still made an impression.
“To still be on the podium in Kitzbühel at 42 is still classy, relishes the Tignard. Just running here is good enough. I didn’t think too much about my age, but it’s a record that will be hard to beat! Even if I never win, I would still have had some interesting things in my career. A medal at the Worlds, a medal at the Games, second places, five podiums in Kitzbühel, it’s not disgusting! And be careful, Johan Clarey announces that he has “another big big meeting”, namely the World Championships” in Courchevel-Méribel, from February 6 to 19. There will still be time, at that time, to convince him to postpone his retirement a little.