It was one last ride for The Rocket and, most importantly of all, there were no tears for ‘one in a million’ Dave Ryding.
Ryding, competing at his fifth Olympics, finished 17th in the men's slalom, but his status as Great Britain's most successful alpine skier is secure.
His best return from those appearances was ninth place in PyeongChang eight years ago, but after 17 seasons on the World Cup circuit there is so much to be proud of.
With an unprecedented seven podiums at the top level, including a famous win on the storied Kitzbühel piste four years ago, Ryding, who learned to ski on a dry slope in Pendle, has done it the hard way.
In the process, he inspired a new generation, including Milano Cortina team-mates Billy Major and Laurie Taylor, and Zak Carrick-Smith, who won two Youth Olympic golds in Gangwon two years ago.
“Four years ago I think I said to everyone I would rather cry than be at the next Olympics. I took it year by year and then this year day by day and I managed to give myself a chance," he said.
"I wanted to stay in the fight, anything can happen on your good days. I think I was quoted as ‘I will ski race until my legs fall off’ and I think they pretty much have. I have no regrets, I will never look back thinking ‘what if?’, I will never look back thinking ‘Did I stop too soon?’. I gave it my all until the last gate and that is a representation of my career.
“That six-year-old just loved sport, would do any sport and just loved to be outside whether it was playing football, on my bike, or playing rugby. If I was looking back I would do it all again.
"I know my story was totally unique and I didn’t grow up in the Alps but I would still do it again. It has given me so much. Five-time Olympian, World Cup winner, I really can’t ask for more.
"The icing on the cake would have been to pull something out here but I just didn’t quite have it. It is bittersweet but I approached it the right way.
“I did it a totally different way. You would probably say it was a one in a million shot but you can do it. The younger Brits have been on snow since they were really young and have had so much more exposure than I had.
"When I look back at where I was at their age, it is laughable to see what I have done. It shows that it is never too late and you have to have the right mindset."
Great Britain might lack the resources of the established alpine nations but they do not lack spirit, with Major finishing 16th in his second Olympic appearance.
Ryding is determined to stay in the sport but insists the non-stop travelling of the World Cup circuit will not be missed as he looks forward to spending time at home in Lancashire with his wife Mandy and their three-year-old daughter, Nina.
His immediate focus is on dropping a few kilos and lowering his personal best Parkrun time, just under 17 minutes, if you were wondering.
“There is one more World Cup race," he added.
"I will see if I can get off the sofa. I need to go home and just relax. If this is it, it is a good way to go out, with one last hurrah at the Olympics. I gave it everything I had.
“I have proven that you can win on the World Cup and I really think that over the next 15 years Billy and Laurie, and then the generation after them, are already world junior medallists.
"I would put a bit of money on it, saying that it is possible. It is unbelievably hard and competitive in slalom, it is probably the most competitive discipline and anything can happen on the day, but the next generation is unbelievable.
“I will definitely stay involved in the sport. I know so much about the sport. Being 39, I have done slalom for so many years that you certainly learn what it takes. I have got to combine it with family life because my wife and daughter have sacrificed me being away a bit too much.”
Sportsbeat 2026