Alpine Director Update - December 2025

Dear Alpine Community,

As we pass through the middle of December, so much has already happened for many of our athletes, while looking forward there is still so much more to come!

The World Cup season started way back in late October with Louis Muhlen-Schulte taking on the steep slope of the Rettenbach glacier in Soelden AUT for the season opener Giant Slalom. We have since seen 7 athletes start across World Cup competitions in both Alpine and Ski Cross. Two of those athletes, Phoebe Heaydon and Sophie Mahon, had their debut appearances in Levi FIN for the Women’s World Cup Slalom races.

After significant time off due to injury, National Team athletes Harry Laidlaw, Greta Small, Madison Hoffman, and Sammie Gaul have all made their return to snow during the last month with both Harry and Greta returning to competition earlier this month.
With just one month left during the qualification period for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games our athletes will be using their experience to build momentum towards February’s competitions.

Many of our junior athletes have also been making quite a mark on their early season competitions with multiple personal bests being achieved. National Team athlete Felix Sachs (2008) has started the season off with some outstanding personal best results in GS taking back-to-back podiums in the US lowering his points to 41pts. in GS. Emerging Talent (ETP) athletes Madison Gilson (2008) and Archie Gould (2009) have also started the European season off strongly with Archie lowering his GS points to 61pts. in his first year of FIS and only his 6th GS start! Madi also got in on the action overseas and has lowered both her SL and GS points to 46 and 52pts. respectively. It is great to see the future pushing the bar so high and seeing rewards so early in the season.

With the school term now behind us, our young athletes are enjoying some well-deserved time off from school. Many will be heading overseas in the coming weeks for some training, competitions, and fun in the snow. I hope everyone enjoys their time, wherever they may be based, and are able to create new experiences, friends, and skills on the snow. If you have any photos of your training, competitions, or skiing that you’d like to share, we would love to see them! Please send your photos and stories to alpine@snow.org.au

I hope everyone enjoys a Happy Holidays wherever you may be in the world and wishing all the best to our athletes training and competing overseas!

Fast skiing!

Shawn

Shawn Fleming
Alpine Director

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Included in this update:

• Madi Gilson and Duncan Cowan win 2025 ETP Awards for Alpine and Ski Cross
• Geoff Greentree honoured with Service to Snowsports Award 2025
• Expressions of Interest for the 2026 Ski Cross Junior World Championships
• Limited Stock - Snow Australia Alpine Race Suits Now Available
• Community Sport Awards - Winners!
• Sport Integrity Australia - 2026 Annual Update
• SNOWLIVE
• Competing Overseas
• Snow Australia Office Closure Dates – Christmas & New Year 2025/26