AJ Ginnis, a 31-year-old Greek alpine skier, made his Olympic debut in the slalom race in Bormio, Italy, on Monday, marking the end of his career due to persistent injuries. Unable to compete at full strength, he opted for a gentle slide down the course instead of an aggressive run. Ginnis expressed gratitude for the opportunity to finish on his own terms.
The event unfolded in Bormio, Italy, where Ginnis stood at the start gate knowing the run would be bittersweet. This 31-year-old athlete, who previously represented the United States before switching to Greece, had secured a silver medal in slalom at the 2023 World Championships in Courchevel, France. However, a series of injuries, including 10 prior surgeries, had hampered his recovery.
The day before the race, during training, Ginnis realized he could not return to peak fitness. He shared on Instagram on Sunday: "I won't be attacking the gates one last time. Instead, I have been given the opportunity to leave the start gate and slide down and finish my career on my terms. And for that, I am deeply grateful."
In November, Ginnis underwent what was expected to be routine surgery, but the removal of a screw revealed nerve damage. Efforts to mitigate the issue included a steroid injection on Sunday and numbing his leg to test competitiveness, but neither approach succeeded. "We tried kind of one last Hail Mary of a steroid injection (on Sunday), hoping that would calm things down. We also numbed the leg to see if I could compete with the numbed leg. And it still didn't work," he explained.
Following his farewell slide, Ginnis noted the pain in his ankle while wearing ski boots: "I'm really looking forward to taking these off." He added, "Physically we did everything in our power. We had injections, therapies, we did everything to try to get it there. It didn't work. And that's the reality."
Despite not medaling, Ginnis cherished the moment. "Being able to end it as not winning a medal, but being able to kick out of the gate and to become an Olympian in my career, something I've never done before, is something magical," he told reporters.
