A British teenage alpine sensation doesn’t want to party when he has podiums to chase.
Freddy Carrick-Smith has found freedom on the slopes, rather than the dancefloor, and arrives at the winter following a stand-out year where he claimed gold in the 2025 European Youth Olympic Festival and made his World Cup debut.
The 18-year-old skier’s focus sets him apart from his teenage peers, who are still finding their independence.
Carrick-Smith said: “I much prefer doing this than partying.
“The main goal is just to enjoy it.”
In Sölden earlier this year, the slalom and giant slalom (GS) specialist became the youngest Brit to compete in the FIS (International Ski Federation) World Cup Giant Slalom race since 1981.
He said: “It was a good first World Cup, it is just good to get the experience in.
“It’s always tricky because you’re just jumping up levels. There’s a big jump, but I enjoyed it.”
Carrick-Smith is not alone in his family, as they are all accomplished on the slopes.
His mother, Emma Carrick-Anderson, is a four-time Olympian who competed in alpine skiing and achieved three top-20 finishes.
He has two brothers, twin Zak and elder sibling Luca, 20, who also ski for Great Britain and are aiming to make names for themselves as well this season.
It was agreed Zak would focus on slalom this year and Freddy on GS, thereby not affecting their chances for qualifying for the Winter Games, as they were concerned there may not be room for both of them on the same discipline.
The brothers are coached by their mother alongside their father, Phil Smith, who teaches dry slope skiing, and Freddy believes their parents have been key to his development on the slopes.
Carrick-Smith said: “I would never want to be coached by someone else other than my parents because I know my parents, it works for me.
“They’ve definitely been a big help.”
There is already a packed year of World Cup and the Europa Cup events, but Carrick-Smith aims to enter the senior competitions while also maintaining his presence on the youth circuit.
The world juniors are also coming up, where he has a good chance of winning gold.
He will be working to see if he can get into the top 30 at the World Cup, which can significantly aid being selected for the Winter Games.
But he also has big ambitions in the Europa Cup, where lower scores determine the winner.
However, talent alone is not enough for Team GB athletes and funding remains a significant issue.
For Carrick-Smith and his brothers, this means they cannot solely rely on their sponsors for funding, and they have set up a GoFundMe page where donations have been gratefully received.
Without donations, brilliant athletes like the Carrick-Smiths do not have the funds to continue working hard and achieve excellence on the slopes.
He said: “In terms of British athletes, I think getting the funding is one of the toughest things.”
Reaching February’s Milano-Cortina Olympics is a big ambition, and if the brothers get close to qualifying it will be a big step in the right direction.
Carrick-Smith will still only be 22 for the 2030 Games in the French Alps, and all three brothers will definitely be ones to watch for many years to come.
Featured image credit: Free to use from Unsplash/Natalia Grela
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