New Zealand skier Alice Robinson.
Photo: Pierre Teyssot / PHOTOSPORT
Queenstown skier Alice Robinson feels she’s in the best place she has ever been heading into a Winter Olympics.
The 24-year-old is competing in her third Olympics and opens her Milano Cortina campaign on Thursday night in the Super Giant Slalom event.
She admits that she wasn’t in the best position to perform in her previous Games’ experiences, but that has changed in 2026.
At just 16, she became New Zealand’s youngest-ever Winter Olympian when she attended her first Olympics in South Korea in 2018.
Robinson believes she was selected to gain some experience as a future prospect. She finished 35th in the giant slalom and failed to finish the first run of the slalom event.
Four years later in Beijing, Robinson was 25th in the downhill, 22nd in the giant slalom and crashed out of the super-G.
In 2022 the world was still recovering from the pandemic, Robinson had been forced to stay away from New Zealand for a couple of years, and had just recovered from Covid herself.
“It was really tough for me and I definitely felt like I couldn’t put my best foot forward, so absolutely that is my goal to make my third time a charm and put my best skiing on show and we’ll see what happens from there. I’m a lot more calm this time around,” Robinson said.
New Zealand’s Alice Robinson competes in the Women’s Super G event of the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup 2025-2026, in St. Moritz.
Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP
Robinson can’t believe that she is all set to compete in her third Olympics and admits the feeling this time is quite different.
“Probably because we’re in Europe rather than Asia so it is a bit more of a familiar environment for me. There is always that extra hype and excitement surrounding the Olympics and while my preparation hasn’t changed, there has been a lot of talk [about the Olympics].
Her form is probably also helping in her approach to the Games.
The giant slalom had been Robinson’s preferred event in recent years, but this season she has also featured in the faster super-G with a first and a second in world cup races.
“I’ve always really enjoyed racing it and it is really good to have two events as it kind of takes the pressure off a little bit putting your energy into two events rather than being solely focussed on one.”
New Zealand skier Alice Robinson
Photo: © Erich Spiess / Red Bull Content Pool 2025 / PHOTOSPORT
So what has been the difference this season?
“It is a mixture of being courageous but also being smart to allow me to ski at my best. Approaching every race tactically and consciously as well, that will be my mantra moving forward.
“It is cool going into an Olympics knowing that you have the potential to do something and not just going to participate and to know that I have the capability to get results.”
Robinson credits her Kiwi team including Nils Coberger, Tim Cafe, and Alex Hull for her improvement this season, but admits she is still someway off being at her best.
“Every year I learn more and more and every year I think I’ve got it figured out and then I look back at myself and think goodness I didn’t know anything.”
First-placed New Zealand’s Alice Robinson celebrates on the podium after the Women’s Super G event of the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup 2025-2026, in St. Moritz.
Photo: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP
She is also excited to be flying the New Zealand flag again and hopefully have more Kiwi fans watching her in action.
“In Europe there are so many resources that are behind these big teams so it sort of feels like David verses Goliath going up against these teams.
“It has always been a bit of a motivator for me to come from New Zealand and be competing against these countries where it is a religion and knowing our little team is going up against that, it makes me really proud.”
Alice Robinson’s schedule
Thursday, 12 February: 11.30pm women’s alpine skiing Super Giant Slalom – final
Sunday, 15 February: 10pm: women’s alpine skiing Giant Slalom, run 1
Monday, 16 February: 1.30am: women’s alpine skiing Giant Slalom, run 2 – final
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