France’s
Johan Clarey has created history at the Winter Olympics in Beijing becoming the
oldest alpine skier to win a medal at the Winter Games. Clarey, at 41 years and
30 days of age, won silver in the men’s downhill.

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“Doing
an Olympic medal when you are 20 or 41 it doesn’t matter, it’s an Olympic
medal. The record of the oldest (skier to medal at the Olympics) is not that I
don’t care, but is not the most important point,” Clarey told Eurosport
after the race on Monday (7 February).

The
Haute-Savoie-born athlete broke the previous mark of USA’s Bode Miller, who
claimed bronze in the Sochi 2014 Super G at 36 years and 127 days.

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Clarey,
a four-time Olympian, also holds the World Cup speed record by reaching 161.9
km/h (100.6 mph) in the classic Wengen downhill in 2013.

During
his illustrious career, he made a total of 9 podium finishes, including a second place
in the traditional Kitzbuehel downhill just weeks before the Beijing 2022
Olympics.

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“I
think a lot about the ones in Tignes, where I live… My wife, my family. I
couldn’t be there at this age without them,” an emotional Clarey told France
TV.

Starting
with the bib 19, he recorded the fastest second intermediate time and finished
just 0.10 seconds behind winner Beat Feuz.

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“I
was pushing, pushing, taking a lot of risk. I knew I only had one chance left
in my career to get a medal in the Olympics,” said Clarey

“I
knew I was doing a great race, I gave it all – the 41-year-old continued – I
was getting tired of the week but one minute before the start, this is the only
moment I felt good. I felt I was doing a great run, even if in downhill, we
never know. It’s fantastic.

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“When
we push hard, when we play with the limits, there is always some mistakes. The
first bibs have done some as well. But at the end of the day, I’m very satisfied
with the way I did,” he added.

Clarey,
meanwhile, admitted that this was his last Winter Olympics, but that he may
compete for one more season with the 2023 World Championships taking place in
Courchevel-Meribel.