Alice Robinson: New Zealand's Trailblazer Returns to the Summit
Born in Sydney in 2001 but raised on the slopes of Coronet Peak from age four, Alice Robinson has authored one of alpine skiing's most compelling narratives. At sixteen, she became New Zealand's youngest winter Olympian at PyeongChang 2018, signaling the arrival of a generational talent in giant slalom.
A Prodigy Emerges
Her junior credentials were impeccable. At fifteen, she swept the national championships in both slalom and giant slalom before making history as New Zealand's first junior world champion in giant slalom at Val di Fassa—a breakthrough in the nation's 38-year participation in these championships.
The Sölden Sensation
Robinson's World Cup career, beginning in 2018, has been defined by dramatic peaks and valleys. The breakthrough came spectacularly on October 26, 2019, at Sölden, where the seventeen-year-old defeated Mikaela Shiffrin in the season-opening giant slalom, becoming the youngest woman ever to win at the iconic Rettenbach glacier and New Zealand's first World Cup giant slalom victor.
Through the Valley
The young Kiwi's early success brought unexpected pressures. "I found it really hard having early success," she confided in a recent exclusive interview with Olympics.com, "but my mentality is quite different now."
After a coaching change in early 2023, Robinson rediscovered her form with a podium at Killington in late 2023, ending a drought of more than two and a half years. The 2024 season marked her resurgence with remarkable consistency: second-place finishes at Kronplatz, Soldeu, and Killington, plus third at Jasna. This run of form carried into 2025 with another podium at Jasna in January.
Saalbach Silver: Making History
The defining moment came in February 2025 at Saalbach, where Robinson claimed silver in giant slalom at the World Championships—New Zealand's first alpine skiing world medal in history. Her season had already reached new heights with a victory at Kronplatz after a four-year wait, moving her to the top of the giant slalom standings.
Recognized by Legends
American legend Lindsey Vonn recognized Robinson's potential early, telling Olympics.com: "Alice Robinson from New Zealand has so much potential and speed." With seventeen World Cup podiums and two Olympic appearances to her name, Robinson enters the Milano-Cortina 2026 cycle as one of giant slalom's most dangerous competitors.
The Road Ahead
Her journey from teenage prodigy through periods of struggle to world championship silver embodies the resilience required at sport's highest level. As Robinson herself reflected on her "crazy journey": "I've been through it all."
Now, with maturity and a world medal behind her, the question is no longer whether she belongs among the elite, but how high she can climb.