Olympics.com
UAE · Alpine slalom
AlexAstridge
UAE's first Winter Olympian, and the nation's flag bearer at Milano Cortina 2026.
- Winter Olympics
- 1st UAE man
- Milano Cortina
- Flag bearer
- Asian Winter Games
- 17th slalom
- GCC ranking
- No. 1 slalom
About me
From an indoor slope in the desert to the Olympic stage
I've lived in Dubai since I was six months old. I started skiing at Ski Dubai at three, began racing at seven, and became its first sponsored athlete at ten.
Almost all of my early training happened on the indoor slope at Mall of the Emirates. That's where I learned to race slalom, before travelling to Europe and beyond to compete on the FIS circuit.
I'm a four-time UAE overall best skier and an International Business Management student at Heriot-Watt University Dubai.
| Discipline | Slalom |
|---|---|
| Club | Ski Dubai |
| Nation | United Arab Emirates |
Previous achievements
Three seasons.
Three firsts.
-
2024
Winter Youth Olympics
Gangwon, Korea
Came back from a broken leg to become the UAE's first Winter Youth Olympic ski racer.
38thSlalom -
2025
Asian Winter Games
Harbin, China
Then became the first UAE alpine skier to qualify for the Winter Olympics.
17thSlalom -
2026
Winter Olympics
Milano Cortina, Italy
Raced slalom and carried the UAE flag, just months after a knee (MPFL) injury.
FlagBearer
Top news
In the press
FIS
#SnowStories: Raised in the desert, defined by the mountains. Alex Astridge puts UAE on the Alpine map
The National
'Doing this for my home': Alex Astridge relishes chance to make history for UAE at Winter Olympics
Gulf News
Alex Astridge makes Winter Olympic debut for UAE
QN Sport · Italy
From the Dubai skyscraper slope to the Olympic slalom: “I was born a skier in a desert mall”
Gulf News
From Ski Dubai to Winter Olympics: how Alex and Piera turned days out into UAE success
Aletihad
Two UAE athletes to make history at Winter Olympics
UAE National Olympic Committee
UAE makes Winter Olympic debut at Milano Cortina 2026
Emirates 24|7
How a skier from Dubai's indoor ski slopes reached the Winter Olympics
Also featured: The Independent · Ski Racing · Virgin Radio · Dubai Eye 103.8 · 45+ mixed-zone interviews at the 2026 Olympics
Upcoming season · 2026/27
One season.
Four continents.
Back from surgery and building towards the World Championships in Crans-Montana.
- Oct
Dubai
Ski Dubai training
- Nov–Jan
Italy
Livigno and Ponte di Legno, with races in Turkey
- Jan–Mar
Championships
Three championships in eight weeks across three continents
- Mar–Jun
Italy
Temù, Stelvio glacier and a dry-land block
- Jul–Sep
South America
South American Cup and training
Championship targets
The three biggest races on this season's calendar.
-
15–25 Jan 2027
FISU World University Games
Changchun, China
University
-
1–14 Feb 2027
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships
Crans-Montana, Switzerland
Season goal
-
2–12 Mar 2027
FIS Alpine Junior World Championships
Whiteface Mountain, Lake Placid, USA
Junior
Current partners
Partner with me
A rare UAE story your brand can own
- HelmetOne exclusive headline placement, seen in every race and interview.
- Race suit and jacketPositions across race and training kit.
- Content and appearancesPosts, reels, campaigns, school visits and staff talks.
- Products and servicesIn-kind support: food, recovery, gym, travel or kit.
Enquiries
Let's build the next chapter
Partnerships, media, speaking or appearances: send a message and it comes straight to me.
Instagram @alex_astridge ↗