Arif Khan secures best-ever Indian finish in Men’s Alpine Skiing at Winter Olympics

India’s Arif Khan registered the best-ever Olympic result for the country in men’s alpine skiing, finishing 39th in the Slalom at the Winter Olympics with a combined 2:41.60s.

The two-time Olympian advanced to the second run earlier in the day after clocking 1:22.12s in his first descent, placing 44th among the skiers who completed the course. Battling extremely challenging conditions, including a snowstorm that disrupted visibility and grip in the first round, Arif improved his overall standing to secure a top-40 finish. He also emerged as the sixth-best Asian skier in the event.

The result marks a significant milestone for India in alpine skiing, a sport with limited infrastructure and financial backing in the country.

The result surpasses Kishore Ratna Rai’s 49th-place finish at the Calgary 1988 Winter Games, which had stood as India’s previous best in men’s alpine skiing. Arif had earlier set another national benchmark at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, finishing 45th in giant slalom after failing to complete the slalom event.

Switzerland’s Loic Meillard claimed gold with a combined time of 1:53.61, ahead of Austria’s Fabio Gstrein and Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen.

Arif’s Olympic campaign came against the backdrop of a selection controversy in India. The Delhi High Court had earlier paused the confirmation of two athletes (Stanzin Lundup and Arif) for the Winter Games after cross-country skier Manjeet challenged the Indian Olympic Association’s decision to nominate Stanzin Lundup.

The petition alleged procedural lapses and conflict of interest within the ad-hoc committee overseeing ski and snowboard selections.

A journey built on community support

Arif’s Olympic journey has been defined as much by perseverance as performance. With winter sports in India lacking recognition as fully funded national federations, financial support remains scarce. Training in Europe can cost close to €80,000 per season, a burden Arif has often had to shoulder independently.

In 2018, he was close to stepping away from competitive skiing due to financial constraints. He qualified for the 2022 Winter Olympics, postponing his wedding to chase his Olympic dream. Ahead of the current Games, he turned to crowdfunding to sustain his campaign, raising approximately Rs 25 lakh through contributions from more than 200 supporters.

Despite limited domestic infrastructure and minimal institutional backing, Arif’s top-40 finish underscores both his personal determination and the growing potential of Indian athletes in winter sports on the global stage.