Canmore’s Jeff Read Finishes 25th in Olympic Downhill

Canmore alpine skier Jeffrey Read finished 25th in the men’s downhill at the Milano Cortina Winter Games, navigating one of the sport’s fastest and most technical tracks in his Olympic appearance.

Read, 28, competed on the Stelvio course, a venue widely regarded on the World Cup circuit as one of the most demanding downhill runs in alpine skiing. Olympic broadcast footage showed racers dropping into steep pitches and long gliding sections at highway speeds, with drone cameras pacing athletes at roughly 100 km/h and offering point-of-view aerial shots of the descent.

Announcers said Read showed solid form in training runs leading into the race, posting competitive split times despite starting with a later bib, when course conditions had become more rutted and uneven after dozens of racers.

In a post-race message to Bow Valley Insider, Read described the result as mixed but hard-fought.

“Ups and downs,” he said. “Had a good feeling out there but didn’t execute some sections and lost some time. 25th was the final result.”

He said the February surface created a different kind of challenge compared with the course’s usual early-season World Cup stop.

“Usually we race this track in December and it is the most gnarly, intense track on tour,” Read said. “But in February with the sun and some more forgiving snow it made for a race that came down to details. The top guys were right on the limit and linking the track up extremely smooth. I went out trying my best at that but I was missing some execution bits that cost me the time I needed.”

Read said the downhill is likely his only start of these Games. He is currently listed as a reserve for the super-G, and Canada is not fielding a team in the combined event.

Read comes from one of Canada’s best-known ski families. He is the son of Crazy Canuck legend Ken Read, who finished fifth in the Olympic downhill in 1976, and the brother of two-time Olympian Erik Read. Commentators noted the family legacy during the broadcast, highlighting the rare second-generation Olympic storyline as Jeffrey Read pushed through the lower half of the course.

The Canmore-based skier has steadily climbed the international ranks in recent seasons, including a World Cup super-G podium in 2024 and a top-10 finish in the discipline standings that year. He also shared a world championship bronze medal in the mixed team parallel event alongside his brother in 2023.

Watch the race footage recap here: