Dave Ryding watches Winter Olympic medal hopes fade after mistake on opening run

Ryding made a storming start and had led at the first two splits but he was left clinging on after an error midway down the course

A mistake on the first run cost Dave Ryding dear in Beijing (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

Dave Ryding’s dream of an Olympic medal faded away after a mistake on his opening run cost him any chance of a podium finish at the Genting Alpine Centre.

Ryding, the shock winner of last month’s World Cup slalom in Kitzbuhel, made a storming start and led at the first two splits on the opening run.

But he was left clinging on after an error midway down the course and although he finished his run just over one second adrift of the bronze medal position, it meant he sank to 16th place in the standings.

Although Ryding lived up to his vow to give it everything in pursuit of an historic medal by nailing his second run, it was still scarcely enough to improve on his position.

Ryding finished in 13th place, just under one and a half seconds behind gold medal winner Clement Noel of France, with Austrian Johannes Strolz and Norwegian Sebastian Foss-Solevaag claiming silver and bronze respectively.

Assessing his performance Ryding said: “C plus! I started great in the first run and lost the rhythm. My second run I knew that I wasn’t quite flowing enough.

“Even though I took the lead I knew it wasn’t enough. You can feel it when you’re skiing. It felt more like a struggle than a flow today.

“I gave it what I had which I always do, so I can’t be too disappointed. It was just what it was today. You try and learn and I’ll try again next race.”