Injury layoff hasn’t stopped Guseli’s dream of Italian Olympic glory

Competing at a second Olympic Games in a record three events, and making two countries proud along the way – all before turning 21 and while recovering from an ACL injury? 

That’s the ambitious goal Australian snowboard star Valentino Guseli has set himself with less than a year to go until Milano Cortina 2026, an Olympic Winter Games that means more to him than most, given his Italian heritage.

Guseli, a New South Wales Institute of Sport scholarship holder, has missed most of the pre-Olympic season after undergoing corrective ACL surgery late last year, but he has used his time off to reconnect with his family in Australia and gain some valuable perspective – not to mention enjoying his first summer in over a decade.

“I’d be doing a disservice to myself if I just wallowed in sorrow about it,” the 19-year-old said, who suffered the injury in qualification for a big air event in Beijing in December.

“I’m trying to stay as positive as possible, heal as quickly as possible, make the most of the luxuries that I’m afforded by this little injury happening, which is spending lots of time with family, which I don’t usually get to do this time of year.”

As the world record holder for the highest jump by a snowboarder, Guseli is acutely aware that the potential for injury comes with the territory in extreme sports.

“That’s what happens when we throw ourselves off big jumps made of ice and snow – mistakes happen and injuries happen,” he said. “It’s just a bit of a forced vacation, and I’ll be back shredding soon-ish. As soon as I’m back, I’ll be more stoked than ever.”

 When Guseli returns to the snow, he’ll be hoping to pick up right where he left off as one of snowboard’s biggest headline acts.

The Canberra-born rider won the World Cup overall park and pipe crystal globe in 2023 and 2024, and set the world record last April on a hip jump (where the landing is at an angle respective to the take-off) by soaring 11.53m into the air.

“Doing whatever’s the closest thing I can to actually being able to fly is pretty crazy,” he said of the hip world record, set in Schilthorn, Switzerland.

He described the acceleration towards take-off as the snowboard equivalent of driving a car with no brakes, which he called “fun”, adding that the record itself was something of an afterthought.

“A big thing is just to do it for yourself, not to do it for a world record or for anything else – but just to do it because it’s a beautiful feeling,” he said.

“You just go straight and try to push your emotions aside and just go for it.”

That pragmatic approach will serve Guseli well as he attempts a less gravity-defying but equally demanding task at Milano Cortina 2026 of becoming the first male snowboarder to tackle slopestyle, halfpipe and big air at an Olympic Games.

“It could be challenging with my newfound small injury, but it’s definitely still possible to qualify for and compete in all three events,” he said.

Czech snowboarder Sarka Pancochova showed it could be done when she became the first woman to compete in all three events in one Games at Beijing 2022, demonstrating a level of versatility that Guseli believes he also possesses.

“It’s all snowboarding is my view on it, and a good snowboarder is able to snowboard in any situation well,” he said.

That’s something Guseli has already proven, having reached World Cup podiums in all three events since Beijing 2022, as well as winning two overall crystal globes, the big air globe in 2023 and the world championships halfpipe silver medal in the same year.

These accomplishments have given him crucial experience on the big stage that he lacked in Beijing, when he finished sixth in slopestyle as a 16-year-old in his Olympic debut and learned some valuable lessons in the process.

“You want to treat it (the Olympic Games) like it’s just another comp, but deep down, you know that it’s a big deal – it’s where dreams come true,” he said.

“I definitely think I have a lot more experience going into the next one, and my level of riding is a lot higher. I think that’s what life’s about, is just constantly evolving.”

While he continues to forge ahead in his bid for success, Guseli is also looking back to his family history for inspiration as he prepares for an Olympic Games on Italian snow in Livigno, the snowboard venue for Milano Cortina 2026.

His paternal grandparents are Italian, and helping them out at their landscaping business in Bodalla on the NSW south coast during his injury lay-off has enabled him to tap into his roots ahead of what he describes as the most meaningful Olympic Games of his career – past, present or future.

“Out of Beijing (2022), Italy (2026), and then there’s France (French Alps 2030) after Italy, me with an Italian name and Italian heritage, I would love to do well in Italy,” Guseli admitted.

“I’m going to push hard for that and do everything I can to achieve that goal and make my country – Australia – proud, but also to be able to make the Italians over there proud that I’m Italian.”

Nick Leonard, Australian Olympic Committee