Aussie snowboarding phenom’s cure to Olympic hangover

Exclusive: Valentino Guseli is an athlete attuned to the spotlight.

From an early age, the Aussie snowboarder was touted as the next someone. The next Scotty James, the next Shaun White, the next Red Gerard.

The kid possessed a rare combination of undeniable style, an unshakeable belief in himself and the raw talent to back it all up.

A two-time Olympian at just 21, Guseli is a seasoned veteran of the competitive circuit. But while the craze of an Olympic cycle draws the world’s eyes, it’s the aftermath that reveals the true mettle of an athlete.

The period after the Olympic Games is like hitting a rewrite button for athletes, it’s a phenomenon psychologists have been trying to study.

The Olympic comedown, they call it.

The phrase carries connotations of stimulant withdrawal, and for elite athletes, the reality isn’t much different.

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An athlete’s entire being is prepped and primed for a thin margin of time that occurs once every four years.

“It’s a massive thing, it really is. I’ve been fortunate that I’m happy with the way that I’ve approached (the comedown) the two Olympics I’ve gone to,” Guseli explained exclusively to nine.com.au.

“I think the biggest issue is lots of people do the Olympics and then don’t do anything after it, then the whole purpose of existing is just...it feels like you don’t have one anymore.

“Because it’s such a big thing leading into it and then it’s over, you feel pointless in a way.”

Backed by Red Bull, the young snowboarder keeps his adrenaline pumping through other extreme pursuits. Guseli recently completed a 12-hour surf marathon with world record holder Blakey Johnston to test his skills and mental fortitude in the Australian winter.

This relentless need for momentum translates directly to his snow career.

“What I’ve done is, after my first Olympics, I came home for two weeks and then went straight back over, started competing in slopestyle and World Cups. Ended up getting my first World Cup podiums right after the Olympics,” he said.

“And then this year, same deal. I finished the Olympics, came home for like only six days, and then went back over, went to Japan and did some comps and trained.

“That was a really nice way to keep myself busy and keep chasing something.”

Reflecting on the whirlwind of his second Olympic cycle, Guseli acknowledges the intense pressure cooker that surrounds winter sports’ biggest stage.

Snowboarding is a sport defined by relentless progression. It demands constant evolution from its athletes just to stay relevant.

“Every four years, the Olympics rolls around and there’s a lot of hype around my sport,” Guseli admitted.

“It’s pretty crazy. The sport’s constantly evolving and the rate that it’s evolving every single season, there’s crazy new stuff going down that you have to kind of keep up with or stay on top of.

“You gotta put in the time and stay healthy. Staying healthy is a really big part of that because...you get injured and miss out on potential training time and you’re cooked, so then you have to catch back up.

“I think it’s great what (the Olympics) does for the sport, just getting so many eyes on it. But in a way when you’re there, it just feels like a World Cup on steroids basically.

“If there’s any time to kill it, that’s it.”

Guseli’s fairytale story of making the 2026 Olympic big air finals in Livigno captivated Australians back home.

It was a milestone made even better to be shared with the man standing next to the Aussie snowboarder at the top of the drop.

“That was a crazy moment. My dad was my coach all season, which was cool to have him with me because when I was younger, we went overseas together and he basically learned everything about the sport to support me through my journey,” the Olympian said.

“To be standing up the top of the Olympic big air with him, even in qualis, before the massive moment happened, it was already awesome.”

After landing his first two jumps, Guseli knew he needed something extraordinary to cement himself as a competitor in the finals.

He and his father quickly began crunching the numbers.

“I landed my first two jumps and needed something super special. Then, Dad and I were talking about it and he was like, ‘Dude, I think you’re gonna need the 19’.”

For context, a switchback 19 requires five-and-a-half midair twists.

“I was like, ‘Oh bro, I’m not doing the 19, no way.’ I was planning on just doing the 18, and then I realised, that even if I did the 18 perfectly, it wouldn’t have been enough.

“I didn’t actually tell him that I was gonna try the 19. I was just silent for five minutes in my head like crazy. I had to fully commit and that would be the safest way through that situation.

“Before I dropped, my dad said something pretty inspirational. He said, ‘Glory awaits you after this jump.’ And I was like, ‘Amen, brother’.

“He also said once I land it, just throw one arm up in the air to show him that I landed it.

“So I did that. (I) carried on a bit, threw my board up in the air.”