Article by Cosmin Nistor – Published Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 7:52 p.m. / Updated Wednesday, October 29, 2025, 7:52 p.m.
The former Norwegian alpine skiing champion Rasmus Windingstad (31 years old) has made public a secret that he hid during all the years he spent on the World Cup circuit. The athlete admitted that he had been dealing with a severe form of bipolar disorder for years and that, in his darkest moments, he even had suicidal thoughts.
Windingstad, an Olympic bronze medalist and two-time World Cup stage winner, decided to retire this summer at the end of more than 100 international races. Although the results brought him glory, inside he was struggling with a deep suffering that almost no one knew about.
Rasmus Windingstad, shocking confessions: “I drink to forget”
“I have bipolar II disorder. From the age of 19 I went through deep downs and terrible periods mentally. I only received the diagnosis two years ago,” he confessed in an interview with the Norwegian station NRK.
The skier says that during periods of depression, logic and reason completely disappeared.
“Everything was becoming negative. I couldn't have a normal conversation. What I was saying no longer made sense. When I was in competitions, I was afraid of getting injured. Sometimes it was more risky to stay in the race than to go home.”
One of the hardest episodes happened right after he had climbed the podium at Palisades Tahoe (USA) in February:
“I was completely down. I was having thoughts that do not belong to the human mind. After the race, I drank just to forget. In the evening I looked happy, but inside I was destroyed.”
“I was convinced that I didn't deserve that podium”
After that race, his conditions worsened. Windingstad became obsessed with the idea that his place on the podium would be withdrawn:
“I thought my medal would be taken away, that I had done something wrong, that I didn't deserve that result. It was an irrational fear that wouldn't leave me alone.”
The athlete says that in those moments, dark thoughts constantly returned:
“Yes, I've had suicidal thoughts. Not often, but they've happened. Some falls are deeper than others. I've learned to live with them.”
The national team: “Now we understand what he went through”
His former colleagues, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (33) and Atle Lie McGrath (25), spoke of how difficult it was to understand Rasmus's suffering before the diagnosis.
“Sometimes he was cheerful and full of energy, other times completely withdrawn. When he told us what he had, it all started to make sense,” McGrath said.
The sporting director of the Norwegian federation, Claus Ryste, admitted that the medical team had to adapt:
“For us it was a new situation. Rasmus was open and we learned a lot from his experience. Maybe we could have intervened earlier.”
The Norwegian champion resigned: “If my message helps even one person, it was worth it”
Although his career is over, Rasmus Windingstad feels he won another battle for honesty and sanity.
“I've been contacted by people who are going through the same thing. Some have told me that if they had known what was happening to them, they would have continued to compete. If my story helps even one person, it was worth it,” said the athlete.
The former champion says that 80% of the time he feels good, but the remaining 20% can become a real hell:
“The world is a depressing and wonderful place at the same time. Everything plays out between these two extremes.”
