Speed skiing record broken

Goitschel hit the magical 250km per hour mark

Frenchman Philippe Goitschel has smashed the world speed skiing record, hurtling downhill at the Alpine resort of Les Arcs at a speed of 250.700 km/h (155.434 mph).

The previous record was set by Austria's Harry Egger in May 1999, when he hit 248.105 km/h (153.826mph).

After setting the new record on Tuesday at the Red Rock Cup, the 40-year-old Goitschel announced his retirement from competitive skiing.

"It's a very special pleasure, I'm going to miss the high speed," he said, thanking the maintenance team that prepared the slope for his record-setting run.

It was like "skiing on velvet," he said.

Goitschel previously won an Olympic silver medal for speed skiing during the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France.

Also during the competition, France's Karine Dubouchet beat her own world women's speed record by reaching 242.260km/h (150.201mph), some 8km per hour faster than her earlier record set three years ago.