NPR
Breezy Johnson's downhill gold is America's first medal of 2026 Winter Olympics
+588 words added -171 words removed
Special Series 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics Breezy Johnson's downhill gold is America's first medal of 2026 Winter Olympics February 8, 20268:08 AM ET Becky Sullivan
United States' Breezy Johnson shows her gold medal in the alpine ski women's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. Andy Wong/AP hide caption
Breezy Johnson the in
The the of the at line a of
Germany's Emma 1:36.14, just behind. Italy's Sofia Goggia won bronze
race a a was the the time she
to the and in She and won gold the 2025 World Johnson in the team combined event, teammate a a in
for and
Sponsor Message
Become an NPR sponsor
+ Updated February 8, 202612:34 PM ET Originally published
− U.S.
+ CORTINA
− Alpine
+ D'AMPEZZO,
− Skier
+ Italy — Four years after
− won
+ crashed
− today's
+ while
− Olympic
+ training
− women's
+ at
− downhill
+ Cortina
− at
+ and ended her hopes of competing in
− Tofane
+ 2022
− Alpine
+ Winter
− Skiing
+ Games,
− Center
+ the American skier reclaimed the narrative on this iconic slope with a gold medal
− Cortina,
+ the
− Italy.
+ 2026 Olympic downhill race.
− sixth
+ medal
− racer
+ is
− out
+ a
− of
+ career first for Johnson,
− starting
+ 30-year-old
− gate,
+ Idaho
− Johnson
+ native
− was
+ born
− especially
+ in
− fast
+ Jackson,
− on
+ Wyo.,
− the
+ and
− lower
+ the
− portion
+ first
− famed
+ 2026
− course
+ Olympics for Team USA.
Downhill races demand that skiers take risks and push their limits; Johnson's run looked every bit of that. Snow flew from her skis
− Cortina,
+ times,
− reaching
+ and
− the
+ her
− finish
+ aggressive
− with
+ sometimes veered outside the blue lines. Johnson reached
− time
+ top speed
− 1:36.10.
+ 80 miles per hour.
− That
+ But
− was
+ those
− just
+ risks
− fast
+ paid
− enough
+ off
− to
+ as
− beat
+ she gained more and more time with each interval, crossing the finish line in 1:36.10. Only one competitor,
− Aicher's
+ Aicher,
− time
+ truly
− of
+ challenged Johnson in the race; Aicher won silver after finishing in
− 0.04
+ four-hundredths
− seconds
+ of a second
− the
− medal,
+ with
− 0.59
+ a
− off
+ time
− Johnson's
+ of
− pace.
+ 1:36.69.
− 2026
+ "I
− Milan
+ thought
− Cortina
+ today's
− Olympics
+ race
− US
+ was
− ski
+ going
− star
+ to
− Lindsey
+ be
− Vonn
+ the
− crashes
+ most
− in
+ competitive
− Olympic
+ alpine
− downhill
+ ski
− The
+ that
− first
+ has
− medal
+ ever
− for
+ taken
− the
+ place,"
− US
+ Johnson
− of
+ said
− these
+ afterward,
− games
+ who
− came
+ was
− in
+ still wearing
− race
+ red,
− marred
+ white
− by
+ and blue headband she had finished knitting just the night before,
− spectacular
+ racetime
− crash
+ tradition
− by
+ of
− Johnson's
+ hers.
− teammate
+ "The
− Lindsey
+ girls
− Vonn.
+ here
− Vonn
+ love this course. The sun
− evacuated
+ out.
− from
+ It was perfect conditions on
− mountain
+ Tofane
− by
+ track.
− helicopter,
+ And
− it
+ I
− is
+ knew
− unclear
+ that
− at
+ the margins were going to be fine. Hundredths matter."
This was the third Olympic Games for which Johnson has qualified, but only the second in which she has competed, following her injury that knocked her out of
+ 2022 Games. That year, she tore her ACL in January, then attempted to compete anyway; then, on a training run in Cortina, she crashed again, this
− if
+ dislodging a piece of cartilage in what
− is
+ described
− injured
+ then
− or
+ as
− how
+ "a
− badly.
+ massive crack."
− Today's
+ Then,
− victory
+ in
− by
+ 2023,
− Johnson,
+ Johnson
− age
+ received
− 30
+ a
− from
+ 14-month
− Jackson
+ competition
− Hole,
+ suspension
− Wyoming,
+ after
− comes,
+ she
− according
+ failed
+ report for three drug tests. She has maintained that
− US
+ failures
− Ski
+ to report were due to communication issues
− Snowboard
+ that
− team,
+ her
− "after
+ drug
− a
+ tests
− significant
+ had
− comeback
+ always
− year
+ been clean.
2026 Milan Cortina Olympics US ski star Lindsey Vonn crashes
− 2024-25
+ Olympic downhill race
− showed
+ returned
− grit
+ to competition in Dec. 2024,
− determination
+ since
− when
+ then
− she
+ has steadily improved into one of the world's top downhill skiers. In addition to Sunday's gold, Johnson also
+ a
− at
+ medal in
− Championships
+ Championships.
"I
− downhill.
+ don't think my journey is something that many people are envious of,"
− then
+ told
− followed
+ reporters
− up
+ Sunday
− this
+ after
− gold
+ the
− with
+ race.
− another
+ "If
− gold
+ you're
− medal
+ going through hell, you keep walking because you don't want to just sit around in hell. And sometimes when you keep going, maybe you'll make it back to the top."
Johnson is expected to compete again on Tuesday
− alongside
+ in which teams of two skiers compete, one skiing the downhill and the other skiing the slalom. Johnson will then race the super-G on Thursday.
The downhill race had been one of the most anticipated events of the 2026 Olympics, due in large part to the participation of Johnson's
− Mikaela
+ Lindsey
− Shiffrin.
+ Vonn.
− Finally,
+ Vonn,
− she
+ 41,
− capped
+ was
− off
+ attempting to compete despite suffering an ACL tear just over
− strong
+ week
− season
+ ago.
But
− with
+ 13 seconds into her run, Vonn's right arm snagged
− World
+ gate,
− Cup
+ which
− podium
+ sent her spinning
− Kvitfjell,
+ the
− Norway."
+ air into a dramatic crash on the slope. Vonn was evacuated from the mountain by helicopter. The extent of her injuries wasn't immediately clear.
− Isabella
+ "Her
− Wright
+ coach
− also
+ said
− raced
+ she was cheering
− Team
+ me
− USA
+ in the helicopter," Johnson said afterward. "I hope for the best for her. I hope it's not too bad. My heart aches for her."
Two other American skiers competed. Jackie Wiles finished in fourth place,
− posted
+ Bella
− a
+ Wright
− time
+ finished
− of
+ in
− 1:38.85.
+ 21st.