American Skier Breezy Johnson Secures Olympic Downhill Gold in Dramatic Cortina Victory
For American alpine skier Breezy Johnson, the path to Olympic glory mirrored the treacherous Olympia delle Tofana course she conquered on Sunday: filled with jarring obstacles that threatened to derail her, yet never diverting her from the ultimate prize. In a stunning performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Johnson clinched the gold medal in the women's downhill, etching her name alongside skiing legend Lindsey Vonn as only the second American woman to achieve this feat.
A Journey Marked by Setbacks and Resilience
Johnson's road to the podium was anything but smooth. The 30-year-old faced a devastating knee injury in Cortina during a training crash that ultimately sidelined her from the 2022 Beijing Games. Compounding her challenges was a 14-month ban for violating anti-doping "whereabouts" rules, which expired in December 2024. Despite these hurdles, Johnson maintained a relentless, hard-charging attitude that propelled her to a world championship victory last February and now to Olympic gold.
"People are jealous of people with Olympic gold medals. They're not necessarily jealous of the journey it took to get those medals," Johnson reflected after her win. "I don't think my journey is something that many people are envious of and it's been a tough road, but sometimes you just have to keep going because that's the only option. If you're going through hell, you keep walking because you don't want to just sit around in hell."
A Nail-Biting Finish and Emotional Celebration
Johnson finished her run in 1 minute, 36.10 seconds, narrowly edging out Germany's Emma Aicher by a mere .04 seconds to secure the first medal for the United States at the Milan Cortina Games. Italy's Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion and 2022 silver medalist, captured the bronze, completing her collection with a medal of every color in the event.
As racer after racer failed to top her time, emotions overwhelmed Johnson, with tears welling in her eyes that she wiped away with her mitten. Her long-awaited medal, however, proved less durable than her resolve; the clasp holding the ribbon broke shortly after the ceremony. "It's definitely heavier than I expected," Johnson remarked about her new hardware. "I think that's maybe why it broke." She simply placed the pieces in her pocket, a symbolic end to a day of triumph.
Technical Mastery on a Challenging Course
As the sixth racer of the day on the iconic Olympia delle Tofana course, Johnson executed a risk-taking run under sunny Cortina skies. She later admitted feeling confident it was medal-worthy but uncertain if it would secure gold. "But I hoped that it would be enough," she said. "I just tried to keep it rolling. I knew it was fast in some of the places where I made mistakes. I was like, 'Did I just make a mistake or did I make a mistake because I was going fast?' That's the line that you're always trying to walk, and today was enough."
Somber Moments Amidst Celebration
The victory was tempered by concern for teammate Lindsey Vonn, who crashed during her run as the No. 13 racer, cutting a corner too closely and spinning out before being taken to a hospital. The race was halted for over 20 minutes following the incident. "I kind of wish the TV directors maybe wouldn't have replayed some of the crashes as much as they did," Johnson commented. "It's a little hard when you're surrounded by cameras and stuff, not wanting to watch that." Vonn, a gold-medal favorite who won downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Games, had recently returned to elite skiing after nearly six years and a partial titanium knee replacement.
Andorra's Cande Moreno also required helicopter transport after a crash where her left knee appeared to buckle upon landing a jump, adding to the day's tense atmosphere.
Praise from Peers and Future Prospects
Teammate Bella Wright praised Johnson's performance, stating, "I think that this was the best run Breezy's ever skied. There was a lot of expectation, and she rose to the challenge." Jacqueline Wiles finished just 0.27 seconds from a medal in a tie for fourth place, highlighting a strong showing for Team USA.
Johnson now looks ahead to potential gold in the team event, where she could be paired with skiing star Mikaela Shiffrin. For silver medalist Emma Aicher, this achievement pairs with the silver she earned in the team parallel event at the 2022 Games. "At the third turn I thought, 'Oh (crap), what am I doing? Come on, Emma,'" she recounted. "But I managed to let the skis go pretty well."
A Weekend of Champion Performances
This weekend's downhill events saw both gold medals claimed by reigning world champions, with Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen winning the men's race on Saturday. Both races also featured emerging silver medalists—Aicher and Italy's Giovanni Franzoni—alongside Italian veterans in bronze position: Goggia and Dominik Paris.
Goggia expressed mixed feelings about her performance but gratitude for the outcome: "So-so with my performance, but in the overall I got a medal again. It's a privilege."
Breezy Johnson's victory stands as a testament to perseverance, skill, and unwavering determination, marking a historic moment in American alpine skiing and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
