Skier Breezy Johnson wins Team USA

American skier Breezy Johnson won Team USA’s first gold medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Games in the women’s downhill, a bittersweet victory after her teammate Lindsey Vonn crashed during the race.

Johnson, 30, was the sixth racer and first of four American skiers to hit the slope on Saturday and took the lead from the start after flying down the iconic Olympia delle Tofana slope on a sunny day in Cortina in 1:36.10. It is his first Olympic medal.

Emma Aicher from Germany and Sofia Goggia from Italy completed the podium.

Johnson is the second American woman to win the Olympic gold medal in alpine skiing, the first being Vonn at the 2010 Vancouver Games. Johnson was visibly moved when she received her medal and the national anthem was played.

“I had a good feeling about today. I still can’t believe it,” Johnson said. “I don’t know when I will understand.”

It has been a tumultuous road to the top for Johnson, who missed the 2022 Beijing Olympics due to a knee injury. He was given a 14-month suspension that expired in December 2024 for missing three drug tests and violating “whereabouts” rules. He came back to win the world championship last February.

Vonn, who was a gold medal favorite before tearing her ACL a week ago, crashed just 13.4 seconds into her downhill run. He lost control over the transverse opening after cutting the line too tight and spun in the air. She was heard screaming after the accident while surrounded by medical staff before being strapped to a stretcher and taken away by helicopter, possibly ending the skier’s historic career.

“Vonn’s right ski pole caught on a door, causing her to lose balance and control. She was airlifted from the mountain, a common practice for injuries during alpine competitions,” Team USA said.

“I hope it’s not as bad as it looked,” Johnson said. “Sometimes, because you love this field so much, when you hit it and it hurts like that, it hurts a lot more. My heart goes out to her.”

The other Americans in the race, Jacqueline Wiles and Isabella Wright, finished in fifth and 21st place, respectively.