American alpine ski racer Breezy Johnson dazzled at the Winter Olympics in Milan, seizing her first gold medal and etching her name in history. Arriving as the reigning world champion in downhill, Johnson not only delivered Team USA’s first victory of the Games but also became the first openly LGBTQ+ athlete to win a medal for the United States at these Games.
Johnson competed in multiple events in Milan, capturing gold in the downhill, testing her speed in the super G, and teaming up with Mikaela Shiffrin in the team combined.
Breezy Johnson On Her Olympic Victory
Johnson burst onto the scene during the 2016-17 World Cup season, earning strong results that earned her a spot at the 2017 World Championships as the youngest member of Team USA. She made her Olympic debut at PyeongChang 2018, finishing seventh in the downhill and 14th in super G.
After her impressive gold medal win in the downhill on Feb. 8, Johnson spoke about how important it was that someone of her sexual identity grabbed the win.
“I grew up as a kid who was obsessed with sports, and all I wanted to be was a ski racer. And so, I just did everything that I saw that ski racers were doing. But it also was a world in which everybody was straight. As a bi person, it was very easy for me to just stick a piece of myself in a box. And then actually, in many ways, seeing Amber Glenn really changed my perspective.”
“I almost repressed that side of myself for so long. And seeing her as such a powerful athlete, I started to open that box again. I came to the conclusion that I was bi again, and then after came to the conclusion that I had to tell people that, because they deserve to know that the world of champions is not just comprised of straight White people.”
Johnson publicly came out as bisexual in late 2022, a time marked by setbacks from injuries that kept her out of the 2022 Olympics and a suspension related to drug testing.
Johnson’s Olympic Performance
Beyond her downhill triumph, Johnson made her mark in the super-G and the team combined. She blazed through the fastest downhill leg in the team event with a time of 1:36.59, but despite her efforts, she and Shiffrin finished just shy of the podium in fourth place.
The super G brought unexpected drama for Johnson, who crashed early after clipping a gate on the Tofane course. Fortunately, she walked away unscathed, though her run ended with a DNF.
