Breezy Johnson surged to victory in the women’s downhill, earning Team USA’s first win of the Milan–Cortina 2026 Olympics. She became only the second American woman to achieve the feat, following Lindsey Vonn at the 2010 Games.
Johnson did not have the smoothest road to the top of the podium on Feb. 8. Eight weeks before launching her 2025–26 World Cup campaign, the American suffered a back injury while lifting weights, an issue that persisted even during competition.
Breezy Johnson Became the First Gold Medalist from Team USA in the Milan-Cortina Olympics
Johnson, who grew up in Idaho, competed in her first World Cup season in 2017. In the finals, she crashed in her signature event and fractured the tibial plateau of her left leg. The following season, she made her Winter Games debut, finishing 14th in the super-G and seventh in the downhill. That was followed by a slew of injuries involving her ACL, PCL, and MCL.
In 2020, she achieved her first World Cup podium in the Val d’Isère downhill, laying the foundation for the seasons ahead. She also qualified to represent Team USA at Beijing 2022 but withdrew, citing a knee injury. Amid her pursuit of a career for the record books, Johnson faced a major setback in May 2024, when she was suspended by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for a whereabouts failure after missing three tests over 12 months.
The 30-year-old paired with Mikaela Shiffrin in the team combined event at the 2025 World Championships and won the title. She also added the downhill gold from the same championships to her résumé.
Cut to the 2025–26 World Cup season, Johnson earned her first-ever super-G podium in Crans-Montana en route to the Milan–Cortina Games. At the marquee event, she put her best foot forward on the Tofane course and surged to the first downhill victory of her career, a testament to the hard work she had put in.
Her success was the first for Team USA in the 2026 Olympics, and the second for an American woman after Vonn. While she emerged the winner and overwhelmingly teared up, her teammate Vonn required immediate medical help after crashing just 13 seconds into her run.
After Johnson qualified for the Olympics, she talked about believing the third time was a charm. She also reflected on the changes happened in her over the years, but her love for the sport never faded. The 30-year-old expressed that her past experiences taught her to never give up until the national anthem plays on the global stage.
