In a dramatic race on the sun-drenched slopes of Cortina, Italy, Wyoming’s Breezy Johnson surged to an Olympic gold medal in the women’s downhill, delivering the first top-of-the-podium finish for the United States at the 2026 Winter Games. The 30-year-old champion, born during a Jackson Hole blizzard and raised on the steep runs of the Teton mountains, edged out Germany’s Emma Aicher by a mere four-hundredths of a second.
The victory followed a training run where Johnson posted the best time, confirming her status as the reigning world champion in the event. Her journey down the perilous 1.6-mile course, which drops 2,500 feet, was not without its heart-stopping moments. Television commentators noted she “bobbled a couple times” but praised her for managing “these moments with courage” to maintain winning speed. The race was marred by a serious crash involving her teammate, skiing legend Lindsey Vonn, who had to be airlifted from the mountain.
Overcome with emotion at the medal ceremony, Johnson raised her fists in triumph and later placed a hand over her heart as the American flag was raised. The win marks a triumphant comeback for the athlete, who was knocked out of contention just before the previous 2022 Beijing Olympics.
Johnson’s path to gold began literally at home in Victor, Idaho, just over the Wyoming border, where her ski-racing father first launched her down a road at age three. She honed her skills at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Grand Targhee, and Snow King Mountain before breaking onto the international scene. Her seventh-place finish at the 2018 PyeongChang Games set the stage for today’s historic gold-medal performance, celebrated instantly by thousands of fans worldwide on social media.
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