Team USA captured its first gold medal of the 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday, when ski star Breezy Johnson became just the second US woman to win the downhill race in a high-speed showdown that saw US skiing legend Lindsey Vonn med-evaced off the Cortina mountain.
Johnson clocked a time of 1:36.10, narrowly edging out German silver medalist Emma Aicher by a mere 0.04 seconds as Italian ski star Sofia Goggia finished just behind the pair to claim bronze.
It wasn't all celebrations for Team USA, however, as emergency medical personnel had to airlift out Vonn, who was competing on a torn ACL.
The 41-year-old clipped a gate, causing her to crash 12.5 seconds into her run, with Vonn later undergoing surgery to repair a broken left leg.
As for Johnson, her path to Olympic gold was as imperfect as her medal: Originally on track to race in Beijing, a knee injury forced the 30-year-old to sit out the 2022 Winter Games, with Johnson later serving a 14-month ban through December 2024 for rule violations including missing three anti-doping tests.
Shortly after her suspension expired, Johnson won a pair of golds at the 2025 World Championships, kicking off a comeback punctuated by Sunday's podium appearance.
"I think that this was the best run Breezy's ever skied," fellow US skier Bella Wright said on Sunday. "I've seen her ski ever since I was eight years old."
How to watch Breezy Johnson at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The women's alpine ski events continue with team combined on Tuesday.
Though the start list remains unconfirmed, Johnson — alongside fellow US star Mikaela Shiffrin — are the reigning world champions in the event, with Team USA expected to put the pair in the spotlight on the Olympic slopes.
The women's team combined kicks off at 4:30 AM ET, airing live on USA Network.
