Elizabeth Lemley won the Olympic gold medal in women's freestyle moguls on Wednesday, as the Team USA skier delivered one of the most talked-about performances of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
The 20-year-old Colorado native won on her Olympic debut, posting a score of 82.30 in the second final to put herself in gold medal contention. Lemley's US teammate Jaelin Kauf followed with an 80.77 to claim silver — her second consecutive Olympic silver after finishing second at the 2022 Beijing Games.
France's Perrine Laffont, the 2018 Olympic champion, took bronze with a 78.00.
Lemley entered the second final in fourth place after scoring 79.02 in the first. She subsequently boosted both her turn score and speed throughout the course, completing the second run in 25.81 seconds to jump to the top of the standings.
With just defending champion Jakara Anthony of Australia standing between Team USA and a 1-2 finish, Anthony caught an edge after her first jump and finished eighth, sealing the result.
The victory comes during Lemley's senior Olympic debut. She previously won the 2022 junior world championship and claimed two gold medals at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games before making this year's Olympic team.
Kauf, 29, is competing in her third Olympics. Her family was there watching for the first time, as COVID restrictions kept them home when she won silver in Beijing.
Emily Lemley adds to the Team USA Olympic medal count
Wednesday's double podium pushed Team USA's total medal count to 10.
The freestyle moguls win also moved the US to third in the overall standings.
Team USA's star ski duo came up short in the first-ever Olympic women's team combined on Tuesday morning, as Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin fell 0.06 seconds off the podium with a fourth-place finish.
Coincidentally, Johnson initially gave Shiffrin an exact 0.06-second edge by winning the two-event competition's downhill opener to put the favored US pair squarely into medal contention — but Shiffrin's 15th-place slalom run failed to finish the job.
Notably, Shiffrin was one of only 18 slalom skiers able to complete the course on Tuesday morning, as difficult conditions saw the other eight unable to even finish their team combined runs.
Despite Johnson and Shiffrin's performance, Team USA still found its way onto the event's debut podium, as second-team skiers Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan took bronze behind Austria's gold medalists Ariane Raedler and Katharina Huber and German silver medalists Kira Weidle-Winkelmann and Emma Aicher.
Wiles, who missed Sunday's downhill podium by just 0.27 seconds, not only joined Moltzan in earning a first-ever Olympic medal on Tuesday morning, the 33-year-old also surpassed US legend Lindsey Vonn by becoming the oldest woman alpine skier to ever medal at the Olympics.
Tuesday's loss aside, Johnson's breakout run continues after the 30-year-old secured downhill gold on Sunday, while Shiffrin — the world's most decorated alpine skier — is still seeking her first Olympic medal since the 2018 PyeongChang Games.
How to watch Breezy Johnson, Mikaela Shiffrin at the Winter Olympics
Women's alpine action returns with the Super-G race on Thursday, with Johnson back on the slopes when the event starts at 5:30 AM ET on USA Network.
Shiffrin's Olympic run continues with Sunday's giant slalom race, which begins initial runs at 4 AM ET on USA Network before NBC broadcasts the medal round live at 7:30 AM ET.
US Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn revealed Monday that Sunday's downhill crash left her with a complex tibia bone fracture, requiring multiple surgeries to repair.
The 41-year-old posted the update to Instagram from her hospital room in Treviso, Italy, where she's been recovering since being airlifted off the course in Cortina.
During the crash, Vonn's right arm caught the inside of a gate while she skied five inches too tight on her line, twisting her body and sending her to the ground. In the post, she pushed back against suggestions that her pre-existing injuries played a role, stating her recent ACL tear had nothing to do with the fall.
Vonn tore her left ACL just days before the 2026 Winter Olympics. She chose to compete anyway, subsequently sustaining the tibia bone injury in the same leg. The hospital confirmed Sunday night that she underwent surgery and remains in stable condition.
Despite the fracture's severity, Vonn expressed no regrets regarding her decision to race. She described standing at the start as a victory in itself, and acknowledged the sport's inherent dangers.
Her father, Alan Kildow, took a harder stance.
"She's 41 years old, and this is the end of her career," he told The Associated Press. "There will be no more ski races for Lindsey Vonn, as long as I have anything to say about it."
Kildow and several family members, including Vonn's brother and two sisters, remain by her side in Italy.
Vonn will not return to the Winter Olympics in any capacity, her father confirmed.
The tibia bone is the larger of the two bones in the lower leg. It bears most of the body's weight during athletic activity, making complex fractures particularly difficult to repair and slow to heal.
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.
Swiss freestyle skier Mathilde Gremaud successfully defended her Olympic slopestyle gold on Monday, scoring 86.96 on her second run to claim the 2026 Winter Olympics title.
Eileen Gu took silver with a score of 86.58, losing out to Gremaud for the second straight Winter Games.
Gremaud dominated the final despite intense pressure. The 24-year-old nailed her winning run on her second attempt, later wrapping a Swiss flag around her neck for a victory lap as she celebrated her fourth career Olympic medal.
Gu led after the first run with a clean routine, before wobbling off the rail on her second attempt. The mistake resulted in a low score. China's freestyle star needed a massive final run to overtake Gremaud, but subsequently skittered off the first rail and toppled to her side, dashing her gold medal hopes.
The rail section proved problematic for Gu throughout the competition. She fell on the same obstacle during Saturday's qualifying round. barely advancing to the final after executing her second attempt perfectly.
Gremaud's collection now includes four Olympic medals, after also taking big air bronze in Beijing and winning slopestyle silver at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. The two-time slopestyle world champion (2023, 2025) is continuing her dominance in Milan.
Gu now turns her focus to defending her Olympic titles in halfpipe and big air. The 22-year-old US-born skier won three medals at the 2022 Winter Games, including gold in both events.
Entering the 2026 Olympics with a newly torn ACL, Team USA skiing icon Lindsey Vonn will race in the women's downhill event on Sunday — with the 41-year-old using it as a test case before committing to additional events at the Winter Games.
Vonn is also hoping to compete in Tuesday's team combined slalom event — possibly alongside fellow US star Mikaela Shiffrin — but the recent knee injury could derail her fifth, and likely final, Winter Olympics run.
"It will be objective performance that will define what our teams look like," USA women's skiing head coach Paul Kristofic clarified. "In the end, my job is to put the best pairings together so we can perform and get a medal and potentially win."
With Vonn's status technically still unclear, Italy is eyeing a home win, as 2018 gold medalist Sofia Goggia teams up with fellow decorated veteran Federica Brignone on Tuesday.
That said, Vonn successfully completed an early Friday training run — on the same Cortina course where she holds a record 12 World Cup wins.
"She was smart. She didn't go all in," said Vonn's coach Aksel Lund Svindal after her 11th-place run. "There was reserves today.... It's going to be hard but I think she could possibly [medal] on Sunday."
"No one would have believed I would be here…but I made it!!" Vonn posted to social media prior to Friday's downhill training. "I'm not going to waste this chance.... Let's go get it!!"
How to watch Lindsey Vonn at the 2026 Winter Olympics downhill event
Vonn will make her 2026 Olympic debut in the women's downhill event at 5:30 AM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on USA Network.
Freestyle skier Eileen Gu will defend her titles at the 2026 Winter Olympics this weekend, competing in halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air. But the 22-year-old San Francisco native, who represents China internationally, has also emerged as the Winter Games' highest-paid athlete.
According to Sportico, Gu brought in approximately $23 million in 2025, making her the world's fourth-highest-paid women's sports athlete and topping all Winter Olympic competitors. However, just $100,000 of her earnings came from skiing. Endorsement deals with Red Bull, Porsche, and Tiffany, plus Chinese companies like Anta Sports and TCL, account for the vast majority of her income.
“There is a massive audience out there for a Chinese athlete with global appeal,” former US Olympic Committe CMO Rick Burton told Sportico.
“Gu checks all the marketability boxes and has so much going for her. Cross-cultural appeal, Olympic champion, young and dynamic.”
Eileen Gu made history in 2022 as the first Olympic freestyle skier to medal three times. In Beijing, she captured gold in big air and halfpipe while also winning silver in slopestyle. At just 18, she became the youngest-ever Olympic freestyle skiing champion.
In January 2025, Gu achieved her 20th career World Cup victory at the Laax Open, becoming the first-ever freestyle skier to reach the milestone. Now she shoots for Olympic slopestyle gold — the only medal that's eluded her.
Off the slopes, Gu studies international relations at Stanford University, where she also takes quantum physics classes. She also models for major brands including Louis Vuitton and Victoria's Secret, contributing to her growing income.
How to watch Eileen Gu at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Gu opens her Olympic campaign on February 7th with slopestyle qualifiers. She next competes in big air on February 14th and halfpipe on February 19th.
All events will air live across Peacock and NBC.
The comeback story for Team USA skier Lindsey Vonn isn't over yet, as the 41-year-old announced on Tuesday that she'll hit the slopes at the 2026 Winter Olympics despite tearing her ACL last week.
Vonn said she "completely ruptured" her left ACL while also suffering bone bruising and meniscus damage during last Friday's FIS World Cup downhill event in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, but added tht she's still able to ski with a knee brace.
"My knee is not swollen, and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday," Vonn told reporters. "I will do everything in my power to be in the starting gate."
Amid one of the biggest comeback seasons in alpine skiing history, Vonn expressed comfort with overcoming adversity — even if it's for the last time.
"This would be the best comeback I've done so far," Vonn said, after recovering from a previous ACL injury and subsequent surgery more than 10 years ago. "Definitely the most dramatic."
In addition to her signature downhill event, the three-time Olympic medalist voiced interest in participating in the Super G and a new combined team event.
How to watch Lindsey Vonn at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Vonn will open her Milano-Cortina campaign in the women's downhill at 5:30 AM ET on Sunday, airing live on Peacock.
A Lindsey Vonn crash during Friday's World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, Switzerland has cast doubt on the skiing legend's Olympic participation just one week before the opening ceremony in Milan.
The crash occurred when the 41-year-old US skiing legend lost control landing a jump on the upper portion of the course, becoming entangled in safety nets. She was the race's third skier to suffer and injury, as falling snow led to poor visibility.
After receiving approximately five minutes of medical attention on the course, Vonn skied slowly to the finish line, stopping multiple times and clutching her left knee. The crash subsequently canceled the race.
Medical personnel airlifted Vonn off the slopes, with the skier suspended from a hoist cable. International Ski and Snowboard Federation CEO Urs Lehmann confirmed Vonn injured her knee but said the severity remained unclear.
Before entering the medical tent, Vonn shared an embrace with US teammate Jacqueline Wiles, who was leading when officials halted the competition. Vonn appeared visibly distressed during the emotional moment.
The Lindsey Vonn crash comes in the midst of the veteran skier's comeback season. After nearly six years away from competitive skiing, Vonn returned last season at age 40 with a partial titanium implant in her right knee. This season, she has dominated downhill racing with two victories and seven podium finishes in eight World Cup starts across downhill and super-G events.
Vonn holds the record for most World Cup victories in Olympic host location Cortina d'Ampezzo with 12 wins. Her first Olympic race is scheduled for February 8th, with plans to also compete in the super-G and a new combined team event.
The Lindsey Vonn crash occurred seven days before the Opening Ceremony in Milan-Cortina, raising serious questions about her 2026 Winter Olympics participation.
Alpine skiing champion Lindsey Vonn has officially partnered with medical apparel brand FIGS as both an investor and a brand ambassador this week, as the US icon prepares for her fifth Olympic Games next month.
The collaboration centers on a "Healthcare Athlete" campaign, highlighting the physical and mental stamina required by medical professionals.
Lindsey Vonn cited her own medical history as motivation for the partnership. Over her 19-year alpine skiing career, Vonn underwent more than 10 surgeries and extensive rehabilitation. The experiences subsequently provided her with a unique perspective on issues faced by her healthcare team.
"I’ve spent as much time in hospitals as I have on the mountains," Vonn stated in Monday’s press release.
"I have seen firsthand how hard healthcare professionals work and the physical toll it takes. They are athletes in every sense of the word, and they deserve apparel that is built for performance."
FIGS has modernized the medical uniform industry via high-performance scrubs designed for long shifts. The Lindsey Vonn collaboration aims to emphasize the gear’s technical aspects and while celebrating healthcare workers’ resilience.
Vonn’s FIGS investment adds to her growing portfolio of business ventures, a lineup that spans health, wellness, and entrepreneurship as she prepares to become the oldest downhill skier in Winter Olympics history.
"When I retired in 2019, I didn’t think I’d ever race again," she said.
"My Mako partial knee replacement changed everything, and my medical team was there every step of the way, from when I started to casually ski again, and then deciding to come back to ski racing. Having a medical team that supported my goals was crucial. Every record and podium is built on years of unseen effort, and healthcare professionals are the ones who help create that foundation."