Breezy Johnson Claims Historic Downhill Gold at Alpine Ski World Championships

The 29-year-old American secures her first major victory, overcoming past challenges and setting a remarkable pace in Saalbach, Austria.

Breezy Johnson of the United States won gold in the women's downhill at the Alpine Ski World Championships, finishing 0.15 seconds ahead of Austria's Mirjam Puchner and 0.21 seconds ahead of Ester Ledecka of Czechia.
Johnson's victory is her first major championship medal and came after a 14-month ban for anti-doping whereabouts violations, which ended in December 2024.
Racing as the first competitor on the Ulli Maier course, Johnson clocked 1:41.29, achieving a rare win from the first bib number in a global downhill event.
American teammate Lindsey Vonn, competing at age 40 with a new titanium knee, finished 15th in her comeback season after retiring in 2019.
The race, held in front of 15,000 spectators, marked exactly one year before the women's downhill event at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, where Johnson and the strong U.S. team aim to contend.