From Disaster to a Dream: Johnson Makes Course Correction After Vonn Goes Down
The Wyoming native speeds to first U.S. gold at the Olympic Games as Vonn’s much-anticipated run ends in a crash.
Breezy Johnson of Team United States wins the gold medal during the Women's Downhill on day two of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on Feb. 8, 2026. Agence Zoom/Getty Images
U.S. Alpine skier Breezy Johnson made the perfect course correction to capture downhill skiing gold on Sunday at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Johnson became just the second American woman to win the event, clinching the victory as superstar Lindsey Vonn, the first to accomplish the feat for the United States, crashed on the famed Olimpia delle Tofane course.
John E. Gibson
Author
John E. Gibson has covered pro baseball in Japan for about 20 years and brings great knowledge and insight across the sports spectrum. His experience includes stints at The Orange County Register, The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, The Redlands Daily Facts and The Yomiuri Shimbun’s English newspaper in Tokyo.
