For much of the last decade, it was wondered who from the U.S. women’s Alpine skiing team could step up to join Mikaela Shiffrin (and, before her retirement, Lindsey Vonn) on major championship podiums.
That questioned was answered by not one but three Americans who won their first individual medals over the last two weeks at the World Championships in Saalbach, Austria.
“It’s an absolutely incredible place that we are as a team,” Shiffrin said.
Breezy Johnson claimed downhill gold (plus team combined gold with Shiffrin). Lauren Macuga shared super-G bronze. Paula Moltzan tacked on giant slalom bronze.
Four different Americans won medals across the women’s events at an Olympics or worlds for the first time ever.
“My teammates are incredible (we knew this already)!” Shiffrin posted on Sunday, captioning a slideshow of images with her fellow Saalbach medalists. “Their performances, the medals earned, the grit and determination that each one of them has put into this season and these Worlds has been inspirational. I’m so grateful to be part of this team.”
It sets quite a stage for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.
There, Shiffrin could bid to become the first U.S. skier (across all skiing disciplines) to win a third career Olympic gold medal.
While Shiffrin, 29, has dominated for 12 years, her teammates who broke through in Saalbach came from different places in their careers.
Is Breezy Johnson the U.S.’ next downhill champion?
Breezy Johnson, who first skied in her driveway, followed Lindsey Vonn as the next great U.S. downhiller.
Johnson, 29, missed the 2022 Olympics due to an injury sustained less than a month before the Games while ranked second in the World Cup in downhill.
Then she missed last season due to a suspension for not properly providing her whereabouts for out-of-competition drug testing. Johnson’s level of fault was “relatively low given the circumstances of the case,” according to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
“I’ve been working hard for so long. Sometimes it was the luck. Sometimes it was the injuries,” Johnson told Swiss broadcaster SRF after her downhill gold. “After a while, you kind of start being like, it’s about the process, and I just want to ski well, and the results maybe don’t come, and you have to just be happy with what you did yourself. And so then to have the results come is crazy.”
How Lauren Macuga’s skiing family woke up to (and shared in) her first World Cup win
Lauren Macuga is one of three siblings who could make the 2026 U.S. Olympic team.
Macuga, 22, placed third, fourth and fifth in her three races in her debut World Championships. Macuga, one of three sisters bidding for Olympic debuts in different disciplines, has already this season become the youngest American to win a World Cup speed race in 18 years.
Moltzan, 30, was cut from the national team, then skied in college for three years. She returned to international racing and established herself as a regular podium threat in slalom and GS. For years, Shiffrin was the only American on that level.
What’s more, Vonn, 40, has skied well enough in her comeback from a five-year retirement to target her goal of making a fifth Olympic team in 2026.
“I don’t remember during the time that I’ve been skiing having this much depth,” Shiffrin told reporters in Saalbach. “It’s been incredible to watch that build over the years and kind of culminating this World Championships, and I hope it continues to build over the next year and the next several years.”
Paula Moltzan, after three years at school, seizes second ski racing chance
Paula Moltzan, after a three-year break to go to college, is bidding for her first Winter Olympics in Alpine skiing.
The U.S. women’s Alpine skiing team has had some incredible performances over the years, but perhaps none more impressive than their podium era at the World Championships. From the late 1980s to the early 2000s, the U.S. women’s team dominated the World Championships, consistently bringing home medals and showcasing their talent on the world stage.
Led by legends like Picabo Street, Lindsey Vonn, and Mikaela Shiffrin, the U.S. women’s team won multiple medals in events like downhill, super-G, giant slalom, and slalom. Their dominance was unparalleled, with each skier bringing their own unique strengths and skillsets to the team.
The U.S. women’s Alpine skiing team’s podium era was a testament to their dedication, hard work, and skill. They were truly a force to be reckoned with on the slopes, and their performances at the World Championships will go down in history as some of the best ever.
Do you agree that the U.S. women’s Alpine skiing team during their podium era was the best World Championships ever? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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- World Championships
- U.S. women’s Alpine skiing team
- Podium era
- Skiing champions
- Female athletes
- Alpine skiing competition
- Team USA
- Skiing history
- Winter sports
- Athletic achievements
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