Breezy Johnson Triumphs at World Championships Downhill: A New American Legend in the Making

Breezy Johnson has made history by becoming the fourth American woman to win the downhill race at the World Alpine Skiing Championships. This victory is a significant milestone in her career.

After being the first to race, she had to wait over an hour to see if her time would hold up. In the end, she finished just 0.15 seconds ahead of Austria’s Mirjam Puchner, clinching gold in Saalbach, Austria—exactly one year before the Olympic downhill in Milan Cortina. The bronze medal went to Czech skier Ester Ledecká.

Johnson expressed relief after her run, saying, “It’s a little nerve-racking to sit in the leader’s chair,” but added, “I was definitely grateful to run No. 1.” Her win marks the first world downhill title for an American woman since Lindsey Vonn in 2009. Vonn, who participated for the first time in six years, finished in 15th place.

Before Breezy, Hilary Lindh (1997), Picabo Street (1996), and Bode Miller (2005) were the only Americans to claim downhill gold. Johnson hails from Victor, Idaho, and was introduced to skiing at the tender age of three, starting with small glides in her family driveway.

She made her Olympic debut in 2018 but faced challenges due to injuries, including a significant knee injury that kept her out of competition for months and limited her participation in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. After making a strong comeback in 2021, she earned several podium finishes but faced another hurdle with a 14-month suspension due to a whereabouts issue relating to out-of-competition drug testing.

Despite setbacks, Johnson returned to form. She broke into the top ten with a fourth-place finish shortly before the World Championships, where she trained hard, showing promising speed in practice runs.

This upcoming week features the men’s downhill event, where Swiss skier Marco Odermatt aims to become the first man in over 50 years to repeat as world champion. The excitement of the World Championships continues, with athletes showcasing their incredible talent on the slopes.

Here are the results for the Women’s Downhill:

• Gold: Breezy Johnson (USA) – 1:41.29
• Silver: Mirjam Puchner (AUT) – +0.15
• Bronze: Ester Ledecká (CZE) – +0.21
• 4. Cornelia Huetter (AUT) – +0.34
• 5. Lauren Macuga (USA) – +0.38
• 6. Emma Aicher (GER) – +0.48
• 7. Corinne Suter (SUI) – +0.62
• 8. Nicol Delago (ITA) – +0.76
• 9. Stephanie Venier (AUT) – +0.99
• 10. Federica Brignone (ITA) – +1.19
• 15. Lindsey Vonn (USA) – +1.96
• 16. Sofia Goggia (ITA) – +1.97
• DNF: Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI)
• DNF: Jacqueline Wiles (USA)

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Breezy Johnson,Lindsey Vonn,Mirjam Puchner,Alpine Skiing,Nick Zaccardi,World,World Cup,Ester Ledecká