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Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy — U.S. downhill skiing champion Breezy Johnson, already the proprietor of 1 2026 Winter Olympics golden medal, crashed retired of contention successful the women's Super-G contention connected Thursday successful Italy. Her close rod caught a gross soon aft she exited the speed-building chute connected the people and she mislaid her balance, ending up successful the drawback fence.
She was capable to get to her feet aft the crash.
Johnson won gold successful the women's downhill lawsuit connected Saturday — her archetypal medal of the 2026 Games and the archetypal for Team USA overall. Her medal past broke, coming isolated from its ribbon arsenic she celebrated. Johnson told CBS News' Seth Doane she was taking peculiar attraction of her replacement medal portion her archetypal was nether repair — and she intended to knit a dedicated pouch to support her medal harmless erstwhile returned.
Team USA's Breezy Johnson reacts aft crashing successful the women's super-G lawsuit during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine the Tofane Alpine Skiing Center, successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Feb. 12, 2026.
Francois-Xavier MARIT/AFP/Getty
The contention was won by Italian skier Federica Brignone, completing her long, achy ascent backmost to the apical of the sport. The 35-year-old earned the archetypal Olympic golden medal of her decorated vocation connected Thursday, little than a twelvemonth aft breaking aggregate bones successful her near leg, which resulted successful 2 surgeries and months of rehab.
Brignone navigated the tricky method Trofane people successful 1:23.41 minutes for the win.
Johnson was hardly the lone 1 who ran into trouble. Italy's Sofia Goggia, presently atop the World Cup play standings successful the super-G, on with 2018 Olympic golden medalist Ester Ledecka of Czechia and American Mary Bocock, who entered the contention aft U.S. star Lindsey Vonn severely injured her near leg successful the downhill connected Sunday, were each incapable to marque it down safely.
Racing successful foggy conditions successful level airy that tin marque the nuances of the people hard to navigate, and with IOC President Kirsty Coventry and Italy President Sergio Mattarella adjacent the decorativeness below, Brignone triumphantly raised her poles aft crossing the line.
Brignone's triumph made her the oldest pistillate golden medalist successful women's alpine. The golden is besides her 4th Olympic medal. Brignone claimed metallic successful the super-G and bronze successful the squad lawsuit successful Beijing 4 years ago. She besides earned bronze successful the super-G successful Pyeongchang successful 2018. Brignone's 4 medals nether the rings present lucifer Deborah Compagnoni for astir by an Italian women's skier.
Gold medalist Federica Brignone of Team Italy celebrates with her squad aft the medal ceremonial for the Women's Super-G event, connected time six of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics astatine Tofane Alpine Skiing Center, Feb. 12, 2026, successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
Mattia Ozbot/Getty
Brignone was 1 of 4 emblem bearers for Italy during the opening ceremonies. At 1 point, inactive bothered by the symptom successful her near limb astir 10 months aft her terrifying clang successful Val di Fassa, Brignone asked curler Amos Mosaner to transportation her connected his shoulders. Mosaner obliged, leaving Brignone escaped to question the flag.
The acquainted operation of red, achromatic and greenish was disposable crossed a wide swath of stands connected Thursday erstwhile Brignone finished, arsenic a assemblage emboldened by the aboriginal occurrence of the big state roared astatine the 2026 Games roared its approval.
"Congrats Fede," Vonn tweeted from the infirmary wherever she's recovering from her crash. "What an unthinkable comeback!!"
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Extended interview: Breezy Johnson
Extended interview: U.S. Olympic skier Breezy Johnson
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