Just four years ago, the U.S. women’s Alpine squad arrived in Beijing as essentially the Mikaela Shiffrin show. The greatest skier in history was expected to carry the load, but no one else seemed poised for the podium. The result? A shocking zero medals—the first time since 2002 the team went home empty-handed.
Fast-forward to today: The Americans have flipped the script and become the team to beat. Every weekend brings multiple U.S. flags on the podium. In mid-January’s Flachau slalom, Shiffrin notched her record-breaking 107th World Cup win, with Paula Moltzan charging to second (her specialty is giant slalom!). Days earlier in Zauchensee, Vonn crushed the downhill for the win, with Jackie Wiles snagging third. The U.S. women now top the Nations Cup in overall, downhill, and slalom—rivaling traditional powerhouses like Switzerland and Austria.
“Our U.S. team is hammering,” Shiffrin declared post-race.
The depth is real. Vonn, at 41 and fresh off a partial knee replacement comeback, has owned the speed events (downhill and super-G) with two wins, two seconds, three thirds, and a fourth in eight races this season. Shiffrin remains unstoppable in slalom, winning six of seven this year. But the supporting cast is elite:
Paula Moltzan (29, Minnesota native): Nearly cut from the team eight years ago, she went to college, earned a second chance, and is now arguably the top giant slalom skier with multiple podiums.
Breezy Johnson: Downhill world champion, back strong post-ACL surgery.
Nina O’Brien: Consistent top-10 threat in giant slalom.
Jackie Wiles: Speed specialist delivering podiums.
Others like rising star Lauren Macuga (sidelined by ACL tear) show even more potential.
U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s high-performance director Anouk Patty credits strategic changes: accountability, coaching overhauls, cross-sport best-practice sharing, and investments in development pipelines like the Europa Cup. Coach Paul Kristofic, leading the women since 2015, calls it “deep and big” across speed and technical events, with young talent building from below.
This isn’t luck—it’s design plus resilience. Injuries plagued the post-Beijing years (Johnson’s ACL and doping suspension, O’Brien’s brutal crash, Shiffrin’s own setbacks), but health has returned, fueling fearless racing. Rivals admit: No team pushes harder or risks more.
The full U.S. women’s Alpine Olympic roster for Milano Cortina 2026 includes: Mikaela Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn, Paula Moltzan, Breezy Johnson, Nina O’Brien, Jacqueline Wiles, and more standouts like Keely Cashman, AJ Hurt, Isabella Wright, Katie Hensien, and Mary Bocock.
From Beijing bust to Olympic favorites, this squad is primed to deliver a medal haul in Italy. Vonn’s historic comeback at 41, Shiffrin’s record chase, and a wave of depth could make this one of the greatest chapters in U.S. Alpine history.
