U.S. Duo Dominates Downhill in Historic Olympic Alpine Team Combined Debut
The women's Alpine team combined event made its Olympic debut on Tuesday at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The United States duo of Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin, reigning world champions in the discipline, completed the downhill leg with Johnson securing the fastest time, positioning their team ahead for the concluding slalom run.
Breezy Johnson's fastest downhill run puts the reigning world champions, Team USA, in prime position for the inaugural Olympic Alpine Team Combined gold.
A New Era for Alpine Skiing: The Team Combined Event
The Alpine team combined event is a new discipline at the Winter Olympics, replacing the traditional individual combined format. This innovative event features two skiers per team, with one competing in downhill and the other in slalom, integrating both speed and technical skiing aspects. The team with the fastest cumulative time from both runs is declared the winner.
The event previously made its debut at a major international competition at the 2025 World Championships in Hinterglemm, Austria, where Johnson and Shiffrin secured the gold medal.
Spotlight on Team USA: Johnson and Shiffrin
The U.S. team is spearheaded by Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin, both aged 30. Their combined expertise makes them formidable contenders.
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Breezy Johnson: A powerhouse in speed events, Johnson holds Olympic downhill gold and secured another downhill gold at the 2025 World Championships. While she has not won a World Cup race, her consistent success in major championships highlights her specialized performance when it matters most.
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Mikaela Shiffrin: A prominent figure in technical skiing, Shiffrin holds the record for the most career World Cup wins for any skier, with an astounding 108 victories. This winter season alone, she has won seven out of eight World Cup slalom events and secured the crystal globe for the discipline. The upcoming slalom run marks Shiffrin's 2026 Olympic debut in this event, where she is seeking her first Olympic medal since Pyeongchang 2018.
Downhill Leg: Johnson Sets the Pace
Breezy Johnson, starting 14th in the downhill leg, recorded the fastest time of 1 minute, 36.59 seconds, under sunny conditions. This exceptional performance placed the U.S. first team decisively ahead of the competition.
- Ariane Rädler of Austria's second team finished a mere 0.06 seconds behind Johnson.
- Laura Pirovano of Italy's second team placed third, 0.27 seconds adrift.
The host nation's medal prospects were significantly impacted when Sofia Goggia, a downhill bronze medallist, crashed during her run. This unfortunate incident also concluded the medal hopes for her teammate Lara Della Mea. Goggia was able to ski to the finish.
Mikaela Shiffrin is scheduled to complete the concluding slalom run, which is set to begin at midnight AEDT.
National Representation: Multiple Teams Vie for Gold
Countries are permitted to enter multiple duos in this new event, showcasing the depth of talent across nations.
The United States, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland have each fielded four teams for the event. Additionally, Argentina and Germany are participating with one team each.
The United States, aiming for a strong showing, has entered three other teams:
- Jackie Wiles (downhill) and Paula Moltzan (slalom)
- Bella Wright (downhill) and Nina O'Brien (slalom)
- Keely Cashman (downhill) and A.J. Hurt (slalom)