Jacqueline Wiles – Cortina d’Ampezzo / GEPA pictures
The downhill specialist has notched her greatest career moments in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the site of the 2026 Olympics.
As a U.S. Team veteran, Jackie Wiles is entering this winter with a sense of calm.
Kicking off her World Cup season this weekend in St. Moritz, the 33-year-old Portland, Oregon native is unfazed by the pressure of the Olympics. Reflecting on her career, which began almost half her life ago, and the rash of injuries and subsequent mental struggles she’s overcome, she feels equipped to handle whatever’s coming.
“Now that I’m older in my career, it adds an element of calm,” Wiles said last month at Copper Mountain, where she trained with the U.S. Speed Team. “I don’t feel as if I’m trying to make a big statement. I know who I am. I know I’ve had the results and can be more confident in who I am as a person and a skier.”
Although she’s competed in two Olympics – 2014 in Sochi and 2022 in Beijing – Wiles has never been at the top of her game competing on the world’s biggest stage. This winter, she hopes that changes in Italy.
Olympic and comeback history
Rewind to 2014 and Wiles had made her World Cup debut early that season. She joined the speed circuit, but had yet to land points among the top-tier field. Then, she broke through with a huge 15th-place downhill finish in none other than Cortina d’Ampezzo, just before the Sochi Games.
The next Olympic cycle – the 2018 season – marked a true turning point. She had just notched her second career World Cup podium, also in Cortina, sharing it with Lindsey Vonn for one of the most memorable moments of her career. However, two weeks later, just before the Pyeongchang Games, she suffered a terrible crash in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen World Cup downhill, destroying her left knee and sidelining her not only from the 2018 Olympics but from competition for almost two years.
Her first comeback came in 2019–20, when she struggled to build back before Covid-19 shut the season down early.
What followed was another difficult stretch – another crash resulting in a broken collarbone and another knee surgery to address residual pain in her knee. Then came another Olympic season – 2022. Wiles started the season only to discover pain in her right knee that turned out to be a torn patella tendon, for which she underwent a minor surgery. She rallied to compete in Beijing nonetheless, finishing 21st in downhill before re-tearing the patella tendon. It was time for another major surgery … and another long recovery.
Cortina career highlights
Fast forward to 2023–24, when Wiles made her second major comeback to racing. She forged her way back up the ranks in downhill, hitting another high note once again in Cortina with a second place in January 2024. After a lackluster start to last season with a 29th place in Beaver Creek, Wiles found her rhythm in downhill once again, never finishing worse than 14th and scoring her best result – a seventh place – in, you guessed it, Cortina d’Ampezzo.
“The Cortina track really suits my style. It’s fast, flowy, open with big, sweeping turns. Out of all the tracks it fits me better – the first place I had World Cup points, shared a podium with Lindsey, my dad came and watched me … there’s a lot of memories, big moments that mean a lot. It’s a special place.”
This February, Wiles is hoping to add even bigger moments on the Italian slope. Rather than overthink, she plans to rely on her sense of calm.
“Coming into an Olympic year, there’s a lot more media, pressure, stress, but at the same time, you have to completely take it the exact same as any other year,” she said. “You have to not make it into a bigger deal than it is. The important thing is taking your prep and doing everything you do in a normal year, keeping everything as level and consistent as you can.”
St. Moritz deceptively tricky
The first races of the season in St. Moritz, where Wiles’ best finish was 12th in the 2017 World Championship downhill, will supply a significant early challenge. She welcomes that test.
“The St. Moritz track is a little more deceiving than you’d think,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of trees on either side. There’s a lot of rolls, so it can kind of sneak up and catch you off-guard. But it’s a really fun hill. Being there early season, you have the Christmas feel and it’s always good vibes. It’ll be a great place to kick off the season, get some momentum and confidence.”
Team spirit
Speaking of good vibes, the women’s speed team, sadly devoid of Lauren Macuga, who will miss the season after injuring her knee in a training crash at Copper, is a self-sustaining machine. Rather than feel competitive with her teammates for a spot on the Olympic team, Wiles believes they can collectively ratchet each other up to reach their top potential.
“All of us know we’re going to do well when we build each other up and help one another be successful,” she said. “I feel fortunate that I’ve been on the team for a long time. I’ve experienced those high-pressure moments. When I was first on the team, all the veterans really helped me, and now I’m in a place that I can give back and help the younger ones handle these types of situations as well.”
All told, Wiles believes her toolset – both mental and physical – is more complete than ever coming into this season.
“I’ve been through injuries and I’ve learned a lot from those to the point where now I know what I need to do to overcome mental struggles,” she said. “If I’m struggling with skiing as well, I feel like I’m in a place now where I have more tools to be able to handle whatever I need at that moment.”
About the Author: Shauna Farnell
