Puchner, Johnson, Ledecká: GEPA pictures
Kvitfjell Women’s Downhill Preview: Who’s Racing When and How to Watch
Kvitfjell Hosts Women’s World Cup Downhill for the Second Time
The Women’s World Cup downhill returns to Kvitfjell, Norway, for only the fourth time in history. The venue, a longtime stop on the men’s World Cup circuit since 1993, hosted women’s downhill for the first time since 1996 in March 2023. Last season, the race was scheduled but canceled due to weather. Now, the world’s fastest women are again preparing to take the Olympiabakken course.
A Demanding Test for Every Skill
The Kvitfjell-Olympiabakken course demands every skill from downhill racers. It combines long gliding sections with technical turns, big jumps, and aggressive terrain changes. Skiers must push their speed while adapting to the track’s varying rhythm and steep drops.
- Course length: 8,694 feet (2,650 meters)
- Start elevation: 2,920 feet (890 meters)
- Finish elevation: 597 feet (182 meters)
- Vertical drop: 2,323 feet (708 meters)
- Steepest section: Winther’s Cut, with a 64% gradient
Designed by Bernhard Russi for the 1994 Winter Olympics, the track has become a classic venue for World Cup downhill racing. To succeed, athletes must master aerodynamics, strength, timing and risk management.
Podium From the Last World Cup Women’s Downhill in Kvitfjell
The 2023 World Cup downhill in Kvitfjell marked the third time in history that women raced a World Cup downhill on the Olympiabakken course. Kajsa Vickhoff Lie gave Norway a home victory, with Sofia Goggia finishing second and Corinne Suter taking third.
Mikaela Shiffrin led the North Americans, finishing fifth, while Breezy Johnson placed eighth and Isabella Wright finished 12th, putting three U.S. skiers in the top 15.
Kvitfjell has a unique place in women’s speed racing history. It first hosted a women’s Olympic downhill in 1994, where Katja Seizinger won gold and Picabo Street (USA) claimed silver for the U.S. The first World Cup women’s downhill followed in 1996, with another in 2003, where Kirsten Clark (USA) finished third. After a 20-year gap, the 2023 race brought the women back, though the 2024 downhill was canceled due to weather.
Notably, Kvitfjell is among the few World Cup downhill venues where Lindsey Vonn never competed, making it a rare gap in the record-setting American’s career.
Recap: World Championships Downhill
The last downhill before Kvitfjell was the 2025 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria, where Johnson delivered a career-defining performance. The Stifel U.S. Ski Team racer claimed the gold medal and the world title, cementing her status among the sport’s elite.
Austria’s Mirjam Puchner thrilled the home crowd with a silver-medal finish, showcasing her strength on one of the season’s biggest stages. Czech Republic’s Ester Ledecká, a multisport star known for her Olympic titles in both skiing and snowboarding, earned bronze, proving once again that she is a force in speed events. With the World Championships behind them, these racers now shift their focus back to the World Cup, where every point matters in the race for the downhill crystal globe
Season Highlights
The 2024-25 downhill season has delivered exciting races so far. With three downhills remaining on the regular-season calendar and one at the World Cup Finals for the top 25 from the season, we are halfway through the downhill schedule.
These results highlight the depth of talent and tight competition among the world’s best.
| Race Location | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, USA | Cornelia Huetter (AUT) | Sofia Goggia (ITA) | Laura Gut-Behrami (SUI) |
| St. Anton, Austria | Federica Brignone (ITA) | Malorie Blanc (SUI) | Ester Ledecká (CZE) |
| Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy | Sofia Goggia (ITA) | Kajsa Vickhoff Lie (NOR) | Federica Brignone (ITA) |
| Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER | Federica Brignone (ITA) | Sofia Goggia (ITA) | Corinne Suter (SUI) |
The makeup of the Top 15
The top 15 in the downhill standings after Garmisch-Partenkirchen include six countries:
- Italy (ITA) – 4 athletes
- Switzerland (SUI) – 3 athletes
- Austria (AUT) – 3 athletes
- United States (USA) – 2 athletes
- Norway (NOR) – 1 athlete
- Czech Republic (CZE) – 1 athlete
- Slovenia (SLO) – 1 athlete
Top Five Overview
The standings remain tight, with five racers over 140 points. Italy leads with the top two, followed by Austria’s reigning World Cup downhill champion in third. Switzerland and Norway round out the top five.
National Trends and Depth
Italy’s four athletes highlight the country’s dominance, while Switzerland and Austria are evenly matched. The U.S. has two strong contenders in the top 10, and Norway, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia have one athlete, keeping them in the mix.
With three regular-season downhills left, the fight for the title remains open, with several racers still in contention.
click images to enlarge
Fifty-three athletes from 13 countries will compete in the Kvitfjell World Cup Downhill on Friday, February 28.
North American Contenders
North American skiers are ready to challenge the world’s best on the demanding Olympiabakken course in Kvitfjell, Norway. With a mix of veterans, rising stars, and athletes aiming for breakthrough performances, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and Alpine Canada Alpin bring depth and potential to the race.
U.S. Women in the Downhill
Lauren Macuga has emerged as a breakout performer. This season, she is ranked sixth with 134 points and has three top-10 downhill finishes. She was also fourth in the Beaver Creek downhill, demonstrating her speed on demanding tracks.
Breezy Johnson, the newly crowned Downhill World Champion, is ranked tenth with 103 points. Before the championships, she finished fourth in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and remains a podium threat.
Both are having strong seasons and could be contenders in Kvitfjell.
More U.S. Athletes in the Standings
Jacqueline Wiles has been building momentum. She is now ranked 18th with 62 points. She has finished in the top 15 in the last two races, including a season-best seventh in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Lindsey Vonn, ranked 21st with 51 points, will race her fourth downhill since returning from retirement. She opened with a sixth-place finish in St. Anton but has struggled to match that result. Kvitfjell offers another chance to regain form.
Keely Cashman is the only other U.S. woman with 2025 World Cup downhill points, sitting 41st with three points.
The U.S. will also start Isabella Wright, Tricia Mangan, Mary Bocock, and independent racer Haley Cutler, all looking to score their first downhill points of the season. Bocock, who has raced in eight World Cups, will make her downhill debut.
North American Women with World Cup Downhill Points
Alpine Canada Alpin
Alpine Canada Alpin has not entered skiers in many women’s downhills this season but will have two racers in Kvitfjell. Valérie Grenier competed in St. Anton, finishing outside the points, and in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where she placed 21st. She currently sits 36th in the downhill standings with 10 points.
Joining her is Cassidy Gray, who has started just one downhill during her career this season in Cortina d’Ampezzo. She will expand her skill set and attempt to score her first World Cup downhill points in Kvitfjell.
What to Watch For
With just three regular-season downhills remaining, every point matters in the fight for the downhill crystal globe and spots in the World Cup finals. Italy leads the standings, but the reigning World Cup champion from Austria and top Swiss and Norwegian contenders are still in the mix.
The U.S. squad aims to build on its momentum. Macuga continues her breakout season, while Johnson, fresh off her World Championship title, eyes her first World Cup downhill podium of the season. Vonn seeks a return to form, and Wiles hopes to keep climbing the standings.
The Kvitfjell track challenges every skill—speed, aerodynamics, and adaptability—making it a true test for the world’s best. With strong gliders and aggressive racers in the field, expect tight margins and fierce competition.
Stay tuned for results, updates, and analysis from Kvitfjell.
Stifel U.S. Ski Team Athletes Racing Downhill
- Bib 2, Jacqueline Wiles, Stifel USST, White Pass Ski Club
- Bib 19, Breezy Johnson, Stifel USST, Rowmark Ski Academy, Atomic
- Bib 20, Lauren Macuga, Stifel USST, Park City Ski Team, Winter Sports School
- Bib 21, Lindsey Vonn, Stifel USST, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, HEAD, Oakley
- Bib 24, Valérie Grenier, ACA, Club de Ski Mont Tremblant
- Bib 33, Isabella Wright, Stifel USST, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation, Atomic
- Bib 41, Tricia Mangan, Stifel USST, HoliMont Snowsports, Dartmouth College, HEAD
- Bib 45, Keely Cashman, Stifel USST, Team Palisades Tahoe, HEAD
- Bib 50, Haley Cutler, USA Independent, Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, Atomic
- Bib 52, Cassidy Gray, ACA, Team Panorama, Atomic
- Bib 53, Mary Bocock, Stifel USST, Dartmouth College, Rowmark Ski Academy
How and When to Watch
The race starts at 4:30 a.m. Eastern and 1:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
U.S. audiences can watch the race live or as a replay on Ski and Snowboard Live.
Sports enthusiasts in Canada can watch the World Cup on CBC Sports.
Daily Program and Start List
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Start List
About the Author: Peter Lange
