Featured Image: Lauren Macuga competing in World Cup downhill. Credit: GEPA pictures/ Gintare Karpaviciute

This week on the American Downhiller Podcast, we turn our attention to Cortina – a favorite in women’s World Cup speed. We interviewed Stifel US Ski Team’s newest speed star – Lauren Macuga, known as “Cougs.” Macuga is coming off a career-best 10th-place finish in the Altenmarkt World Cup super-G. That result set her goals high for the races this week in Italy, which will be the track for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Macuga is part of the US Women’s speed team, which is re-building and has had some good results lately. Keely Cashman and Tricia Mangan, along with the return of, Jacky Wiles and Alice Merryweather, shown advancements in the 2024 speed season.

We talk to Macuga about her development as a speed skier from an “average” junior, to her first downhill race, to her 10th place World Cup accomplishment. She shares her thoughts on training GS to help her speed skiing and her start routine.

Other Topics Covered:

• How to stay focused when the course is gnarly
• How focusing on GS is helping her speed evolve
• Why it’s acceptable sometimes to train speed with your clothes on
• How she learns new courses
• What she learned about herself from various injuries
• Guidance for junior racers on how to draw inspiration from their teammates’ successes
• Advice for junior racers on persevering through struggles
• Who she watches on video

Thanks to Ski Racing Media for sponsoring our American Downhiller Podcast! Listen to the podcast on Apple and Spotify, or watch it on the ELITEAM Youtube channel!