Cortina airshow: Photo Credit Pentaphoto

Who is racing, when and how to watch the Cortina d’Ampezzo downhill

Cortina organizers promote the women’s downhill as 90 seconds of pure adrenaline, which is true. This season the women will have two chances at this amazing course. They traded one of their super-G races to St. Anton for downhill when the Austrian organizers could not offer a training day, eliminating the possibility of a downhill race. However, there is no better downhill course on the women’s calendar than Cortina’s Olimpia track, the “Queen of Speed,” nor is there a more scenic venue. Adding to the event buzz, after taking a quick break from competing, Mikaela Shiffrin is back in action. Additionally, Cortina will host the women’s alpine events for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

This year will mark the 30th anniversary of the World Cup in Cortina. Fortunately for the home nation’s fans, the Italian Sofia Goggia is the dominant downhill skier. Goggia leads the downhill World Cup standings and has also won three of the four downhill races this season. Notably, after breaking her hand at the top of the St. Moritz course, she finished second in the only race she didn’t win. However, she had surgery that afternoon and returned victorious the next day. Goggia is an incomparable alpine ski racing champion. 

World Cup downhill leaders prior to Cortina

The US has good reason to hope for a podium tomorrow. Mikaela Shiffrin is competing and it would be perfect if she set a new women’s record of 83 World Cup victories in the only event she hasn’t won this season. Shiffrin has had two great training runs, 2nd on the first attempt and 4th in today’s final run. Teammate Isabella Wright joins her among the fastest. Wright has shown speed all season and looks prepared to challenge for a podium. She was 9th on the first training run and 2nd today. Both women seem to be comfortable on the Cortina snow and course. 

North American entries include seven women – four from the Stifel US Alpine Team and one from Alpine Canada Alpin. Each nation also has an independent racer entered. This week, US athlete, Lauren Macuga, is not in Cortina. Macuga is competing in the World Junior Championships in St. Anton. 

North Americans starting in the January 20th Cortina d’Ampezzo downhill

• Bib 1, Breezy Johnson, USST, Rowmark Ski Academy, Atomic
• Bib 21, Mikaela Shiffrin, USST, Burke Mountain Academy, Atomic, Oakley
• Bib 25, Marie-Michele Gagnon, ACA, Mont Original Ski Club, HEAD
• Bib 27, Bella Wright, USST, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation, Atomic
• Bib 43, Keely Cashman, USST, Team Palisades Tahoe, Rossignol, LOOK
• Bib 46, Trish Mangan, independent, HoliMont Snowsports, Dartmouth College, HEAD, SWIX, ASP
• Bib 49, Stefanie Fleckenstein, Independent, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, University of Colorado, Rossignol, LOOK

The race will begin at 4:15 am Eastern Time and at 1:15 am on the West Coast. Remember, live and full replay is available with English-speaking announcers on Ski and Snowboard Live.

Start list and program for the January 20th Cortina d’Ampezzo downhill

Program for Saturday’s January 20th Cortina d’Ampezzo downhill