Paula Moltzan Saalbach World Championships GEPA pictures
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s women’s technical and speed squads enter the 2026 Olympic season in a position most nations envy—and few would want to manage. If, as expected, the U.S. qualifies the maximum 11-athlete team for Cortina, the biggest challenge won’t be who goes—it’ll be who doesn’t.
Right now, women’s giant slalom and downhill are the strongest and deepest squads on the U.S. Alpine roster. That decision will be toughest in giant slalom, where six American women have already shown Olympic-level ability. And while downhill may appear more settled, the presence of World Champion Breezy Johnson, the return of Lindsey Vonn, the breakout of Lauren Macuga, and the steady experience of Jacqueline Wiles show just how strong the group is. It is important to remember that even what looks decided can still change.
Six Stars, Four Starts in GS
Only four athletes can start per nation in any Olympic event. In women’s giant slalom, six Americans are already making a serious case—and several more are watching from the wings.
To underscore the depth of this group, four U.S. women qualified for the 2025 World Cup Finals in giant slalom—a field reserved for the top 25 in the discipline standings. Mikaela Shiffrin was not among them, having missed much of the season due to injury. Yet she remains one of the most elite skiers in the world. Shiffrin is the 2023 World Champion in giant slalom, a two-time GS season title winner, and the 2018 Olympic gold medalist. With 22 World Cup GS victories and a return to full strength, she enters the Olympic year as a clear medal contender once again
Moltzan Brings Experience and Momentum
Paula Moltzan has been a cornerstone of the U.S. technical team and made a major leap in giant slalom during the 2025 season. She earned her first World Cup GS podium, claimed bronze at the World Championships, and finished the year ranked seventh in the discipline standings.
Moltzan is also one of the top American slalom skiers, consistently placing among the world’s best. Her ability to contend in both technical events strengthens her case for Olympic selection, especially with just 11 total women’s quota spots available.
O’Brien Back at Full Speed
Nina O’Brien hit the gas in 2025, returning to the form that once made her one of the most promising GS specialists on the circuit. After spending 2024 focused on injury recovery, she came into the 2025 season ready to push. She finished 11th in the World Cup GS standings and recorded three top-10 results, proving she belongs in the mix with the best.
O’Brien enters the Olympic season as a legitimate medal contender in giant slalom.
Hurt Making a Two-Discipline Case
AJ Hurt missed the start of the 2025 season with back pain but finished strong. She placed eighth at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, earned a season-best seventh in Sestriere, and delivered consistent speed once healthy.
Hurt is one of only a few Americans with podiums in both GS and slalom, making her a powerful two-event threat for the Olympic roster. That kind of range could carry weight when the Stifel U.S. Ski Team finalizes the 11-woman squad.
Hensien Rebounds With Career-Best Season
After missing the entire 2024 season with a knee injury, Katie Hensien returned in 2025 with the best skiing of her career. She opened with a career-best fourth-place finish in Sölden, scored in six straight World Cup GS races, and earned a spot in her first career World Cup Finals.
Hensien also showed potential in slalom, placing 12th in Kranjska Gora, and continues to build strength in both technical disciplines. Her ability to contribute in more than one event strengthens her Olympic case as the U.S. works within its 11-athlete limit.
Bocock Rising Fast
Elisabeth Bocock may not have the World Cup resume of her veteran teammates, but her rapid rise has made her impossible to ignore. She earned bronze in GS at the 2025 World Junior Championships, started seven World Cup GS races, and qualified for the second run four times—including a 14th-place finish in Åre.
She then returned home and won the U.S. National GS title, beating Hurt, O’Brien and Hensien. While that result won’t influence Olympic selection, Bocock’s three-event range and upward trajectory put her in contention. She currently ranks seventh among American women on the Olympic Winter Games 2026 Allocation List for Alpine Skiing.
Surprises and Setbacks Still Possible
Injuries will remain a factor. Shiffrin, Hurt, O’Brien and Hensien have all missed races during the last two seasons. And, as Macuga’s breakout in 2025 proved, surprises can always shake up the top four.
For now, the six athletes above are leading the charge for Olympic giant slalom starts. But nothing is final until the selection is made—and even then, anything can happen on race day.
Downhill Picture Stable—Vonn’s Return Changed the Game
The U.S. women’s downhill group may appear more settled and the level of talent and experience is just as high. Four Americans finished among the top 19 in the 2025 World Cup standings and all qualified for the Finals. If the Olympics were held today, the downhill roster would likely include Breezy Johnson, Lauren Macuga, Jacqueline Wiles and Lindsey Vonn.
Breezy Johnson: World Champion
Breezy Johnson stormed back into form in 2025, reclaiming her place as the team’s top downhill racer. She won the World Championship downhill and proved throughout the season that she can still deliver on the sport’s biggest stages.
After two challenging years, Johnson’s power and confidence returned at the right time—as the Olympic season begins to take shape.
Macuga Breaks Through in Both Speed Events
Lauren Macuga delivered one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 season, breaking through in both downhill and super-G. She earned her first World Cup downhill podium with a second-place finish in Kvitfjell and backed it up at the World Championships, placing fifth in downhill and earning a bronze in super-G.
She finished the season ranked fourth in the World Cup downhill standings and sixth in super-G, qualifying for her first World Cup Finals in both events. At just 22, Macuga enters the Olympic season as a rising force in American speed skiing.
Wiles Adds Experience and Grit
Jacqueline Wiles has been part of the U.S. downhill program for more than a decade and continues to bring world-class speed to the team. She owns three World Cup podiums—two of them in Cortina—and has raced in multiple Olympics and World Championships. She qualified for the 2025 Finals after a strong and determined season.
Like many U.S. speed veterans, Wiles has battled through injuries over the years, but she remains a fierce competitor with the ability to deliver big results. Her experience, strength, and Cortina track record make her a serious Olympic contender heading into 2026.
Vonn Returns—and Is a Force
Lindsey Vonn’s comeback in 2025 brought one of the most dramatic storylines of the season. At 40, she qualified for the World Cup Finals, posted three top-10 results, and showed steady improvement through the year.
Vonn remains the only American woman to win an Olympic downhill and holds a record 43 World Cup downhill victories. She also owns an astonishing 12 career World Cup wins in Cortina—six in downhill and six in super-G—making it one of her most dominant venues. Now 41, she enters the Olympic season hoping to make history again—potentially as the oldest woman ever to medal in Olympic downhill.
A Good Problem, a Tough Decision
With depth in giant slalom and a proven core in downhill, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team faces tough decisions ahead of Cortina. Barring injury or an unexpected drop in form, the team is likely to qualify its full 11-woman Olympic quota.
But with so much talent and only four start spots per event, even top-ranked athletes will face intense internal competition. In giant slalom especially, the path to the Olympic start gate will be anything but easy.
The legend—Lindsey Vonn—the World Champion—Breezy Johnson—and the shooting star—Lauren Macuga—are currently among the four downhillers in position for Cortina. While that speaks to the extraordinary range of the U.S. team, it guarantees nothing. With half a World Cup season still to come before the Olympic qualification window closes, the landscape could shift dramatically.
Finalizing the Stifel U.S. Olympic roster will be especially difficult in women’s giant slalom, where more athletes are capable of delivering Olympic-level performances than there are start spots available.
About the Author: Peter Lange
