SUN VALLEY, Idaho — Mikaela Shiffrin is no longer the sole American woman consistently landing on the podium.
The U.S. women’s ski team just wrapped up its most successful season in over a decade, with five different athletes earning World Cup podium finishes and four securing medals at the world championships.
“It’s an incredible time to be part of the U.S. women’s ski team, whether in technical or speed events. We keep building off each other,” said Paula Moltzan, who claimed bronze in two World Cup races and another in giant slalom at the world championships.
Moltzan hopes this momentum will carry into the early season and ultimately into the Olympics. For decades, the U.S. has produced dominant female skiers, Tamara McKinney, Picabo Street, Lindsey Vonn, and Shiffrin. Yet, apart from brief periods, success was often limited to one or two skiers at a time. That has now changed.
Lauren Macuga’s super-G victory in St. Anton, Austria, marked the first time a U.S. woman outside of Shiffrin or Vonn stood atop a World Cup podium since 2013, when Alice McKennis won a downhill event in the same location. Breezy Johnson’s downhill gold at the world championships was the first individual world title by a U.S. woman other than Shiffrin or Vonn since Hilary Lindh in 1997.
Vonn’s silver in the super-G at the World Cup finals also made her the fifth different U.S. woman to reach a podium this season the most since 2012-13, when seven different athletes did so.
Despite missing two months due to injury, Shiffrin still claimed four wins and a third-place finish in slalom. Macuga, just 22, added a downhill silver to her super-G triumph, while Johnson secured a downhill bronze.
Vonn, who returned from retirement in November after knee surgery, emphasized the importance of new talent. “We’ve been waiting for someone like Lauren Macuga, and it’s exciting to see her rise. She’s young and has a long career ahead. We need that fresh energy,” she said. Vonn also noted that the U.S. has an especially strong technical team, which will help sustain the sport’s momentum in the country.
Ski racing remains an expensive and demanding sport, with athletes traveling across continents for competitions and training. But beyond financial hurdles, the challenge has often been depth training as a team while competing against one another. This group, however, has managed to strike a balance, using their camaraderie as a strength.
“Balancing support and competition is tough,” Shiffrin admitted. “But this team has found a way to do it in a way I’ve never seen before. That’s pretty special heading into next season.”
The positive environment is benefiting the entire team. Nina O’Brien recorded a career-best season with four top-10 finishes, surpassing her total from previous years. Jacqueline Wiles had two top-10 downhill results, and AJ Hurt finished inside the top 20 in both of her world championship events.
“It’s been an amazing experience,” O’Brien said. “Our team keeps pushing each other, and every race, someone steps up and shines. It’s awesome to be a part of.”
With this momentum, the U.S. women’s team is looking strong heading into the Olympic year.
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