While one dream came to an end, another came true.
Following Lindsey Vonn’s heartbreaking crash during the women’s downhill race that brought a quick end to her Olympic comeback early Sunday morning, her Team USA teammate pulled through for her.
Breezy Johnson won her first Olympic gold medal after crushing her downhill run with a time of 1:36.10. She held the position early after being the sixth racer down the course.
It marked the first medal won by the U.S. in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, and it also makes Johnson the second American woman to win gold in the event, joining Vonn, who took the gold in 2010.
The 30-year-old was followed by Germany’s Emma Aicher (1:36.14) and Italy’s Sofia Goggia (1:36.69).
Fellow American Jackie Wiles nearly made the podium as well, but finished just shy in fourth place with a time of 1:36.96.
Vonn went down six racers after Johnson set the pace. She crashed at the top of the course in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and it took about 20 minutes until the decorated U.S. skier was airlifted and the race resumed.
Johnson showed a face of worry after not seeing her teammate at the bottom, and pointed up to the course, sending good spirits to Vonn. U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team later announced that Vonn is currently being “evaluated by medical staff.”
Johnson came into the race with a lot of firepower.
The Jackson Hole, Wyo. native is the defending world champion in the downhill race, crossing the finish line with a winning time of 1:41.29 in Saalbach, Austria. She also paced the field in Saturday’s training run ahead of the final race.
Johnson grew more and more emotional as the race went on and it started to set in that she would be receiving her first Olympic medal.
Milan Cortina is only Johnson’s second Olympics. In the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, she placed seventh in the downhill and 14th in the Super-G.
