USA's Shiffrin, Johnson Take Gold In Team Combined

Childhood friends Mikaela Shiffrin (USA/Atomic) and Breezy Johnson (USA/Atomic) proved an unstoppable force in the Team Combined at the Saalbach 2025 Alpine World Ski Championships on Tuesday, capping off a truly remarkable few days for the pair.

Just 24 hours after revealing the “mental/PTSD struggle” she has been experiencing since suffering a deep puncture wound to her core little more than 10 weeks ago; Shiffrin showed extraordinary mental strength to convert Johnson’s fourth place after the Downhill into a gold medal-winning Slalom run.

With it Shiffrin becomes the equal most successful World Championship skier ever, tying her alongside Christl Cranz’s (GER) total medal haul of 15. An eighth win also lifts Shiffrin into second-place on her own in the all-time gold medal list.

While Johnson, who first raced alongside her all-conquering teammate aged just 11, cannot match those eye-watering statistics, she has picked up two World Championships crowns of her own in just four days. All after arriving in Saalbach having never previously won a single elite-level race.

“This what makes sport so emotional,” Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami (Head) said of the champions’ feats.

There were plenty of emotions for Gut-Behrami too, on day that saw fans and skiers alike embrace the new event with fervour. After only managing the 12th quickest Downhill run in the morning, the Swiss star found herself charging round the finish area when partner Wendy Holdener (SUI/Head) produced the Slalom run of the day to snatch the pair silver – World Championship medal number eight for Holdener and number nine for the grateful Gut-Behrami.

Much to the delight of the boisterous fans, Katharina Truppe (AUT/Voelkl) also soared up the afternoon leaderboard to claim bronze for Austria, alongside Stephanie Venier (Head).

The agony of ski racing is never too far away from the ecstasy and so it proved with none of the top three teams after the Downhill run able to turn their advantages into a medal. Halftime leaders, USA 2 came closest, with Paula Moltzan (Rossignol) putting up a brave fight in the Slalom before fading to end fourth alongside Lauren Macuga (Rossignol).

“I did my best again today and that’s all I can ask myself,” said Johnson “I am inspired by this event which is something I was not anticipating," said Shiffrin. "The vibe around it is so special."

The day began with the women’s downhill. The track was the same as the downhill from earlier in the week, so the women knew what to do. The speed women sent it, knowing that earning another medal would be possible. Johnson went first for the U.S. women and landed in third for the run, while Macuga blazed down in first to lead by 0.23 hundredths ahead of the pack. Wiles sat her team in 15th and Vonn in 21st.

"Last run on this hill, and I knew I had to make it count," said Macuga. "In the start I was thinking about Paula and how I needed to put my best skiing out there."

The downhill course was quickly torn down and turned into a slalom venue. The slalom women inspected and got ready to roll, while the downhill teammates streamed into the finish, dressed in Stifel U.S. Ski Team paraphernalia and glitter that said ‘USA’ in red and blue - a fun nod to their Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team teammates.

Each one of the slalom ladies skied with grit. First AJ Hurt popped it into the leaderboard chair - sharing her seat with her teammate Vonn.

“I am very satisfied!" said Hurt. "I have not finished a lot of slaloms this year so I am just happy to make it down well. This event is so cool and it's so fun to have a teammate and work together."

“AJ skied amazing and overall we had a great time," said Vonn. "We are on the same team but never get to ski as a team so that was different and fun.

Hensien skied a quick slalom tempo to also land in the leaderboard chair with her partner Jackie Wiles. Hensien’s spirit was felt miles away as she pumped the air with her fist when she skied into the green light.

“I knew I had to put down a really good run. It's very rare we get to ski as a team and I had to do it for Jackie,” said Hensien.

“It is stressful!" added Wiles. "But Katie is such a good skier so it is fun to cheer on your teammate in something bigger than you.”

Then it was time for Shiffrin. Shiffrin, in her second race back after being sidelined with an injury, knifing her run to find the top time. Johnson sprinted out into the finish to give her a hug, and then the waiting game began.

Finally it all came down to Macuga and Moltzan. The team was silent, clutching their American flags and sending Moltzan all the positive energy. Moltzan skied well but held back a smidge and ended up just shy of a medal in fourth place. Despite the tough break of missing a medal, the whole team was still grateful for one another’s support and celebrated their teammates' gold medal in the new event.

Shiffrin and Johnson climbed atop the podium together, holding hands and singing the national anthem.

“It has not sunken in yet - I went out and wanted to ski my best," said Johnson. "I just wanted to do something to help Mikaela who has done so much for my career as well."

Shiffrin lauded her teammate, as well. “This last year and a half (Breezy) has had to take on a lot on her own, so to be at this level now and do it again today is so incredible,” said Shiffrin.

Shiffrin notably won her 15th World Championships medal and eighth gold medal, making history once again by equaling Germany’s Christl Cranz's 15 total World Championship medals – the most by any female skier. Plus Breezy Johnson continued her incredible World Championships run with a second gold medal to her name.

In a sign perhaps of a battle to come, Holdener outshone even Shiffrin in the Slalom leg. Not that Gut-Behrami was shocked.

“I could believe it, if there's someone that can ski that fast in slalom, that’s her,'” a breathless Gut-Behrami said after watching Holdener catapult them into silver medal position. “I was pretty sure she could do that.

“It was fun to race with her. It was fun to have something different, again. It's a different format. It makes (it) fun for the athletes, it makes sense for everyone to watch it. So I think, yeah, it was a great, great start for the Team Combined. And of course, even more happy that we won a medal.”

The duo have bestrode Swiss ski racing for so long and to finally get a chance to race together was clearly a pleasure for both.

“I was really happy to stand on the start with Lara today, I knew I had to go full gas if we wanted to fight for a medal. I'm happy. It worked out, let's say it that way,” Holdener said. “I was nervous on the start, of course, but yeah, we had nothing to lose.”

Best friends Venier and Truppe, who named themselves ‘Team Always Happy’, were of a very similar mindset.

“I called her before and I said to her, go all in, but with the right mindset. She did it well, we did it well, it's crazy,” said Venier, who also won the women’s Super G. “Team Always Funny is on the podium.”

There were tears as well as smiles, with Venier and Truppe’s compatriot Katharina Liensberger (AUT/Rossignol) among those to suffer. After Downhill silver medallist Mirjam Puchner (AUT/Atomic) had put her just 0.28 seconds off the lead, Liensberger admitted that she had “wanted to give maybe a bit too much”.

It was even tougher for the Germans. Two teams inside the top five after the Downhill turned into a solitary 17th place, with a well-set Lena Duerr (Head) making a huge mistake on the pitch.

The women’s team is fired up, confident and emotional over a whirlwind of a week that has produced a medal in each event that has occurred so far: a bronze in super-G, gold in downhill and gold in the team combined. The next events for the women’s team will be the giant slalom and slalom, while the men race their team combined on Wednesday.