American skier Breezy Johnson will miss the 2022 Olympics following two crashes in training that resulted in torn cartilage in her knee.
Johnson, who entered 2022 second in skiing’s downhill World Cup, wrote on Instagram that she considered competing anyway but it was neither “realistic” nor “smart.”
“I wanted so badly to realize my dream of becoming an Olympic champion,” she wrote. “To bask in the glow of that sunset. But the reality is that the risks, and there are always risks, are no longer worth it.”
Johnson first dealt with injury in 2018, tearing her right ACL. After missing all of 2019, she then tore her left PCL, MCL and joint capsule, resulting in another long recovery.
Upon her return, Johnson skied well in 2020 and 2021. She was considered the top American alpine medal contender other than Mikaela Shiffrin. But a crash in Cortina, Italy last week in which Johnson flew into the netting bordering the course resulted in torn cartilage, which would require surgery.
Breezy Johnson competes in the Women’s Super-G event at the FIS Alpine skiing World cup AFP via Getty Images“This sport is brutal,” Johnson wrote on Instagram. “Someone asked me (Monday) why we do it. And at times like these you wonder. But the truth is that, for me, the feeling of racing is the feeling of being truly alive, and so I will keep coming back every time. Because that feeling of skiing fast is worth everything.
“Luckily, I’ve been a big fan of ski racing since I was a little kid. So while I always wanted to win an Olympic gold medal, I have a lot of other goals in ski racing. Goals that I can work on for the next four years. Before I return, hopefully, to the hill that stole this Olympic dream from me, for another shot at that gold medal.”
The Winter Olympics begin next week in Beijing.
