Idaho skier Breezy Johnson, a medal favorite, to miss Olympics with knee injury

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — The United States team for next month’s Winter Olympics lost one of its top medal prospects Tuesday when downhill racer Breezy Johnson said injury will force her to miss the Beijing Games.

Johnson, a 26-year-old native of Victor, placed second behind Olympic champion Sofia Goggia in each of the three World Cup downhills she started this season, then crashed in training runs before two races in January.

“I have to announce that I have unfortunately injured my knee and must withdraw from the Olympics,” Johnson said on her Instagram account.

The 26-year-old racer crashed in training in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, last week, one week after skipping a downhill in Austria to let a cut and bruised knee heal.

Johnson wrote that in Cortina she “immediately felt a massive crack in my knee” and found out she had dislodged cartilage.

“I was given the option to try to compete on it. But I don’t think that that is realistic or smart,” she said.

Johnson, who has become no stranger to tough injuries, placed seventh in downhill at the 2018 Winter Olympics, her first time on that massive stage. She then tore her right ACL in a training crash, and before getting back to competition, she tore her left PCL and MCL in a June 2019 giant slalom training accident.

“It was the pleasure of my life to represent @teamusa at the Games in 2018,” Johnson said. “And all I have wanted ever since was to come back, stronger, faster, to win a gold medal.”

The women’s downhill is scheduled for Feb. 15.