U.S. Ski Team Takes Bronze in Women’s Alpine Combined Event

The U.S. team secured a bronze medal on Tuesday in the women’s alpine skiing combined event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Fans might have anticipated different results, but the outcome still brought some excitement.

Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Molzan represented the American squad, with Wiles tackling the downhill segment while Molzan completed the slalom. They recorded times of 1:37.04 and 44.87, respectively.

Finishing ahead of them were Austria’s Ariane Laidler and Katharina Huber, who clinched gold, along with Germany’s Kira Weidl-Winkelmann and Emma Eicher, who took home silver.

Many had hoped for a stronger showing from the duo of Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson. Given Shiffrin’s impressive track record on the World Cup circuit and Johnson’s earlier win in the downhill event, there were high expectations for at least a bronze medal. Johnson’s downhill run was solid, clocking in at 1:36.59 — the best in the group. However, Shiffrin fell just short, finishing half a second behind Molzan, which ultimately deprived them of a podium spot.

This marks Wiles’ first Olympic medal, despite her previous appearances in the 2014, 2022, and now 2026 Olympics. For Molzan, who is in her second Olympics, this bronze is also her first medal at the Games.

Both athletes seem to have a bright future ahead, and it’ll be interesting to see how they build on this experience in upcoming competitions.