Breezy Johnson won women's downhill gold for the United States, setting an unbeatable pace after going first out of the start hut, at the Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach on Saturday. The medal was the first in a major event for the 29-year-old,

The Jackson Hole, Wyoming, native was on the verge of victory when she recorded three second-place World Cup results over a one-year period ending in December 2021. Then a crash a month later ruled her out of the 2022 Beijing Olympics with a knee injury.

Breezy Johnson found redemption, Lauren Macuga continued her ascension and Lindsey Vonn left satisfied after Saturday’s world championship downhill in Saalbach, Austria. Johnson — who returned to competition two months ago after a 14-month ban