We’re celebrating four Rowland Hall and Rowmark Ski Academy alumnae who will represent the United States and Australia at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy: Breezy Johnson ’13, Katie Hensien ’18, Madison Hoffman ’18, and Mary Bocock ’22.

These alpine skiers’ selections continue a remarkable Olympic legacy: at least one Rowmark alum has been selected to compete at every Winter Olympic Games since 1988.

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A Guide to Alpine Skiing Events

Alpine skiing events are broken into two categories: technical and speed.

Technical events, slalom and giant slalom, emphasize precision and control. Slalom focuses on rapid, short turns and exact edge control, while giant slalom features wider gate spacing, blending technical skill with higher speeds and longer turns.

Speed events, downhill and super-G, are, unsurprisingly, all about going fast. Downhill is the fastest event, prioritizing maximum speed, aerodynamic efficiency, and the ability to handle long jumps and sustained gliding. Super-G combines elements of downhill and giant slalom, requiring high speed alongside more frequent turns and technical precision.

Alpine skiers also compete in a team combined event, a two-run race where teammates pair up, with one racing a technical discipline and the other a speed discipline. Their combined times determine the final result.

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Meet the Athletes

Breezy Johnson ’13

Olympic selections: 3 (2026, 2022, 2018)
Anticipated events: Downhill and super-G; possibly team combined
Known for: Fearless, high-speed racing and World Championship–level consistency in downhill
Team: US Alpine Ski Team

Breezy Johnson made her Olympic debut at the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, competing in super-G and downhill. She was set to return in 2022 but withdrew weeks before the Beijing Games after sustaining a knee injury in a training crash, a significant loss for the US women’s speed team.

Since then, Breezy has mounted a standout comeback, highlighted by a career-defining performance at the 2025 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria, where she won gold in the women’s downhill. Three days later, she added a second gold in the team combined event alongside Mikaela Shiffrin, reestablishing herself as one of the world’s top speed racers heading into Milan Cortina.

Update, February 8, 2026: Breezy Johnson won Team USA’s first gold medal of 2026 in the women’s downhill. She is the second American woman ever to win gold in this event.

Katie Hensien ’18

Olympic selections: 2 (2026, 2022)
Anticipated events: Slalom and/or giant slalom
Known for: Precision, rhythm, and control in the technical events
Team: US Alpine Ski Team

Katie Hensien made her Olympic debut at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, China, competing in the women’s slalom. Her first Olympic selection followed a standout collegiate career at the University of Denver, where she won the 2022 NCAA slalom national title and was named National Women’s Alpine Skier of the Year.

After a severe knee injury sidelined Katie for the 2023–2024 season, she returned to top form in 2024–2025, posting a career-best fourth-place finish in giant slalom at Sölden, Austria (the top American result that day), and later qualifying for her first World Cup Finals.

Update, February 4, 2026: Katie Hensien announced she will sit out the Games this year after determining she is not yet back at the competitive level required to race at the Olympics.

Madison Hoffman ’18

Olympic selections: 2 (2026, 2022)
Anticipated events: Slalom and giant slalom
Known for: Consistency and technical precision on the World Cup circuit
Team: Australian Alpine Ski Team

Madison Hoffman will make her Olympic debut at the Milan Cortina Games after being selected for the 2022 Winter Olympics but sidelined by a season-ending ACL injury before competition.

Madi’s long-awaited Olympic appearance follows a return to full health and a breakout collegiate season at the University of Utah in 2023. That year, she swept the NCAA slalom and giant slalom titles (the first University of Utah woman to do so since 1990) and earned First Team All-America honors. Madi continued to balance NCAA and World Cup racing in 2024, earning podiums on both circuits and recording a top-25 World Cup slalom finish in Levi, Finland, the first by an Australian woman in more than 20 years.

Mary Bocock ’22

Olympic selections: 1 (2026)
Anticipated event: Super-G
Known for: Versatility across multiple disciplines and strong results on the Nor-Am circuit
Team: US Alpine Ski Team

Mary Bocock will make her Olympic debut at the Milan Cortina Games after emerging as one of the most versatile racers in the US alpine pipeline, with the ability to compete in both technical and speed disciplines.

Mary captured the 2022–2023 Nor-Am Overall title, securing a World Cup quota and making her World Cup debut during the 2023–2024 season opener in Sölden, Austria. In 2024–2025, she expanded into speed events, racing her first downhill and super-G World Cup starts while continuing to collect Nor-Am Cup victories, including a giant slalom win at Stratton, VT. She is currently balancing her ski career with her studies at Dartmouth.

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How to Watch Our Olympians

Join us in cheering on our athletes! Races will be broadcast on NBC and USA Network; you can also stream them on Peacock. Because events take place in Italy, most races will air early in the morning Mountain Time, with additional highlights and replays broadcast later in the day.

While schedules may shift based on weather (so be sure to check daily listings), the women’s alpine skiing events are scheduled for the following dates:

• Downhill: February 8
• Team combined: February 10
• Super-G: February 12
• Giant slalom: February 15
• Slalom: February 18

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Former Rowland Hall Students to Also Keep an Eye On

In addition to the four Rowmarkers covered in this story, two former Rowland Hall students will be competing at Milan Cortina. Tallulah Proulx will represent the Philippines in alpine skiing, and Tasia Tanner will represent the United States in freestyle aerials.

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Image credit: © GEPA Pictures

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