Seattle Runner Anna Gibson Competes in SkiMo While U.S. Women’s Hockey Faces Canada for Gold

Updated 2026-02-19 07:02:28+00:00 (6 articles)

Image: King5 (Seattle, WA)

Anna Gibson competes during a World Cup ski mountaineering mixed team relay at Solitude Mountain in Utah, Dec. 6, 2025. (Credit: Ron Winsett/ISMF via AP) Source Full size
Image: King5 (Seattle, WA)

United States' Breezy Johnson celebrates winning a gold medal in the alpine ski women's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 8, 2026. (Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Source Full size
Image: King5 (Seattle, WA)

United States' Breezy Johnson celebrates winning a gold medal in the alpine ski women's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 8, 2026. (Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Source Full size
Image: King5 (Seattle, WA)

United States' Breezy Johnson celebrates winning a gold medal in the alpine ski women's downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 8, 2026. (Credit: AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Source Full size
Image: King5 (Seattle, WA)

United States' Jacqueline Wiles, left, and teammate Paula Moltzan show their bronze medals in an alpine ski women's combined race on Feb. 10, 2026. (Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong) Source Full size
Image: King5 (Seattle, WA)

United States' Hilary Knight celebrates with teammates after scoring her sides fourth goal during a preliminary round match on Feb. 7, 2026. (Credit: AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Source Full size

Ski Mountaineering Joins Olympic Program in Bormio The sport makes its first Olympic appearance at the 2026 Winter Games in Bormio, Italy, blending uphill Nordic skiing with downhill gate racing [1]. Anna Gibson, a Seattle native and former University of Washington distance star, is slated to race on Feb 19, describing the event as “uphill with skins then downhill through gates” [1]. Her participation follows a professional trail‑running contract that lets her train full‑time and pivot to SkiMo “on a whim” [1].

World Cup Victory Secures U.S. Spot in Olympic SkiMo Gibson and teammate Cam Smith captured the United States’ inaugural World Cup SkiMo gold in December 2025, a result that earned the nation a quota place for the 2026 Olympics [1]. The win marked the first time an American pair topped the World Cup podium in the discipline. Their performance also highlighted the growing depth of U.S. athletes transitioning from distance running to ski mountaineering.

Washington Athletes Collect Historic Medals Breezy Johnson, a Western Washington University alum, won the women’s downhill on Feb 8 with a time of 1:36.10, delivering the first U.S. medal of the Games [2]. Jacqueline Wiles and Paula Moltzan added a bronze in the inaugural women’s alpine combined, marking Washington’s first podium in that event [2]. Over a dozen competitors with Washington ties have competed across skiing, hockey, and other sports, underscoring the state’s broad representation.

U.S. Women’s Hockey Prepares for Gold Against Canada Four Seattle‑born players—Hilary Knight, Alex Carpenter, Hannah Bilka, and Cayla Barnes—have helped the U.S. women’s team dominate early matches, conceding only one goal in the opening game on Feb 5 [2]. The gold‑medal showdown with Canada is scheduled for 10 a.m. PDT on Feb 19 and will air on USA Network [2]. The matchup pits the United States, bolstered by Seattle talent, against a long‑standing rival for the top podium spot.

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Timeline

2017 – Anna Gibson wins the junior national cross‑country skiing championship, establishing the endurance foundation that later fuels her ski‑mountaineering success. [1][6]

2023 – While competing for the University of Washington, Gibson helps the Huskies set an NCAA distance‑medley relay record, demonstrating elite speed and teamwork. [2]

June 2025 – During a trail race, Cameron Smith proposes a mixed‑relay partnership to chase an Olympic ski‑mountaineering berth; a week later Gibson agrees, launching their collaboration. [1][6]

December 2025 – Gibson and Smith capture the United States’ first World Cup mixed‑relay gold in Utah, finishing ahead of Canada and instantly securing a quota spot for the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Games. [1][2][6]

January 2026 – Hilary Knight tells KING 5 that Seattle’s crowds “make me feel the love, you feel the support,” underscoring the city’s energizing effect on the U.S. women’s hockey team ahead of the Olympics. [4]

January 22, 2026 – After the World Cup victory, Gibson says she “can’t believe we won” and declares the new goal “to fight for medals in Milan‑Cortina,” marking a rapid shift from newcomer to medal contender. [1]

February 5, 2026 – The U.S. women’s hockey team, featuring four Seattle Torrent players, opens the Games with a 1‑0 win over Czechia, highlighting Seattle’s impact on the Olympic roster. [3]

February 2026 – Ski mountaineering makes its Olympic debut in Bormio, Italy, providing the new platform for athletes like Gibson and expanding the Games’ alpine program. [2]

February 8, 2026 – Washington‑born skier Breezy Johnson captures the first U.S. gold of the Games in the women’s downhill, becoming the second American woman ever to win that event. [3]

February 19, 2026 – Gibson competes in the inaugural Olympic ski‑mountaineering mixed relay in Bormio, describing the sport as “a combination of Nordic skiing and downhill skiing… you ski uphill and then you rip your skins off and then you ski downhill through gates,” while the U.S. women’s hockey team faces Canada for the gold medal at 10 a.m. PDT. [2][3][4]