Transcript

Mikaela Shiffrin, Breezy Johnson and the future of U.S. women’s skiing

From NPR · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 20 min · 4,189 words · 57 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Mikaela Shiffrin, Breezy Johnson and the future of U.S. women’s skiing", an episode of NPR published February 9, 2026 (20 min, about 4,189 words). It mentions 28 people, works and ideas, including Olympics, Lindsey Vaughn, Breezy Johnson, Lindsay Vonn, Up First Winter Games.

What this episode is about

The topic discusses the dramatic events surrounding the Olympic downhill skiing competition, highlighting Breezy Johnson's gold medal victory and Lindsey Vonn's heartbreaking crash that may signal the end of her celebrated career. It also touches on the performance of Team USA in figure skating and women's hockey, emphasizing significant achievements and challenges in U.S. winter sports.

Key takeaways

  • Lindsey Vonn's 13-second race ended in drama, but her comeback spirit is the real gold medal story.
  • Breezy Johnson triumphed, proving that sometimes glory comes just after a heart-wrenching farewell.
  • US figure skating clinched back-to-back golds, proving teamwork beats solo glory in a dazzling display.
  • Hillary Knight is on the verge of history in women's hockey, showcasing raw talent in her likely farewell.
  • Downhill skiing is a brutal sport; Vonn's crash reminds us that comebacks can be as risky as thrilling.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 3:00: Breezy Johnson, comeback, Cortina, Lindsey Vaughn
  2. – 6:00: comeback, downhill skiing, ACL tear, Lindsey Vaughn
  3. – 9:00: Olympics, Breezy Johnson, Mikaela Shiffrin, Becky Sullivan
  4. – 12:00: Olympics, Danny Casper, Italy, NPR
  5. – 15:00: Danny Casper, Alfa Romeo, Olympics, Jonathan Lambert
  6. – 18:00: gravity, drag, and lift, Nordic Ski World Championships, surface area
  7. – 19:44: Olympics, Up First Winter Games, Jonathan Lambert, NPR

Notable quotes from "Mikaela Shiffrin, Breezy Johnson and the future of U.S. women’s skiing"

  • Lindsay Vaughn crashed seconds into her first competition this Olympics, but the show went on and US skier Breezy Johnson took the gold medal in the downhill competition. We'll talk with our team in.
    about Olympics · at
  • It was a dramatic day on Sunday on the downhill course in Cortina. American Breezy Johnson skied her way to Olympic gold, but the race was also marked by a devastating crash for Lindsey Vaughn.
    about downhill skiing · at
  • Watching her, everybody, every single eye in that place was focused on the big broadcast screen showing Lindsey von way up, thousands of feet up really in the start gate and…
    about Lindsay Vonn · at
  • Okay. And you know what? Some might say, Okay, it was a failed comeback. But the fact that she actually was able to stand up after her injury and actually try and even do this…
    about comeback · at
  • Michaela Shiffron was skiing so well at that time that she entered all four and all the team events. but she came away empty-handed, which was stunning.
    about Mikaela Shiffrin · at
  • Right now, they are in a position of being tied for second with Italy. So, their record right now is 6-3.
    about Italy · at
  • There's the men's teams and the women's teams. And the men's team as you mentioned team Casper is the one that is sort of the top metal hopeful for the US in and in curling…
    about Danny Casper · at
  • That's up first winter games for Monday, February 9th. I'm Martinez. We'll see you right back here Tuesday and most days during the Olympic Games. Have a great day.
    about Up First Winter Games · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Lindsey Vaughn — Person · Referenced athlete (central news subject) · 2 mentions · first at
    Her crash seconds into the Olympic downhill is the episode’s lead story and drives the reporting on her condition and comeback narrative.
    Lindsay Vaughn crashed seconds into her first competition this Olympics, but the show went on and US skier Breezy Johnson took the gold medal in the downhill competition. We'll talk with our team in.
  • Breezy Johnson — Person · Referenced athlete (event winner) · 6 mentions · first at
    Wins Olympic gold in the downhill; her run and reaction provide the ‘high’ counterpoint to Vonn’s crash and anchor the sports recap.
    Lindsay Vaughn crashed seconds into her first competition this Olympics, but the show went on and US skier Breezy Johnson took the gold medal in the downhill competition. We'll…
  • Lindsay Vonn — Person · Referenced athlete (alternate spelling of same person) · 2 mentions · first at
    Same athlete as “Lindsey Vaughn,” referenced during the crash description and comeback discussion; transcript contains spelling variants.
  • Becky Sullivan — Person · Main guest / on-scene reporter · 2 mentions · first at
    NPR reporter in Cortina providing eyewitness account and medical/status updates on Vonn’s crash and Breezy Johnson’s gold run.
    More on this, we've got NPR's Becky Sullivan, who's in Cortina and was at the race. Becky, you got to see the whole thing right in front of you. What was the reaction like?
  • Danny Casper — Person · Referenced athlete (curling team leader) · 4 mentions · first at
    Leader of ‘team Casper’ and symbol of a Gen Z shift in U.S. curling; discussed for competitive prospects and personality/marketing approach.
  • Mikaela Shiffrin — Person · Referenced athlete (misspelling/variant of Mikaela Shiffrin) · 2 mentions · first at
    Transcript variant used while discussing Shiffrin’s achievements and Olympic event plans; should be resolved to the same real-world person.
  • Ping Wong — Person · Guest correspondent · 2 mentions · first at
    Provides the curling update, focusing on mixed doubles standings and the Gen Z-led men’s team Casper storyline.
    It's lined up. I think it's lined up. That's NPR's Ping Huang. Ping, thank you very much.
  • Jonathan Lambert — Person · Referenced expert / guest correspondent · 2 mentions · first at
    Explains the ski jumping suit-stitching scandal using physics (drag/lift) and describes new enforcement measures.
    It is. It is hard to comprehend but scientists have addressed this question with a bunch of experiments. So they did all these tests in wind tunnels and on actual ski jumps where they tested out like very small alterations in the ski.
  • Ilia Mullinin — Person · Referenced athlete (figure skating highlight) · 1 mention · first at
    Credited with the clinching free skate (five quads) in Team USA’s team figure skating gold recap.
    Five quads and a score of just over 200 to seal it. That's back-to-back Olympic gold for Team USA and a statement start for Mullinin as he heads into individual competition. In…
  • Hillary Knight — Person · Referenced athlete (women’s hockey captain) · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in the sports roundup as Team USA captain nearing the U.S. Olympic career goals record.
    Rolled past Finland 5-0 and captain Hillary Knight is now on the verge of history. night score to tie the US Olympic career goals record with her 14th in what's likely her final games.
  • John Shuster — Person · Referenced athlete (misspelling/variant of John Schuster) · 1 mention · first at
    Transcript variant of John Schuster used in the curling history segment; refers to the same veteran curler.
    John Schustster and he's been representing the US for 20 years in curling. He's been to five Olympics and he was aiming for a sixth Olympics this year. But in a very surprised…
  • Tabitha Peterson — Person · Referenced athlete (curling) · 1 mention · first at
    Cited to illustrate that many curlers maintain flexible jobs; identified as a skip on the women’s team.
    Women's team, Tabitha Peterson. She's the skip. and she told me that in reality like most of them have jobs that are kind of like 3/4 time or half time their jobs are really…

Companies & orgs

  • NPR — Company · Affiliated with · 5 mentions · first at
    NPR's correspondents are providing coverage and analysis of the Olympics.
    Show went on and US skier Breezy Johnson took the gold medal in the downhill competition. We'll talk with our team in Italy about the latest on Vaughn's condition along with a…

Concepts & topics

  • downhill skiing — Concept · Core topic · 2 mentions · first at
    Main sport discussed in the episode, focusing on its dangers and the athletes' performances.
  • comeback — Concept · Key argument · 7 mentions · first at
    Discussed in the context of Lindsay Vaughn's attempt to return to competition after injuries.
  • ACL tear — Concept · Key argument · 3 mentions · first at
    Discussed in the context of Lindsay Vaughn's injury and its impact on her performance.
    Yeah. And the injury you're referring to, of course, not the one yesterday, but rather this ACL tear. She tore her ACL in her left knee just 10 days ago at another World Cup…
  • gravity, drag, and lift — Concept · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    Discussed in the context of the physics behind ski jumping.
    Yeah. So, it comes down to basically physics, specifically gravity, drag, and lift. So, in ski jumping, the whole point is to try to maximize the amount of time that you're in the air so you.
  • surface area — Concept · Key argument · 1 mention · first at
    Discussed in the context of how it affects ski jumping performance.
    Like very small alterations in the ski suit adding like a couple of inches and they found that effectively adding just like a half an inch to the circumference of the suit…

Places & events

  • Olympics — Event · Core topic · 9 mentions · first at
    Central theme of the episode, discussing various events and athletes' performances.
  • Italy — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at
    Host country for the Olympics events discussed.
  • Cortina — Place · Setting · 3 mentions · first at
    Location where the downhill skiing event took place.
    It was a dramatic day on Sunday on the downhill course in Cortina. American Breezy Johnson skied her way to Olympic gold, but the race was also marked by a devastating crash for Lindsey Vaughn.
  • World Cup — Event · Referenced event · 2 mentions · first at
    Mentioned in the context of Lindsay Vaughn's previous competitions.
    Yeah. And the injury you're referring to, of course, not the one yesterday, but rather this ACL tear. She tore her ACL in her left knee just 10 days ago at another World Cup…
  • Switzerland — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at
    Mentioned in the context of a World Cup race location.
    Yeah. And the injury you're referring to, of course, not the one yesterday, but rather this ACL tear. She tore her ACL in her left knee just 10 days ago at another World Cup…
  • Nordic Ski World Championships — Event · Referenced event · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in the context of a scandal involving ski jumping suits.
    Thank you. A scandal is rocking the world of ski jumping. Just a few weeks ago, the body that oversees the sport handed down an 18-month suspension to two coaches and the…
  • Beijing — Place · Setting · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in the context of previous Olympic Games.
    Entering those Olympic games in Beijing, she had actually entered in even more events. She had entered in all four disciplines, which is really unusual for skier. Usually you…

Media & podcasts

Sponsors

  • Alons Travel Insurance — Product · Sponsor · 1 mention · first at
    Presented in a sponsor read supporting the show, with a direct call-to-action URL to learn more.
    Support for Upfirst Winter Games comes from NPR sponsor Alons Travel Insurance.
  • Alfa Romeo — Company · Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as the workplace of a US curling team member.
    Was to go home and go to work the next day after it. and I did confirm that he did in fact do that. He went to work at the Alfa Romeo car dealership that he works at the next…

Full transcript with timestamps

It was the heartbreaking end to a celebrated career comeback. It was crazy. I mean, the highs to lows. I don't know that I've ever seen something quite like that at a sporting event in my career, working in this job.

Lindsay Vaughn crashed seconds into her first competition this Olympics, but the show went on and US skier Breezy Johnson took the gold medal in the downhill competition. We'll talk with our team in Italy about the latest on Vaughn's condition along with a check on the Gen Z stars behind US curling and a scandal that's rocking the ski jumping world. I'm Martinez and this is Up First Winter Games. I'm Martinez. It's Monday, February 9th and this is Up First Winter Games. Here's a quick look at what you might have missed in figure skating. Team USA defended its Olympic title in the team event. The Americans edge Japan in a tight final with Ilia Mullinin delivering the clinching free skate.

Five quads and a score of just over 200 to seal it. That's back-to-back Olympic gold for Team USA and a statement start for Mullinin as he heads into individual competition. In women's hockey, Team USA rolled past Finland 5-0 and captain Hillary Knight is now on the verge of history. night score to tie the US Olympic career goals record with her 14th in what's likely her final games. They face off against Switzerland today. It was a dramatic day on Sunday on the downhill course in Cortina. American Breezy Johnson skied her way to Olympic gold, but the race was also marked by a devastating crash for Lindsey Vaughn.

Only seconds into what was meant to be a comeback run, Vaughn clipped a gate and lost control. Von is in stable condition after suffering a fracture in her left leg. The images are difficult to watch and could mark the end for one of the sport's most decorated careers. Now, for more on this, we've got NPR's Becky Sullivan, who's in Cortina and was at the race. Becky, you got to see the whole thing right in front of you. What was the reaction like?

It was crazy. I mean, the highs to lows, I don't know that I've ever seen something quite like that at a sporting event in my career working in this job. You know, you mentioned Breezy Johnson just a few racers before skied this unbelievably thrilling run down down the slope. It was clear right away she was going to contend for the medal. She got to go over and sit in the leader chair. Then just a handful of racers later, up comes Lindsay Vaughn. The crowd is super hyped. I mean, this comeback that she has staged has been unbelievably epic.

And so the fact that we were all here watching her, everybody, every single eye in that place was focused on the big broadcast screen showing Lindsey von way up, thousands of feet up really in the start gate and coming out. And then just for it to end so quickly, 13 seconds in, as you say, she clipped that gate and and crashed. And the crash was just so brutal to watch. I mean, she went down so hard. There was no chance of a safe landing with the way that that gate turned her body in midair. She landed with her skis perpendicular to the slope and then tumbled down the hill. Um she couldn't get up obviously had to have the medical team come to her. And so I'm standing there with all these journalists, all these people in the grand stand, um staff, competitors, you know, like people who coaches for other teams, everybody is watching uh in like stunned silence as this is happening. Um of course eventually a helicopter came,

lifted her up, carried her off to safety. the the crowd clapped, gave her a little applause. Um, but obviously everybody is just hoping uh for the best for her. We got that statement, as you said, from the hospital in Italy that's treating her um where she underwent an operation yesterday uh to stabilize that fracture in her left leg. We're still waiting for more details um on how she's doing. But yeah, as you say, the US ski team said she's in stable condition and thank goodness.

Okay. And you know what? Some might say, "Okay, it was a failed comeback." But the fact that she actually was able to stand up after her injury and actually try and even do this in the first place, that's a successful comeback as far as most people are concerned.

Yeah. And the injury you're referring to, of course, not the one yesterday, but rather uh this ACL tear. She tore her ACL in her left knee um just 10 days ago at another World Cup race in Switzerland. Um which is crazy. I mean, her comeback had already been incredible uh this season. and she was retired for almost 5 years before she started training again after a knee implant. And this season had been amazing. She was on top of the downhill standings by a lot. Um she had won a couple World Cup races. She had podium in a bunch of others and she was definitely before that ACL tear expected to be a serious contender for the gold medal in this race yesterday.

Um the ACL tear obviously decreased those chances. She acknowledged that herself. Um but she uh had you know in consultation with doctors determined that it was stable. It wasn't swollen. She wasn't in pain. Um so why not race? And I think a like anybody questioning that is crazy. I mean, what kind of professional athlete at the top of their game is going to say, you know what, I sprained my ankle. It might make it really worse if I play in this game seven, you know? Nobody's going to say that. And Lindsy Von certainly didn't.

And so, nobody was questioning that yesterday. Nobody in skiing at least. But sometimes this is how things work out in downhill skiing, which is just a very dangerous and brutal sport.

Well, I'll admit, Becky, I was questioning it because I I can't believe that she actually was able to even try this. But she posted a video on Instagram where she's putting all kinds of pressure on her knee and making jumps and doing all I So I thought, "Oh my, well, she must be superhuman then." And I started to believe. Yeah. So it was an incredible comeback nonetheless, regardless of how it worked out. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, you believed. We all did. I mean, that's why everybody in the stands on the raceourse yesterday was watching. That's why everybody was tuned in around the world to watch. I think we all believed that she could do it. We all wanted to see her do it. Um, and unfortunately, it it didn't end that way for her. Now, the gold still stayed with the US because uh Breezy Johnson won in the downhill. Tell us about Breezy Johnson's run. Uh and she has probably one of the best names so far in the Olympics.

Yeah. I mean, she was amazing yesterday downhill. This is like, as we said, I mean, it's incredibly dangerous because this course is almost 3,000 ft uh vertical drop from start to finish. They reached Breezy Johnson reached a top speed of 80 mph, which is insane. And so, that's just what downhill racing requires. It requires you to take risks. requires you to push the limits. You can't contend for a medal unless you do that. And Preezy's run definitely looked like that. You could see the snow flying up from her skis as she sort of went wildly around some of these turns. Um but all of those risks paid off for her.

As soon as she crossed the finish line, she was elated. She knew she had a strong chance at a medal. Um and really only one other competitor even came close. And she did come close. Um that was a a skier from Germany who finished 400th of a second behind Breezy to win that silver medal. Um, but besides her, nobody else came within half a second, which is quite the margin in ski racing. So, a really, really impressive win for Breezy. Her first Olympic medal of her career and obviously the first gold for Team USA, which was awesome.

And I'll admit, uh, Becky, I was having fun watching Breezy Johnson's reaction as the other skiers were challenging her because she's sitting there watching it, right? So, she's she's in the gold medal position, but she also has to wait to see how this all plays out. So, that was actually kind of fun for me to watch that. Yeah.

Yeah, totally. That's Shiffron. The other Yeah, absolutely. Now, Michaela Shiffren, the other big name, actually the other big name of many names for Team USA. Uh, tell us about what she is going to try for in the Olympics.

Yeah, I mean Michaela, she is arguably the greatest skier of all time. I'm really not exaggerating there. She has 108 World Cup wins to her name, which is 22 more than her next closest competitor in skiing ever. Not just in skiing now, but in skiing ever, which is wild. Um, so yeah, so she's a huge star, huge spotlight on her in these games. um because she is expected to win gold in the slalom. She's the best slalom skier in the world right now. Uh she'll compete in that. She'll compete in the giant slalom as well and in the team combined. And all eyes are on her because back in 2022 when she was entering those Olympic games in Beijing, she had actually entered in even more events. She had entered in all four disciplines, which is really unusual for skier. Usually you sort of prioritize or you specialize either in the sort of speed disciplines like downhill or the technical disciplines like solemn.

Michaela Shiffron was skiing so well at that time that she entered all four and all the team events. Um, but she came away empty-handed, which was stunning. She didn't even finish all the races. She crashed in a few. This was a shocking result. She actually has said uh recently that she is still unpacking what happened there, not just with her performance, the the sort of techniques that she was using, the ways that she approached the race, but also just sort of like her psychology. Um her dad passed away suddenly uh in 2020 very unexpectedly and dealing with the grief from that has been a really huge journey for her. She also suffered a really serious injury um a puncture wound and a freak accident during a race uh in 2024.

There's been a huge comeback from her from that to get back to racing condition. But this season she's been amazing. Um she says she's feeling great coming into these games. She's looking forward to the opportunity to sort of change her narrative with the Olympics and reclaim that win a couple medals.

All right, that's NPR's Becky Sullivan. Becky thanks. You're welcome. Support for Upfirst Winter Games comes from NPR sponsor Alons Travel Insurance. Get ready to give ordinary the cold shoulder with protection for adventures that give you the best kind of chills. Learn more at alonsstrains insurance.com.

The United States Mixed Doubles Curling Team got off to a hot start on the ice, sliding and sweeping its way to a 4-0 record. Then things got a little tougher. NPR's Ping Wong joins us for an update. All right, Pink. So, where do things stand?

Yeah, so a they're actually still doing really well right now. So, the US team is Cory Dropkin and Cory TC. They're the mixed doubles representing the US. And right now, they are in a position of being tied for second with Italy. So, their uh record right now is 6-3. They've got a slot in the semi-finals today. So, if they do win the semi-finals today against Italy, they'll be playing for gold or silver tomorrow. Um and if they uh lose to Italy today, they'll be battling it out for the bronze. All right. Now, this uh US men's team is what ranks sixth in the world.

And they're made up of uh Jenzers. So, tell us about this team that's made up of a bunch of people that are younger than me, which I can't stand.

Younger than me, too. A Yeah. Okay, good. We're in the same boat. Yeah. So, let me just give you a little recap of how this works. There are three medal events in the Olympics for curling. Mixed doubles, which is uh the medal events are tomorrow, and then there's the men's teams and the women's teams. And the men's team as you mentioned um team Casper is the one that is sort of the top metal hopeful for the US in and in in curling this year. A little bit of history here. So for the last 20 years uh the US has had like one phase of curling. It's been a guy named John Schustster and he's been representing the US for 20 years in curling. He's been to five Olympics and he was aiming for a sixth Olympics this year. But in a very surprised finish at the US curling trials in November, he got um defeated in the finals by team Casper, which is led by 24y old Danny Casper and his team of mostly Gen Z

curlers. So, this is a young team um but they're really talented. They're currently ranked sixth in the world, and it was a huge surprise for US curling fans that they got knocked out, but um they're expected to do well uh here in the curling events uh in the men's curling event that starts later this week. And they've also upped the entertainment value, which is so Gen Z of them.

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, so I talked to Danny Casper after he won those curling trials. And he, you know, had been joking on Instagram about how his whole point was that he wanted to bring more trash talk to curling. And when I asked him about that, he said, "It's really not trash talkinging that I want to bring, but to be real about it, like it is a small sport. They do want it to grow. They want more fans to watch it. they want it to be a more sustainable sport for them to be playing year round. And so he said, you know, some of the things that they try to bring to the sport, they try to bring more fun. You know, he was saying that like nobody who's never watch curling before is ever going to be excited that they made a comearound, which is a specific move in curling, but they would be excited if, you know, they're out there dancing, amping up the crowd, juggling, which is what some of his teammates do um ahead

of the game. And so they're trying to bring more entertainment value to the sport so that people will want to come and watch it. And then also hopefully he said try themselves.

Now I I can't stress this enough. Trasht talking in sports is one of the reasons why I watch sports and one of the reasons why I love sports.

Well, apparently Danny Casper is quite the trash talker. Um everyone else in the curling uh on the curling field says, you know, like watch out when he starts talking at you.

Nice. Now, you know, I think one of the reasons, Ping, that people really are fascinated by curling is because it's one of the Olympic sports that I think that they think they can do. I mean, I sweep all day in my house, right? I got a broom and I tried to do the sweep and walk, sweep and walk, sweep and walk.

How'd it do? How'd you go? How'd it go? Not well. Not well. I actually, luckily, I fell, but I didn't I didn't hit the face. So, but I got other scrapes. It is actually a very difficult thing to even conceive, much less actually.

Yeah. You put a lot of pressure on that broom when you're trying to melt the ice too.

Yes. And you're trying to walk and run. Yeah. It's a It's a whole thing. All right. Now, one of the things that actually curlers have that a lot of big-time Olympic athletes do not have is a full-time job. So, why do they need a full-time job?

Yeah. So, curling um is one of the lesserk known lesser sponsored sports in the Olympics. And so, the people who curl uh do it out of love for the sport and also, you know, a chance to get glory every couple years in the sport. So, um I spoke with Danny Casper, as I mentioned, after the trials, and Danny told me that his plan for celebration was to go home and go to work the next day after it. and I did confirm that he did in fact do that. He went uh to work at the Alfa Romeo car dealership that he works at the next day after winning the curling trials. Um but you know, everyone else on his team also has a full-time job. There's a civil engineer on his team. There is an environmental scientist on the women's team. There's a lab tech, a pharmacist, a dentist, and I did speak with one of the women on the women's team, Tabitha Peterson. She's the skip. and she told me that um in reality like most of them have jobs that

are kind of like 3/4 time or half time um their jobs are really flexible and they tend to work more in the summer and less in the winter when it's curling season and so it does kind of work out for them but it is you know uh Richard Renon who was part of team Casper he is actually a lawyer and uh um a personal injury lawyer and a partner at his law firm and he says that he just does not sleep very much

so let me get this straight Casper works at an Alfa Romeo dealership which is an Italian car and he's now in Italy competing for gold.

It's true. That's that's that's what it is. I mean, it's lined up. I think it's lined up. That's NPR's Ping Huang. Ping, thank you very much.

Thank you. A A scandal is rocking the world of ski jumping. Just a few weeks ago, the body that oversees the sport handed down an 18-month suspension to two coaches and the equipment manager of Norway's ski jumping team. the crime, a few extra stitches in the crotch of their athletes skiuits. Yeah. Here to discuss is NPR science correspondent Jonathan Lambert. So, John, crotch stitching. I I would not have guessed I'd be talking about this.

Yeah. Yeah. So, last year at the Nordic Ski World Championships, these three Norwegians were recorded, secretly recorded adding in these extra seams into the crotch area of some of their athletes suits, effectively making them a little bit bigger. So why why would they be doing this? And what do they look like, too? Because I'm now I'm I'm dying to know what they look like.

Yeah. So, they're like skin-tight kind of stretchy suits. The Norwegians ones were all black. And in ski jumping, the suits are measured before the competition to make sure that they're really skintight. And these coaches after that measurement, but before the competition, they added in these few extra little seams

like they can be seen from the naked eye. Not really. You eye too. using all the antand. I suppose

you couldn't really tell the difference looking at them and the athletes themselves say that that they didn't uh notice or didn't know about it, but when the video was posted anonymously, it caused this huge scandal.

Okay. And are these slight alterations or are they like actually kind of big ones?

Yeah, it's very slight. You can really not notice, but it is enough to potentially make a difference.

Okay. What? That's exactly what I'm want to know about because I don't understand how little alter alterations can make such a big difference.

Yeah. So, it comes down to basically physics, specifically gravity, drag, and lift. So, in ski jumping, the whole point is to try to maximize the amount of time that you're in the air so you can go as far as you can.

That starts when they're going down the ramp. They want to go as fast as they possibly can to launch themselves off. So they get into this super tight tuck because air, like literally air molecules are kind of like their enemy. They're pushing them as they go down the ramp. And so they tuck down and try to minimize the amount that they're pushing them to gain as much speed as they're going off the ramp.

So all of it, and I guess a lot of other Olympic sports operate in the same way. It's all about minimizing that resistance.

Yes. Yeah. But once they leave the ramp, air becomes kind of almost like a friendmy. So it's still their enemy. it's still their enemy as they're going forward because it's pushing them. And so that's why they're kind of like spled out and they try to get almost as horizontal as they can to the ground to minimize that forward air resistance. But the second they leave the ramp, they're also fighting gravity. And in that respect, air is kind of like their friend because it's pushing them up. The air molecules are pushing them up, providing a little bit of lift. And the amount that the air pushes them up depends on sort of their overall surface area.

Yeah. So like a glider. We're talking about like as far as like a glider. So the air molecules are kind of pushing up on the skier, keeping him in the air. And the more the skier can maximize that surface area, the farther they can go.

I'm a little skeptical because it just seems like it doesn't make sense that a little bit more fabric can have that much of a difference. I mean, would it make that much of a difference? I mean, I guess so, but it it's hard to comprehend.

It is. It is hard to comprehend but scientists have addressed this question with a bunch of experiments. So they did all these tests in wind tunnels and on actual ski jumps where they tested out like very small alterations in the ski suit adding like a couple of inches and they found that effectively adding just like a half an inch to the circumference of the suit could translate into jumps that were like almost 10 ft further. And in the grand scheme of a ski jump, they're they're going like as far or further than a football field. So it doesn't seem like a ton, but 10 feet could mean the difference between making the podium or going home empty-handed.

And so it's there's a lot of pressure to to maximize every inch or foot. Sounds like it is. Uh are officials taking maybe extra precautions or kind of taking a closer look to make sure that in light of that scandal that that doesn't matter again.

They are they are taking extra steps. So they're doing more intensive kind of 3D measurements of the athletes in their suit beforehand and they're installing these like little microchips into the suits themselves that can tell officials if they've been tampered with. And so it's it is kind of a lot to for a ski jumping competition, but it's all to make sure that it's the athletes skill and not their suits that are keeping them up in the air and jumping so far.

Imagine having to explain to kids later on why you were disqualified from the Olympics. Yeah, I wouldn't want to have that conversation. That's NPR science correspondent Jonathan Lambert. Jonathan thanks.

Thanks. That's up first winter games for Monday, February 9th. I'm Martinez. We'll see you right back here Tuesday and most days during the Olympic Games. Have a great day.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Mikaela Shiffrin, Breezy Johnson and the future of U.S. women’s skiing"?

Martinez (Host), Becky Sullivan (Guest), Ping Huang (Guest), Jonathan Lambert (Guest).

What is "Mikaela Shiffrin, Breezy Johnson and the future of U.S. women’s skiing" about?

The topic discusses the dramatic events surrounding the Olympic downhill skiing competition, highlighting Breezy Johnson's gold medal victory and Lindsey Vonn's heartbreaking crash that may signal the end of her celebrated career. It also touches on the performance of Team USA in figure skating and women's hockey, emphasizing significant achievements and challenges in U.S. winter sports.

What is mentioned in this NPR episode?

28 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Olympics, Lindsey Vaughn, Breezy Johnson, Lindsay Vonn, Up First Winter Games, Becky Sullivan. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Mikaela Shiffrin, Breezy Johnson and the future of U.S. women’s skiing"?

The episode runs 20 min; the transcript is about 4,189 words in 57 timestamped sections.

More from NPR

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated February 9, 2026.