American skier Breezy Johnson cares for her broken gold medal from 2026 Winter Games

Breezy Johnson, a celebrated American skier, has been handling her cherished gold medal with meticulous care since it broke during the women’s downhill event at the 2026 Winter Games in Italy. The original trophy, which she won last Saturday, is made of heavy materials that apparently caused its ribbons to snap upon being handled too eagerly.

“I was rather disappointed,” Johnson revealed to CBS News correspondent Seth Doane. “As much as people are eager to celebrate their hard-earned victories with these medals, it’s important to recognize the risks associated with carelessness.”

Despite initially not getting her original medal back, Johnson received a repaired version and has decided to keep the broken one while trading for the replacement. She plans on knitting an exclusive pouch to store the trophy safely, much like she does with other race accessories.

“I am quite devoted to knitting,” said Johnson. “Every race I make myself a new hat or headband as part of my personal tradition. However, these items are only used once per competition and then retired.”

Her collection is growing in her belongings, but the skier has been contemplating how she might donate some of them to charity.

“I have many knitted accessories that aren’t currently being utilized,” Johnson shared, adding, “I’d like to see if I can sell a few of these items to raise funds for charitable causes. It’s something I believe in and it gives me peace of mind knowing I’m making an impact.”

Despite the first gold medal win for Team USA at this year’s Milano-Cortina Winter Games, Johnson found herself disappointed with the performance of her teammate Mikaela Shiffrin in their team slalom event that Tuesday. Afterward, they spoke privately on how to maintain morale post-race.

“I tried to encourage her,” Johnson explained during an interview with CBS News correspondent Seth Doane. “It’s a tough sport, and there are various factors at play. There were conditions that didn’t favor us either, but in the end, we both gave it our all.”

Johnson has found her ability to manage stress under extreme competitive pressure, which is part of what she loves about her sport.

While Johnson acknowledges the high-risk nature of skiing at such a high level, she also recognizes the support from Vonn, who recently had an ACL injury and still made it to compete. Vonn’s resilience in continuing despite her health challenges has been something that Johnson appreciates deeply.

“I understand the emotional undertones behind athletes like Lindsay Vonn pushing through severe injuries,” explained Johnson. “Part of what can be hard is realizing how unlikely certain achievements are, yet we all have our own stories and reasons for competing.”

Despite these challenges, she enjoys sharing in the thrill spectators experience during such intense competitions, likening them to high-speed action movies on ice.

“We’re Formula One racing with giant knives,” Johnson quipped. “Who wouldn’t want to watch something that exciting?”