Lauren Macuga Is On A Mission To Get More U.S. Girls Into Speed Skiing

USA's Lauren Macuga skis during the women's downhill training at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Sun ... More Valley Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho on March 21, 2025.
In her first-ever World Cup giant slalom race, 22-year-old Lauren Macuga showed off her rapidly improving technical skills—on one of skiing's biggest stages.
The speedster spent the majority of this past offseason training to hone her overall skill set, with the goal of earning her first giant slalom start. Her 15th-place finish on Tuesday at the Sun Valley World Cup finals was high enough to earn her FIS points.
It was a soft launch, if you will, of this discipline for the multifaceted skier. 'Now I can't wait for when I really want to tackle the GS World Cup,' Macuga said Tuesday. 'Like when I'm so set in the speed that I can go tackle that; I can't wait for it.'
Ultimately, however, the speed disciplines—Super-G particularly—are what fill Macuga's cup. 'One run and go and it's done—that's fantastic, so I still love that,' she said.
Saturday's World Cup finals downhill race was called off due to windy conditions, and Macuga took a DNF in Sunday's Super-G—another career first. But it was only because the Park City resident was pushing her limits, no doubt fired up racing alongside her longtime idol, Lindsey Vonn, who returned to ski racing this season five years after retiring.
Vonn took second in Super-G on Sunday, emphatically demonstrating that, at 40, she still belongs at the highest levels of ski racing.
It's been a breakout season for Macuga, who earned her first World Cup win in mid-Janguary, in Super-G in St. Anton, Austria. She then went on to take bronze in her first world championships. Ultimately, Macuga finished fourth in the standings in downhill and sixth in Super-G this season.
Between Vonn, a living legend; 29-year-old Breezy Johnson, who took gold in the downhill at February's alpine skiing world championships; and rising star Macuga, there's a lot to love in the speed department on the U.S. Ski Team.
But there's no question the U.S. women are currently technical specialists. In Tuesday's giant slalom, five of the 30 women on the start list were American.
'We need to get girls back in speed,' Macuga said. 'Yeah, it is scary; don't get me wrong, I cried before my first downhill in Sugarloaf, but now here I am overcoming that and having fun doing it.
'There are so many kids here [in Sun Valley]; I hope they see it and say, 'I want to do that, this looks fun.''
Between now and the Park City Olympics in 2034, where Macuga will be 31 and, she hopes, 'in her prime,' she hopes to see more homegrown downhill and Super-G talent develop in the U.S. And marquee events like the World Cup finals being held on U.S. soil are instrumental in creating that kind of growth.
Lauren may not be the only Macuga going for Olympic gold when the Games arrive in her town. Siblings Sam and Alli are on the U.S. ski jumping and moguls national teams, respectively. Younger brother Daniel is a fellow alpine skier.
What created this family of athletic prodigies? Good genes? A competitive mindset?
Ultimately, the Macugas just find sliding around the snow really fun. And most of all, that's what Lauren hopes to impress upon the next generation.
'Growing up, that's all our mom said; 'If you're having fun, you can go do anything,'' Macuga said. 'But I think she really ingrained in us that we should enjoy it, and I think that's what gotten all of us where we are. '

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

NBC Sports

4 hours ago

• NBC Sports

Chuba Hubbard wants to play Olympic flag football for Canada

Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard hails from Edmonton, Alberta. And he's already thinking about wearing a flag with a maple leaf in the middle during the 2028 Olympics. David Newton of recently asked Hubbard whether he wants to represent Canada in the flag-football tournament. 'Hell yeah!'' Hubbard said. 'I don't know the process or anything, but I plan to still be in this league and thrive in 2028. So, if they want me to become a part of it, it would be an honor.'' The desire flows from Hubbard's boyhood goal to become an Olympic sprinter. Football changes his priorities. Could a team of Canadian NFL players compete with an American team? 'You're asking the wrong guy,'' Hubbard said, smiling. 'I'm going to say we're going to win no matter what.'' However the Canadian team fares, coach Chad Palmer has already made clear his belief that NFL players will outshine career flag-football players. So if Hubbard wants in, he'll likely have a spot. As long as no one else from the Panthers has dibs on the one Olympic assignment per NFL team.

USA Today

4 hours ago

• USA Today

Oklahoma State's Preston Stout runs away with title at 2025 Northeast Amateur

Preston Stout had a dominating victory Saturday to capture the 2025 Northeast Amateur title at Wannamoisett Country Club in Rhode Island. Stout, a rising junior at Oklahoma State, vaulted into contention during Thursday's second round, tying the course record with an 8-under 61. He then slammed the door Saturday, shooting 4-under 65 in the final round, finishing at 9 under for the week and winning by eight shots over 16-year-old Miles Russell, the only other player to finish under par. With the win, Stout officially locked up his spot in the 2025 U.S. Amateur at Olympic Club in San Francisco, but there was hardly any doubt. He's ranked eighth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. But the win did likely help solidify his spot on the U.S. Walker Cup team, set for Sept. 6-7 at Cypress Point in California. Stout was far from the only Oklahoma State golfer to collect a big win Saturday. Teammate Ethan Fang became the first American in 18 years to win the British Amateur. Fang, No. 7 in WAGR, and Stout both helped the Cowboys win their 12th national championship last month at Omni La Costa, and now they're off to great starts this summer and have busy schedules ahead. The Northeast Amateur is the second event of the Elite Amateur Golf Series. Tyler Watts had a record win last week at the Sunnehanna Amateur. Up next is the North & South Amateur, contested at Pinehurst, set for June 22-28.

Newsweek

4 hours ago

• Newsweek

IndyCar Unveils the 2028 Race Car

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. IndyCar announced the new car for the 2028 season, which will be ready for testing in 2026. The American racing series revealed the new race car while at the Road America track ahead of the XPEL Grand Prix. Dallara is producing the new chassis for the car, continuing as the exclusive chassis for IndyCar as it has since 2008. The series officials plan on the new design improving the racing throughout all four track types and pushing the car's development further. "The time has come for a new NTT INDYCAR SERIES chassis," INDYCAR President Douglas Boles said in a statement. "The DW12 served the series so well, as it provided a combination of phenomenal, wheel-to-wheel racing and critical enhancements to safety. "But recent significant updates to the car - from the aeroscreen to the hybrid power unit - have helped advance the need for a completely new car. "We are pleased by what our engineers and Dallara have collaboratively designed and believe it will appeal to the fans and paddock while also upholding our standards of safety and enhancing INDYCAR's on-track competition well into the future." The 2028 car features a projected weight of 85-100 pounds compared to the current model. The engine is going to become a 2.4-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 internal combustion engine, which should be more powerful. Scott McLaughlin, driver of the #3 Dex imaging Team Penske Chevrolet drives during the NTT INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 02, 2025 in St Petersburg, Florida. Scott McLaughlin, driver of the #3 Dex imaging Team Penske Chevrolet drives during the NTT INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 02, 2025 in St Petersburg, Florida. Photo by Miguel will create the power supply as it has since 2000. They designed the engine to be 25 pounds lighter and to use more electrical power. The new model is still not set, as the designers and engineers are still rounding out the rough edges of the design. IndyCar stated that further details and renderings of the design are yet to come. It is unclear when the timeline for its unveiling will. While the features and promise of the new car sound nice, there is still much to be learned from testing to see if it can deliver better racing than the current generation of cars. IndyCar's European competitor, Formula 1, introduced a new set of regulations in 2022, which promised better racing, but the cars are creating more dirty air than ever, making it harder for cars to follow others. If they manage to develop a meaningful improvement over the current car that races better across the different tracks, the series' unique tracks could shine more, setting it apart from any other motorsport in the world and continuing to compete with F1.