Lauren Macuga, a skier, will miss the Olympics due to a knee injury

Lauren Macuga, an Alpine speed skier, had a right knee injury on Friday that will keep her out of the 2025–26 ski season.

She suffered a knee injury in a collision while preparing for the giant slalom ahead of the World Cup stop in Copper Mountain, Colorado. Macuga, a Park City, Utah native, needed surgery and will not be able to compete for the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

“RIP, acl, see you all next year,” 23-year-old Macuga wrote on Instagram.

Macuga was thought to be a medal contender for the Olympics, particularly in the downhill and Super G speed competitions. She finished second in the downhill in Kvitfjell, won her first World Cup event in January in the Super G in St. Anton, and earned bronze in the Super G at the 2025 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships in Saalbach, Austria.

As one of the three Macuga sisters, she had wanted to earn a spot on the American Olympic squad. Alli is a moguls skier, while Sister Sam is a ski jumper.