Breezy Johnson returns after 14 month suspension

While all eyes were on Lindsey Vonn, at Beaver Creek a week ago and in St. Moritz this weekend, another American, Breezy Johnson, returned to the World Cup in a completely discreet manner. Her absence had nothing to do with a sporting retirement, motherhood or a major injury.

Lindsey Vonn was the main attraction in St. Moritz this weekend. Media, personalities, ski enthusiasts: everyone wanted to witness the American's “comeback” in the World Cup. The situation was similar a little over a week ago, when Vonn played the luxury usher for the Beaver Creek downhill, at her home in the United States.

Breezy Johnson was there. This race marked his return to the circuit, after more than a year without competition. His last appearance dates back to November 2023. Training on the sidelines of the Zermatt-Cervinia events, which were ultimately canceled. The downhiller, fourth in the specialty rankings in 2021, was then noted by her absence, in St. Moritz a few days later, where she had nevertheless shone the previous season, fifth in the first of the two descents.

An athlete in good shape, American coaches uncomfortable with journalists in Graubünden: that was all it took for the rumors concerning Breezy Johnson to spread. We actually learned that an investigation involving the skier had been opened by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), hence her non-presence in the starting hut. A decision not to start taken by herself, according to a personal press release.

Breezy Johnson specified in his communication the reasons for this investigation: failure to comply with whereabouts obligations in the fight against doping. “I want to emphasize that a whereabouts case does not involve any banned substances. It's more about whether I updated my location information correctly. I am, and always have been, a clean athlete,” she wrote.

USADA's ruling finally came down in May of this year: a 14-month suspension – following three deviations in less than a year, October 29, 2022, June 13, 2023 and October 10, 2023 –, active from the last violation of the regulationsJohnson not having participated in any official races after this date. The speed specialist accepted this decision and has since detailed her negligence on several occasions, notably at the microphone of the SRF. First a simple oversight, then an update in the location system to a wrong number and finally a problem encountered with the application. All this seems plausible, especially since on the dates when she was not at the places indicated, Johnson then made the effort to have herself checked. Certainly late, but still. We can only wonder why the skier did not show more vigilance once the first warning came.

The consequences of his suspension, however, were unfortunate. In addition to her temporary exclusion from the American team, Breezy Johnson lost an important sponsor, even though she had to finance her preparation for the following season herself. She therefore dipped into her savings, set up a crowdfunding campaign and begged from influential people to raise the $200,000 necessary for its proper functioning. Money which was notably used to pay the Bernese Stefan Abplanalp, former coach of the Swiss, and who worked with her in preparation for her return to the World Cup.

The work done during his year outside the White Circus has apparently paid off. Johnson finished in Beaver Creek in an honorable 13th place in downhill, her favorite discipline, where she reached the podium seven times. The results were, however, less convincing in super-G, the American having finished only 45th in the only event run this weekend in St. Moritz. But whether it is triumphant or not, his return is above all different from what we usually know, because it is not justified by the healing of a knee or the desire to have a second career.

That of Breezy Johnson is explained by a suspension pronounced by an anti-doping authority. However, such sanctions are not numerous in alpine skiing. Athletes who test positive are few in number, and those who fail to fulfill their obligations are even more numerous. As a reminder, Christelle Guignard (1989), Alain Baxter (2002) and Hans Knauss (2005) are among the rare skiers who have been suspended. These were not breaches, but positive tests.