Four US Skiers Made TIME's 100 Most Influential People in Sports List, and They're All Women
Four members of the U.S. Ski Team made TIME's inaugural list of the 100 most influential figures in sports, joining big names like LeBron James, Lionel Messi, and Caitlin Clark.
The skiers cover multiple disciplines, but share one thing in common: they've made an outsized contribution to snowsports.
Perhaps most recognizable are Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin, two alpine racers who've earned Olympic hardware and drawn headlines for their record-breaking tendencies.
Lindsey Vonn
Vonn, when she first retired from ski racing in 2019, could've already been a shoo-in, having cut a storied path through the mountains. But as acknowledged by TIME, that wasn't the end of her story.
In 2024, Vonn returned to racing. And ahead of this past Winter Olympics, she kicked into a different gear, nabbing podium spot after podium spot, all beyond her 40th birthday. It seemed impossible, but it wasn't.
A hard fall in the Olympics cut that bid short. Everything that came before, though, made her comeback one of the most memorable in sports of all time.
"Honored to be named in the 2026 TIME100 Sports List!!" said Vonn in an Instagram post. "To be recognized alongside so many incredible athletes is truly humbling… Congratulations to everyone included."
Mikaela Shiffrin
Shiffrin, like Vonn, doesn't need too much of an introduction. She's the winningest alpine skier of all time, having stood atop the podium 110 times. At the latest Winter Olympics, though, she was something of an underdog.
Before 2026, Shiffrin had gone eight years without winning an Olympic medal. In 2022, in Beijing, she didn't crack the top three once. In Italy, that meant her bid was surrounded by intense scrutiny. Would she be able to handle the pressure? After a tough performance in her first few races, Shiffrin did, winning slalom gold.
"To be honest, recognition like this always feels a little surreal. Even after all these years, there's still a part of me that wonders, ‘Is this real?'" Shiffrin wrote on Instagram. "I've been fortunate enough to stand on top of the podium 121 times on the world stage, and I can honestly say it has never felt routine. Maybe from the outside, repeated success can start to look ordinary. Maybe that's why some people call it boring. But from the inside, it's anything but."
Oksana Masters
The third US ski athlete, Oksana Masters, is one of the most decorated Paralympians of all time, having competed across cross-country skiing, biathlon, cycling, and rowing at both the Winter and Summer Paralympic Games.
She was born in Ukraine with birth defects believed to be caused by radiation from the reactor meltdown in Chornobyl. By the time she was 14, Masters, who was adopted and brought to the US at age 7, had both of her legs amputated. Her biography, The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph, won a Christopher Award, an honor that goes to media that affirms "the highest values of the human spirit."
At the last Winter Paralympic Games, a previous hand surgery, bone infection, and concussion didn't stop her from winning more medals.
"This honor feels bigger than me," Masters wrote. "It represents how far the Paralympic movement has come and the continued progress toward a future where athletes with disabilities are not only visible, but celebrated alongside professional & Olympic athletes on the world's biggest stages."
Jessie Diggins
For Jessie Diggins, being named to TIME's list was a fitting end to an impressive career. She retired this past winter, having cemented herself as the most decorated cross-country skier in American history. Diggins' sprawling trophy cabinet includes four overall World Cup titles, 90 World Cup podiums, 30 World Cup wins, and eight World Championship podiums. Plus, she has four Olympic medals.
"So very honored and humbled to be listed as a leader in TIME 100 Sports alongside such incredible athletes!" she wrote. "I have had the gift of so many amazing role models throughout my life, and to be named alongside some of them is an honor that I don't take lightly."
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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 1:03 PM.