Taos-backed skier races to Olympic bronze

An American skier with Taos connections has already won one medal at the Winter Olympics and could bring home a few more. 

On Tuesday, Paula Moltzan and Jacqueline Wiles took bronze in the women's team combined alpine skiing event. New to the Olympics, the event features one skier competing in downhill and another competing in slalom.

Moltzan, the slalom racer, and Wiles each won their first Olympic medal in the combined event held on the Tofane course in Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy. The teams from Austria and Germany took gold and silver, respectively.

The US team's podium finish in Italy received a huge ovation from Taos Ski Valley, where Moltzan is revered.

She's one of two Olympic athletes sponsored by the northern New Mexico ski resort. 

Taos Ski Valley posted a message to Moltzan on its Instagram account after the combined event, which read in part: "We’re so proud of you and can’t wait to see you take on the rest of the Olympics!"

Moltzan often wears Taos-branded bibs during practice runs and gives shoutouts to the mountain on her social media.

The sponsorship came about after the World Pro Ski Tour brought Moltzan to Taos in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Moltzan won the women's overall title at Taos in her first year.

"Paula really, really connected with who we are," said Jeff Sherwood, the director of resort services and partnerships at Taos, noting Moltzan has praised the resort's sustainability efforts.

Moltzen, 31, is a Minnesota native who now lives in Vermont. This is her second Olympics.

She and Wiles were somewhat long shots to medal in the combined event. 

It was the American team of Mikaela Shiffrin (slalom) and Breezy Johnson (downhill), the 2025 world champions, who most expected to be on the podium. Johnson did her part, finishing with the fastest downhill time. Shiffrin had the 15th-fastest slalom time.

Moltzan and Wiles each finished fourth in their respective runs.

“I think if you let Mikaela go run that course (again), I think she'd come down at least a second (faster),” Moltzan said after the race.

Moltzan and Shiffrin, the most decorated slalom racer in history, are scheduled to compete again in this year's Olympics — in the women's giant slalom and the women's slalom.

The women's giant slalom first run is 2 a.m., Mountain Time, on Sunday, followed by the championship run at 5:30 a.m. The women's slalom first run is at 2 a.m. MT, on Wednesday, followed by the championship run at 5:30 a.m.

Sherwood said Moltzan's agent told him, "She's really peaking right now."

"It'd be good to see her come home with more medals around her neck," Sherwood said, adding that the ski resort is "hoping" Moltzan will come for a visit in late March.

Taos also sponsors River Radamus, a member of the US men's alpine ski team.

Journal Assistant Managing Editor Lucas Peerman can be reached @LucasPeerman on X or email lpeerman@abqjournal.com.