Park City alpine skier Lauren Macuga had her Olympic dreams temporarily dashed when she tore her right ACL in giant slalom training in November.
It has been an offseason full of rehabilitation work for the 24 year old, who is now focusing on rebuilding strength in her now reconstructed ACL as the 2026-27 season approaches.
Macuga has been doing her rehabilitation work largely at the U.S. Ski Team’s Center of Excellence in Round Valley. She plans on returning to the sport at the season-opening World Cup in Beaver Creek, Colorado, on Dec. 9 if all continues to go to plan.
Macuga was cleared to be a nearly full participant in the U.S. alpine teams’ mid-June training camp in Park City. The camp gave her a good jolt of energy. Much of her rehabilitation work has been done on her own, with her teammates traveling the world and competing. She had to stomach missing what likely would’ve been her first Olympics in Milano Cortina, finishing the 2024-25 season ranked fourth in the world in downhill and sixth in super-G skiing.
“The training camp was amazing,” Macuga said. “The camp was a ton of fun but also really hard. Always nice to have that balance.”
Macuga enjoyed getting acquainted with some of the newer faces on the team. It was the first time the men’s and women’s teams combined for an offseason camp. She went on a four-hour hike with the teams during the camp, her first since the injury.
“Finally got to get out of the gym,” Macuga said. “One of my busiest weeks in a while, and the knee did great.”
The 24 year old believes the remaining strength training she has to do this offseason will make her more ready than ever to ski. She said she is even stronger than she was before the injury in some exercises. The team will travel to Chile in October for on-snow training before the season, and Macuga said she hopes to join.
“With that and Copper (Mountain) training, I’m planning on racing Beaver Creek,” Macuga said. “But only if I’m feeling ready. … Either way, I’m racing this year.”
Macuga said she’s feeling more motivated than ever to ski. Rather than ruminating over what she was missing while at home this past season, Macuga focused on how she wanted this upcoming season to go. She also got to spend more time than usual with her dad and cat, Kodiak.
“I can’t wait to go skiing again,” Macuga said. “It was sad to miss the Olympics, but I know I can be the best in the world and I have some time to figure it out and solidify it before the next Olympics.”
Macuga and her sisters, Alli and Sam, a moguls skier and ski jumper, respectively, were hoping to make their debuts together at the Milano Cortina Games. The family will now look to make it all happen for the 2030 Games in the French Alps.
“We are so in for 2030,” Macuga said. “That’s the goal, we all plan to be there. (A) siblings’ debut sounds pretty sick to us.”