The Women's Alpine Skiing Downhill is one of the most thrilling events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, featuring the fastest racers on the longest, steepest courses. This year's final includes extra interest from fans as Lindsey Vonn, one of the sport's all-time greats, makes a remarkable Olympic return despite recent injuries.

Date and start time

The Women's Downhill Final at the 2026 Winter Olympics will take place on Sunday, February 8, 2026.

• Date: Sunday, February 8, 2026
• Start Time (Eastern Time, U.S.): 5:30 a.m. ET (approximate)
• Event Format: A single downhill run that determines the medalists.

The race is scheduled in the early morning U.S. time due to the competition being held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy - which is ahead of North American time zones.

Where to watch in the United States

Fans in the United States can watch the women's downhill racing live through several broadcast and streaming options:

Television and streaming platforms

• NBC - Live coverage of the alpine skiing finals.
• USA Network - Additional Olympic event coverage.
• Peacock (NBC's streaming service) - Live streaming of the downhill and other Olympic events.
• NBCOlympics.com & NBC Sports App - Additional streaming access across connected devices.

To stream the event, viewers can log into Peacock or the NBCOlympics.com platform, and select the downhill event from the Olympic schedule.

What is the Downhill Event?

In alpine skiing, the downhill is the speed discipline featuring the longest course and fewest turns of all individual events. Athletes race down the slope at high speeds - often approaching 90 mph - with one chance to post their fastest time. The fastest run wins the Olympic gold.

The women's downhill takes place on the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre course, a classic World Cup track in Cortina d'Ampezzo that has hosted major international racing for years.

Lindsey Vonn's Olympic Story

One of the most compelling storylines heading into the women's downhill final is Lindsey Vonn's participation. The 41-year-old former Olympic gold medalist and World Cup legend has battled injuries - including a ruptured ACL earlier in the season - but has trained for the downhill final with her sights on a possible podium finish.

Vonn has already completed training runs on the course despite her injury and has earned media attention for persevering through adversity. Her scheduled start time for the downhill final is 5:30 a.m. ET on February 8, 2026, the same window as the main event, and her status remains dependent on her physical readiness leading up to race day.