“My family has always just said they’re proud of me,” Ryan Cochran-Siegle once said. Now 33, the American alpine ski racer came into the 2026 Winter Olympics as the defending Olympic silver medalist in super-G, with people still wondering if he could do it again. And on February 11 in Bormio, he answered that question by winning a medal again. In the process, he mirrored a moment from his mother’s career: 54 years earlier.

With his second consecutive silver in super-G, Ryan joined Bode Miller and Andrew Weibrecht as a 2x U.S. Olympic super-G medalist. But what makes Ryan’s achievement stand out is the consistency: both of his medals are silver.

Though Stelvio’s course in Bormio had not been kind to American men this Olympics, Ryan did it by finishing in 1:25.45, just 0.13 seconds behind Swiss gold medalist Franjo von Allmen (1:25.32), while Marco Odermatt took bronze at 1:25.60.

Interestingly, Cochran-Siegle’s achievement came on the 54th anniversary of his mother, Barbara Cochran, winning slalom gold at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo.

Speaking after the race, the Vermont native shared his satisfaction with the performance.

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“I was really happy with my skiing today. I felt like obviously went out there and skied with a lot of heart and just the focus that I’ve been kind of doing consistently, top to bottom. Great place to do it. Wonderful hill to ski today. I feel like I really embrace this slope and the way the snow was, and the course set.”

His mother, Barbara Cochran, was in the stands, cheering on her son. She was even spotted on the NBC broadcast, recording a video of Cochran-Siegle during the medal ceremony.

Ryan even said he felt “happy” and “overwhelmed” to share the moment with his family and teammates.

“Seeing their performances, I think reinstilled the belief in myself and that inspiration was really key,” he added.

Interestingly, Ryan’s silver became one of the multiple medals the U.S. Alpine team earned at these Games alongside other strong results like Breezy Johnson’s women’s downhill gold and the women’s team combined bronze.

Even former U.S. Ski Team coach Forest Carey praised Ryan’s path.

“As a disciplined, humble athlete that I have known RCS represents the best of US skiing, comes from a grassroots small ski area that fosters love of skiing, play, not chasing Olympic medals but that is sometimes the byproduct.” 

Ryan Cochran-Siegle carried his mother’s love for skiing into the Olympics

Ryan Cochran-Siegle did not simply grow up learning how to ski; he grew up with a family legacy that made him what he is today. He grew up with his mother’s story.

“Getting to kind of hear that excitement that she has, even now, 50 years ago, knowing the impact and that emotional connection she has to the sport of skiing and to so many people is pretty empowering.”

Barbara taught him more than technique.

At 2 years of age, she stressed that she did not value pressure over passion, as she was demonstrating that loving skiing is the first step, and success will follow.

Ryan remembers how, as a child, he began on the family-owned Cochran Ski Area in Vermont, a tiny hill constructed by his grandparents, and he was introduced to the sport by his mother. The same environment provided him with not only skills but a sense of purpose and attachment to skiing outside of competition.

“To now fall in her footsteps in a certain way and experience that on my own, there’s just so much connection we have because of that,” he expressed.

But his journey hasn’t been easy at all!

Before the 2022 Olympics, Ryan suffered a serious neck fracture in a World Cup crash. But Barbara’s presence and support became even more meaningful back then.

Even after winning his silver medal in Beijing, Ryan FaceTimed his mother right after the race. Barbara, watching from home, was in tears.

“I knew he was capable of doing it,” she said. “You just never know on a particular day whether or not that’s going to happen, so I’m so, so proud.”