Seventeen year-old U.S skier Avery Krumme did everything she could to make it to her first Winter Olympics…even if that meant switching her sporting nationality from Canada to the United States. And her gamble paid off: Krumme earned the chance to represent Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. But despite reaching the Olympic stage…the young athlete faced a harsh introduction to the world’s biggest competition!

Krumme had fought her way through the preliminary rounds to earn a spot among the top competitors in the women’s freeski slopestyle event. But in the final things went wrong in the end. As she hit the first rail in her third run of the day…she didn’t land it cleanly and crashed after slipping off, putting her run immediately at a disadvantage.

Avery Krumme lost a ski as it came off after the fall and put an abrupt end to her third and final run. Sure, the crowd cheered her courage and effort, but she eventually finished 11th. So, who took the medals?

The medals went to other athletes: Gold went to Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland who delivered a flawless and technically strong run; Silver went to Eileen Gu of China and Bronze was claimed by Canada’s Megan Oldham.

However, seeing this young athlete, Avery Krumme, fall down did not erase the successes she had already acquired!

Avery Krumme turned challenges into medals

Avery Krumme grew up in Squamish, British Columbia, and started skiing almost as soon as she could walk. She was instinctively tricky and would spin in any direction with ease even at a tender age. Her talent made her climb the junior ladder very fast. She was often complimented by the coaches about her composure on the skis and her passion to learn more difficult and risky tricks. But around age 15 Avery faced a challenge that would test her resilience.

In 2022-23, she suffered two broken collarbones and was forced to spend her whole year off competition. To any aspiring young sports star, it can be devastating to lose an entire season. But not for Avery, she used that time to concentrate on self-development.

“I was just motivated by my love of the sport: getting back out there, pushing my limits and being better than I was before,” Avery Krumme said. She added weight training to her routine and worked with her coaches to stay disciplined in rehab. Her father, Ray, stood by her through this period and talked about how determined she was to come back stronger.

When Avery Krumme came back to competition, she not only took part…but she glowed. At the 2024 FIS Junior World Championships, she became the first woman to win slopestyle, earning her a bronze medal. She won two golds at the 2024 Canadian Nationals in Whistler in slopestyle and big air and she won several podiums in NorAm Cup.

In it all, Avery managed to juggle school and skiing, becoming even more consistent and demonstrating that the adversity had only made her stronger. Then, in 2024, she took a big step in her career…changing her sporting nationality to the United States and becoming part of the U.S. freeski team. That decision marked the beginning of a new chapter, yet despite her recent injury, the old victories and strength of Avery Krumme teach everyone that she will not be forgotten easily.