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How Do Pro Skiers Make Money? Olympian Lindsey Vonn Debunks “Ski Myths”

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In a wide-ranging interview with SELF, the Olympian Lindsey Vonn dispelled—or confirmed—what the outlet called “ski myths.”

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The topics ranged from wearing makeup on the race course (skiers can, Vonn explained) to how professional skiers get paid.

“Like other Olympic athletes, pro-skiers make a majority of their income from prize money and brand sponsorships,” one SELF statement, which could’ve been debunked, posed.

But that’s true, said Vonn.

“We rely heavily on our brand ambassadorships and our sponsors,” said Vonn. “And, you know, I’m very lucky that I’ve had sponsors that have been with me for 20 years. And even after I retired, they stayed with me.”

“So now that I’m back racing, they’re pretty happy because they bet on the right person,” she added, laughing.

As Vonn pointed out, Team USA athletes don’t benefit from government support. U.S. Ski & Snowboard relies instead on donations and other initiatives to fund its team members and programs. The organization recently extended its partnership with the financial services company Stifel through April 2034.

And compared to some other sports, professional skiers tend to walk away with less money after winning or landing on the podium.

An example is the freeskier Eileen Gu, whose status as a celebrity and icon has continued to grow in recent years. According to Forbes, she was the fourth highest paid female athlete in 2025, but her “paychecks on the slopes”—that means prize winnings—“aren’t particularly impressive.”

Only $0.1 million of Gu’s total $23.1 million in 2025 earnings came from the “field,” the outlet reported. The rest? Forbes attributed them to her lucrative endorsements, including those from companies like Red Bull, Porsche, IWC Schaffhausen, and TCL electronics. Meanwhile, the star tennis player Coco Gauff netted $8 million in “on-field” earnings in 2025.

Vonn, who ranked 18th on the Forbes list with $8.2 million in total earnings, put the financial status of professional skiers in frank terms.

“I think to really sustain yourself financially, you need to be in the top ten. I mean, you’re seeing a little bit of money if you’re in the top 20. But it’s pretty hard to get by unless you have meaningful sponsorships,” she said.

Vonn did note that the U.S. Ski Team pays for travel, training, and other costs associated with racing. But, she said, “You don’t make really money on top of that.”

The interview came as Vonn clinched SELF’s January cover story, where she spoke about her return to ski racing, which has seen her claim numerous World Cup podiums at age 41—and a ticket to the Olympics. So far, Vonn’s lowest result this season was a fourth-place finish.

Alpine ski star Lindsey Vonn, seeking her fourth Olympic medal at age 41, was among seven Americans named to their fifth United States Olympic team on Monday.

A record 232-member squad, including 98 with prior Olympic experience, was announced by the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) for next month’s Milan-Cortina Winter Games.

The lineup includes Vonn, who made a comeback from knee replacement surgery in 2024. She won downhill gold and Super-G bronze in 2010 at Vancouver and took a downhill bronze in 2018 at PyeongChang.

Others set to make their fifth Olympic appearance include bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, whose five medals include three silvers and two bronzes; three-time bobsled champion Kaillie Humphries, figure skater Evan Bates, ice hockey player Hilary Knight and snowboarders Nick Baumgartner and Faye Thelen.

Taylor, 41, leads the team’s 33 prior Olympic medalists with five while multiple gold medalists include Humphries with three and alpine ski star Mikaela Shiffrin and snowboarder Chloe Kim with two each.

“Today we proudly introduce the 2026 US Olympic team –- a group of extraordinary athletes whose commitment, perseverance and spirit reflect the very best of Team USA,” USOPC chief executive officer Sarah Hirshland said.

“Congratulations to each member of this extraordinary team who have earned their chance to represent the United States on the biggest stage in sport.”

The 232 American Olympians include defenseman Seth Jones of the reigning NHL champion Florida Panthers, who was named to the US squad earlier this month before suffering an upper body injury and being replaced by Jackson LaCombe of the Anaheim Ducks. USOPC policy recognizes Jones as a member of the Olympic team.

The largest prior US Olympic squad was 228 athletes at PyeongChang in 2018.

US Chef de Mission Rocky Harris called the American lineup “a team full of proven champions and fearless newcomers that have the potential to take Team USA’s winter performance to a new level and inspire a nation in the process.”

The US squad includes 115 women and 117 men with freeskier Abby Winterberger the youngest athlete at age 15 and curling competitor Rich Ruohonen the oldest at 54.

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Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture

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The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.

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With the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.

Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?

Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.

“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.

Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..

 

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Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.

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Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.

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It’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.

These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.

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Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses

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It looks like LIV Golf is over.

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The Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.

That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.

So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.

But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?

Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.

Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.

 

That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.

 

If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.

But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.

Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.

For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.

Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time

With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.

He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.

DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.

He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.

He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.

He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.

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