Colorado University Athletics
On Her Terms: Joanne Reid Qualifies For Third Olympic Games
January 06, 2026 | Skiing
ANTHOLZ, Italy — Joanne Reid gets to finish her story.
For Reid, qualifying for the Olympic Games was never about adding another line to a resume or extending an already distinguished career. It was about reclaiming a year she felt she lost — and earning the opportunity to close a chapter on her own terms.
Reid officially secured her place on the United States Olympic Team this week, qualifying for her third Olympic Games and completing one of the most meaningful comeback stories in Colorado ski history.
Her return was neither conventional nor guaranteed.
Two athletes earned automatic Olympic qualification through World Cup results, leaving just two remaining spots to be decided through U.S.-only time trials held Jan. 2–5 in Antholz. With no international field and no margin for error, qualification came down to direct competition against teammates, with Olympic berths awarded based on the best two finishes across three races.
Reid opened the series with a third-place finish on Jan. 2. She followed with a second-place result on Jan. 4, but still sat third overall entering the final day, leaving everything to be decided in the final race on Jan. 5. Reid delivered when it mattered most, finishing second and securing one of the two Olympic spots.
The significance of that result extends far beyond the standings.
Earlier in her career, Reid endured years of sexual abuse within the sport, experiences that were documented in investigations by the Associated Press and explored further in the documentary Line of Fire, bringing national attention to athlete safety and accountability.
Six months after SafeSport concluded its investigation, U.S. Biathlon retroactively changed its criteria for pre-qualification to the World Cup team. The change affected only one athlete — Reid — removing her pre-qualified status and requiring her to start over through qualifying races. She declined a spot on the U.S. national team and stepped away from training and competition altogether, losing that year of competition.
That year stayed with her.
"I just wanted to reclaim the year I lost," Reid said.
She did not publicly announce a comeback until just weeks ago. What followed was a compressed, unforgiving qualification window against athletes already established in the system. Reid embraced the challenge quietly, without expectation, and earned her way back the only way possible — by racing.
With her selection, Reid becomes the first former female member of the CU ski team to qualify for three Winter Olympic Games, and just the second former Buff skier overall to reach that milestone, joining Nordic skier Michael Gallagher, who competed in the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Winter Olympics.
Her accomplishment stands out even within Colorado's deep Olympic history. Former CU skier Katarina Hanusova competed in five Olympic Games — two Winter and three Summer — across Nordic skiing and cycling from 1996–2016. Former CU students Daron Rahlves and Casey Puckett also represented the United States across multiple Olympic cycles, though neither competed on the CU ski team.
Reid's return to the Olympic stage comes just months after her induction into the CU Athletics Hall of Fame — an honor that recognized not only her athletic excellence, but her perseverance, integrity and willingness to speak up when it mattered most.
Now, on her own terms, Joanne Reid gets to finish her story.
For Reid, qualifying for the Olympic Games was never about adding another line to a resume or extending an already distinguished career. It was about reclaiming a year she felt she lost — and earning the opportunity to close a chapter on her own terms.
Reid officially secured her place on the United States Olympic Team this week, qualifying for her third Olympic Games and completing one of the most meaningful comeback stories in Colorado ski history.
Her return was neither conventional nor guaranteed.
Two athletes earned automatic Olympic qualification through World Cup results, leaving just two remaining spots to be decided through U.S.-only time trials held Jan. 2–5 in Antholz. With no international field and no margin for error, qualification came down to direct competition against teammates, with Olympic berths awarded based on the best two finishes across three races.
Reid opened the series with a third-place finish on Jan. 2. She followed with a second-place result on Jan. 4, but still sat third overall entering the final day, leaving everything to be decided in the final race on Jan. 5. Reid delivered when it mattered most, finishing second and securing one of the two Olympic spots.
The significance of that result extends far beyond the standings.
Earlier in her career, Reid endured years of sexual abuse within the sport, experiences that were documented in investigations by the Associated Press and explored further in the documentary Line of Fire, bringing national attention to athlete safety and accountability.
Six months after SafeSport concluded its investigation, U.S. Biathlon retroactively changed its criteria for pre-qualification to the World Cup team. The change affected only one athlete — Reid — removing her pre-qualified status and requiring her to start over through qualifying races. She declined a spot on the U.S. national team and stepped away from training and competition altogether, losing that year of competition.
That year stayed with her.
"I just wanted to reclaim the year I lost," Reid said.
She did not publicly announce a comeback until just weeks ago. What followed was a compressed, unforgiving qualification window against athletes already established in the system. Reid embraced the challenge quietly, without expectation, and earned her way back the only way possible — by racing.
With her selection, Reid becomes the first former female member of the CU ski team to qualify for three Winter Olympic Games, and just the second former Buff skier overall to reach that milestone, joining Nordic skier Michael Gallagher, who competed in the 1964, 1968 and 1972 Winter Olympics.
Her accomplishment stands out even within Colorado's deep Olympic history. Former CU skier Katarina Hanusova competed in five Olympic Games — two Winter and three Summer — across Nordic skiing and cycling from 1996–2016. Former CU students Daron Rahlves and Casey Puckett also represented the United States across multiple Olympic cycles, though neither competed on the CU ski team.
Reid's return to the Olympic stage comes just months after her induction into the CU Athletics Hall of Fame — an honor that recognized not only her athletic excellence, but her perseverance, integrity and willingness to speak up when it mattered most.
Now, on her own terms, Joanne Reid gets to finish her story.
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