Former U.S. ski team member TJ Lanning has died, the team confirmed on Tuesday, July 7. He was 41.
No cause of death has been released as of publication.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of TJ Lanning, a former U.S. Ski Team alpine skier and coach whose impact on our sport went far beyond his years of competition. 🤍,” the U.S. ski team wrote via Instagram. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and children during this difficult time.”
A Helena, Montana native, Lanning specialized in downhill, super-G and combined racing, according to Ski Racing Media, which also called him, ”one of the most promising American speed skiers of his generation.”
“Lanning’s career was defined not only by talent but also by toughness,” the outlet wrote. “He raced with a willingness to push the limit, and that approach made him exciting to watch. It also came with a heavy physical cost. His career included repeated injuries, including crashes that interrupted several seasons and kept him from realizing the full potential many saw in him.”
One of the highlights of Lanning’s career came in 2008 when he became the U.S. downhill champion and qualified for the World Cup Finals in downhill. He finished 25th overall in the grueling discipline and placed 33rd in super-G.
Lanning retired a year later after a frightening accident during a race when a crash resulted in him dislocating his left knee and fracturing the C5 vertebra in his neck. Unable to return to competition, he transitioned to coaching, assisting the U.S. Ski Team.
“Lanning’s life in ski racing was marked by promise, pain, persistence and impact,” Ski Racing Media wrote. “He brought the sport moments of genuine excitement and, later, gave back through coaching. His death at such a young age is a profound loss for the American ski racing community.”
Friends and fans shared their tributes to Lanning in the comments of the U.S. ski team’s post.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have known TJ through ski racing,” Ski Racing Media content director Katie Twible wrote. “His smile lit up every ski hill he was on, and he brought so much energy to the people around him. Today our ski community has lost someone special. My heart is with his family, his children, and everyone who loved him. 💔.”
“What a tremendous loss for the ski world,” former Swiss alpine ski racer Carlo Janka added. “He was an incredible athlete and an even more wonderful human being. My thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone who knew him. 🙏😢.”
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