U.S. downhill skier Breezy Johnson pulls out of Olympics with knee injury

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics begin next week, but the United States' top athlete in downhill skiing has decided that she won't be joining her teammates in competition.

"(Breezy) Johnson withdrew from the Olympics, citing  'a large chunk of cartilage' in her knee 'that is partially dislodged,'" Yahoo Sports writer Henry Bushnell wrote. "She said she considered pushing through it, flying to Beijing and competing anyway. She decided it was neither realistic nor smart."

According to Bushnell, Johnson entered 2022 second in skiing's downhill World Cup and was the United States' top alpine medal contender aside from Mikaela Shiffrin. However, on Jan. 8, she crashed during training and injured her knee.

Only two weeks later, the 26-year-old crashed again and "immediately felt a crack." In an Instagram post on Tuesday, she further explained her decision to opt out.

"I wanted so badly to realize my dream of becoming an Olympic Champion," Johnson wrote. "To bask in the glow of that sunset. But the reality is that the risks, and there are always risks, are no longer worth it."

The Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place from Feb. 4 to Feb. 20.