TJ Lanning, a former U.S. alpine skier whose career took him from junior standout to national downhill champion, has died. He was 41.
U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced the news on Tuesday, July 7, in a social media post, saying the organization was “deeply saddened” by his death.
The team said Lanning’s “impact on our sport went far beyond his years of competition,” adding, “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and children during this difficult time.”
No cause of death or additional details have been released.
According to Ski Racing Media, Lanning was born on Aug. 27, 1984, in Helena, Montana, and began skiing at a young age.
His talent showed early. According to the official Olympics website, Lanning began his career in 2001 as the highest-ranked junior in the world in slalom and super-G skiing. He went on to compete at the 2001 and 2002 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Sweden.
Lanning later represented Team USA at the 2007 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. The following year, he became the U.S. downhill champion.
Over the course of his career, Lanning earned three top-10 results for Team USA. One of his strongest finishes came in November 2008, when he placed ninth in downhill at Lake Louise in Canada.
But that same location would later become the site of the crash that ended his competitive skiing career. In 2009, Lanning lost control and crashed at Lake Louise, suffering a left knee injury and a neck fracture, according to the Olympics website.
After retiring from competition, Lanning stayed connected to the sport by coaching speed skiing with the U.S. Ski Team.
Based in Park City, Utah, Lanning later reflected on his years in the sport in his LinkedIn profile, writing that his “greatest achievement in life so far has been the 12 years I spent on the U.S. Alpine Ski Team.”