Ex U.S. Ski Team Member TJ Lanning Dead at 41: Impact ‘Far Beyond His Years’

Former U.S. ski team member TJ Lanning has died at the age of 41, the team confirmed on July 7. No cause of death has been released. The U.S. ski team expressed their condolences via Instagram, stating that Lanning's "impact on our sport went far beyond his years of competition." A native of Helena, Montana, Lanning specialized in downhill, super-G and combined racing, and was described by Ski Racing Media as "one of the most promising American speed skiers of his generation." A highlight of Lanning's career came in 2008 when he became the U.S. downhill champion and qualified for the World Cup Finals in that discipline. He retired a year later after a frightening crash that dislocated his left knee and fractured a vertebra in his neck, subsequently transitioning to coaching for the U.S. Ski Team. Ski Racing Media noted that his career was "marked by promise, pain, persistence and impact," and that his death is "a profound loss for the American ski racing community." Friends and fans, including former Swiss alpine ski racer Carlo Janka, shared tributes, remembering him as an incredible athlete and a wonderful human being.