Madison Hoffman has a point to prove in Milano.
A rising force in Australian alpine skiing, Hoffman was forced to watch the last Olympic Winter Games from the sidelines after injury heartbreak.
Now her drive to compete on the sport’s biggest stage is stronger than ever.
Hoffman’s introduction to ski racing came at an early age.
Twenty-five-year-old Hoffman dreamed of pulling on the green and gold for the Matildas before the mountains pulled her in a different direction.
"I grew up in a soccer family. I have three younger brothers and my parents both played on the weekends, so we'd have six or seven games, because I'd play on the girls' and boys' teams. We did heaps of soccer,” Hoffman said.
From the age of six, Hoffman skied for a week or two each year before moving to a school which had a ski program. It was then that she had to make a tough decision.
“Then there was a ski race on the same weekend as soccer finals and my parents said, 'you have to pick.' I picked skiing because in soccer there were way more people on the team. In skiing it was only me and two other girls, and I felt like I had to be there for them. I chose skiing, and the rest is history."
Her childhood took her from the northern beaches of Sydney to three years in Singapore before her family relocated to Utah in the US, a snowsport‑mad town and future host of the 2034 Olympic Winter Games, where year‑round snow and access to the North American race circuit accelerated her development.
As a junior, Hoffman became a regular contender on the North American Cup tour, collecting multiple top‑10 finishes and proving herself as a serious prospect in the giant slalom and slalom disciplines. She represented Australia at three World Junior Ski Championships, earning a personal‑best 14th place in giant slalom at Bansko, Bulgaria, in 2021.
That same year Hoffman made her FIS World Cup debut in Soelden, Austria and was then named in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Team, before an ACL injury cruelly cut short her Olympic dream just weeks out from the Opening Ceremony.
Returning from her ACL setback in the 2022–2023 season, Hoffman delivered an impressive comeback marked by multiple podiums across university races and the Nor-Am Cup. She claimed a Nor-Am giant slalom victory in Stratton, USA, and added two second places across giant slalom and slalom.
Hoffman opened the 2023–2024 World Cup season in Levi, Finland, with a performance that etched her name into Australian skiing history. Finishing 25th in the slalom, she became the first Australian to score World Cup slalom points since Zali Steggall in 2002, doing so in just her third World Cup start against a field of 85 athletes.
In 2024–2025, Hoffman added more World Cup experience with slalom starts in Levi and Gurgl and a career‑best 44th in giant slalom at Killington, USA, before returning to Nor‑Am racing to win giant slalom gold and add silver and bronze in slalom at Panorama, Canada.
A second ACL injury in Europe in December 2024 halted her season, but now fully rehabilitated, she returns to the snow with unfinished business at the sport’s highest level, the Olympics.
To get in the zone, Hoffman has meticulous race preparation.
“Before a race, my most superstitious thing is just listening to music, I can’t go racing without my headphones,” Hoffman said.
“I keep them in my helmet for inspection and right before the start. I try to have the perfect mix of pump‑up and calm‑down songs, and sometimes even a bit of musical theatre to distract myself. I also like making sure my outfit under my suit, my long underwear, top, neck warmer and goggles, all match in some way.”
Off the hill, Hoffman has graduated with a Bachelor of Finance while juggling full‑time skiing. She gravitated towards business and management subjects that blended psychology and leadership, a passion of hers.
But Hoffman says for now her post-sport career is on hold while her focus remains steadfast on the Olympics.
“I think for me the ultimate result at the Olympics would honestly be just standing in that start gate,” Hoffman said.
As for Australia’s chances at the 2026 Milano Olympics, there is a special aura about these winter athletes.
“I think there’s something about the underdog mentality that comes out in Australian winter sports, because no one really expects to see us there,” Hoffman said.
