Jacqueline Wiles Eyes Downhill Glory - and a Seahawks Win - on Super Sunday
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy - Jacqueline Wiles has a double-header lined up for Super Bowl Sunday, and it’s not your typical sports fan itinerary. First, she’ll throw herself down one of alpine skiing’s most demanding downhill courses at the Winter Olympics in Cortina. Then, she’ll shift gears - or maybe just change jerseys - to root for her Seattle Seahawks as they take on the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
And if both she and the Seahawks come out on top?
“That,” Wiles said with a grin, “would be an insane day.”
Wiles may not be a household name in the U.S. sports scene, but in Cortina, she’s carved out a reputation as a skier who knows how to rise to the moment. The Oregon native has a history with this mountain - and it’s been a meaningful one.
Back in 2014, it was here in Cortina where she first scored World Cup points, a breakthrough that punched her ticket to the Sochi Olympics. Four years later, she landed on the World Cup podium in a race won by her mentor, Lindsey Vonn. And after a six-year stretch that included a grueling two-year injury layoff, Wiles returned to the podium again in 2024 - right back where it all started.
Now 33, Wiles is approaching what she says will likely be her third and final Olympic Games. But she’s not just here for the farewell tour. In Friday’s opening training run, she led the field - a clear signal that she’s not just making up the numbers.
“I’m not here just to go to another Olympics,” she said. “I really want to be a threat.”
Saturday’s training wasn’t quite as smooth. Fog rolled in, visibility dropped, and Wiles found herself fighting to stay upright after missing her timing on a gate. She nearly came to a stop just to clear snow from her goggles, but even in the chaos, she managed to salvage the run.
“It was very foggy on that gate and I just missed my timing and got kind of hit by the bumps and then rotated and spun around,” she explained. “I made the best of what I could for the rest of the way down and I feel like I executed what I wanted to. … I feel like I have a really good plan for tomorrow.”
That kind of resilience is part of what defines Wiles as a racer. She’s aggressive, bold, and thrives on speed - a true downhiller in every sense.
And it’s not just a metaphor. Wiles is also a licensed pilot, which might explain her comfort with acceleration and risk.
On the Tofana Schuss - a dark, narrow chute flanked by towering Dolomite cliffs - most skiers brace themselves. Wiles hits the gas.
She can reach speeds of 80 mph (130 kph) through that stretch, and she embraces every second of it.
“She’s a pure downhiller,” said U.S. head coach Paul Kristofic. “It’s about skiing the hill and not worrying so much about line and really capitalizing on her natural tendencies to ski like a downhiller and take speed everywhere on the racetrack. Her natural flow on a race course and speed is fantastic.”
Off the hill, Wiles brings that same passion to her NFL fandom. A lifelong Seahawks supporter growing up in Portland - just a short drive from Seattle - she’s been locked in with the team since her childhood.
“I grew up watching all their games,” she said. “I loved the Pete Carroll, Russell (Wilson) era, (DK) Metcalf, (Doug) Baldwin… I was a big, big fan.”
Her ski racing schedule doesn’t leave much time for trips to Lumen Field, but she’s managed to catch a few games in the fall over the past five years. Even when she can’t watch, she’s always rooting.
So, come Super Bowl Sunday, Wiles will be chasing gold in the morning and cheering for the Seahawks by night. It’s a rare double - Olympic medal and NFL championship - but if anyone’s bold enough to dream it, it’s Jacqueline Wiles.
And if both dreams come true? Well, that really would be an insane day.