5'4"
26
Redmond, WA
University of Denver, Computer Science and Business
Katie Hensien's obsession with alpine skiing began the moment her parents enrolled their family in ski school at Whistler, British Columbia. By the end of that first day, the 3-year-old was sobbing because the lifts closed and she wanted to continue skiing. She quickly latched onto the sport and spent her winters competing for the Crystal Mountain Alpine Club. Her parents demonstrated unwavering commitment, purchasing an Airstream trailer and spending weekends in parking lots so Hensien could pursue her passion.
Hensien's family moved to Park City, Utah, so she could ski full-time while attending Rowland Hall's Rowmark Ski Academy. Her career immediately took off as she captured a U-16 slalom national championship in Sugarloaf, Maine, in 2015, earning the Olle Larsson Skier of the Year award in 2015, 2017 and 2018. She received her first U.S. Ski Team nomination for the 2017-18 season and made her world cup debut in slalom at Killington, Vermont, and Flachau, Austria. In 2018, she placed fourth in slalom at the FIS World Junior Championships in Davos, Switzerland, and earned a silver medal in the team event at the 2019 FIS World Junior Championships.
Hensien enrolled at the University of Denver in 2018, beginning an impressive juggling act between academics and elite skiing. She competed for the Pioneers while racing on the World Cup and Europa Cup circuits with the U.S. Ski Team. The balancing act proved successful as she won the 2020 National Championship in giant slalom and earned bronze medals in slalom at both the 2020 and 2021 U.S. National Championships. Her 2022 senior season culminated in being named NCAA National Champion in women's slalom and National Women's Alpine Skier of the Year by the U.S. Collegiate Ski Coaches Association after placing on the podium in 75 percent of her races. She graduated in 2023 with degrees in Applied Computer Science and Business with a minor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Hensien made her Olympic debut at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, becoming the first DU student-athlete to represent Team USA in alpine skiing since 1972 and the first DU woman Olympian in the sport since 1956. She placed 26th in women's slalom at Beijing and was part of the gold-medal-winning world championship team event in 2023. A crash during training camp in Utah in 2023 resulted in a season-ending left knee injury that required year-long rehabilitation.
The 2024-25 season marked Hensien's triumphant return to competition. She opened the season with a career-best fourth-place finish at Soelden, Austria, matching her result as the top American that day. She went on to score in multiple consecutive world cup giant slalom races and qualified for her first world cup finals at Sun Valley in giant slalom. She was nominated to the U.S. roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, returning to the Games after overcoming significant adversity. Her commitment to giving back shines through her volunteer work coaching young girls at ski camps, helping inspire the next generation of female ski racers.
After a season full of twists and turns, the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) is headed stateside for its final alpine skiing event. For the first time in FIS history, the World Cup Final will occur at Sun Valley Resort in beautiful Sun V...
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Alpine skiing made its Olympic debut at the 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Olympic Winter Games. Both men and women competed in slalom and downhill, but the only medals awarded were for the downhill and slalom combined. When the Olympic Winter Games resum...
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After a season full of twists and turns, the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) is headed stateside for its final alpine skiing event. For the first time in FIS history, the World Cup Final will occur at Sun Valley Resort in beautiful Sun V...
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