Reigning Moguls World Cup champion Olivia Giaccio to miss 2026/27 season

2025/26 Overall Moguls World Cup champion Olivia Giaccio (USA) has announced that she will miss the entire 2026/27 season after undergoing cartilage replacement surgery this summer to address a long-standing knee injury.

The American has been dealing with persistent knee pain for the past three seasons, an issue that developed following a difficult landing and gradually worsened under the physical demands of moguls competition.

Despite the ongoing discomfort, Giaccio continued competing through the 2025/26 season, prioritizing her participation at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games before turning her attention to her long-term health.

“Making it to the Games and giving it my all there was my top priority, but it’s now time for me to take a step back and give my ski career (and my long-term health) some real TLC,” Giaccio wrote on Instagram.

The 2025/26 season also saw Giaccio secure her first Overall Moguls World Cup title, finishing ahead of Jakara Anthony (AUS) and Tess Johnson (USA) in the standings.

Following surgery this summer, Giaccio has now shifted her focus to rehabilitation, with the decision to sit out the upcoming campaign giving her the time needed to work towards a return to competition.

“For the first time in 10 years, I won’t be in the start gate in Finland this December — or competing on the World Cup Tour at all this year,” she confirmed.

Her absence means the women's moguls field will be without its defending Overall World Cup champion when the 2026/27 season gets underway in Ruka, Finland, this December.