Olivia Giaccio reflects on milestone season and first Crystal Globe

After a season defined by remarkable consistency, Olivia Giaccio can finally enjoy having some new hardware at home.

The 2025/26 FIS Freestyle World Cup season saw the US moguls skier claim the first Crystal Globe of her career, taking the Overall Moguls title following an outstanding campaign in which she finished on the podium in six of her seven World Cup starts, with fourth place her only result outside the top three.

Giaccio’s performances also played an important role in another successful campaign for the powerhouse US moguls squad, as Team USA once again finished the season on top of the Moguls Nations Cup standings.

However, Giaccio had to wait a little longer than expected to actually get her hands on the trophy. With the World Cup Finals unfortunately cancelled, there was no traditional on-site Crystal Globe presentation, meaning the newest addition to her trophy collection had to make its way to her later.

Now, with her first Crystal Globe finally at home, we caught up with Giaccio to reflect on her milestone season, the challenges behind her success, some of her favourite moments from the winter and the continued progression of women’s moguls.

FIS: First things first... the Crystal Globe has finally arrived! How does it feel to finally have it at home after waiting a few months? Where's it sitting right now?

Olivia Giaccio: It was pretty incredible to have the globe at home! Some days, especially early on, the achievement didn’t quite feel real to me, so to have the actual trophy at home in my living room is pretty surreal. I don’t quite have a spot for it just yet, I didn’t anticipate it being taller than the shelving in my apartment!

FIS: It’s been a little while since the season ended. How have the last few months been for you? Have you had the chance to switch off and enjoy some time away from skiing?

OG: The last few months have been pretty awesome. I’ve taken some time away from the sport and traveled a fair amount: visited friends, family, and retired teammates; went to a friend’s wedding; took a solo road trip; advocated for a healthy planet in DC with Protect Our Winters; and so much more... it’s been busy!

I’ve made sure to take more time away from sport this spring, given that it took quite a bit of effort to get to the Games and I definitely want to make sure I have enough in the tank for an incredible cycle ahead.

FIS: Looking back at last winter, you stood on the podium in every World Cup competition except one, where you finished fourth. That's remarkable consistency. Did it feel like everything was clicking for you throughout the season, or were there still moments where you had to dig deep?

OG: There were absolutely moments where I had to dig deep during the season, probably more than it felt like smooth sailing. Quite honestly, my approach last season was just to focus on one event at a time and build momentum from there as much as I possibly could, which can be an especially tough focus in an Olympic year.

Given that I’m on the most dominant women’s mogul team in the world, even qualifying for the Olympics is a seriously daunting task, so this perspective was even more crucial for me!

FIS: Winning your first Crystal Globe is something every moguls skier dreams about. Now that you've had some time to reflect, what does this achievement mean to you personally?

OG: This achievement symbolizes, simply, an almost unfathomable amount of hard work and consistency over my entire career. I can confidently say that it was years and years of work that was put into this achievement, not just this year of competition in and of itself.

With regard to this year, I’m especially proud of the way I showed up and fought day in and day out, no matter what lay ahead. I think this is surely one of the accolades it has taken the utmost grit and tenacity for me to achieve, especially over a sustained period of time.

When I look at the globe, it can still bring me to tears as a symbol of what this season in particular meant to me. Being on the World Cup Tour in general can be tough: my competition can be almost mistake-free on most occasions; each week presents a new course and challenge to tackle; injuries or mental hurdles might take up space and energy.

Plus, you have to manage all of this while riding the emotional highs and lows of an entire competition season, plus the Games! Staying steady and understanding that I had the fortitude to handle the next step, no matter what it held, was a strength that I really held close this season.

And it’s something I’ve proudly cultivated over my career. This was definitely a weakness of mine for the better part of my 10-year World Cup career!

FIS: When you think back to the 2025/26 season, is there one run or one moment that stands above all the others? It doesn't necessarily have to be your biggest result, just a memory you'll always keep close.

OG: I’d say two days in particular stood out to me the most this year. The first was day one of Ruka. Like all of my competitors, it’s often difficult to understand how you stack up against one another before the season begins.

I went into this one with relatively little preparation volume, often something that helps give me confidence, and was instead able to trust my process and enjoy each moment to put together a great performance right away, which is always a great boost!

The second would be singles day in Nanto-Toyama. I have witnessed firsthand how difficult it is to rebound directly following an Olympic Games, regardless of the performance there, and while I came away from my Olympic experience overwhelmed with gratitude, I was also very aware that my season’s worst performance was coincidentally at the biggest moment.

I was incredibly proud of my effort to put those lessons into action immediately and produce some of my best skiing all season, especially in the superfinal!

FIS: You became the first woman to land a 1080 in World Cup competition, another milestone in your career. Although we didn't see it this past season, is that trick still on your mind? And how excited are you about where the level of women’s moguls could go over the next few years?

OG: Rest assured, the 1080 is still very much on my mind!! I’m really excited to continue seeing how much women’s moguls will progress into the next four years. I have a feeling we’ll see quite a bit of investment into bigger tricks across the entire field, which will be an incredibly exciting way to level up an already tough competition.

FIS: The World Cup takes you to some incredible places every winter. Do you have a favourite stop on the tour, whether it's because of the course, the atmosphere or simply the memories you've made there?

OG: It’s always incredible to have a home crowd, especially under the lights at Deer Valley! Waterville also did a phenomenal job stepping up last minute to host another event pre-Olympics last season. I’m pretty proud that was able to happen in the US! And of course, anywhere in Japan is always an epic tour stop, too!!

FIS: You've reached one of the biggest milestones in the sport by winning the Crystal Globe. Looking further ahead, what continues to motivate you most?

OG: I find myself loving skiing and the pursuit of improvement in moguls more than ever. I have some big goals, for sure, but I think the ones that motivate me the most surround pushing myself to my potential, whether it be showcasing my best on the biggest stages or pushing the boundaries of women’s mogul skiing to the next level in more ways than one!

FIS: Finally, if you had to describe your Crystal Globe-winning season in just three words, what would they be?

OG: Grit, resilience, adaptability.