It’s taken Lila Lapanja a long time to achieve her goal, but it’s about to take place two days from now for the Diamond Peak ski resort product.
Skiing in the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Cortina, Italy lies on the horizon as the 31-year-old Lapanja anxiously awaits her debut on the big stage. She will be skiing in the Women’s Slalom event, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 18, starting at 1 a.m. (PST).
“I have always felt that it was my destiny to be a winter athlete,” said Lapanja, who will be skiing for Slovenia. “I was born in a snowstorm, had skis on my feet at age 2, and have lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains at Lake Tahoe my entire life. I love the feeling of snow on my face when I am outdoors surrounded by the power of nature.”
Lapanja recalls having her Olympic dream begin at age 6 when she started her first race. Her father – Vojko Lapanja – was born in Slovenia and was a National team racer. He is a longtime coach for the Diamond Peak Ski Team.
“My father, mentor and coach was a top ski racer in Slovenia. He was the one I wanted to ski like and to beat,” Lila said. “I acquired a natural passion for skiing from him and launched my career in Alpine racing as a member of the Diamond Peak Ski Team.”
WATCH PARTY: Diamond Peak plans to host a Watch Party in the Loft Bar at the Incline Village ski resort on Wednesday at noon, and rescreen both of Lapana’s runs in the Slalom competition.
Nationally, all eyes in Wednesday’s Slalom will be on Mikaela Shiffrin, who’s looking for Olympic redemption. The most decorated World Cup skier of all time has gone seven straight Olympic races without a medal, including two events in Milan. The Slalom is her best event and could be her final Olympic race – win or lose.
A Colorado native, the 30-year-old Shiffrin has a record 108 victories on the World Cup circuit. She is hoping to add to her two golds and a silver from her first two Olympics.
After excelling in the Diamond Peak program, at age 16 Lapanja was named to the U.S. Ski Team. In the six years as a National team member, she achieved a high level of skill and success. She won her first North American Cup Slalom overall title in 2014 and later joined the U.S. World Cup team.
However, the next season she suffered an injury that kept her sidelined from racing for 18 months.
Lapanja has yet to win a World Cup race, but does have four U.S. National Championship titles. Known as a technical specialist, Lapanja’s career highlights came in the NorAm, Europa Cup, and national championship titles.
Several top-10 finishes on the Europa Cup ski racing circuit this winter led to her inclusion on the Slovenian Alpine Skiing Olympic team. Regardless of how she finishes in Milan, the goal has been met.
“Hopefully, people will remember me as not only one of the best athletes to come out of our town, but also how this place shaped my values and recognize how amazing of a feat that is in such a small place,” Lapanja said. “I want people to be proud that we live in an area with the resources to raise champions of all kinds.”
