Olympian Bill Johnson, groundbreaking skier, dies at 55

Bill Johnson, the first American to win an Olympic downhill gold medal, has died after a lengthy illness.

Johnson was an outspoken presence who guaranteed success in the Olympics, then backed it up with a gold medal-winning performance in 1984.

"He didn't care what anyone said, he did it his way. And he did really good," current U.S. Ski Team member Steven Nyman said. "There was a couple of years where he was really good and he kind of paved the way for us."

Johnson had suffered from a series of strokes and other ailments throughout his life, most notably following a catastrophic wreck in 2001 while preparing for a comeback at the 2002 Olympic Games. He suffered traumatic brain injury so severe that he lost a decade's worth of memories and needed to learn how to walk, talk, and eat again.

"It's really sad," said Lindsey Vonn on Friday. "He's had a rough couple of years and it's been sad to watch him deteriorate like that. But you know when you're in a state like that I think it's a blessing sometimes. He was an incredible legend in our sport so I just hope he rests in peace and my condolences to his family." Vonn and Tommy Moe are the only other Americans besides Johnson to have won Olympic gold in the downhill event.

Here's video of Johnson's landmark run at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo:

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.