Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) earned his first-ever top-level international competition victory - and it was a big one - winning the snowboardcross title at the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota Solitude Mountain Resort.

“I don’t even know where my emotions are right now,” said Dierdorff. “I’m in the clouds and I’m not sure if this moment will ever sink in, this is the craziest moment I have had in my life. This past year for me, I trained super hard with the ultimate goal of making it to the Olympics and I made that goal happen. After checking that box, I just thought, what’s next, let's keep going. I know I’m one of the best out there and if I work as hard or harder than everybody I can end up on top. It’s my first win on the World Cup level at the World Championships! I can’t even comprehend all the support I have had and have here today. I tried to keep it loose up there but then get in the zone once I got in the gate. I’m fired up I ended up on top.”

Jake Vedder (Pickney, Mich.), the reigning Junior World Champion, led the small final finishing fifth in his first ever World Championships.  

“Today was crazy, I’m still catching my breath right now,” said Vedder. “I want to say congratulations to Mick Dierdorff. He absolutely crushed it. He got second in qualifying and fought all the way through to grab the victory. I’m just so stoked to be here right now. The weather was amazing and it was a battle all day long. I’m really happy to end up in fifth place, anything in the top-10 for me is great. I’m just trying to keep moving forward. We leave on Monday to go to the Feldberg, Germany, World Cup and I’m going to try to keep the momentum going. I’m excited for the rest of the season.”

Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, Mich.) finished 13th. Also, with his wife, three-year-old daughter, and a group of his closest friends in the crowd, veteran and eight-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Sandpoint, Idaho) wrapped up his World Championships career with a respectable 17th place finish, just missing moving on from his opening heat.

For the ladies, five-time World Champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) also lead the small final finishing fifth overall.

“I am happy with how today went,” said Jacobellis. “I was doing my best and was in the mix in every race. It’s harder and harder every year with the women’s level of riding continuing to get better. I knew it was going to be very hard to get the sixth win. I have done the three-peats and four-peats at X Games, but the probability of a sixth World Championship win today with the level of riding was low, but I did my best. It was definitely challenging starting off a little stiff and not being able to move with a full range of motion and execute the course the best I could on a training day. Every day I felt a little better and better, but not 100-percent. At this point, I don’t think I’ll ever be riding 100-percent with all the injuries I have accumulated over the last 20 years of racing this sport, but it’s really cool to be part of the growth. I look forward to having the Supergirl contest later this March. It’s really exciting to see how you impact the younger generation of female riders and it’s just really heartwarming. If you can influence their lives in a positive way in the moment that helps them strive to that next level, it’s a really rewarding experience.

World Championship snowboardcross competition will continue with the new Olympic discipline of mixed team snowboardcross competition on Sunday. Tune in to NBC to catch the action live.

RESULTS
Men's snowboardcross
Women's snowboardcross

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Sunday, Feb. 3
1:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s team snowboardcross - Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s team snowboardcross - Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah - NBCSN*

Monday, Feb. 4
3:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s parallel giant slalom - Park City Mountain Resort, Utah - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s parallel giant slalom - Park City Mountain Resort, Utah - NBCSN*

Tuesday, Feb. 5
3:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s parallel slalom - Park City Mountain, Utah - NBCSN & NBC Sports Gold
9:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s big air - Park City Mountain Resort, Utah - NBCSN & NBC Sports Gold

Friday, Feb. 8
1:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s halfpipe - Park City Mountain, Utah - NBCSN & NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, Feb. 9
1:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s halfpipe - Park City Mountain, Utah - NBC*

Sunday, Feb. 10
1:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s slopestyle - Park City Mountain, Utah - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
4:30 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s slopestyle - Park City Mountain, Utah - NBC*

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold andOlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.

The first freeskiing event of the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota, will kick off at the Canyons Village in Park City, Utah, with big air competition Saturday. The Americans competing include some of the U.S. Freeski Team’s biggest stars, including Park City locals Alex Hall (Salt Lake City, Utah) and McRae Williams (Park City, Utah). In addition, Willie Borm (Chaska, Minn.) and two-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) are ready to compete.

“The big air is definitely big air,” said Olympic silver medalist Goepper. “The venue at the Canyons area is perfect. It’s so awesome that Park City Mountain is hosting the big air for the World Championships. Hopefully, they will continue to host awesome events like this for years to come.”

For the women, Olympians Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.), Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.) and Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.) are set to compete.

“I’m so excited to be able to represent the U.S. at World Championships for the first time and to have it be at our home mountain is just unreal,” said Krass. “It’ll be so fun having so many people I know watching, including my family. Park City has done an amazing job building everything. Having the big air jump at the base of the Canyons is such a sick spot, and the jump is riding really nice. I’m looking forward to a good week!”

Voisin and Krass both have double corks in their arsenals, putting them in contention for the podium. They have each had a chance to warm up these tricks at previous events this season. Krass was able to land her right side double cork 1080 in training at the Seiser Alm, Italy, World Cup event and Voisin landed her left double cork 1260 at X Games in Aspen, Colo., last week. Claire has also been having a strong season as she’s currently second in the FIS World Cup standings for big air behind Canada’s Elena Gaskill.

In addition, Alex Hall is coming off the performance of a lifetime in Aspen, Colo. where he earned his first ever X Games medal with a gold in slopestyle. He is currently sitting in fourth place in the big air World Cup standings, but the U.S. will have their work cut out for them as the team is going up against some of the world best big air freeskiers in the world. Tune in to catch all the action on NBC.

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Saturday, Feb. 2
9:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s big air - Park City, Utah - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

The federal law Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and SafeSport Authorization Act of 2017 is designed to protect athletes from abuse in sport. Join the more than 525,000 individuals who have completed the U.S. Center for SafeSport training. Do your part to prevent and respond to abuse in sports and keep athlete safety at the forefront.

For the 2019-20 season all U.S. Ski & Snowboard adult members, with the exception of some alpine masters racers, are required to complete training through the U.S. Center for SafeSport as a part of their membership. If you are involved in ski & snowboard and wish to take the Center’s core course, please contact Member Services at membership@usskiandsnowboard.org or 435.647.2666.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport also offers the following training for parents of athletes through their sister site www.athletesafety.org. 
 

Parent's Guide to Misconduct in Sport:

If you are a parent looking for resources on keeping your athlete safe, you can access the Parent Training at no cost. Simply create an account at www.athletesafety.org, add the parent training to your bag, and you'll be able to access the training.

The Parent's Guide to Misconduct in Sport is designed for the parents of athletes of all ages. This course explains the issues of misconduct in sport and helps parents ensure their children have a positive and safe sport experience.

Join us in working to ensure a safe environment for athletes!

Known as the most successful female ski racer in the world – Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) – announced on Friday that she has decided to retire after what will be her eighth World Championships bid in Åre, Sweden. 

Vonn is the only American woman to ever capture downhill gold at the Olympics and the only American woman with four World Cup overall titles. Six weeks after she turned 20, Vonn (then Kildow) produced her first World Cup victory in Lake Louise, Alberta. She has since captured an all-time win record on the women's side with 82 World Cup wins. In addition to her 2010 Olympic downhill gold and super G bronze and her 2018 Olympic downhill bronze, she holds seven World Championship medals, including double gold in 2009.

In her post on Instagram, she stated that she will compete in the downhill and super-G in Åre, which will be the final races of her career. 

It’s been an emotional 2 weeks making the hardest decision of my life, but I have accepted that I cannot continue ski racing. I will compete at the World Championships in Downhill and SG next week in Åre, Sweden and they will be the final races of my career. 

I have always pushed the limits of ski racing and it has allowed me to have amazing success but also dramatic crashes. I have never wanted the storyline of my career to be about injuries and because of that I decided not to tell anyone that I underwent surgery this past spring. A large portion of cartilage that had delaminated from my bone was removed. My crash in Lake Louise last year was much more painful than I let on, but I continued to race because I wanted to win a medal in the Olympics for my late grandfather. Again, I rehabbed my way back this summer and I felt better than I had in a long time. Then I crashed in Copper this November and injured my left knee, tearing my LCL plus sustaining 3 fractures. Despite extensive therapy, training and a knee brace, I am not able make the turns necessary to compete the way I know I can. My body is broken beyond repair and it isn't letting me have the final season I dreamed of. My body is screaming at me to STOP and it’s time for me to listen. 

Honestly, retiring isn’t what upsets me. Retiring without reaching my goal is what will stay with me forever. However, I can look back at 82 World Cup wins, 20 World Cup titles, 3 Olympic medals, 7 World Championship medals and say that I have accomplished something that no other woman in HISTORY has ever done, and that is something that I will be proud of FOREVER!

I always say, “Never give up!” So to all the the kids out there, to my fans who have sent me messages of encouragement to keep going… I need to tell you that I’m not giving up! I’m just starting a new chapter. Don’t lose faith in your dreams, keep fighting for what you love, and if you always give everything you have you’ll be happy no matter what the outcome.

Thank you for the amazing years, for always supporting me, and for making my job so fun. Can’t wait to see some of you in the finish in Åre where I will give it my all one last time.

Love always,
Lindsey

“Lindsey Vonn will be celebrated as not only the greatest U.S. female skier of all time, but as an athlete who has inspired people around the world, both in and out of the sport of ski racing, for many years,” said Tiger Shaw, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “We have been so lucky to have been able to share many of Lindsey’s extraordinary achievements, but now the time is right for Lindsey to call time on her incredible career. On behalf of everyone in the U.S. and throughout the global ski racing community, thank you Lindsey. You have consistently raised the bar, you have created a legacy that will live forever, and you have given us all some of the greatest memories in our sport.”

Joy and disbelief pretty much sum up Mikaela Shiffrin’s (Avon, Colo.) FIS Ski World Cup victory number 55 in Maribor, Slovenia Friday. Joy in the fact that she won her ninth career World Cup giant slalom, but disbelief in the fact that after two runs she tied Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova for the joint Golden Fox Trophy win.

"I saw Petra from the start and I was like “OK, I better up the ante a little bit,’” said Shiffrin, who took a 0.48-second first-run lead, expanding it to0.62-second mid-way through the second run.  “It was a fight in the second (run). I almost lost it at the bottom. I was fighting to find the finish line, and a little bit relieved to see the green light.”

Battling low visibility with fog and light mist, Shiffrin looked sharp, but so did Vlhova, who has been inching closer to the World Cup leader in both giant slalom and slalom this season. Vlhova laid down the fastest second run time, moving ahead of Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel by 0.93 seconds to take the lead and put the pressure on Shiffrin.

Shiffrin skied clean through the top of the course, before a slight mistake stole her momentum near the flats leading into the finish. When she crossed the line, she saw the scoreboard go green, a signal that she was in the lead. But it also showed 0.00, which indicated a tie. Mowinckel settled for third.

“All the time we are really close and today we can share first place...I’m happy,” a smiling Vlhova said.

It was Shiffrin’s first win in giant slalom on the Maribor track, so she can walk away feeling like she has ticked that box, “It’s incredible, and it’s the first time I won a GS here - so it’s a really nice feeling,” Shiffrin said. “It’s pretty cool [to share the win with Vlhova], I know she’s been skiing pretty strong in GS - and of course strong in slalom as well - there are some days when more than one person deserves to win the race, and today we were sharing that.”

Both Shiffrin and Vlhova have been building momentum heading into next week’s FIS Ski World Championships in Are, Sweden, where Shiffrin won the slalom last season. Shiffrin continues to lead the World Cup overall, slalom, giant slalom and super-G standings, but Vlhova continues to apply pressure in the slalom standings, trailing by just 80 points with three World Cup races remaining, including Saturday’s slalom race in Maribor.

Of course, there are always records to talk about, and with this ninth career giant slalom victory, Shiffrin tied Tamara McKinney with the most giant slalom wins among U.S. women. Additionally, she equalled Vreni Schneider with 55 World Cup victories in third place all time among women, and joint fifth-place all-time among women and men. It was Shiffrin’s 12th victory of the season, equalling her career best 2017-18 season victory count.

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Friday, Feb. 1
12:00 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom - Maribor, SLO - NBCSN*

Saturday, Feb. 2
4:00 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1 - Maribor, SLO - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:30 a.m. - Men’s downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 2 - Maribor, SLO - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, Feb. 3
2:00 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom - Maribor, SLO - NBCSN**
4:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1 - Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2 - Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has named Intermountain Healthcare an official medical provider of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team as part of a four year partnership. 

As an official medical provider of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team, Intermountain Healthcare will serve as the freestyle title sponsor and snowboard associate sponsor for the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota. The Championships events will take place in Summit County, Utah, on February 1-10, 2019. 

“We are thrilled to have Intermountain Healthcare on board as our medical provider,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief Marketing Officer Dan Barnett. “Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in extraordinary patient care and innovative medical technology and we look forward to working with them to help keep our athletes healthy and focused. Engaging Intermountain Healthcare in progressing our sports medicine department will help turn elite athletes into Olympians as they push their bodies every day to, and beyond the limits of their sports.” 

As stewards of healthy communities, Intermountain will partner with U.S. Ski & Snowboard in creating three new certified Centers of Excellence (COE). This designation means U.S. Ski & Snowboard will install its COE system and processes into the certified site, as well as hire a new high-performance staff member to act as a liaison among U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the three new COE locations. 

These sites will implement a multidisciplinary approach to athlete intake and will provide high-quality, high-performance services, including Sports Medicine, Nutrition, Psychology, and Strength and Conditioning, to U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes at the national and club levels, as well as general recreational skiers and snowboarders. 

The three Intermountain COE locations will be: Intermountain Park City Hospital; Intermountain TOSH – The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Murray; and Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden. 

Intermountain Healthcare will play an integral role in elite snow sport athletes’ journeys to podium as a key sponsor during the 2019 FIS World Championship events in Utah in February. 

As the title sponsor of the freestyle events at Deer Valley Resort, athletes will don the Intermountain bib during the aerials, team aerials, mogul and dual mogul events. Intermountain Healthcare will also be an associate sponsor for snowboard events held at Park City Resort in halfpipe, slopestyle and big air, engaging with fans during the Championships in the Park City Village. 

As part of the multi-year agreement, Intermountain Healthcare will also serve as the title sponsor for the Freestyle World Cup in Deer Valley Resort during the 2019-2020 season, and beyond annually. This is the most anticipated event of the FIS Freestyle World Cup circuit, during which tens of thousands of fans watch the world’s best freestyle athletes compete under the lights across three nights. 

“Intermountain Healthcare has had the privilege of providing for and working with U.S. Ski & Snowboard for many years, and we are so excited for the opportunity to expand and deepen the relationship between our organizations,” said, Adam Chandio, Administrator of TOSH and Executive Leader of Intermountain Sports Medicine. “This partnership will allow Intermountain Healthcare and U.S. Ski & Snowboard to collaborate and share expertise that we feel will support both organizations’ goals of being models within their respective industries.  It also furthers Intermountain’s commitment to provide extraordinary care for our communities, many of which are home to members of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard teams.”

Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) led the U.S. Snowboard Team at the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championship, presented by Toyota, snowboardcross qualifications, finishing second at Solitude Mountain Resort Thursday.

“The course was pretty tough today,” said Dierdorff. “A couple of the turns didn’t set up all the way overnight, which made for some sugary conditions. One of the things I was really happy with in my run was my start. I had quick feet and felt like I really took off. I laced some of the turns, bombed across the finish line. Over the past few years, I have come to expect to be in that top five when I really lay it down. I knew coming out of the second to last turn that I put it all together. It’s always a good feeling to hear the announcer say that there’s a new leader. I was excited to hear that and it took a lot of weight off my shoulders.”

Following Dierdorff was 2018 Junior World Champion Jake Vedder (Pickney, Mich.) in sixth.

“I’m stoked to be in top-10 heading into (Friday's) finals,” said Vedder. “It’s going to be an awesome day. Today, I was lucky enough to drop first, which I have never done before in qualifications. They had just raked the turns and made them smoother for us, but for the rest of the guys, it was getting a lot bumpier. By tomorrow it should be iced over and perfect. It’s amazing to be on home soil and have four U.S. riders in the top ten. Also, It means the world to me to be part of the U.S. FIS World Championships Team. I am here to be the best in the world and that’s what we are going for tomorrow.”

Following Dierdorff and Vedder was eight-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Squaw Valley, Calif.) finishing seventh, and three-time World Championships medalist Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, Mich.) in eighth. With all four U.S. men making it through to finals on their first run, it is anyone’s game rolling into Friday’s final round of competition.

For the ladies, defending World Champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) qualified in fifth among the best riders in the world.

“It was great to be on U.S. soil and back at Solitude,” said Jacobellis. “Today’s course was fast and fun and I am excited to get into heats tomorrow.”

Jacobellis will be striving for her sixth World Championship victory. However, that milestone will not come easy competing against 2018 PyeongChang Olympic medalists Michela Moioli of Italy, Julia Pereira De Sousa Mabileau of France, and bronze medalist Eva Samkova of the Czech Republic. Tune in on NBCSN and NBC Sports Gold to watch finals Friday.

RESULTS
Men’s Snowboardcross
Women’s Snowboardcross

START LISTS
Men’s Snowboardcross
Women’s Snowboardcross

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
SNOWBOARDING
Friday, Feb. 1
1:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s snowboardcross - Solitude, Utah - NBCSN & NBC Sports Gold

Four women and five men make up the U.S. snowboardcross team set to compete in Thursday’s FIS World Championships qualifying round of competition. For the men, competitors include 2018 Junior World Champion Jake Vedder (Pickney, Mich.), eight-time X Games gold medalist Nate Holland (Sandpoint, Idaho), three-time World Championship medalist Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, Mich.), and first time World Championships athlete Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.).

“To make the World Championships team and compete with a guy like Nate Holland, who I have looked up to my entire life is truly an honor to me,” said Vedder. “I podiumed in my last race in Italy and I have a lot of confidence coming into this event. I am looking forward to the race on Friday.”

Holland also shared his excitement to have a race back on U.S. soil.

“It’s good to be back racing on home soil,” he said. “We used to have a lot more races in the U.S. and this feels like a reunion. Also, it adds to the drive to earn a medal at World Championships. I was planning on retiring last year at the Olympics, but I didn’t make that team. I decided to go to Switzerland at the end of the season and ended up winning a contest. After, I looked at the schedule for the next season and decided my goal was to make it to Worlds and to basically have my family and friends come watch me race on U.S. soil one last time. I’m going to throw it down on that course and see what happens. I am here to do a couple things, win, and then throw a party. ”

For the women, Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) leads the way as defending champion. Jacobellis has never lost in a World Championship snowboardcross event. Joining Jacobellis are U.S. Ski & Snowboard teammates Meghan Tierney (Edwards, Colo.), and Stacy Gaskill (Golden, Colo.). In addition, Americans Anna Miller (Orem, Utah) and Livia Molodyh (Hubbard, Ore.) will also compete.

“I really like the course,” said Tierney. “It’s big and fast and I’m really excited to get things going. Also, I think it’s amazing to have the event here in Utah. Not only because my family and friends can come out and watch, but for all the young American girls coming up watching the sport.”

Miller also shared her thoughts on the course at Solitude Mountain Resort.

“I was not here two years ago for the World Cup, so this is a new type of course for me,” she said. “I think the biggest thing about boardercross is you have to be adaptable no matter what the course is going to be because it’s out of your control. You have to ride fast and do your best no matter what.”

On Saturday, skicross competition will commence with the seeding round of competition. The U.S. skicross team consists of one man and three women. Tyler Wallasch (Los Angeles, Calif.) will represent the men.

“It’s pretty special to represent your country at this level,” said Wallasch. “This will be my third World Champs, but this one is a little extra special being on home soil! I haven’t raced an elite level race in the US  since the World Cup in 2012, so I’ve always looked forward to coming home! The track here is fast and looks promising for some close racing and some serious battles on Saturday. I’m looking forward to every second of it!”

For the women, Tania Prymak (Goshen, N.Y.), Leta McNatt (Ridgeway, Colo.) and Solitude Mountain Resort athlete Whitney Gardner (Zephyr Cove, Nev.) are set to compete.

START LIST
Men’s snowboardcross
Women’s snowboardcross

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

SNOWBOARDING
Friday, Feb. 1
1:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s snowboardcross - Solitude, Utah - NBCSN & NBC Sports Gold

FREESKI
Saturday, Feb. 2
3:00 p.m. - FIS World Championships men and women’s skicross - Solitude, Utah - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has named 13 athletes to the U.S. Alpine Team that will compete in the 2019 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. 2017 World Championship gold and silver medalist Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) and bronze medalist Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) will headline the Team of six women and seven men, competing Feb. 4-17 in Åre, Sweden.

Continuing with his “winning at every level” mantra, Alpine Director Jesse Hunt is looking forward to seeing what this team can do on the world stage in Åre. “This team has the depth, experience and heart to bring home medals,” Hunt said. “Many of these athletes have had prior success at this venue in Åre, and with their progression and consistency throughout this season, medals are within reach. The staff has been working hard this season, and the teamwork is palpable - we are eager to support our veterans and up-and-coming athletes on the world stage.”

With 11 victories across four disciplines this season, Shiffrin is a force to be reckoned with and a multiple medal threat - currently leading the overall, slalom, giant slalom and super-G standings in the FIS Ski World Cup. Shiffrin is also a three-time reigning world champion in slalom, becoming the first woman since Germany's Christl Cranz back in 1939 to win three slalom World Championship golds in a row. All-time women’s World Cup winner Vonn - who just recently returned to competition from a knee injury - has seven career World Championship medals to her name, including a bronze medal in the St. Moritz downhill in 2017, making her the oldest woman (then 32-years-old) to earn a world championships medal. Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.), who finished with a career-best World Championships result in fifth in the St. Moritz downhill in 2017, and has posted three top 15 finishes in the last five races, rounds out the roster of seasoned vets. 

Rising stars, including 2017 World Juniors downhill champion Alice Merryweather (Hingham, Mass.) and Nina O’Brien (San Francisco, Calif.) will make their World Championships debut. 2015 World Juniors slalom champion Paula Moltzan (Prior Lake, Minn.), who currently skis for the University of Vermont and has had incredible success on the World Cup this season, also joins the 2019 squad.

On the men’s speed side, 2015 World Championships medalist Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, Calif.), Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) and Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) - who is currently ranked seventh in the World Cup downhill standings - will headline a strong crew of speed skiers, while Olympic champion Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah), and Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.) lead the way on the giant slalom side. Brian McLaughlin (Topsfield, Mass.) will make his World Championships maiden voyage.

After missing out on the 2017 World Championships due to injuries, Nyman and Ligety return with their strong leadership and presence. Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.), who has been skiing strong across multiple disciplines this season, also will be one to watch, having objectively qualified in downhill, super-G and giant slalom.

The last time World Championships were held in Åre was 2007, when the U.S. Ski Team won three medals, with Vonn grabbing silver in both downhill and super-G, while U.S. Ski Team alumni Julia Mancuso brought home silver in the combined. In last year’s World Cup Finals in Åre, Shiffrin won the slalom, while Vonn was third in super-G and first in downhill. It’s a special venue for Shiffrin, whose first-ever World Cup victory was in Åre in 2012, and she has won the slalom there four times.

Fans can follow all of the action in Åre, Sweden on NBC, NBCSN and the Olympic Channel, with live streaming on NBC Sports Gold.

2019 FIS SKI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM
(Name, hometown, ski club, birthdate, past World Champs Teams)

WOMEN
Alice Merryweather* (Hingham, Mass.; Attitash Race Team/Stratton Mountain School; 10/5/1996)
Paula Moltzan (Prior Lake, Minn.; Buck Hill Ski Team/Ski and Snowboard Club Vail/University of Vermont; 4/7/1994; 2015)
Nina O’Brien* (San Francisco, Calif.; Burke Mountain Academy/Squaw Valley Ski Team; 11/29/1997)
Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.; Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation; 8/17/1988; 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017)
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.; Burke Mountain Academy/Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 3/13/1995; 2013, 2015, 2017)
Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/Buck Hill Ski Team; 10/18/1984; 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017)

MEN
Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; 7/14/1992; 2017)
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.; Cochran’s/Mount Mansfield Ski & Snowboard Club; 3/27/1992; 2013, 2017)
Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.; Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation; 3/20/1989; 2011, 2015, 2017)
Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; 7/14/1988; 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017)
Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 8/31/1984; 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015)
Brian McLaughlin* (Topsfield, Mass.; Dartmouth College/Green Mountain Valley School; 6/24/1993)
Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard/Sundance Ski team; 2/12/1982; 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015)

*Denotes first World Championships team

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Preliminary schedule, subject to change
*Same-day delayed broadcast

Tuesday, Feb. 5
6:30 a.m. - Women’s super-G - NBCSN

Wednesday, Feb. 6
6:30 a.m. - Men’s super-G - NBCSN

Friday, Feb. 8
5:00 a.m. - Women’s super combined downhill - NBCSN
10:00 a.m. - Women’s super combined slalom - NBCSN

Saturday, Feb. 9
6:30 a.m. - Men’s downhill - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com
3:30 p.m. - Men’s downhill - NBC*
6:30 p.m. - Men’s downhill - NBCSN*

Sunday, Feb. 10
6:30 a.m. - Women’s downhill - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com
4:30 p.m. - Women’s downhill - NBC*
11:30 p.m. - Women’s downhill - NBCSN*

Monday, Feb. 11
5:00 a.m. - Men’s super combined downhill - NBCSN
8:30 a.m. - Men’s super combined slalom - NBCSN

Tuesday, Feb. 12
10:00 a.m. - Team event - NBCSN

Thursday, Feb. 14
8:00 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1 - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com
10:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1 - NBCSN*
11:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom - NBCSN*

Friday, Feb. 15
8:00 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1 - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com
10:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1 - NBCSN*
11:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom - NBCSN*

Saturday, Feb. 16
5:00 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1 - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com
7:00 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1 - NBCSN*
8:00 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 2 - NBCSN
1:00 p.m. - Women’s slalom - NBC*

Sunday, Feb. 17
5:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 1 - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com
7:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 1 - NBCSN*
8:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 2 - NBCSN

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announces U.S. Teams for the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota, taking place in Utah from February 1 - 10, 2019.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Director – Snowboard, Freeski, Freestyle Jeremy Forster said, “We are fielding a strong team that will be on display at the 2019 World Championships. It’s a great group of athletes, including five defending World Champions who are all excited to be competing for World Championship titles on home soil. Having the events in our backyard, at Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Resort and Solitude Mountain Resort, is a great opportunity and we are all looking forward to seeing them face off against the best the world has to offer, right here in Utah.”

Quotes from Reigning World Champions

McRae Williams - “I could not be more stoked to have the opportunity to defend my title in my home town of Park City, Utah. Not only will I have the home field advantage, but I’ll have all my friends and family there cheering me on. That’s a win in itself. Gonna be a special week.”

Aaron Blunck -  “I am super stoked to be a part of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard World Championships team and even more stoked to try and defend my title. Sierra Nevada, Spain went really well and I’m hoping this time around is no different. It is on home turf and in a halfpipe I really like so it should be a fun event! “

Lindsey Jacobellis - “Really excited to be attending my sixth World Championships, and even more excited to be in the USA. I look forward to the venue that Solitude Mountain has put together as well as the mix gender team race.”

Jonathon Lillis - "It has been one of the great honors of my life representing the sport that I love so much as the World Champion for the past two seasons. I can think of nothing better than being able to come back to Deer Valley and defend my title in the town that has opened its arms and been home to me for the past seven years. I know with the support of my teammates and my brother Chris at my side we have the ability to do anything. We are ready to come in and handle our business. I continue to be ever-grateful for each person who has supported me in this journey, all the way down to the volunteers who work so hard to keep us safe. Being able to compete at home gives us the perfect opportunity to make them proud! Team Lillis will be in full effect, so watch out!"

Ashley Caldwell - “Deer Valley is always at the top of the list when it comes to an aerialist’s favorite place to compete. Having this year’s event upgraded to World Championships makes the event even more prestigious and exciting. While defending  my title as World Champion comes with pressure and anxiety it also gives me an opportunity to show all of the hard work, resilience and passion of myself, my team and my coaches to our friends, family, and sponsors that come to cheer us on!”

2019 U.S. FIS World Championships Teams

SNOWBOARD
Halfpipe
Men
Toby Miller - Mammoth Lakes, Calif., (2/14/00)
Jake Pates - Eagle, Colo., (7/30/98)
Chase Josey - Hailey, Idaho, (3/31/95)
Chase Blackwell - Longmont, Colo., (2/27/99)

Women
Chloe Kim - Torrance, Calif., (4/23/00)
Maddie Mastro - Wrightwood, Calif., (2/22/00)
Arielle Gold - Steamboat Springs, Colo., (5/4/96)
Tessa Maud - Carlsbad, Calif., (10/10/03)

Slopestyle/Big Air
Men
Chris Corning - Silverthorne, Colo., (9/7/99)
Red Gerard - Silverthorne, Colo., (6/29/00)
Lyon Farrell - Haiku, Hawaii, (11/22/98)
Judd Henkes - La Jolla, Calif., (4/3/01)

Women
Julia Marino - Westport, Conn., (9/11/97)
Jamie Anderson - S. Lake Tahoe, Calif., (9/13/90)
Hailey Langland - San Clemente, Calif., (8/2/00)
Jade Thurgood - Salt Lake City, Utah, (1/27/02)

Snowboardcross
Men
Jake Vedder - Pinckney, Mich., (4/16/98)
Nate Holland - Sandpoint, Idaho, (11/8/78)
Mick Dierdorff - Steamboat Springs Colo., (4/30/91)
Nick Baumgartner - Iron River, Mich., (12/17/81)

Women
Lindsey Jacobellis - Stratton Mountain, Vt., (8/19/85)
Meghan Tierney - Edwards, Colo., (1/15/97)
Anna Miller - Orem, Utah, (7/16/1996)
Stacy Gaskill - Golden, Colo., (5/21/00)
Livia Molodyh - Hubbard, Ore., (6/30/1999)

Parallel Slalom & Parallel Giant Slalom
Men
AJ Muss - Rumson, N.J., (12/15/94)
Robert Burns - Mount Shasta, Calif., (11/11/90)
Cody Winters - Steamboat Springs, Colo. (4/20/00)
Ryan Rosencranz - Weston, Mass., (4/23/94)

Women
Abby Champagne - Park City, Utah, (1/2/96)
Kaiya Kizuka - Sinking Spring, Penn., (5/26/99)
Lynn Ott - Boston, Mass., (10/20/67)
Alexa Bullis - Slinger Wisc., (3/1/00)

FREESTYLE
Moguls
Men
Bradley Wilson - Butte, Mont., (6/5/92)
Casey Andringa - Boulder, Colo., (10/6/95)
Hunter Bailey - Vail, Colo., (3/24/96)
Dylan Walczyk - Rochester, N.Y., (6/25/93)

Women
Jaelin Kauf - Alta, Wyo., (9/26/96)
Tess Johnson - Vail, Colo., (6/19/00)
Olivia Giaccio - Redding, Conn., (8/15/00)
Nessa Dziemian - East Hampstead, N.H., (4/14/94)

Aerials
Men
Jonathon Lillis - Pittsford, N.Y., (8/20/94)
Chris Lillis - Pittsford, N.Y., (10/4/98)
Alex Bowen - Springville, N.Y., (5/21/92)
Eric Loughran - Pelham, N.H., (12/4/95)
Nicholas Novak - Stafford, Va., (3/15/96)

Women
Ashley Caldwell - Ashburn, Va., (9/14/93)
Madison Varmette - Stafford, Va., (5/8/96)
Winter Vinecki - Salem, Ore., (12/18/98)
Morgan Northrop - Haymarket, Va., (4/16/94)
Kaila Kuhn - Boyne City, Mich., (4/8/03)

FREESKI
Halfpipe
Men
Aaron Blunck - Crested Butte, Colo., (4/12/96)
David Wise - Reno, Nev., (6/30/90)
Alex Ferreira - Aspen, Colo., (8/14/94)
Birk Irving - Winter Park, Colo., (7/26/99)
Taylor Seaton - Avon, Colo., (7/16/90)

Women
Brita Sigourney - Carmel, Calif., (1/17/90)
Maddie Bowman - S. Lake Tahoe, Calif., (1/10/94)
Abigale Hansen - June Lake, Calif., (5/26/98)
Annalisa Drew - Andover, Mass., (5/28/93)

Slopestyle/Big Air
Men
McRae Williams - Park City, Utah, (10/13/90)
Alex Hall - Salt Lake City, Utah, (9/21/98)
Nick Goepper - Lawrenceburg, Ind., (3/14/94)
Mac Forehand - Winhall, Vt., (8/4/01)
Willie Borm - Chaska, Minn., (5/21/97)

Women
Maggie Voisin - Whitefish, Mont., (12/14/98)
Caroline Claire - Manchester Center, Vt., (2/2/00)
Julia Krass - Hanover, N.H., (6/7/97)
Marin Hamill (Park City, Utah, (4/5/01)

Skicross
Men
Tyler Wallasch - Los Angeles, Calif., (6/8/94)

Women
Tania Prymak - Goshen, N.Y., (10/12/92)
Leta McNatt - Ridgeway, Colo., (12/13/94)
Whitney Gardner - Zephyr Cove, Nev., (6/24/94)

PRESS CONFERENCES
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
1:15 p.m. Snowboardcross Press Conference, Solitude Press Room

Featuring the top U.S. and select international SBX athletes plus resort leadership. Media access to snowboard cross and ski cross training before and after the press conference.

Saturday, February 2, 2019

5:00 p.m. Opening Press Conference, Canyons Village Press Room

Featuring the top U.S. and select international halfpipe and slopestyle athletes, along with FIS, organizing committee and resort leadership plus Utah Governor Gary Herbert.

Monday, February 4, 2019

4:00 p.m. Moguls/aerials Press Conference, Bald Eagle Room, Snow Park Lodge, Deer Valley

Featuring the top U.S. and select international moguls and aerials athletes, along with resort leadership.

Post Event Press Conferences

Official press conferences with the top three finishers will be held following all daytime events at Solitude Mountain Resort and Park City Mountain in the respective press centers. Press conferences will not be held following night time events at Canyons Village or Deer Valley Resort, although top three finishers will be available in the finish area following awards.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Tom Webb
Director of Marketing and Communications, U.S. Ski & Snowboard
+1.435.602.9644
tom.webb@usskiandsnowboard.org

FOR ACCREDITED MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Tom Kelly
Chief of Press
+1.435.602.9799
2019WorldChampsMedia@usskiandsnowboard.org