It's Been a Good January for Ritchie

On Wednesday’s classic night slalom event in Schladming, Austria, Stifel U.S. Ski Team's Ben Ritchie knifed his way to another top 10 finish in ninth place. It was his second-ever top 10 result and also the first time an American has landed in the top 10 in the slalom since Ted Ligety in 2012. 

“Tonight was really fun! Schladming is one of the coolest races of the year,” said Ritchie. “The surface was great and I could not ask for better.” 

By 5 p.m. the Austrians filled the stands to capacity, ready to create an electric atmosphere on Wednesday night in Schladming. The first run course set was straight but tough - many racers said the track felt rough on their skis. Despite the challenge, Ritchie fought his way down to land in 18th place. No other U.S. athletes were able to make jumps. 

“First run was solid, nothing special. The second run I skied the top three quarters very well. I felt super comfortable and towards the end I started to make some small mistakes here and there,” said Ritchie. “It’s only my third top 15 and second top 10 result ever in my career so I am super happy with tonight.” 

As the evening turned to night and the crowds became more rowdy, the second run course set was ready to inspect. And the set was difficult. There was no consistent rhythm and it would be hard for athletes to make it down the course cleanly. But Ritchie ran towards the top half of the group and dominated - staying in the green at each split by a large half-second margin. At the last split, his legs tired and he lost some time, but still managed to find the green light. 

Ritchie sat comfortably in the leaderboard chair for a minute, ultimately moving up nine spots to claim ninth place for his second-best slalom result in his career.

“It has been a good January,” said Ritchie. “I am now just working on consistency. I can ski fast but you see spots of different runs here and there where I am putting together great skiing. It is only a matter of time until I put it all together in one day.” 

It’s been a strong World Cup season for Ritchie, scoring in every single race aside from one that he did not finish. Ritchie claimed multiple personal best results, proving that he can hold his own with the world’s best. He is fired up more than ever heading into the World Championships and further solidifying a spot in the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho in March. 

The winner of the race was Norwegian Timon Haugan, in second and third were Austrians Manuel Feller and Fabio Gstrein. Stifel U.S. Ski Team members Jett Seymour and River Radamus did not qualify for a second run. 

The next stop for the slalom men will be the World Championships in Saalbach, Austria with the men’s slalom scheduled for Feb. 16. 

RESULTS
Men's slalom