The anticipation is palpable as the FIS Ski World Cup season kicks off at Soelden, Austria on the Rettenbach glacier for what is the longest, steepest, most sustained pitch of any giant slalom on tour. Soelden is like the start of a new school year after a long summer break—hugs, happiness, and high stoke levels for a new season of ski racing. The energy is high, the nervous vibes can be felt, and the athletes are ready to kick out of the start gate. 

Speaking of kicking out of the start gate, two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin will kick out the gate bib number one. Teammate Nina O’Brien, who made an impressive leap into the top-15 last season, will start 11, followed by Paula Moltzan in bib 27, AJ Hurt 34, and Keely Cashman 56. Cashman will return to the World Cup start gate for the first time in 10 months, having crashed while training super-G in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany mid-2020-21 season, sustaining a minor MCL strain, hematoma in both hips, and a temporary loss of feeling in her foot from bruising. 

Soelden is always a bit of a pariah on the World Cup circuit...it’s three weeks before the rest of the season kicks off, and everyone is trying to get their feel and see where they stack up against their competitors. On top of that, it’s an unrelenting, often brutal track in which athletes have to capitalize on the steeps and carry their speed onto the flats...and flats there are. In fact, in Friday night’s team meeting, coach Magnus Andersson reminded the athletes to “take advantage of the flats...I saw Ted Ligety win a lot of races here on the flats.” Like, for instance, in 2012 when he won by an unthinkable 2.75 seconds. Wow. Imagine that. 

Yet, athletes still don’t feel prepared coming into Soelden...including the likes of Shiffrin, one of the best skiers of all time. In a press conference prior to Soelden, she said, “I never feel ready for Soelden. Maybe there are some athletes who are like, ‘Okay, it’s time to race, I’m so ready to race now.’ But I’m pretty much ‘no I don’t want to race, I don’t want to race I’m not ready yet’ until it’s time to go and you don’t have a choice and then you go.” Ever-understated is the 69-time World Cup victor Shiffrin. 

Fans will remember last year, as Shiffrin sat out due to a tweaked back, teammates Moltzan and O’Brien shined. Moltzan skied from bib 62 to take 10th place—her best FIS Ski World Cup finish ever at the time, while O’Brien also snagged a best-ever giant slalom result at the time, finishing 15th. All of the women have been training fast and have a solid preparation period under their belts as they tackle Soelden—a welcome change from last year’s season, which was affected due to COVID-19. 

On the men’s side, veteran and 2020 Bormio World Cup super-G victor Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who suffered from a “minor broken neck,” as he stated on his Instagram, will be returning to competition for the first time since his crash on the Hahnenkamm at Kitzbuehel, Austria. Cochran-Siegle will lead a promising group of up-and-comers, including River Radamus, Bridger Gile, George Steffey, and the former University of New Hampshire Wildcat Patrick Kenney—who will get his inaugural World Cup start. 

As far as viewing goes, fans have two options. NBC’s Peacock will once again be streaming the event live and it will be available on-demand, and the races will also be offered free of charge with English commentary at Skiworldcuplive.

STARTERS

Women
Keely Cashman
AJ Hurt 
Paula Moltzan
Nina O’Brien
Mikaela Shiffrin

Men
Ryan Cochran-Siegle
Bridger Gile
Patrick Kenney*
River Radamus
George Steffey

*First World Cup start

HOW TO WATCH

Saturday, Oct. 23
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's GS - run 1 LIVE, Sölden, AUT, Streaming Peacock
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's GS - run 1 LIVE, Sölden, AUT, Streaming Ski World Cup Live
7:15 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's GS - run 2 LIVE, Sölden, AUT, Streaming Peacock
7:15 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's GS - run 2 LIVE, Sölden, AUT, Streaming Ski World Cup Live

Sunday, Oct. 24
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's GS - run 1 LIVE, Sölden, AUT, Streaming Peacock
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's GS - run 1 LIVE, Sölden, AUT, Streaming Ski World Cup Live
7:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's GS - run 2 LIVE, Sölden, AUT, Streaming Peacock
7:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's GS - run 2 LIVE, Sölden, AUT, Streaming Ski World Cup Live

Sport-specific broadcast and streaming schedules are available below:

• Alpine
• Cross Country
• Freeski
• Freestyle
• Ski Jumping
• Nordic Combined
• Snowboard

Broadcast and streaming schedules on Peacock Premium will be updated on a weekly basis throughout the season.

The mogul skiers of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team put skis to a full-length mogul course for the first time this prep season during their on snow camp in Zermatt, Switzerland that wrapped October 17. 

The annual Zermatt camp is usually the marker of the first real push of the new season, and although Mother Nature interfered with several planned training days, the team was happy to be back on the glacier having been unable to do so last year with COVID travel restrictions.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by og ☺️⚡️ (@oliviagiaccio)

“When we did finally get up after five-straight weather cancelation days, we were pleased with the quality of the training course and the quality of the snow. It was worth the wait,” said Head Mogul Coach Matt Gnoza. 

Objectives of the camp varied by athlete, different athletes were focused on different aspects of their program. Some were working on upping their jump package degree of difficulty while others focused on foundational skills. One commonality was everyone’s high spirits during the time they had on snow. “One theme I heard throughout the camp was that any day here was better than last year (which was zero),” said Gnoza. “Even without this camp last year we had a successful season. So any day here is seen as a bonus. It was an exciting atmosphere to have that much appreciation for what we were doing.”

Tess Johnson worked on bringing her cork 7 to a full course and came away from camp feeling strong and proud. “I’m psyched to be bringing this trick to competition this upcoming season as I’ve put a tremendous amount of work towards it for years and years. That being said, things went incredibly well in Zermatt, and despite some adversity with weather and in my personal life, I was determined to execute the cork on both airs and in a top-to-bottom. Very proud of myself and thrilled for more fun and challenges to come!”

The Zermatt camp also marks the first time the international moguls community comes together and gives athletes and coaches the opportunity to see what the competition might look like this season. “You could feel the anticipation of [everyone getting on hill together], it kept us on our toes, made the athletes work hard,” said Gnoza. 

“After two and a half years of rehabbing from injury I had the chance to test my mogul legs out at this camp to see how I could stack up to the international field that was present,” said Morgan Schild. “The environment on-hill mimicked a World Cup training course and returning to this pace felt like coming home. The girls on the U.S. team made quite the impression at Zermatt and we could feel how close the Ruka World Cup opener is. Personally I am ecstatic with my progress at this camp and feel quite hungry to step into a competition gate for the first time since 2019!”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Morgan (@morganschild)

The Moguls Team has a few weeks to catch their breath and recharge in anticipation of their World Cup prep camp and season opener. Gnoza wants athletes to “play some golf, go for a bike ride, if there’s snow, go ski. But ski for your passion and spend time with family and friends and remember why you’re doing it.”

Moguls World Cup season kicks off Dec. 4 in Ruka, Finland. 

To support the U.S. Freestyle Mogul Ski Team, please click here for more information.

Each fall, the Athlete’s Mountain hosts ski racers from around the globe for early-season alpine training. This Friday, Copper will welcome over 300 athletes, including local, regional and national talent, to train on Copperopolis and Ptarmigan trails. The U.S. Alpine Ski team will begin to arrive at Copper Mountain within the next two weeks, utilizing the resort’s U.S. Ski Team Speed Center and Alpine Technical Center to fine-tune their speed and tailor their technical skills in preparation for the 2021-22 Alpine World Cup season and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

The U.S. Ski Team Speed Center is expected to open in early November for super-G and downhill training on Andy’s Encore and Rosi’s Run trails. Copper has facilitated early season race training at the Speed Center since 2011. The world-class training venue offers a vertical drop of 2,300 ft and is two miles in length, allowing athletes to train on a full-length course before conquering the steep pitches and demanding terrain featured on the World Cup circuit. The elite competitors of the sport can reach max speeds of up to 80 mph while barreling down the venue. The Alpine Tech Center will provide a technical gradient for Slalom and Giant Slalom training on West Encore, Andy’s Encore, and Ore Deal trails.

U.S. Ski Team members expected to train at Copper this November include two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin, World Cup Super-G victor Ryan Cochran-Siegle, veteran speed skier Steven Nyman, world championship silver medalist Travis Ganong, four-time downhill World Cup podium finisher Breezy Johnson and up-and-comers like River Radamus, Bella Wright and Keely Cashman. Additional teams that will be on-site this fall include university and ski club/academy teams from across the country and national teams from Austria, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and Slovenia.

While the U.S. Alpine Ski Team is on-site, Copper Mountain will commemorate the top alpine ski racers with a night of celebration in the lead-up to Beijing. In true ski racing fashion, Copper Mountain and the U.S. Alpine Ski Team will host a stage show naming Olympic hopefuls to the team for the World Cup season. Guests will be treated to giveaways, a special athlete Q&A, fireworks, and more. It all takes place at the base of the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center in Copper’s East Village at 5 p.m. on Nov. 9. The event is free to attend and open to the public. Learn more about the event at CopperColorado.com.

Copper Mountain is proud to be the official training site for the U.S. Ski Team. For decades, the resort has supported athlete development, providing world-class training and competition venues for elite level and amateur athletes across multiple winter sports disciplines.

Release courtesy of Copper Mountain. 

U.S. Freeski and U.S. Snowboard Team athletes are fired up to kick off the FIS World Cup season at the Chur, Switzerland, Big Air Friday and Saturday nights.

“I am ready for this weekend,” said U.S. Snowboard Team athlete Chris Corning, who has eight career World Cup big air podiums, including three victories. “This has been the most riding I have had going into the first scaffolding big air of pretty much any season.”

Corning and a number of his U.S. Snowboard and U.S. Freeski teammates have enjoyed quality on-snow time this summer at Mount Hood, Ore., Mammoth, Calif., Copper Mountain, Colo., and Saas-Fee, Switzerland, to dial in tricks new and old. Toss in some off-snow training, including dirt-biking, and Corning is ready to lead a strong contingent of U.S. athletes into the first scaffolding big air event of the season.

“I have been working on tricks I don’t do as much and getting all my old tricks back,” the 2018 overall World Cup snowboard champion added. “I am happy with how the training has gone up to this point.”

U.S. Snowboard Team athletes joining Corning this weekend are Ty Schnorrbusch, Courtney Rummel, Brock Crouch, Kyle Mack, and Judd Henkes. Ski and Snowboard Club Vail athlete Hahna Norman will make her World Cup debut this weekend in Chur.

For the U.S. Freeski Team, six-time big air podium finisher, and two-time World Cup big air winner Alex Hall will be on the “one to watch” list this weekend. He’ll be joined by U.S. Freeski Teammates Hunter Henderson, Cody Laplante, Mac Forehand, and Marin Hamill.

Both Friday’s freeski big air finals and Saturday’s snowboard big air finals will stream live on NBC”s Peacock platform. The Olympic Channel - Home of Team USA - will also broadcast both finals live. Following this weekend’s event, the FIS snowboard and freeski World Cup season will roll into Colorado with Visa Big Air presented by Toyota, Dec. 4 in Steamboat; and the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Dec. 10-11.

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EDT

Friday, Oct.22
12:00 p.m. FIS Freeski World Cup Men and Women’s Big Air, LIVE, Chur, SUI, Streaming Peacock
12:00 p.m. FIS Freeski World Cup Men and Women’s Big Air, LIVE, Chur, SUI, Broadcast Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA

Saturday, Oct. 23
12:00 p.m. FIS Snowboard World Cup Men and Women’s Big Air, LIVE, Chur, SUI, Streaming Peacock
12:00 p.m. FIS Snowboard World Cup Men and Women’s Big Air, LIVE, Chur, SUI, Broadcast Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA

In a recent interview with Barry Svrluga and the Washington Post, two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin discussed the Olympics and the weight and pressure of it all—which she has described as an "Olympic Demogorgon"—the loss of her father and the associated grief, and the joy she has found once again on the mountain.  

He wrote, 

The Olympics are a dream and the Olympics are a nightmare. Mikaela Shiffrin knows both the euphoria and the angst. If only there were a way to explain it.

She thought for a second.

“Have you seen ‘Stranger Things’?” Shiffrin asked during a FaceTime conversation last month.

Um, what does this have to do with the Olympics?

“Well, the monster in ‘Stranger Things’ is called the Demogorgon,” Shiffrin said. “It’s like the Demogorgon is trying to pound in on your house and your brain and everything. You’re trying your best to keep it out and keep away from that pressure, because it’s a really, really uncomfortable place to be.”

This is not science fiction. This is real Olympian life. Shiffrin is entering a World Cup alpine ski season that begins this weekend in Soelden, Austria. It will include her third Olympics, this one in February in Beijing. She is 26 and won gold at each of her previous Games — in the slalom as an 18-year-old in Sochi, Russia; and in the giant slalom four years later in PyeongChang, South Korea, where she added a silver in the alpine combined. Win one medal in China, and she’ll match Julia Mancuso as the most decorated American woman ski racer. Win three — a distinct possibility, if not an expectation — and she’ll match Janica Kostelic of Croatia and Anja Parson of Sweden with the most Olympic medals of any women on the slopes.

She also shared her new love and relationship with Norwegian skier and 2020 FIS Ski World Cup Overall Champion Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. Kilde also shared his admiration for Shiffrin, 

Around December, she began talking regularly with Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, a Norwegian skier who won the World Cup overall title in 2020. They had met perhaps six years earlier on the globe-trotting ski circuit, on which the women and men race simultaneously at the same site only occasionally. Their chats intensified as 2021 dawned. By June, they were Instagram official as a couple, posting workout videos together, walking the red carpet at the ESPYs together, vacationing in Maui together.

“Having somebody in her life like Aleks, it’s like a medicine,” Eileen said. “It’s like a salve. It’s just so good to have something positive — really, really positive — going on. It’s just nice to feel like you can laugh again.”

There is the obvious commonality in their pursuits, which is to be the best skier on the planet. But there is also a both a kinship off the mountain — “We don’t have to talk about skiing,” Kilde said — as well as a respect.

“I admire her, to be honest,” Kilde, 29, said by phone from Austria. “It’s kind of weird to say that about your girlfriend. But it’s quite impressive what she’s doing. She’s doing something that I want to be doing, too. I can learn from her.”

Read the full article at WashingtonPost.com.

PARK CITY, UTAH (October 19, 2021) – U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced a multi-year partnership with RACEtech-USA, a service-based alpine equipment company committed to optimizing on-hill race gear performance for U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes. As the Official Equipment Service Provider to the U.S. Alpine Ski Team, RACEtech will apply its proprietary protocols and custom tools to consistently evaluate each athlete’s on-hill performance and develop race and discipline-data based off the athlete’s equipment

RACEtech-USA will conduct pre- and post-season equipment service blocks during the year for the U.S. Alpine Ski Team at U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s headquarters, the USANA Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah, as well as at pre-season camps at Copper Mountain, Colorado. Data from the reports, in combination with coach and athlete feedback, will contribute to modifying each skier’s setup and elevating on-hill equipment performance.

“We’re thrilled to partner with RACEtech to deliver consistent World Cup-level equipment service before going to camps,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Alpine Director Jesse Hunt. “Our goal was to create a centralized location at the USANA Center of Excellence so that training time could be maximized on technique rather than with equipment issues. Through the founders’ industry knowledge and cutting-edge technology, RACEtech has created the perfect opportunity for us to improve our athletes’ equipment heading into a crucially important season.”

RACEtech-USA was established in 2015 by co-founders Graham Lonetto and Dave Brennan. Lonetto is a former 20-year World Cup service tech for the U.S. Alpine Ski Team and former owner of Edgewise Ski Service in Stowe, Vermont, while Brennan is a 25-year ski industry veteran who worked as a factory rep for several major European alpine boot, ski and binding manufacturers.

“The importance of equipment’s role in performance is well-established, but consistently quantifying and tracking setup changes and their results has been a significant challenge,” said Lonetto. “We use custom auditing and assessment tools to evaluate, audit, and track equipment set-up results.”

“Matching race gear setups with the athlete’s skill set and style is our primary mission,” said Brennan. “Connecting these dots through collaboration with the athlete, coach and technician produces a vital feedback loop that can lead to optimizing an athlete’s on-hill performance. Going forward, the plan is for RACEtech to expand our services to all U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and coaches.”

###

About RACEtech-USA
Established in 2015 by co-founders Graham Lonetto and Dave Brennan, RACEtech-USA has operations in Park City, Utah with additional field support out of Stowe, Vermont. Using the latest automated machine and hand tools from their technology partners, Wintersteiger and SWIX, RACEtech conducts pre- and post-U.S. Alpine Ski Team training camp equipment service blocks throughout the year. Additionally, RACEtech will have a fully operational equipment service center during the on-snow training camps at Copper Mountain, CO.

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard 
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in the USANA Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2021, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers, and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success, and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org

PHOTO ASSET
A photo of the RACEtech machine for use can be found here. Photo credit: U.S. Ski & Snowboard

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Courtney Harkins, Elevate Communications/U.S. Ski & Snowboard, charkins@elevatecom.com

Dave Brennan, RACEtech-USA, Dave.Brennan@RACEtech-USA.org

The aerial skiers of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team took their last water ramp laps at the Spence Eccles Olympic Freestyle Pool at Official Training site Utah Olympic Park on October 7, closing out their domestic summer prep period. 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Megan Smallhouse (@megansmallhouse)

“We had a long, productive summer water ramping season,” said Head Aerials Coach Vladimir (Vlad) Lebedev. “All athletes did well, everyone had great improvements in their degree of difficulty and in their jumping qualities. The team is looking strong.”

Over the course of the summer, in cooperation with the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team, U.S. Ski & Snowboard hosted two water ramp competitions to simulate World Championships and Olympic event formats. “It was crucial that we had these competition simulations,” explained Lebedev. “The last time we competed was in March. So it was important for the coaching staff to see where the athletes were in terms of performance under pressure. This will be good experience for the athletes to draw from in our first World Cups of the season.”

Justin Schoenefeld won both water ramp competitions with his newly trained double-full full double-full. Schoenefeld will look to bring his quint to snow and competition for the 2021-22 season. He will be the second current male U.S. aerial skier to have a quint in his arsenal as Chris Lillis brought the quint to competition last season—becoming the first American to compete a quint since the late Jeret “Speedy” Peterson. 

“Winning both of the water ramp competitions we had this summer with my quint twists is a huge confidence booster,” said Schoenefeld. “It confirmed for me that all of my water ramp training is prepping me for this competition season. It was also extremely fun to win alongside my teammate and girlfriend Ashley. I’m looking forward to new tricks this winter and performing my best this Olympic season.”

On the women’s side Ashley Caldwell reigned supreme in both competitions. Caldwell won with The Daddy—a full double-full full—a trick with which she won the 2017 World Championships and earned a World Record. 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Ashley Caldwell (@ashleyskis93)

Up next for the aerials crew is a dryland training camp at the USANA Center of Excellence before heading to snow in Ruka, Finland in November. Unlike other disciplines, aerials does not chase snow during the prep season, and it has been half a year since athletes’ skis touched an aerial site. “The whole team is pretty excited to travel to Ruka and get underway,” said Lebedev. “We’ll have about two and a half weeks of on-snow training before six World Cups back to back weekends in early December.”

The 2021-22 season is a big one with the Olympic Winter Games on the horizon and on every athlete’s mind. Aerials will have two medal opportunities with the debut of the Team event. Lebedev, who is the bronze medalist from 2006, knows the kind of pressure that can put on an athlete first-hand. 

“Obviously our biggest focus and pressure is the Olympics,” he said. “But it’s going to be better as soon as we start jumping on snow. The pressure will lessen because the athletes will know what they have to do. They will feel way better getting back to what they do best. We will go through the season set by step, focusing on our immediate tasks rather than solely focusing on February. In December I want everyone thinking about the World Cups, not about what may or may not happen in Beijing.”

Winhall, Vermont was a busy place this past Saturday as the community and beyond came together to rally behind the U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Teams by raising more than $100,000 at their first-ever in-person fundraiser.  

Hosted by Ray and Ann Marie Forehand, parents of U.S. Freeski slopestyle athlete Mac Forehand, this incredible event was full of fans and supporters alike creating a fun-filled, lively atmosphere. There was delicious food and live music by local favorite, The Lustre Kings.  

“What an amazing night celebrating the future stars of U.S. Freeski and Snowboard!”, said Freeski legend and master of ceremonies for the evening, Tom Wallisch. “The Forehands hosted a party for the ages, and it was so nice to catch up in person with legends of the sports!” Former U.S. Snowboard team members and Olympic gold medalists, Kelly Clark and Ross Powers were also in attendance and spoke about their experiences on the Team and the growth of their sport. 

Through ticket purchases, generous donations, a silent auction, and a raffle for VIP tickets to the Mammoth Grand Prix, the funds raised will help offset the costs of the upcoming season for both the rookie and pro teams. Several of the benefitting freeski athletes, including Forehand, Alex Hall, Cody LaPlante, Grace Henderson, Hunter Henderson, Caroline Claire, Charlie Gnoza, and Tristan Feinberg were able to attend before they returned to Europe in preparation for a big upcoming season with World Championships as well as the 2022 Winter Olympics on the horizon. The group’s other freeski teammates and snowboard counterparts were training overseas but supported the efforts from afar.  

Receiving no government funding, these athletes count on supporters to help provide them the resources they need to achieve their dreams — and represent America on and off the mountain. If you are interested in learning more about or donating to the athletes of the U.S. Freeski and U.S. Snowboard Teams, click HERE.  

At the recent ATOMIC media day, two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin shared with the Associated Press that she plans to ski more speed in the upcoming Olympic season. 

During the 2020-21 season, Shiffrin reduced her schedule to almost exclusively slalom and giant slalom events, though did compete in the alpine combined and super-G at the Cortina 2021 World Championships—in which she earned gold and bronze medals, respectively—despite having only trained speed a handful of times prior to World Championships. 

The 2019 overall, slalom, super-G, and giant slalom Crystal Globe winner said last Thursday that she was eyeing a start at the first speed races of the season, which include two downhills and a super-G in Lake Louise, Canada, in early December. Shiffrin’s first career win in a speed race came in the Lake Louise downhill in 2017, and she added a super-G victory at the same resort the following year. When she won the super-G in 2018, Shiffrin became the first athlete in FIS Ski World Cup history to win in all six disciplines.

Since, Shiffrin's World Cup victory tally has increased to 69, third only behind U.S. Ski Team alumna, winningest female ski racer of all-time, and former teammate Lindsey Vonn (82), and Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark (86). At Cortina 2021, Mikaela became the most decorated American athlete in Alpine World Ski Championships history, with nine World Championship medals (six golds, one silver, two bronze). She also became the first skier – male or female – to win gold medals at five straight worlds.

Shiffrin shared with the Associated Press: 

“This last season was a bit … kind of comeback, almost. And I really had enough to focus on in slalom and GS,” said Shiffrin, who was speaking in Austria at a virtual media event of her equipment supplier, Atomic.

“I feel like there is a million things I can improve, especially after last season: The timing in the gates, in slalom keeping up with my quickness and agility, there was a conditioning aspect to it as well. I feel like everything could be on a higher level.”

The three-time overall World Cup champion used the offseason to work on various aspects of her skiing in all alpine disciplines.

“I don’t feel any lack of things I can improve but I guess sometimes it is good to take a step back and say, ‘The level is pretty good.’”

Read the full article at APNews.com. 

In the International Ski Federation's (FIS) latest behind-the-scenes installment, Olympian Cochran-Siegle talks about growing up in Vermont, how he found his love for skiing, and how he has maintained his drive and love for skiing. He offers, “Your drive has to come from the love of the sport, you have to learn how to enjoy the difficulties as well as the successes.”