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Cochran-Siegle Sixth in Wengen Downhill

By Sierra Ryder - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 11 2024
RCS
Ryan Cochran-Siegle skis to a sixth place in the Wengen downhill. (Getty Images)

On Thursday’s men’s downhill in Wengen, Switzerland, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ryan Cochran-Siegle scored a sixth place finish, his best result of the season thus far. 

“I feel like that was the most solid run I’ve had on the course this week,” said Cochran-Siegle. 

Thursday’s downhill was a make-up race from the previously canceled Xfinity Birds of Prey speed event in Beaver Creek, Colorado. The weather could not have been more perfect for the downhillers; it was a picture-perfect bluebird day in Wengen. Course crews watered portions of the hill overnight making the track conditions stable and gave ample opportunities for the racers to push hard. 

First to start on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team was Bryce Bennett running second. Bennett had top splits up until the final turn where he took a different line and lost quite a bit of speed. It knocked Bennett’s time up a few tenths and he ended up in 16th place. Cochran-Siegle ran next for the team in bib 16. He skied fast with a clean run through the finish into the sixth position. 

“It’s about finding the speed so rather than trying to ski perfectly I was trying to find speed so I am happy to have done that,” said Cochran-Siegle. “You really have to give it all you got on this track.” 

The Wengen downhill is widely considered a “classic” due to its history, length and very unique elements. The track includes a spot in the course where racers go under a train crossing, significantly narrow sections and more. The hill is a good one for the American men as it provides every element of downhill, including flats, big jumps and big turns, which are all areas of the discipline the Stifel U.S. Ski Team men can exceed. 

Sam Morse also made it into the points in 30th place. Kyle Negomir landed in 46th and Wiley Maple in 55th. River Radamus and Jared Goldberg did not finish but both are OK and will race the super-G. 

The day's winner was Swiss phenom Marco Odermatt, who took his first ever downhill World Cup win. Second place went to French skier Cyprien Sarrazin and in third place was Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway. 

The speed men will race super-G on Friday with the full-length Lauberhorn downhill slated for Saturday. 

RESULTS
Men's downhill

HOW TO WATCH
Men's super-G, Wengen, Switzerland, 6:30 a.m. ET, skiandsnowboard.live
Men's downhill, Wengen, Switzerland, 6:30 a.m. ET, skiandsnowboard.live

2024 Alpine Junior World Ski Championships Team Announced

By Sierra Ryder - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 10 2024
justin
Justin Bigatel competes at the 2023 Junior World Ski Championships. (GEPA Images)

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 16 athletes who will represent the United States in the 2024 FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships at Portes du Soleil in Haute-Savoie, France from Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2024.

The 2024 team is primarily comprised of Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes from the C and D teams, as well as top U.S. Ski & Snowboard club program athletes from across the nation. The U.S. has a history of strong results at the Junior World Championships. In the 2022 season, Isaiah Nelson took home gold in the super-G, Ava Sunshine a silver in super-G and Lauren Macuga a bronze in downhill. In 2023, there were multiple top-10 performances with Camden Palmquist ninth in slalom, Sunshine eighth in slalom and Macuga sixth in super-G.

Many of the athletes named already have had successful seasons so far. On the women’s side, both Mary and Elisabeth Bocock had their first World Cup starts, and had Stifel Success Series NorAm podium results. On the men’s side, Cooper Puckett had a recent NorAm slalom podium and Palmquist snagged his first NorAm slalom win.

“This year’s Junior World Championship team is a remarkable group of athletes who have already achieved tremendous results at the NorAm level in their young careers,” said Stifel U.S. Ski Team Development Director Chip Knight. “With a number of experienced  athletes from prior years as well as some new up- and-coming athletes, we are confident that this group will post strong individual and team results for the U.S.”

The 2024 Junior Worlds includes team alpine combined and mixed team events, along with downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom events for both men and women. Live timing will be provided by the International Ski Federation (FIS).

2024 FIS ALPINE JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM

(Name, Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

Women:

  • Elisabeth Bocock (Salt Lake City, UT; Rowmark/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 9/3/2005)
  • Mary Bocock (Salt Lake City, UT; Rowmark/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 7/10/2003)
  • Tatum Grosdidier (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 7/24/2004)
  • Annika Hunt (East Burke, VT; Burke Mountain Academy; 11/30/2006)
  • Mia Hunt (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard Team/Denver University; 1/11/2003)
  • Kaitlin Keane (Vail, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 11/26/2004)
  • Allison Mollin (Truckee, CA; Team Palisades Tahoe/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 7/7/2004)
  • Liv Moritz (Vail, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/University of Denver/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 11/28/2004)
  • Dasha Romanov (Thornton, CO; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 3/5/2003)* 


Men:

  • Justin Bigatel (Park City, UT; Burke Mountain Academy/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 4/29/2003)
  • Stanley Buzek (Silverthorne, CO; Team Summit/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 8/18/2005)
  • Camden Palmquist (Eagan, MN; Buck Hill Ski Team/Team Summit/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 4/15/2003)
  • Jay Poulter (Stratton, VT; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Stratton Mountain School/University of Utah/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 7/1/2003)
  • Cooper Puckett (Steamboat, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 3/31/2003)
  • Hunter Salani (Edwards, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 2/25/2005)
  • Ryder Sarchett (Ketchum, ID; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/University of Colorado Boulder; 7/28/2003)
  • Mattias Wilson (Jackson, WY; Jackson Hole Ski Club; 10/6/2006) 

* qualified but cannot compete due to injury. 

PORTES DU SOLEIL 2024 COMPETITION SCHEDULE

  • January 28 – Downhill training
  • January 29 – Downhill training
  • January 30 – Men’s and women’s downhill
  • January 31 – Men’s and women’s super-G
  • January 31 – Men’s and women’s team combined
  • February 1 – Team parallel
  • February 2 – Women’s giant slalom
  • February 2 - Men’s slalom 
  • February 3 - Men’s giant slalom 
  • February 3 - Women’s slalom 

More event information can be found here

Diggins Wins Overall Tour de Ski; Laukli Wins First World Cup at Alpe Cermis

By Courtney Harkins
January, 7 2024
team
The Stifel U.S. Ski Team hoists Jessie Diggins and Sophia Laukli to celebrate their wins. (NordicFocus)

On a historic day for the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team at the final stage of the Tour de Ski, Jessie Diggins clinched her second overall Tour de Ski victory and Sophia Laukli won her first ever World Cup on the famed Alpe Cermis hill climb and is now the youngest American to ever win a cross country individual World Cup. 

After six stages of races, the athletes were drained, but the last six athletes on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team left in the stage race lined up on the start line to finish out the 2023-24 Tour de Ski. The final stage was a mass start, where all the athletes left in the tour are off the line at once. Off the start line, everyone took a lap around the previous day's 2.5k course, then on a windy path to the start of the infamous climb, which concludes with 4 kilometers straight up an alpine ski mountain. The hill has an average gradient of nearly 12% and peaks with a gradient of 28%.

Diggins led the overall by 43 seconds after the last stage in Val di Fiemme, Italy, and attacked, but two-time Tour de Ski winner Heidi Weng of Norway threatened and pushed the pace. Diggins used everything she had to maintain her overall lead and cross the finish line in sixth, winning the overall by 31.6 seconds. Weng was second in the overall while Kertuu Niskanen of Finland finished third.

But it was Laukli who had the glory of the World Cup stage win. Even with a fall, she powered past her competitors to win easily—barely looking winded as she crossed the finish line. Laukli, this summer’s winner of the overall Golden Trail World Series trail running series, excels at hill climbs and had her first podium in 2023 at the same venue. It is the first time an American has won the Final Climb. 

“I don’t think I’ve let it fully sink in,” said Laukli. “It feels insanely good. It’s super fun to have my first victory, but also have one of the best races of my life—feelings-wise and tactics-wise. Obviously I’ve had the most success in this race, but it’s just really motivating for the rest of the season and future seasons—and in more than just the hill climb. I don’t think I could be more motivated for skiing in general.” 

Behind Laukli, Weng was second and Delphine Claudel of France third. On the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, Rosie Brennan was 12th in the climb and Sammy Smith was 23rd. Brennan also finished 12th in the overall standings, while Laukli was 14th and Smith 26th. 

On the men’s side, Zanden McMullen was 36th in the hill climb and Scott Patterson was 42nd.

Jules Lapierre of France won the stage, with Friedrich Moch of Germany second and Hugo Lapalus of France third. Harald Oestberg Amundsen of Norway won the overall Tour de Ski with Friedrich Moch of Germany in second and Lapalus in third. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

OVERALL TOUR DE SKI RESULTS
Women
Men

Hurt Scores First Podium in Kranjska Gora Slalom

By Mackenzie Moran
January, 7 2024
AJ Hurt
AJ Hurt celebrates on the podium in Kranjska Gora. (Getty Images)

It was a huge day of firsts for 23-year-old AJ Hurt in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, where she earned a hard-fought third-place podium - a career first and personal best. 

The odds were stacked against her from the get-go. Course conditions were less than ideal, and the ride to the finish was wild from bib 1. Unfortunately for Hurt, she was slotted to run towards the back of the pack, drawing bib 38. However, she laid down a solid first run, landing herself in 16th going into the second and setting her up for what turned out to be a historic day.

“I thought to myself, 'Well if I came in first, maybe I can get a top 10,'” she recalled. “Then I was sitting in eighth and was like, ‘There’s no way my best slalom is going to beat my best giant slalom' ...and then it did!”

Hurt skied the fastest second run of the day, beating even the likes of Slovakian Petra Vlhova by 0.21. She earned a career-best finish, her first top 20 in slalom, her first top 15 in slalom, her first top 10 in slalom, her first-ever top five, and her first-ever podium. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team teammate Paula Moltzan, also finished strong in fifth, matching her season best finish in slalom thus far, and hanging on to a top 10 ranking in the overall slalom standings. Mikaela Shiffrin, unfortunately straddled in her first run, and didn’t have a chance to ski a second, but was just as excited for Hurt as anyone. 

“[Mikaela and Paula] are obviously two of the fastest slalom skiers in the world right now, and it's pretty amazing to be able to ski alongside them," said Shiffrin. "I mean, I train with Paula every day and I feel like I’m always chasing her."

Moltzan, made sure to get the rest of Hurt’s teammates on FaceTime during the awards ceremony so best friend Keely Cashman could be there with her celebrating her success.

“I couldn’t be more proud,” said Moltzan. "I’m a proud mom and big sister and I’m taking it all in.”

Hurt joined the podium with Vlhova in first and Lena Duerr of Germany in second.

The women’s alpine World Cup Tour moves over to a speed series this upcoming weekend in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria, while the women’s tech team will take a brief competition break before heading into a night race in Flachau, Austria on Tuesday, January 16. 

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

Radamus Scores Personal Best in Slalom; Ritchie Top 25

By Sierra Ryder - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 7 2024
River
River Radamus secured his personal best in slalom in Adelboden. (Getty Images)

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete River Radamus posted a personal best slalom finish in the Adelboden, Switzerland slalom Sunday with a 19th place finish, jumping from bib 70 to 19th place, a whopping 51 spots. Ben Ritchie secured his first slalom points of the season in 23rd place. 

Despite a few inches of snow overnight, the course workers prepped the slalom hill well to hold the men’s slalom on the classic track in Adelboden. There were no Sunday scaries here, as the massive Swiss crowds were back and louder than ever to cheer on the best men’s alpine slalom skiers in the world. 

The men’s slalom tour is extremely competitive and difficult to break into and Sunday’s race was full of theatrics, leaving fans on the edge of their seats. Stifel U.S. Ski Team member Ritchie skied well to land in 29th position after first run, good enough for a second run. But the run was not over until it was over and Radamus, running last with bib 70, came blazing down to 29th place, knocking Ritchie to 30th position. Both scored a second run. 

“I have not skied much slalom, but it's always a dream. It's a challenging event and I watch my teammates ski at such a high level," said Radamus. "The competition in slalom is so high, so it has been tough for me to get chances to race on the World Cup."

On the second run, the course set was open and easy giving Ritchie and Radamus a great opportunity to send it. Both racers secured the green light and had a leaderboard moment together. Ritchie ended his day in 23rd.

“I am happy to get some points. I don't think I skied my best today in challenging conditions so I am happy to come away with a few World Cup points and try to jumpstart January here,” said Ritchie. 

Radamus posted his best slalom race result and first slalom World Cup points in 19th. Not only was it his best slalom result, but this race was only his ninth World Cup slalom start in his career. 

“Every time I get a slalom chance I want to make the most of it,” said Radamus. “I did not have pressure so it allowed me to ski more freely and take more risks and it paid off today so I am really happy.” 

Radamus also took home the coveted Stifel Bibbo Award, an award given to an alpine athlete who wears the highest bib number and finishes the highest in the final rankings. 

The winner of the race was Austrian Manuel Feller, second place was Norway’s Atle Lie Mcgrath and third place went to Austrian Dominik Raschner. Stifel U.S. Ski Team members Jett Seymour and Luke Winters also raced; Seymour was 35th first run and Winters did not finish. 

The men’s tech team will now prepare for the slalom in Wengen, Switzerland next on Jan. 14. 

RESULTS
Men's slalom

One Stage Left: Diggins Maintains Lead in Tour de Ski Overall Standings

By Leann Bentley - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 6 2024
jessie diggins
Jessie Diggins leads the pack in the 15k mass start classic in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (NordicFocus)

On the second to last race of the Tour de Ski, Jessie Diggins continued her streak of top-10 results with an eighth place finish, giving her the necessary points and time to maintain her commanding lead in the Tour de Ski overall standings. Alongside Diggins in the top 30 was Rosie Brennan in 12th, Sophia Laukli 17th and Sammy Smith in 26th. Scott Patterson was 27th. Diggins now leads the overall by 43 seconds, ahead of Sweden's Joanna Sundling going into tomorrow's final stage. 

On a remarkably bad weather day in Val di Fiemme, Italy, where rain, snow and sleet made for challenging wax conditions and overall tricky weather to race in, the athletes pushed through, with the final race looming in their minds. 

With a 15k mass start on the line, Diggins went into the race with lingering pain due to her crash in the 20k classic in Davos, Switzerland just two days prior.

"I did get pretty hurt in that crash, so I'm in pain," said Diggins, post-race. "I raced today and pushed through it. I'm really proud of myself for being able to ignore it the best I could and focus on the race - and now i'm focused on recovery." 

Off the line, the pack trudged through the classic tracks, with six laps of a hilly 2.5k loop looming. Through each lap, Diggins, Brennan and Laukli traded off positions in the lead pack, often working together to find positioning, with 18-year-old Smith continuing her strong skiing and keeping a solid pace throughout the entire 15k. 

On the final lap, movement was finally happening and going into the last hill, Diggins, Brennan and Laukli were all within the chase pack. On the final stretch, Sweden's Linn Svahn took the overall win, with Diggins in the top 10 and Brennan, Laukli and Smith not far behind.

"It was wet," said Brennan, laughing post-race. "It was very challenging conditions, and sometimes skis worked, sometimes they didn't. It was a mental battle the whole way through but I'm happy that I stayed in the front the whole time and fought the whole way."

For the men, Patterson and Zanden McMullen represented the remaining Stifel U.S. Ski Team men's team and crossed the line in 27th and 31st, respectively. Norway's Erik Valnes ultimately took the victory. Going into stage seven, Patterson sits 20th in the Tour de Ski overall standings. 

Tomorrow, the highly anticipated Final Climb is finally here, a brutal race that takes athletes once around the 2.5k course at Val di Fiemme then up the Alpe de Cermis alpine ski hill - where at points athletes are skiing up a 28% grade. In last year's final climb, Sophia Laukli, now commonly referred to as the "Uphill Queen" nabbed her first-ever podium in the event, crossing the line in third. This year, she is considered the favorite in the event.  

RESULTS
Women
Men

TOUR DE SKI OVERALL RESULTS 
Women
Men

HOW TO WATCH
Sunday, Jan. 7
8:30 a.m. ET - men's 10k skate - skiandsnowboard.live
9:45 a.m. ET - women's 10k skate - skiandsnowboard.live

Radamus Scores Career Best Fourth in Adelboden GS

By Sierra Ryder - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 6 2024
River
River Radamus skied to a career best fourth place finish in Adelboden. (Getty Images)

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete River Radamus posted a career best World Cup finish in the Adelboden, Switzerland giant slalom, taking fourth place, just a mere 0.12 seconds out of a podium spot. 

The Adelboden crowd is always a highlight on the tour and this year they did not disappoint. The hollers and singing could be heard from the start on run one.

“This is one of the most famed races on the circuit,” said Radamus. “The crowd is electric and you feel like you're a part of history here, so every time I show up I want to put on a show."

The conditions were solid but with a little snow shower overnight, the jury decided to move the start lower down. Radamus raced to 20th place first run and Stifel U.S. Ski Team teammate Tommy Ford was 18th. Swiss superstar Marco Odermatt snagged a commanding lead in the first run, ahead by over a second. 

The crowd came back even louder for the second run as the snow began to fall once again, making for a scenic January World Cup race. Radamus raced down first for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team men and he sent it. He skied aggressively and cleanly to take first by a large margin of over a half-second ahead of his competitors. He was able to get comfortable in the leaderboard chair as no one knocked him out of the top seat for many racers.

“Right now I don’t want to ski to finish; I want to ski for a top-level performance. I know I have the speed to compete with those top guys so I need to take risks and and send it and see what happens,” said Radamus. 

Croatian skier Filip Zubcic knocked Radamus out of the top spot, but Radamus stayed near the top of the ranks of the result sheet. It was down to the wire for Radamus on if a podium was within reach, but Odermatt knows this hill and he did not let the Swiss fandom down. Odermatt raced into first place by 1.24 seconds with Norway’s Aleksander Kilde securing his first giant slalom podium in second and Zubcic in third. Radamus claimed the win on the second run and his best finish to date in fourth.

“I was disappointed in my performance first run. I did not put my best foot forward, so in the second run I wanted to ski more fearlessly, push the limit and see what was possible,” said Radamus. “That was some real skiing and I am proud of that skiing. I'm hoping to put two runs of that for a chance at the podium.” 

Ford ended up in 17th place. Brian McLaughlin, George Steffey and Isaiah Nelson also raced but did not qualify for a second run, landing in 32nd, 40th and 41st respectively.

The next giant slalom race will be held in Schladming, Austria on Jan. 23. The slalom team will race in Adelboden on Sunday. 

RESULTS
Men's giant slalom 

HOW TO WATCH 
4:30 a.m. – Men’s slalom, Adelboden, Switzerland, first run – skiandsnowboard.live
7:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom, Adelboden, Switzerland, second run – skiandsnowboard.live

Shiffrin 9th, Hurt 18th in Kranjska Gora Giant Slalom

By Mackenzie Moran
January, 6 2024
Mikaela Shiffrin skis in the first run of the Kranjska Gora giant slalom.
Mikaela Shiffrin skis in the first run of the Kranjska Gora giant slalom. (Getty Images)

Wet, grey and rainy are the three keywords to describe Saturday's women's giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, that resulted in a top 10 finish for Mikaela Shiffrin in ninth and a top 20 finish for AJ Hurt in 18th.

Athlete by athlete, the course slowly broke down, making for soft conditions unfavorable to the likes of athletes like Shiffrin, who thrive on hard-pack snow. Overall, the dreary mood of the day felt much like Shiffrin's overall energy as she fought to ski well while shaking off a cold and general fatigue.

"I was surprised because I've raced sick before, and I've been able to win when I've been sick, and I've skied my best still, so I was taken aback today about how much my energy was affected," said Shiffrin. "I haven't felt this low energy in a while. I was just not able to execute the right skiing."

"In the future, we'll see these conditions again, and they weren't bad conditions; they're just different from what I excel in," she added. "There's still learning I have to do in softer conditions; I have to take a different tactic and learn how to better approach that. And at this point in my career, I still have to be able to grow as a skier and handle those things tactically and mentally. So hopefully I start to feel better, learn from today and drastically improve over the next couple of GS races."

Paula Moltzan, who skied into 10th after the first run, felt good about her skiing coming into the afternoon. Unfortunately, she skied out of the course early on in the second run, in a style reminiscent of the infamous ski ballet back in the 80s. Thankfully, Moltzan was able to stay upright and skied away from the course without crash or injury.

Hurt, on the other hand, finished less dramatically, with a solid top 20 finish and a few more giant slalom points to her name. In the past, Hurt has yet to string together multiple World Cup giant slalom finishes in a row. Grey skies and wet conditions remind her of spring skiing at home at Palisades Tahoe, so overall, the weather and salted surface didn't bother her much.

"I feel like we all kind of weren't sure if anything was going to happen this weekend with the weather forecast, and it feels good to finish three World Cup giant slalom races in a row; I don't think I've ever done that," said Hurt. 

Despite her ninth place finish, Shiffrin remains in third in the FIS season giant slalom standings, and holds a healthy lead in the overall standings

The race series in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia continues on Sunday, where the Stifel U.S. Ski Team women will compete in the slalom to wrap up the weekend.

RESULTS
Women's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
3:30 a.m. EST - Women's slalom, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, run 1 - skiandsnowboard.live
6:30 a.m. EST - Women's slalom, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, run 2 - skiandsnowboard.live

Alpine Director Riml To Leave U.S. Ski & Snowboard 

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
January, 5 2024
patrick riml

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Alpine Director Patrick Riml announced that he is leaving his position as of February 1, 2024. He will remain with U.S. Ski & Snowboard in an advisory capacity.

Riml has been with U.S. Ski & Snowboard at various times throughout the last 20 years. He joined the alpine program as a coach in 2001 and rose to the head women’s coach from 2003-08. He returned to U.S. Ski & Snowboard (then the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association) in 2011-17 as alpine director, and again in 2022. He leaves to pursue other opportunities.

In his recent tenure, Riml restructured the alpine program, bringing in key hires, including Mark Tilston as the head men’s coach, Alex Hoedlmoser to lead women’s speed and Karin Harjo as head coach of Team Shiffrin. He created an evolved infrastructure to better support Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes in their elite-level progression, instilled increased accountability, drove a high performance culture, and ensured better access to training around the globe. 

“Patrick has been a wonderful alpine director for the organization over the years,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief of Sport Anouk Patty. “He has hired great leaders and coaches, set up the infrastructure for the team to be successful, moved the culture into a great place and solidified access to world class training venues. The results throughout his tenure have been terrific and we’ll miss him at the organization.”

“I’m so proud of the work I’ve done with the Sitfel U.S. Alpine Ski Team over the decades and know I’m leaving it in the right hands as I transition out of the organization,” said Riml. “This team is full of generational talent supported by the best in the business. While it’s time for me to move on from my full-time position, I’ll continue to support as an advisor and cheer all of the athletes on throughout their careers.”

Riml will travel with the team in Europe throughout January to assist in the transition. His advisory position will include continuing to help the team solidify the best training opportunities around the world. 

Brennan, Diggins Go Two-Three in Stage Five of Tour de Ski

By Leann Bentley - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 4 2024
Podium
Rosie Brennan and Jessie Diggins on the podium together in Davos, Switzerland in the 20k classic pursuit. (NordicFocus)

In what many would say was one of the most eventful races in World Cup cross country skiing history, the race could have been anyone’s up until the last kilometer. At the end of the day, two Americans were on the podium - Rosie Brennan in second and Jessie Diggins in third. Every single starting American  landed in the top 30. 

With snow accumulating quickly, it made for a complicated kick wax situation, but on the start line, all athletes pushed on the two-lap 20k course. With the high altitude of Davos and limited visibility because of the snow, it made for a fascinating race that kept the fans on the edge of their seat until the bitter end.

Racers were seeded at the start according to their qualifying times in Wednesday’s sprint – minus the bonus time accumulated from the final results, which meant Diggins was not leading off the line. Yet, fresh off a podium result in the skate sprint the night before, Diggins was once again back in the top three - notching her 54th career World Cup podium and fourth podium of the Tour de Ski in the process. Brennan was also back on the podium in second, putting a gutsy and tactical race together. It was Brennan's 11th career podium, and nearly remade the Tour de Ski race from a year ago when Brennan and Diggins were on the podium together in the 20k skate.

In the first lap, the pack was tight together through the long gradual climbs, with limited spots that allowed movement from the line. Due to the challenging wax conditions, all countries were trying something different - some using kick wax and some not - but in the end, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes put all the pieces together to make it work. At the finish, Brennan was just 0.8 seconds back with Diggins overcoming an early fall and pushing through the pain to cross the line in third.

Sophia Laukli, Novie McCabe and Sammy Smith were also in the top 30, led by McCabe in 19th, Laukli in 25th and Smith in 28th, respectively.

For the men, the race seemed like it was on an entirely different day. With the sun shining, the temperatures consistently climbing, making it the Davos World Cup scene so many fans have come to love.

Scott Patterson and Zanden McMullen were the only ones to kick off the start line. Over the two laps, with endless movement and variable speeds, this race proved to be just as exciting as the women’s just an hour before. With strong double pole, tactical moves on the steep climbs, Patterson crossed the line first in 25th with McMullen not far behind in 28th.

Looking ahead to the last two stages in Val di Fiemme, Diggins continues to lead the overall, putting herself in a solid position going into the final two races, with Brennan back in the top 10.

The Tour de Ski now packs up for Val di Fiemme, Italy for two final races, starting with a 15k classic mass start.

RESULTS
Women
Men

TOUR DE SKI OVERALL STANDINGS
Women
Men