On Saturday’s downhill in Wengen on the classic Lauberhornrennen, Bryce Bennett led the way for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team men with a sixth-place finish. Ryan Cochran-Siegle was not far behind in 11th, with Sam Morse in 15th and Jared Goldberg in 16th. 

“Sixth is good,” said Bennett. “At this point in my career, I want to win this downhill so badly and I thought today was a good position but it's tough because you make one little mistake in the ‘s’ turn and it’s hard to get it back.”

The men were firing today after an unusual start to the day. The inspection was pushed back to a mere 30-minute window as winds caused massive delays at the top of what ended up being a very long day of men’s downhill. Despite the weather, the race was able to start from the top, making it the longest men’s downhill of the season. 

Ryan Cochran-Siegle ran a few bibs before Bennett and was looking to capture the speed he found in training run two. Despite his best effort, Cochran-Siegle fell short in a few sections, settling for another 11th place. Bennett ran bib 14 just after Swiss phenom Marco Odermatt skied to what would be his winning run. 

However, Bennett gave him something to worry about. On the top half of the course, Bennett was in the green up until the middle but made one little mistake that would end up costing him more. In the end, he skied to sixth place - a strong result for the veteran. 

“Overall there are a lot of good things and good skiing in there moving forward," said Bennett. "I have not really been racing my best yet so I'm finding that rhythm still. I am building more and more confidence. There were a few times where I was not anticipating the speed to be that high but I managed it alright I thought." 

Sam Morse also had a great day and landed in 15th place. Jared Goldberg showed his speed coming up from bib 34 to 16th place as well. The U.S. men showed their speed, making a statement before they head to the famed Hahnenkammrennen in Kitzbuhel next weekend. They're hungry for so much more. 

“It’s good but it's not enough, especially with this talent right now. I am excited to move forward to the next races,” said Bennett. 

Odermatt took the win, while second place went to Swiss youngster Franjo Von Allmen with Slovenian Miha Rhobat in third. 

RESULTS
Men's downhill

On Saturday’s Cortina World Cup downhill, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Jackie Wiles showed her talent on the hill again placing seventh - a season high for the downhiller.

It was another sunny and gorgeous day in the Italian Dolomites, and the women’s downhill field came in ready to compete. The surface could not have been more perfect with not even a dent in the snow after two training runs.

The track is famed for its steep sections, rollers and terrain elements, making it a true test of speed and technicality. Wiles ran with bib one and had a solid game plan to execute her day. She pushed hard over the terrain and every jump to find herself in the top 10. 

“It felt like a solid run. I really needed a solid result this season so I am really happy with the run that I put down,” said Wiles. “It is typical amazing Cortina with the surface great and a lot of terrain that flows super well. This is such a classic track we love it here and it is so nice to be here before the Olympics.” 

Numerous Stifel U.S. Ski Team women also landed in the points. St. Anton’s super-G winner Lauren Macuga had a solid day in 16th. Lindsey Vonn was skiing well but had a mistake at the end of her run and landed in 20th. Breezy Johnson was also skiing extremely fast but unfortunately got low in a few places and ended up 22nd. Finally Keely Cashman landed 28th place. She also claimed the Stifel Bibbo Award for her jump from bib 44. 

“It was really fun. It is so nice to be back here and it is probably the most fun downhill,” said Vonn. “I am a little bit disappointed with my mistake today. I think I was poised for another top five result but you know that’s what happens in ski racing. I don't have a ton of time in downhill gates and there has been a lot going on so I am trying to get into a good rhythm.” 

The Italian fans sure had something to cheer about as Sofia Goggia dominated the field, taking the win in Cortina by 0.42 seconds. She was joined by fellow Italian racehorse Federica Brignone in third place. Second place was snagged by Norwegian Kajsa Lie. 

The women will now set their sights on super-G. It is going to be an exciting race as the weather and surface are expected to once again be in top tier condition. 

RESULTS
Women's downhill
 

HOW TO WATCH 
5:00 a.m. ET - women's super-G, Cortina, ITA - skiandsnowboard.live

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ryan Cochran-Siegle showed strong skiing in Friday’s super-G race in Wengen, Switzerland, finishing in 11th place.

Cochran-Siegle was just shy of the top 10, a testament to his consistency and skill in one of the most demanding disciplines on the World Cup circuit. The speed skier was coming off two solid downhill training runs the days before.

"Overall I am happy with my skiing today," said Cochran-Siegle. "It was a little bit hard starting later in the seed with the track as it got pretty bumpy but I liked how I skied and I felt like I was driving in the turn had a good race mentality."

It was a classic sunny and gorgeous afternoon in the Swiss Alps with the speed men all vying to stand atop the podium at one of the classic speed tracks. Cochran-Siegle ran with bib 18 and had ample time to hear the reports on conditions to figure out his ideal line. 

"It is a long track but there are only a few sections you really have to nail so taking that experience with me for tomorrow," added Cochran-Siegle. "It is also my best super-G result so far this season and it just shows that you have to ski really solid top to bottom."

Stifel U.S. Ski Team teammates Sam Morse, River Radamus and Bryce Bennett also found themselves in the super-G points in 27th, 29th and 30th, respectively. Jared Goldberg, Kyle Negomir and Wiley Maple also raced and ended up in 36th, 38th and 45th. 

The Swiss continued to show their depth as young Franjo Von Allmen claimed his first World Cup win, with Austrian veteran Vincent Kreichmayr in second and Swiss Stefan Rogentin in third. 

The men will switch gears to downhill on the longest downhill track in the world. The men posted some strong training runs and are sure to push hard on Saturday. 

"For downhill, I have good confidence and know that I can create speed when I am committed. The conditions look great so I am hoping for the best," said Cochran-Siegle. 

The men will be racing at 6:30 a.m. ET. Watch live and demand on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Men's super-G

Under the lights at the women’s classic night slalom in Flachau, Austria, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Paula Moltzan led the charge for the team in sixth place. Nina O’Brien also posted her first slalom points of the season in 20th, respectively. 

“I am happy I feel like I found a little piece of me again which has been missing for a few weeks,” said Moltzan. 

It was a perfect night for the slalom, with Austrian crowds in full force lining the sides of the hill. The World Cup athletes gave the fans something to cheer for, met with solid conditions and a long slalom course set. On run one, Austrian Katharina Liensberger blew the field away by almost a second up from the second-place position. Moltzan ran 15 and was on pace with the winning time, setting a strong pace through all sections of the course. Despite a minor bobble, Moltzan kept her time within the top 10. 

Hurt and O’Brien also showed strong skiing in the first run, with O’Brien going up from bib 45 to 21st, with Hurt in 20th. 

The second run course set was nice and smooth for the women. Hurt and O’Brien ran back-to-back, making way for an exciting few minutes of racing. When she finished, O’Brien was just off the pace but still landed nicely into fifth place. Hurt was pushing hard but unfortunately fell and did not finish.

“I am very happy to score my first slalom point of the season,” said O’Brien. “There have definitely been some tough days in slalom so I feel relieved and satisfied.”  

Finally, it was time for Moltzan. With roars from the immense crowd of 20,000, Moltzan skied aggressively over the tricky rollers on the hill with a commanding green light at each split and crossed the finish line in the green. She immediately skied up to her crew of Moltzan family and friends before being welcomed into the finish by her teammates. Moltzan settled for sixth place - a great day for the Minnesota native. 

“It feels really good to do this at night and with my family here," said Moltzan. "I obviously still have a lot to go but we are getting closer to where I want to be. A green light always feels good so to see that green was amazing.”

Ultimately the win went to Swiss Camille Rast and second place to Swiss Wendy Holdener. Third place went to Swedish skier Sara Hector. 

Katie Hensien of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team also raced but did not finish the first run. Independent skier Kendahl Roufa landed in 49th on the first run. The women’s tech team will switch gears to giant slalom next Tuesday, Jan. 21, in Kronplatz, Italy. 

RESULTS
Women's slalom

It was another strong top-10 performance for Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete River Radamus, landing in 10th place in the classic Adelboden giant slalom race. 

The crowd could not be more loud and electric as the best giant slalom skiers in the world took to the slope on Sunday. It was an atypical schedule this season as the slalom fell on the normal giant slalom Saturday due to poor weather conditions. Nonetheless the crowd was just as animated and electric as if it were a Saturday. 

The U.S. men threw three in the top 30 after run one with a strong run by Tommy Ford, who sat in 13th. Radamus struggled to find the rhythm and ended up in 19th. Independent skier Patrick Kenney also had a good run, moving from bib 41 to 26th place.

The course sets between the two runs could not be more different. The first run was extremely turny and exhausting, while the second run showed more speed -- favoring those who do both giant slalom and super-G. Radamus had a swift second run that ultimately led him to a 10th place position. Kenney landed in 21st overall, while Ford unfortunately did not finish.

“Today I am not completely satisfied, but excited about my second run,” said Radamus. “As always the last pitch was challenging and it was a place to separate time-wise. I was proud of my second run and overall much better performance. I will take that into Wengen. Hoping to soon put down two good runs in a row.”

The Swiss had something to cheer about as Marco Odermatt once again claimed the victory. Second place went to his teammate Loic Meillard and third place was handed to Italian Luca De Aliprandini. 

Next the Stifel U.S. Ski Team men’s giant slalom team will head to Schladming January 28 for a night race, while the speed team and slalom racers will move to Wengen for a downhill, super-G and slalom January 17-19.

RESULTS
Men's giant slalom

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Lauren Macuga won her first ever World Cup in the St. Anton super-G, marking her first podium and the first time any U.S. woman has won a super-G in St. Anton. Lindsey Vonn also continued her impressive comeback with a fourth-place finish -- just off the podium. 

“I can’t believe it, this is so exciting!” said Macuga. “I don’t think anything has settled in. I am waiting for it to hit me. This is something I have been dreaming about forever.” 

The weather was brisk and overcast for the second day of women’s speed. After a solid day of downhill the day before, the women were fired up and ready to execute on super-G day. It was an exciting day on the track with some close misses to the net and interchanging leaderboard moments, but no one held a candle to Macuga. 

From the start, Macuga had the course on lock, remaining in the green at each interval and continuing to build. The finish suddenly went silent as they saw Macuga coming down, ready to overtake the top step. She crossed the line over a half-second into the lead, giving her classic dance in the finish as the emotions started to settle in on what she had just done. 

“Normally you hear the roar of the crowd when crossing the finish line and it was kind of silent and I was like oh no maybe I did really bad, but I knew I was charging,” said Macuga. “Seeing the green light I was like no way. It did not feel real. It still does not feel real. I am looking at the scoreboard in disbelief.” 

Next it was Vonn. The light started to shift, creating a very dark and bumpy course. Regardless, Vonn charged in line for a podium-level performance. The whole crowd was on the edge of their seats as she crossed the line into fourth place for another incredible performance as she makes her World Cup comeback.

“It was a crazy run today. It was really bumpy, it was sunny, then it got dark,” said Vonn. “But it was a really good step forward. This is something I am really proud of and I am also really proud of Lauren. It is really nice to be a part of such a fun team. It's great to see another American on top of the podium.”  

It was not just a day for Macuga and Vonn, but the whole team. The other women could not be more proud of their teammate as they tackled Macuga to the ground once they found her in the finish. The women's speed team has found a new groove and plans to continue this feeling the rest of the season. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Jackie Wiles and Keely Cashman also landed in the points in 24th and 28th, respectively. Tricia Mangan and Halely Culter ended up in 33rd and 39th. Bella Wright and Breezy Johnson did not finish but are OK. 

The women will now take this momentum to a team favorite in Cortina, Italy for a downhill and super-G, Jan. 18-19. 

RESULTS
Women's super-G

The men’s Stifel U.S. Ski team slalom team continues its strong year with two in the points in the Adelboden slalom. Jett Seymour led the way in 17th with Ben Ritchie in 21st. 

The classic men’s tech race in Adelboden switched its disciplines to have slalom on Saturday and giant slalom Sunday due to snowy conditions. The weather on Saturday was still a bit difficult for the racers with a lot of fog and consistent snow. It was clear from the first run that starting earlier held its advantages. 

Both Seymour and Ritchie held a consistent pace throughout their first runs to find the finish line and make it through to the second run. Both in good start positions to ski a clean course. 

On the second run Ritchie ran first and skied a very solid clean run. He was able to sit in the leaderboard chair for a few racers. Seymour ran just a few after Ritchie and also showed a strong slalom run. Both Ritchie and Seymour moved up a sizable amount from first run to land 17th and 21st. 

"Today the conditions were really challenging," said Ritchie. "I struggled with the conditions but fought hard and I’m happy to walk away with some points."

The day's winner was French skier Clement Noel, second place went to Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and third place went to Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen. 

Saturday’s slalom race continues the hot streak for the men’s slalom crew of making the points as the team continues to work on rebuilding the American slalom team. The men will now turn to giant slalom on Sunday. 

RESULTS
men's slalom 

HOW TO WATCH 
Run 1 - 4:30 a.m. ET - men’s giant slalom, Adelboden, SUI - live/on-demand on skiandsnowboard.live
Run 1 - 7:30 a.m. ET - men’s giant slalom, Adelboden, SUI - live/on-demand on skiandsnowboard.live

It was an electric day for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team women with three placing in the top 15, highlighted by the return of Lindsey Vonn who landed sixth in her first downhill after six years. 

“It was fun. I love being back in the start and I know this hill really well so I knew the challenges that would come today and was ready to execute,” said Vonn. 

After a canceled training run the day before the weather cleared and the stage was set for the women to race their second downhill of the season in St. Anton. The air was crisp and the snow a touch soft. Due to the heavy snowfall a few days earlier the women started a little bit lower at the super-G start making for a close race. 

Jackie Wiles was first up for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team women - she went out early after the first split due to soft snow and being a touch low on the line. Luckily she is OK. Next came Lauren Macuga for the Americans and she did not disappoint. Macuga blazed down skiing strong and aggressively to ultimately claim ninth place. Macuga thrilled with her performance could be seen smiling from the top. 

“I am really excited. It felt like good skiing and I was able to hit the points that I wanted to,” said Macuga. “I think the conditions were a bit softer than we all thought, so we made some game time adjustments with our line to avoid the soft snow."

The long-anticipated return of Olympic Gold Medalist and one of the most successful women alpine ski racers of all time, Lindsey Vonn, came just after the top 30. All eyes were on Vonn as she knifed down the course as if she had been in the game all these years. She skied aggressively to find that finish line in the top ten. An exceptional performance. Vonn's teammates were quick to run and hug the speed queen congratulating her and welcoming her back to the downhill circuit. 

“I know I can be faster but I think for the first downhill race in six years it is a good start,” said Vonn. “Downhill has always been my favorite discipline so I am really happy and I think it was a great first step.” 

The crowd could not get too distracted from Vonn’s strong race with Breezy Johnson right on her tail. Johnson, with a lightning-fast top split maintained her speed through to land in 11th place from bib 33. 

“I feel pretty good but I also know that I have better skiing within me and there was just a couple places where I messed up but I do feel like the progression is good,” said Johnson. “It is great to see the women doing awesome. I think we are all using this energy and will try to keep building as we head into Cortina.” 

The show was not over yet as the podium was a bit of a surprise with some late field advances. Federica Brignone claimed her first downhill win with second place going to Swiss skier Malorie Blanc blazing into second place from bib 46. Rounding out the podium was Czech skier Ester Ledecka. Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Bella Wright, Keely Cashman, Tricia Mangan and Haley Cutler also raced placing 32nd, 41st, 42nd and 44th respectively. 

Overall the women are feeling very content about the start of the season and look forward to the next few weekends of downhills.

"The team result is so exciting because just two years ago there was only four of us racing and now there is three in the top 15, it’s crazy," said Macuga. 

The women have another exciting day of racing in St. Anton on Sunday with a super-G. 

RESULTS
women's downhill

HOW TO WATCH 
5:15 a.m. ET - women's super-G, St. Anton, AUT - live/on-demand on Peacock

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ben Ritchie claimed a career-best eighth-place finish under the lights in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy. Ritchie scored a top 10 and finished in second place on the second run - a standout performance for the young skier. 

“Second run I put down a good run I am proud of,” said Ritchie. “It feels really good to be competitive with skiing that I know I can consistently do. It was nothing special for me, so competing with the top guys feels amazing.” 

The classic night event came a few weeks later than previous seasons, but it was a challenge nonetheless. Despite a large slew of snow just two nights before, the track had a solid surface for the 70+ athletes. In the first run, Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath outpaced the rest of the field with a half-second advantage over the rest of the top slalom racers. 

All three Stifel U.S. Ski Team men executed well on the first run. Jett Seymour landed in 17th and Ben Ritchie close behind in 22nd. Luke Winters, who ran wearing bib 72, was on pace for a second run but just barely missed the mark, landing in 31st. 

“It’s a great start to January. This is the best we have done since I have been a part of the U.S. slalom team so I know we have more to give,” said Ritchie. “Luke and Jett are skiing really well and it's only a matter of time it all works out for us.” 

Under the lights on the second run, the crowds were large and loud, cheering on each racer who made their way down the icy course. Ritchie was first up for the American group and fully executed his plan, knifing his way into the top position to sit in the leaderboard chair upwards of five racers. Ritchie moved up 14 positions from run one to two and ultimately landed in eighth place. 

Seymour ran just after Ritchie and was on track to have a great day as well, but unfortunately did not finish. The winner of the race was Bulgarian Albert Popov for his first World Cup win. Second place was Swiss Loic Meillard and third was Croatia's Samuel Kolega. 

The slalom men have a busy January to keep building on this momentum. The next race is just a few days away on Saturday Jan. 11 in Adelboden, Switzerland. 

RESULTS
Men's slalom

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete River Radamus announces he will fund all U.S. U16’s who qualify for the Federation of European Ski & Snowboard Associations FESA Alpine Ski Cup. 

“I’m trying to do my part to ensure the sport becomes less expensive as these athletes climb the ladder,” said Radamus. “Not more.”

The FESA Cup is a large international race and a big stepping stone for young athletes - but this qualification comes with a hefty price tag of $3,000. Radamus plans to fund every racer that qualifies for the U.S. so it is one less thing they need to worry about. The U16 international ski race will be held Feb. 28-March 10 in Les Menuires, France. The U.S. team’s three girls and three boys will be selected off four races at the U16 National Performance Series (NPS) event in Burke, Vermont Jan. 5-10. 

Radamus is teaming up with his foundation, ARCO, along with the World Cup Dreams Foundation to help with this project. Radamus launched the ARCO Foundation in July 2023. The World Champion and Olympian has been passionate about supporting skiers who otherwise would be priced out of the sport. 

The nonprofit is supporting 21 U.S. U16 athletes in its second season. Since its inception, it’s distributed over $65,000 to up-and-coming racers and hosted a five-day on-snow camp for 15 athletes last spring.

Radamus details the grant and the collaboration in his more recent social media post here. Learn more about the ARCO Foundation here.