On Saturday’s classic Lauberhornrennen men’s downhill in Wengen, Switzerland, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ryan Cochran-Siegle scored a ninth place finish with Bryce Bennett close behind in 10th. 

“It is a tough hill to ski with so many different components so you will never have a perfect run but I am happy with it,” said Cochran-Siegle, who won an Olympic silver medal in super-G in 2022. 

Saturday’s downhill is the marquee event for Swiss fans with well over 50,000 people in attendance on the sides of the hill. The weather could not have been more perfect either, no wind, no clouds - just sunshine. The speed skiers were coming off of an unusually tiring few days of racing with the added downhill Thursday, two training runs and a super-G on one of the longest tracks on tour. Regardless, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team men persevered and ended up with four in the top 25. 

One of the more tense moments came a few racers after Bennett when Norwegian powerhouse Aleksander Kilde crashed just before the finish line. There was a lengthy course hold as Kilde was taken in a helicopter out to address his injuries. 

“That course hold after Kilde went down was tough. I think that’s always hard when you are standing at the start but I feel like I still went out there and tried to execute and focus on the skiing,” said Cochran-Siegle. 

But the star of the weekend was Swiss skier Marrco Odermatt who at first came into the downhill lead by over three seconds, a gap that is almost unheard of in the sport. Odermatt won the first downhill on Thursday and was second in the super-G. 

“When you come down and Marco Odermatt kills you by three seconds it's crazy,” said Bennett. 

The only other skier who could come close was Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin in second, who was 0.59 seconds out from Odermatt’s near perfect run. Third place was Italian skier Dominik Paris, still 1.92 seconds off the pace. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team skiers Jared Goldberg landed in 16th place and Sam Morse in 25th to help produce a strong team result for the speed men. Kyle Negomir landed in 40th position. Wiley Maple did not finish but he is okay. 

“It was a very heavy race weekend but to have 50,000 people watch it is cool and it was a solid run,” said Bennett. 

The schedule does not let up for the men as they prepare for the downhill of all downhills, the Hahnenkammrennen in Kitzbühel, Austria Jan. 19 and 20. 

“It is a cool combination coming from Wengen into Kitzbühel so I am excited to ski it,” said Cochran-Segle.

“I am feeling good for Kitzbühel and our whole team is skiing well. We have competitive runs there always so I am fired up,” added Bennett.

The slalom men take the stage on Sunday in Wengen with the first run going off at 4:15 a.m. ET on skiandsnowboard.live.

RESULTS
Men's downhill

HOW TO WATCH
4:15 a.m. - men's slalom, run 1, Wengen, Switzerland - skiandsnowboard.live
7:14 a.m. - men's slalom, run 2, Wengen, Switzerland - skiandsnowboard.live

The first leg of this weekend's series in Zauchensee, Austria, wrapped on Friday, Jan. 12, with two Stifel U.S. Ski Team women punching into the top 30 in the super-G, led by Jaqueline Wiles in 21st.

Wiles skied into the top 25 from bib 47, punching in her best World Cup super-G result since 2018. Three of the past four super-G races Wiles has started in this discipline have resulted in a DNF, so today was a huge confidence boost for her heading into the downhill on Saturday and a second super-G on Sunday.

"I know the right things I needed to do to have solid super-G skiing, and I'm really excited that I finally executed that today," said Wiles. "It's a reminder that I can do it, especially going into the downhill tomorrow. I'm psyched with the way I skied."

Wiles' result also earned her the Stifel Bibbo Award, a monetary prize given to the racer who moves up the most places from their bib number. If a Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete wins a race's bibbo award at an international race, they bring home the award. At domestic World Cups, any international or U.S. athlete can win the Stifel Bibbo Award.  

Isabella (Bella) Wright finished 30th overall, and even though she still scored points, she knows she has more in the tank. Despite the course staying dark throughout the day, the snow made up for what the lighting lacks, to the point where even little mistakes can be costly because every racer is on an equal playing field. 

"I felt great coming into the last pitch, and then one little mistake, and I lost a whole second," Wright exclaimed, frustrated. "I know that I have more to give this weekend, and tomorrow, I really need to push."

Tricia Mangan showed some promising skiing for most of her run, pacing to score her first World Cup points in super-G (and potentially a top 15) heading into the final section. She was 12th in her third split. However, Mangan pushed her line a bit too much and skied out coming into the final section of the course, resulting in a DNF. 

Overall, the heat is building up as the women look forward to the rest of the weekend in hopes of showing their best skiing before racing in Zauchensee wraps.

Saturday, Jan. 13, Wiles, Wright, Mangan, Keely Cashman and Lauren Macuga will compete in the downhill. Alice Merryweather has opted to focus on super-G this weekend as she looks to find her groove after returning from a three-year hiatus due to injury. She'll be back in the start gate on Sunday for the second super-G.

Men Post Three in Top 30 Wengen Super-G

Over in Wengen, Switzerland, three Stifel U.S. Ski Team men threw it into the top-30. Ryan Cochran-Siegle led the way in 21st position, Jared Goldberg in 27th and Bryce Bennett in 28th. Bennett made big moves from his bib number of 61 to 28th place, he earned himself the Stifel Bibbo Award for jumping the most positions in the race. The classic Lauberhorn Wengen downhill is Saturday and the men's team is fired up to send it down the long and unique downhill. Kyle Negomir and River Radamus did not finish but they are OK. Sam Morse landed in 37th place. 

RESULTS
Women's super-G
Men's super-G
 

DOWNHILL STARTERS
women:
Isabella Wright (2)
Keely Cashman (37)
Jacqueline Wiles (39)
Tricia Mangan (42)
Lauren Macuga (43)

men:
Jared Goldberg (3)
Bryce Bennett (7)
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (17)
Sam Morse (32)
Kyle Negomir (46)
Wiley Maple (49)

HOW TO WATCH

4:45 a.m. ET - women's downhill, Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria - Peacock
6:30 a.m. ET - men's downhill, Wengen, Switzerland - skiandsnowboard.live 

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

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. 

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

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

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

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

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. 

Four Stifel U.S. Ski Team men landed in the top 30 in the Bormio, Italy super-G Friday. Jared Goldberg finished 18th, Ryan Cochran-Siegle 19th, Sam Morse 26th and Kyle Negomir in 27th. 

It was another typical icy and tough super-G on the famously dark track making it difficult for racers of all talents. Goldberg ran with bib 22 but with a surface as icy as Bormio, start position did not matter and anyone had the opportunity to throw it into the top positions. He ultimately skied solid to an 18th position overall. 

“I had the Bormio downhill hangover today and yesterday was pretty tough after solid training runs,” said Goldberg. “Super-G has been building for me and I have been learning more about how to race it. Today you had to be really over it with the wavy snow and changing snow conditions and I did that well.”

The next best skier for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team squad was previous Bormio winner Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who ended his day in 19th place. Morse and Negomir were also in the top 30 in 26th and 27th. 

Marco Odermatt of Switzerland won the race, while Raphael Haaser of Austria was second and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway third. 

The speed men will now prepare for the classic, the Wengen World Cup in Switzerland Jan. 11-13. 

RESULTS
Men's super-G