It was a historic day for women’s alpine as they took on the Stifel Birds of Prey for the first time in history - but it was also a huge day for Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Lauren Macuga as she posted a career-best finish on home turf in fourth place. 

“I am extremely satisfied that this is my top result in the World Cup and I could not be more happy right now,” said Macuga. 

The venue was flooded with fans from around the world as they awaited the runs of the best downhill women skiers. Chants of “U.S.A.!” could be heard from the top of the course as each American took their turn at the famed course. The hill is historically a men’s downhill and the women had their first crack at the very technical and steep downhill on Saturday. Each racer proved that they can handle the same forces and technicality as the men.

The first American to go was Jacqueline Wiles with bib 20. Wiles pushed hard from top to bottom but held onto her edges just a smidge too long and landed in 29th. Macuga was next. At each split Macuga brought the fans to their feet as she skied within a half second of the winner, so close to a podium finish. She punched her hands through the finish to snag fourth place - a new career best. The crowd's roar was enormous as Macuga had the best finish reaction of the whole field. 

“Last year I thought getting 30th place in the World Cup was crushing it, so to start with a fourth is crazy,” said Macuga. 

The key to success on the women’s downhill was taking notes from each training run. Three training runs occurred throughout the week, giving the women ample time to figure out the brand-new track. This new course leveled the playing field in many ways as no one had been on the track before. 

“The first training run was definitely checking it out, second training run I felt like I was holding back a little and by the third training run I was hammering down,” said Macuga. “Today I got over my skis a little more and it worked out!”

Teammate Breezy Johnson also made a statement as she skied solid into the 13th position. Johnson had been off the circuit for a year, refocused and psyched to be back with her team.

“I thought there were sections that were really good for me; there were pieces of this course that were in and out for me today. One of those spots was not great so there are things to fix up,” said Johnson. “I feel really good about my skiing right now and I am feeling confident about the upcoming courses this season.”

Not only was it an exciting day for Macuga and Johnson but their newest teammate Lindsey Vonn, returned to the World Cup by way of fore-running. Vonn gave her course reports to the women up top and cheered them on from the sidelines. 

“I am having so much fun; it feels so amazing to be back here,” said Vonn. 

Ultimately the winner of the first downhill of the season was the previous season’s downhill FIS Crystal Globe winner, Cornelia Huetter, second place was Italian force Sofia Goggia who made her return from injury, third place went to Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Keely Cashman, Bella Wright, Tricia Mangan and independent athlete Haley Cutler also raced landing in 31st, 35th, 39th and 42nd respectively. 

The weekend continues on Sunday with the women's super-G. 

RESULTS
women's downhill

HOW TO WATCH
Sunday, 12/15
1:00 p.m. ET - super-G - LIVE on Outside TV

The excitement of World Cup cross country skiing lit up the Swiss Alps as eight Americans advanced to the sprint heats in a thrilling evening under the lights, with Jessie Diggins and Ben Ogden both skiing to sixth-place results and two career-best performances by Jack Young in 12th and Alayna Sonnesyn in 22nd. Eight Americans clinched a top 30 result. 

On the second day of racing in Davos, Switzerland, eight Americans qualified to the skate sprint heats, including four women and four men. 

For the women, Diggins, Rosie Brennan, Julia Kern and Sonnesyn put their speed on display, all advancing to heats. Brennan, Sonnesyn and Kern were ultimately knocked out of the quarterfinals, but Sonnesyn still nabbed a career-best individual result. For Diggins, she skied a stellar race and finished sixth overall in the day, skiing through to the final heat. With her result today, Diggins retains her lead in the overall World Cup standings. 

"We're powered by sunshine and mountains," said Brennan when asked about what made today so successful. "It was awesome to see the results today and to have some career bests from Alayna and Jack! And, it was a really solid day. I think we are still not quite where we want to be as a team but we're working on gaining some speed and today was a good step in the right direction! The momentum is there."

On the men’s side, Ben Ogden, Gus Schumacher, JC Schoonmaker and Jack Young moved on to the sprint heats. Ogden and Young Schumacher delivered strong performances, advancing to the semifinals, but Schoonmaker did not advance. 

"It's really awesome to have a big crew advance to the heats," said Ogden. "I think we all ski better when our teammates are there as well. We bounce tactic ideas off each other a lot and are able to learn from each other's experiences. Makes ski racing really fun!"
 

Jack Young, a 21-year-old from Colby College, delivered a career-best performance, finishing 12th. In only his fifth World Cup start, Young showcased his potential by qualifying again for the heats and battling to the end alongside his teammates. To wrap up the results, for the men, Schumacher was 11th, Schoonmaker was 16th, and for women, Brennan was 18th and Kern 28th, respectively. 

"This result means so much," Young said. "One of my biggest goals for the year was to make it to a World Cup semi final, and now I have achieved that. More so, this result gives me so much confidence moving forward skiing heats at the highest level. I’m always a little bit scared to take it out hard in sprint heats, but today was a real confidence boost." 

"It was really cool to see so many USA athletes in the heats today," reflected Schmacher. "It's great to see JC back in form and Jack proving to everyone that he's ready to be here and show up. And for Ben - he got us through! As for me, for the second sprint of the season - it's great to be back and nice to know i'm still sprinting well!"

With Diggins leading the overall World Cup standings, two career bests from Young and Sonnesyn and eight athletes advancing to the heats, the U.S. squad continues to make its mark on the international stage and is putting together the momentum each race day. Tomorrow, the team is back at it for the Davos 20k classic. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

River Radamus and Tommy Ford muscled through rapidly deteriorating conditions on Saturday, Dec. 14, at the infamously difficult La Face de Bellavarde track in Val d’Isere, France to finish back to back in 17th and 18th in their return to the European World Cup circuit.

Ford's result is his first top 20 of the season after a DNF in Beaver Creek and finishing 21st in Soelden. A finish in 18th is promising forward motion, especially after skiing the seventh-fastest second run of the day, over a second faster than the day’s winner, Switzerland’s Marco Odermatt. 

Granted, Ford was fortunate to have some of the last good light on the course, running earlier in the start list, given his first run finish in 25th. Nonetheless, he skied on the cleaner side despite the bumpy ride from start to finish and put together enough fast turns to move up seven positions and into 18th. 

“With the sun out, I know I didn’t take enough full advantage of the conditions; I had some strong skiing for sections, and then I would put on the brakes,” explained Ford. “In the end, I lucked out and got a decent result. It got really dark and gnarly there at the end. The snow was much grippier than expected and broke down a fair amount, making it tough for the guys in the back.”

As inclement weather rolled in, visibility began to deteriorate. Snow and dark, flat light eventually prompted the venue to turn on the stadium lights, and the event started to resemble a night race in broad “daylight.” 

Radamus got caught in the middle of the light transition, not far enough back in the start list to be fully thrown to the wolves but running late enough to have a completely different on-course experience than his teammate. Radamus finished his first run in 12th and had hoped to muscle forward to match or best his seventh-place result in the Beaver Creek giant slalom the week before, but could not put down the results he wanted to and ended the day in 17th.

“La Face de Bellevarde is always the most difficult GS track on the circuit, and it really separates good skiing from great skiing, and I didn’t quite have enough today,” reflected Radamus. “It was a bumpy, rattly, icy surface, combined with low visibility, that made it particularly difficult to execute your skiing. I didn’t execute the way I wanted to but I thought I made some pretty good recoveries and was able to scrap out two okay runs despite it all.” 

After Radamus, conditions soon became worse. The rest of the field made their way down the track, and a few of the athletes racing for a top stop came down, shaking their heads and cursing in the finish after being put in dangerous visibility circumstances against a crumbling surface. Whereas others, such as Odermatt, seemed unbothered by the challenge, noting in his interview with FIS that to him, winter is defined by dark, snowy weather, so those tough conditions are where he thrives. In the end, the second and third positions on the podium were swept by Austria’s Patrick Feurstein and Stefan Brennsteiner.

"The conditions were tough for everybody out there," added Radamus. "Certainly, some people got better light than others, and it's [already] a difficult track, especially when you can’t see the surface. The guys who got good visibility took advantage, but that’s ski racing. There are plenty of guys that had bad visibility and were able to muscle through some pretty good runs, too."

Snow is forecasted throughout the rest of the day in Val d’Isere. However, the weather forecast predicts a partly sunny day on Sunday, Dec. 14, when the men’s slalom is set to occur. Starters for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team include Luke Winters, Ben Ritchie, and Jett Seymour.

RESULTS

Men's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH

4:00 a.m. ET - men's slalom, run 1, Val D'Isere, France - LIVE: skiandsnowboard.live, On Demand: skiandsnowboard.live

The stage was set this morning in Steinach am Brenner, Austria for the first Para alpine World Cup of the season, where Andrew Kurka led the way for the Stifel U.S. Para Alpine Ski Tea, finishing fourth in super-G. 

It was a beautiful bluebird day with a perfect compact racing surface to kick off the season in Austria. The women started the action, and Saylor O’Brien put down a consistent run to finish fifth overall in her first World Cup start in over a year. 

On the men’s side, Kurka finished just 0.6 seconds off the podium in fourth place in the men’s sitting class. Matthew Brewer was just behind, finishing eighth. Patrick Halgren shined in the men’s standing classification, earning one of his best World Cup finishes in fifth. 

“It feels like the universe is conspiring to help me achieve my dreams! To start this well is an omen that means there is more to come; Para alpine is such a commitment-based sport, so anything that boosts confidence is huge,” said Halgren. “[Moving forward] I’ll be focusing on consistency, and that starts with mobility. Health is wealth, and I’m going to be rich when I’m covered in gold!!”

Spencer Wood ended the day in 16th, followed by Andrew Haraghey in 17th, Jesse Keefe in 18th, and Tyler McKenzie 20th. 

Next up, the team takes on alpine combined tomorrow, Dec. 12 in Steinach am Brenner starting at 4:00 a.m. ET.

RESULTS
Men
Women

On the final day of men’s racing in Beaver Creek, Colorado, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete River Radamus snagged his second top 10 of the weekend with a seventh in the Stifel Birds of Prey giant slalom. 

“First run I felt really good about my skiing and that’s a really good indication I was playing it too safe,” said Radamus. “Second run I knew I had to throttle down, made a couple more mistakes but I know I pushed harder.” 

The conditions could not be more perfect on Sunday as the weekend turned to tech for the first Stifel Birds of Prey giant slalom since 2019. The sun was shining bright overhead, and the surface on the giant slalom course was unmatched. The international crowd packed the stands awaiting the event to unfold.

On the first run the sun was in and out as the course, proving to be a challenge for the allotment of racers. Running at 1 minute and 20 seconds, it was a long course and racers fatigued as they crossed the finish line. Radamus skied a strong race, but did not push enough to find the top 10 first run, finishing 14th. Global Racing and U.S. skier Patrick Kenney ran bib 42 and skied a near-perfect run to shoot himself up to the 21st position. 

“I mean the snow does not get better than what he had today,” said Radamus. “The course conditions have been phenomenal so that means everyone is taking it to the next level.”

On the second run, Radamus had a plan and was ready to execute. While he was holding back a touch at the top of the run, he let it rip near the bottom, claiming the top position for a few racers. He was greeted by a roar of American fans, as he sat in the leaderboard chair. Radamus ultimately ended up seventh, jumping up seven spots from his first run. 

“It was great to sit in the leader's chair for a little bit and give the home crowd something to root for,” said Radamus. 

Thomas Tumler of Switzerland claimed his first World Cup win with Brazil’s Lucas Pinheiro Braathen in second place - his first podium since his return to the sport. Third place was Slovenia’s Zan Kranjec. 

Kenney unfortunately did not finish the second run. Isaiah Nelson skied solidly but did not find the top 30. Tommy Ford, Bridger Gile and Ryder Sarchett did not finish but are all ok. 

Sunday’s giant slalom marked the end of the busy weekend for the Stifel Birds of Prey. The men’s tech and speed teams all head back to Europe as they prepare for the remainder of the alpine season. The speed team will head to Val Gardena, Italy, while the tech team will head to Val d’Isere, France. 

The Stifel Birds of Prey venue will now prepare for the women in just a few days as they ski the famed downhill course for the first time ever. 

RESULTS 
Men's giant slalom

On the third and final day of racing in Lillehammer, Norway, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team recorded career-best performances. The grueling 20k skiathlon event, featuring a 10k classic leg followed by a 10k skate leg, was on tap today. Jessie Diggins claimed her 73rd World Cup podium with a third-place result, followed by Gus Schumacher in fifth, skiing to his career-best mass start and skiathlon result. The theme today? Career best skiathlon results, fast skis, and team camaraderie. 

The skiathlon is a rare event on the World Cup circuit, testing athletes' abilities in both techniques on Lillehammer’s challenging seven-lap course. Fatigue was beginning to set in after three days of straight racing but the U.S. team put together strong performances, landing six (three men, three women) within the top 30. 

Schumacher Leads U.S. Men with Career-Best Skiathlon Result

Schumacher delivered a career-defining performance, securing fifth place in the men’s race. Starting strong in the classic portion, Schumacher stayed within the top 10 throughout the seven-lap race, positioning himself as a podium contender. This marked a massive leap from his previous best skiathlon finishes—18th in Lahti and 32nd in Trondheim—and his highest-ever result in a mass start. 

"I was feeling like I was skiing pretty well, I obviously knew I was pretty close to the front.. so in the final moments, I wasn't thinking very much, I just knew the speed was still high, so I had to trust myself," said Schumacher. "Mostly, it was just exciting to be that close." 

The Norwegian men's team, led by Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Simen Hegstad Krüger and Harald Oestberg Amundsen, dominated the race. Yet, in a nail-biting finish, Schumacher out-sprinted several competitors to become the first non-Norwegian to cross the line, finishing just seconds behind the leaders and within one second of the finish.

Fresh off his career-best result last weekend in Ruka, Zanden McMullen also delivered a strong performance, finishing 26th in the career-best skiathlon result for the young athlete. Following his standout skate sprint qualification win earlier just yesterday, Ben Ogden placed 25th for his career-best skiathlon result, rounding out a solid day for the men’s team.

"I'm mostly proud of Gus," said Ogden. "He’s just proving himself to be rock solid in these 20ks which is not an easy feat. You have to be extremely fit to do what he is doing and it's really cool to see his dedication and patience paying off in a big way. He’ll be back on top soon, mark my words."

Amundsen ultimately won the day, with Norway's Jan Thomas Jenssen in second and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget in third, respectively. For the U.S., Schumacher was fifth, Ogden 25th, McMullen 26th, Hunter Wonders 46th, and John Steel Hagenbuch 57th. 

With his fifth-place result, Schumacher secures his top 10 in the World Cup distance standings. 

Diggins Claims 73rd Career World Cup Podium

In the women’s race, Jessie Diggins continued her podium streak, earning her 73rd World Cup podium with a third-place finish. Diggins skied a smart and steady race, staying with the lead pack through the classic portion, which Norway’s Therese Johaug largely controlled.

Johaug surged ahead in the skate portion, establishing an insurmountable lead. At the same time, Diggins held her own in the chase group alongside Sweden’s Ebba Andersson and Norway’s Astrid Slind and Heidi Weng.

In the final kilometers, following a grueling uphill, it was all downhill into the stadium. With the course lined with fans from around the world, Diggins put on a masterclass in how to finish a mass start race—draft, look for the best chance to make a move and make it. She ultimately crossed the line in third, securing her second podium of the 2024-25 season, 73rd in her career and the chance to wear the FIS overall World Cup yellow bib for another day. 

Sophia Laukli had a breakout performance, hammering into 11th place—her best skiathlon finish yet and second top-11 of the season. Julia Kern of the U.S. team also had her season's best performance, crossing the line in 20th. Kern and Laukli were seen working together in the chase pack for the majority of the race and crossed the line with career bests in the process.

"I’ve become more and more confident in my racing which I’m realizing is really starting to pay off in my results," said Laukli, post race. "I had no idea if I would blow up because I was going so hard—that was the deepest i've ever dug—but I think that’s what I feel proud about that I just committed and hoped going all out would pay off, which it did."

Diggins claimed third, Norway's Weng was second, and Johaug was first. Outside of the top 30, U.S. athlete Alayna Sonnesyn finished 43rd; Rosie Brennan did not start today's race. 

By the Numbers

The Lillehammer Skiathlon showcased career-best performances across the board for U.S. athletes:

• Schumacher: Fifth place, career-best skiathlon and mass start result.
• Diggins: 73rd World Cup podium; maintains the overall World Cup leader bib.
• Laukli: 11th place, career-best skiathlon finish.
• McMullen: career-best skiathlon finish.
• Kern: career-best skiathlon finish. 

Next up, the team travels to Davos, Switzerland, for a set of three races next weekend. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

It was a storybook start to the 2024-25 FIS World Cup halfpipe season for the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team. Last season’s World Cup halfpipe Crystal Globe runner-up Maddie Mastro clinched her first victory on the World Cup stage and teammate Maddy Schaffrick earned her first World Cup podium in her first appearance back in the bib in eight years.

Near perfect conditions set the scene for an exciting snowboard halfpipe World Cup final at China’s iconic Secret Garden Resort. The Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team put four athletes through to finals: Maddy Schaffrick, Maddie Mastro and Bea Kim on the women’s side, and Chase Josey representing the red, white and blue for the men.

Coming off a podium-perfect season, Mastro looked confident at the top of the pipe, singing as she dropped into the ditch for the first halfpipe final of the 2024-25 season. Mastro set the tone for the day, throwing a clean first run complete with impressive amplitude that put her in the top spot. Teammate Shaffrick was the only rider to best Mastro’s run, scoring an 85.25 in her first final back from retirement. 

The Americans held on to the top two spots as Mastro dropped in for her second run, kicking things off with her signature double-crippler and lacing together a near-flawless performance. With coaches celebrating at the top and her teammates were stoked at the bottom, Mastro was awarded a massive score of 88.75, which put her in a position to secure the first World Cup win of her already impressive career.

Schaffrick was the second-to-last rider to drop and the final threat to mix up the podium. It had already been an impressive showing for the 30 year old, making her return to competition after an eight-year hiatus from the World Cup circuit. With that, wherever she landed in the final rankings would be her best World Cup finish of her career. Schaffrick showed veteran composure as she dropped in the Secret Garden halfpipe for the final time and put down another solid performance. Still, it was ultimately not enough to best teammate Mastro’s score. Schaffrick ended the day on the podium in third place, an impressive feat in her first World Cup since February 2016. China’s Xuetong Cai split the Americans on the podium and earned a second-place finish in front of her home crowd.

With 15 World Cup podiums to her name, Mastro was all smiles when asked what it meant to land in the top spot for the first time in her career.

“I’ve got a lot of seconds and thirds in these World Cups and this is my first on top and am I happy about it," remarked Mastro. “I came into this contest with a completely new game plan and just wanted to focus on doing my own thing. I had these goals of tricks I wanted to land and runs I wanted to put together and…it happened. This contest just set a new baseline for women’s snowboarding and I’m just really excited to be a part of it.”

For Mastro, it's a victory well worth the wait.

Coming off a breakout 2023-24 season, 17-year-old Bea Kim ended the day in seventh place, improving on each run and continuing to impress at a young age on the world stage. On the men’s side, Chase Josey showed competitive consistency under pressure, ending the day in ninth place amongst a field of heavy hitters like Japan’s Yuto Totsuka, who landed an insane final run complete with a triple cork that put an exclamation mark on his winning performance. Australia’s Scotty James took second and Japan’s Ryusei Yamada finished third.

The halfpipe squad returns home for the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Copper Mountain, Colorado, with qualifications set to drop on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

RESULTS
Women
Men

In the Stifel Birds of Prey super-G opener, hometown hero River Radamus snagged eighth place - on par with his personal best in the discipline. Teammate Ryan Cochran-Siegle was close behind in 11th after he handled another very strong recovery at the top of the course. 

“The home crowd is so special. We can hear the crowd going crazy at the bottom,” said Radamus. “Everytime I come here I try to put on a show and inspire the next generation of skiers.” 

It was yet another classic sunny day in Colorado for the super-G race as the world’s best men sped their way down the famed course. The course is extremely steep and widely known as one of the more challenging super-Gs on the circuit. Not only is it a difficult hill, but the set proved to be a challenge, with six of the first 10 racers not finishing the course. But as the day progressed, the other racers got word of the troubles and made it down to the finish line. 

The winner of the day was last season’s super-G globe winner Swiss skier Marco Odermatt. Second place went to the French phenom Cyprien Sarrazin and Austrian Lukas Feurstein rounded out the podium in third. 

Ryan Cochran-Siegle had a remarkable recovery in the downhill the day before and did it again in the super-G. At the very start of his run, his helmet hooked a gate which caused his goggles to fall down over his face. Cochran-Siegle tried to get his goggles back onto his helmet, losing a chunk of time. But he ripped the rest of the course, making up the second he lost up top and landed in 11th place. 

“I came in too hard on that gate, but sometimes when you make that kind of mistake it's easier to push yourself,” said Cochran-Siegle. "I did what I could and had some good skiing at the bottom."

The rest of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team squad gave it their all on the course for the hometown crowd, with four landing in the top 30. Kyle Negomir finished in 19th and Bryce Bennett in 28th. Sam Morse just missed the points in 31st and Jared Goldberg in 37th. Erik Arvidsson and Wiley Maple did not finish but are ok. 

The weekend is not over yet.  The men’s giant slalom returns to the Stifel Birds of Prey course for the first time since Tommy Ford’s maiden victory in 2019. 

RESULTS
Men's super-G
 

HOW TO WATCH
Sunday, 12/8
12:00 p.m. ET - giant slalom, run 1 - LIVE on Outside TV
3:00 p.m. ET - giant slalom, run 2 - LIVE on Outside TV

The Stifel U.S. Freeski Team wrapped up their second World Cup of the season by sweeping the men's halfpipe podium, led by three-time Olympic slopestyle medalist Nick Goepper taking his first World Cup halfpipe victory Saturday at Genting Resort Secret Garden, China.

All eyes were on Goepper as he was the final rider to drop in the modified finals format that featured two runs instead of the customary three. Sitting just off the podium in fourth place behind teammates Alex Ferreira and David Wise in the top two spots after the first run, Goepper executed with precision and style to edge out Ferreira for the top spot with a massive score of 95.00.

Goepper is happy with the win but happier to just be on snow and working hard. After reflecting on his first halfpipe win, he said, “The journey is the best part. All the people are a part of it. I hope to show the world if you love what you do and believe in yourself you can make anything happen.”

The victory came in only his fifth halfpipe World Cup start. The win marks his seventh park & pipe podium (five slopestyle, one halfpipe) and his first time on the top step since the Seiser Alm, Italy slopestyle World Cup in 2018.

Despite pulling ahead early with a first-run score of 92.25, Ferreira, the defending FIS Park & Pipe Crystal Globe champion, finished in the day in second but maintained the overall FIS Park & Pipe World Cup lead. Two-time Olympic gold medalist David Wise rounded out the American sweep, earning his 18th career halfpipe podium with a score of 89.00.

Hunter Hess finished the day in fifth, Dylan Ladd in sixth, Cassidy Jarrell in tenth, Ben Fethke in 12th, Matt Labaugh in 13th, and Kai Morris in 16th.

On the women's side, Svea Irving was the lone American to qualify through to finals and earned a third-place finish with a solid third run score of 80.00. She shared the podium with China's Eileen Gu and Fanghui Li who both earned top spots in front of a home crowd. 

Irving was very pleased with her result today, saying, "My main goal was to get redemption since the last time I was here I tore my ACL/MCL, so I really wanted to ski my best and leave healthy. I'm super hyped with the result and hyped with how I'm skiing. What an awesome event! I had so much fun!"

Head coach Mike Riddle is proud of everyone today, saying, "I’m super proud of how the whole team skied this week here at Secret Garden. Nick Goepper got his first Halfpipe win of his career and is looking strong for the season. Alex Ferreira kept his podium streak going with his technical prowess and Dave Wise with his first podium since his knee injury is huge. Svea Irving held it down on the women’s side with huge amp and smooth style and is looking poised to hit the podium repeatedly this year. Overall the team is skiing at an amazing level and looking to continue the strong showing in Copper."

The Stifel U.S. Freeski Team gets a well-deserved week off before returning to action in Copper Mountain, Colorado for the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix December 19-21. 

RESULTS
Men
Women

It was an exciting first day of racing of a two-weekend long Stifel Birds of Prey series at Beaver Creek Resort, Colorado. Bryce Bennett was the top American in the men’s downhill, finishing in sixth place. Ryan Cochran-Siegle also punched it into the top 15, finishing 12th.

"I've been skiing really well all summer long and I had some good training runs so I felt confident on my skis," said Bennett. 

The podium was not what many had predicted. After a previous season of Odermatt vs. Sarrazin in downhill, it was the unassuming Swiss Justin Murisier who claimed the top spot and his first ever World Cup win. His teammate Marco Odermatt landed in second and Miha Hrobat of Slovenia took third for his first World Cup podium.

It was also a strong start for Olympic silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle. He had a large mistake and still managed a top-15 result - a testament to the hard work the men's speed team put in this summer. 

"Our places were good for sure," said Cochran-Siegle. "It's awesome seeing Bryce ski so well right now. He is locked in, and our team as a whole has been executing the training runs really well." 

Under classic Colorado blue skies, the day proved dramatic, seeing a number of crashes on the terrain-ladened course that caused long course holds. Sam DuPratt was one of the men who went into the net and down in a sled. His injuries are still being evaluated.

The result marked yet another top 10 for Bennett, who continues to show his strength in downhill. With four top 10s last season and two podiums—including his first career win—the 6’ 7” speed skier was pleased with the result of the season-opening downhill. It's been an exciting week for the speed skier; his wife also announced her pregnancy... and her due date: March 22, the day of the World Cup Finals downhill.

"One of my goals after last season was to keep skiing and being competitive and so it was great to have this result to reinforce that feeling," said Bennett. 

Sam Morse also found the top 30, finishing 21st. Erik Arvidsson was 34th, Jared Goldberg 39th, Kyle Negomir 45th and Wiley Maple 52nd.

Next up, the men race super-G on Saturday and a giant slalom Sunday. The women race the Stifel Birds of Prey the following weekend. 

"Beaver Creek super-G is a very challenging course so I just need to keep doing what I am doing and trying to have fun with it," said Cochran-Siegle. 

RESULTS
Men’s downhill

HOW TO WATCH

Saturday, 12/7
12:30 p.m. ET - super-G - LIVE on Outside TV
5:00 p.m. ET - super-G - tape delay on NBC/Peacock

Sunday, 12/8
12:00 p.m. ET - giant slalom, run 1 - LIVE on Outside TV
3:00 p.m. ET - giant slalom, run 2 - LIVE on Outside TV

Saturday, 12/14
5:00 p.m. ET - giant slalom - tape delay on NBC/Peacock

All races available on-demand on Outside+.