Ligety and Shiffrin Headline Winter Games NZ
QUEENSTOWN, NZ (August 20, 2015)—The fourth Audi quattro Winter Games NZ have begun and U.S. Ski Team athletes have committed to compete in the opening race—a dual night slalom on Friday night.
Ted Ligety (Park City, UT), Mikaela Shiffrin (Vail, CO), Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY), Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT), David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) and Paula Moltzan (Lakeville, MN) will join the head-to-head race under the floodlights for a share of $30,000 in prize money. The race will consist of qualifying time trials followed by quarterfinals and semifinals, with the final event taking place at 7 p.m.
“Ligety joins fellow countrywoman Mikaela Shiffrin, who is the Sochi slalom gold medalist and World Champion and World Cup slalom titleholder, in the strong dual slalom line-up,” said Winter Games NZ CEO Arthur Klap. “To have not just one, but two World Champion skiers appearing is incredible for the Games and for alpine racing in New Zealand. We couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome for our inaugural Coronet Peak Night Slalom.”
“We have organized to fly Ted and other team members, including reigning U.S. slalom champion David Chodounsky, from Tekapo (where he’s currently training at Roundhill) to Coronet Peak by helicopter on Friday afternoon to race in the night slalom,” added Klap.
Head Men's Tech Coach Forest Carey said the other U.S. Ski Team athletes entered in the Coronet Peak night slalom are looking forward to competing. “Our athletes put in a lot of effort with their training and it is good for them to have the chance to race in the cash prize night slalom," said Carey. "The Audi quattro Winter Games NZ is recognized as a quality event and there is growing awareness of its place on the international circuit.”
Additional alpine races at Winter Games NZ take place at Coronet Peak at the end of the month with two Continental Cup events: both a men’s and a women’s Australia New Zealand Cup slalom (Aug. 29) and GS (Aug. 30).
Live streaming and results available on the Winter Games NZ website.
Details courtesy of Winter Games NZ.
