Radamus Podiums at Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup

In front of family, friends, teammates and thunderingly loud fans on home soil, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete River Radamus took his first career podium in the Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup giant slalom at Palisades Tahoe, California. He finished third. 

"It's been a long time coming," said Radamus. "I've wanted to feel what this moment feels like for so long and I've just been working and working."

It was a picture perfect day to host a World Cup without a cloud in the sky and temperatures in the mid-40s. The U.S. fans swarmed in by the thousands to cheer on the best male ski racers in the world as they skied down the historic Red Dog trail. Swiss skier Marco Odermatt dominated the race from the beginning and Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway was not far off the mark in second. But Radamus made it interesting, running first for the Americans and skiing into third place. It was his best result in a first run in his career. 

But the pressure was on for Radamus in second run. While Radamus is a world champion in the team event, he had never before had an individual World Cup podium. Known for battling the curse of the wooden spoon award for years—the prize given to someone who gets fourth place—the pressure was on. But he remained calm and collected, arcing the course to ski onto his first career podium. He roared in the finish, pumping his fists and throwing his poles in celebration. 

"Doing it on home soil in front of friends and family and an amazing hometown crowd is so perfect," said Radamus. "I was in a better position than I ever had been after first run and I just kept telling myself you can't go easy." 

Ahead of Radamus, Odermatt won the race—his 10th World Cup giant slalom in a row—to clinch the overall Crystal Globe. Kristoffersen was second. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Tommy Ford also threw it in the top 20, skiing consistently to keep racking up giant slalom points in 20th place. Ford was the last U.S. man to podium in a tech World Cup, when he was second in Santa Caterina, Italy in 2020. Patrick Kenney, wearing bib 51, blazed into the 24th position to secure his first World Cup points.

"I wasn't too clean the whole way down but I just kept putting the skis down the fall line I recovered my way down but it was a win of a day already to score my first points," said Kenney. 

George Steffey and Isaiah Nelson did not qualify for second run. Brian McLaughlin crashed first run, but skied down.

Lukas Feurstein took home the Stifel Bibbo Award, an award given to an alpine athlete who wears the highest bib number and finishes the highest in the final rankings. He started bib 56 and finished 10th.

Next up, the men race a slalom race on Sunday to wrap up the Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup.  

RESULTS
Men’s giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH (all times in ET)
February 25 
1:00 p.m. - run 1, men's slalom - LIVE: CNBC, Peacock, Outside 
2:00 p.m. - (delayed coverage) men’s giant slalom - NBC 
3:00 p.m. - (same day delay) run 1, men’s slalom - CNBC 
4:00 p.m. - run 2, men's slalom - LIVE: CNBC, Peacock, Outside

*The article has been updated due to an inaccuracy where it was reported that Tommy Ford was the last American to podium in a tech World Cup in 2019 - Ford podiumed in 2020 in Santa Caterina where he was second in the giant slalom.