Strong Junior Worlds Team Named

PARK CITY, UT (Feb. 26, 2015) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association named a group of 16 elite athletes to compete at the 2015 FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships scheduled for March 6-13 at Hafjell, Norway. The annual FIS Alpine World Junior Championships provide a unique opportunity for the best 16-20 year-olds of the skiing world to compete together. Each athlete heralds from top USSA club programs across the country including Paula Moltzan (Lakeville, MN), who grabbed a pair of top-10 finishes at World Junior Champs a year ago and is currently ranked sixth in the overall NorAm Cup standings.

HIGHLIGHTS

• A group of 16 young, promising athletes will compete March 6-13 at the FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships in Hafjell, Norway.
• The event is also designed to serve as a test event for the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer.
• Among the top racers is Paula Moltzan (Lakeville, MN), who grabbed a pair of top-10 finishes at World Junior Championships a year ago and is currently ranked sixth in the overall NorAm Cup standings.
• Notably absent from the roster is Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO), who will remain in Europe to focus on the World Cup where she is leading the Audi FIS World Cup slalom standings and third in the overall standings.
• Medals will be awarded for downhill, super G, giant slalom, slalom, super combined and team event.
• The same weekend, the Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill and super G will be held in nearby Kvitfjell, site of the men’s super G during the Junior World Championship.
• The venues at Hafjell and Kvitfjell were used during the 1994 Olympic Winter Games where Tommy Moe, Diann Roffe and Picabo Street won medals.

2015 FIS ALPINE JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM
Athlete, Hometown, Birthdate (Club)

Men
Kipling Weisel, San Francisco, 3/26/95 (U.S. Ski Team; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation)
Sam Morse, Carrabassett Valley, ME, 5/27/96 (U.S. Ski Team; Carrabassett Valley Academy)
AJ Ginnis, Waitsfield, VT, 11/17/94 (U.S. Ski Team; Green Mountain Valley School)
Erik Arvidsson, Woodside, CA, 9/3/96 (U.S. Ski Team; Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Drew Duffy, Warren, VT, 6/1/95 (Green Mountain Valley School)
Alex Leever, Vail, CO, 7/6/95 (Univ. of Denver)
Jack Auty, Durham, NH 3/13/95 (Global Racing)
Florian Szwebel, Avon, CO, 9/4/96 (National Training Group; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)

Women
Paula Moltzan, Lakeville, MN, 5/7/94 (U.S. Ski Team; Buck Hill Ski Team)
Katherine Irwin, Vail, CO, 6/5/94 (U.S. Ski Team; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail)
Breezy Johnson, Victor, ID 1/19/96 (U.S. Ski Team; Rowmark Ski Academy)
Alice Merryweather Hingham, MA, 10/5/96 (Stratton Mountain School)
Nina O’Brien, Edwards, CO, 11/29/97 (National Training Group; Burke Mountain Academy)
Patricia Mangan, Derby, NY, 3/7/97 (National Training Group; Holimont Race Team)
Stephanie Lebby, Big Bear Lake, CA, 2/19/97 (U.S. Ski Team; Squaw Valley Ski Team)
Galena Wardle, Basalt, CO, 4/24/98 (National Training Group; Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club)

QUOTES
Patrick Riml, U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director
This is a strong and diverse Junior Worlds Team with athletes from some of the best club programs around the country. We look forward to being competitive in Norway and using the Championships as a platform for the future.

SCHEDULE
March 7 – Women’s Giant Slalom
March 8 – Men’s Giant Slalom
March 9 – Men’s and Women’s Slalom
March 10 – Men’s (Kvitfjell) and Women’s Super G and Men’s and Women’s Super Combined
March 11 – Men’s and Women’s Downhill Training
March 12 – Men’s and Women’s Downhill Training
March 13 – Men’s and Women’s Downhill

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