Twice as Nice for Crowley in Courchevel
The weather in Courchevel started the same way as it ended yesterday: foggy and wet; however, the cloud cleared just in time for Audrey Crowley to earn her second career podium in the same number of days, finishing third overall to wrap up the French Tour.
The positive turn in the weather led to more successful finishes today across classes, allowing for more consistent competition. The men kicked things off, and Jesse Keefe followed up his 11th-place finish yesterday with a top 10 today, landing in ninth in the men’s standing class. Patrick Halgren was close behind in 13th, followed by Tyler McKenzie in 17th and Spencer Wood in 20th. Zach Williams finished the day 16th in the men’s sitting classification.
The women stole the show today, with all three athletes finishing in the top eight. Crowley used the newfound sunlight to her advantage, putting down a clean run two to cement her spot on the women’s standing podium. The entire podium was a repeat of yesterday, with Ebba Aarsjoe (SWE) and Anna-Maria Rieder (GER) taking the top two spots again. Allie Johnson finished the day eighth. Saylor O’Brien finished just off the podium in fourth place in the women’s sitting category, adding to her third place finish yesterday.
Next up, the team is taking a short break split between the U.S. and Europe for the holiday before getting back to racing in Santa Caterina, Italy Jan. 8-9.
Audrey Crowley
Audrey was born in small town Wisconsin and grew up skiing on a 196 vertical foot hill with her family. Crowley was born without a fully developed right arm, but that hasn’t stopped her from being competitive both in adaptive and able-bodied races across the country. She was named the Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy Athlete of the Year in 2019. Her proudest accomplishments include her perfect U10 season, winning U.S. Para National Championships in 2021, and winning super-G Nationals in 2023.