U.S. Ski & Snowboard Nominates Alpine Team Roster For Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced today its nominations for the U.S. Olympic Alpine Team that will represent Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. Nominations are to be confirmed by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee when it formally announces the U.S. Olympic Team.

The promising team includes seven athletes who have podiumed on the FIS World Cup stage in the last two seasons, headlined by two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin, a medal threat in both technical and speed disciplines. Shiffrin is no stranger to shattering records on the world stage and has established herself as one of the greatest skiers of all time at a mere 26 years old. She will go into Beijing a three-time Olympic medalist, with slalom gold from the 2014 Games and a giant slalom gold and alpine combined silver in 2018. Joining Shiffrin in the bright lights will be teammate Breezy Johnson, who is currently ranked second in the world in the downhill standings and has amassed three downhill podiums in the 2021-22 season.

On the men’s side, Ryan Cochran-Siegle—who won his first World Cup in December 2020 in Bormio, Italy—will headline a solid crew of veteran athletes and first-time Olympians. Bryce Bennett, who snagged his first World Cup podium at the Val Gardena, Italy downhill less than two months prior to the 2022 Olympics with a massive victory, will be making his second Olympic bid in Beijing. Veteran speed skier Travis Ganong started the 2021-22 season with a bang, grabbing third place in the super-G on home snow at the Xfinity Birds of Prey World Cup in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Beijing will also mark giant slalom specialist Tommy Ford’s return to competition after a bad crash last January in Adelboden, Switzerland. 

Athletes who will make their Olympic debut in Beijing include Paula Moltzan, who snagged her career-first podium in the Lech, Austria parallel event in November 2021, Nina O’Brien, Bella Wright, Keely Cashman, Katie Hensien, AJ Hurt, Mo Lebel, River Radamus, and Luke Winters.

The team includes 17 athletes who qualified for the team through one or more top-three finishes, top-five finishes, and top-10 finishes, along with World Cup points and discretion. The qualification period included 2021-22 World Cup races from October 23, 2021, through January 16, 2022. 

The alpine team has a full competition schedule for the 2022 Games featuring 11 medal events across men and women including slalom, giant slalom, alpine combined, super-G, downhill, and the team event. Alpine competition will start with the men’s downhill on Sunday, February 6, while the women will kick off their Olympic competition on Monday, February 7 with giant slalom. Alpine competition will conclude on Saturday, February 19 with the parallel team event.

2022 U.S. OLYMPIC ALPINE TEAM
(Name, Hometown; Birth Date; Club; Past Olympics)

Women

• *Keely Cashman, Strawberry, California; 4/4/1999; Team Palisades Tahoe
• *Katie Hensien, Redmond, Washington; 12/1/1999; Rowmark Ski Academy
• *AJ Hurt, Carnelian Bay, California; 12/5/2000; Team Palisades Tahoe
• Breezy Johnson, Victor, Idaho; 1/19/1996; Rowmark Ski Academy (Olympics: 2018)
• *Maureen “Mo” Lebel, Truckee, California; 6/13/1998; Sugar Bowl Ski Team/Mammoth Mountain Ski Team
• Tricia Mangan, Buffalo, New York; 3/7/97; Holimont Race Team (Olympics: 2018)
• *Paula Moltzan, Prior Lake, Minnesota; 4/7/1994; Buck Hill Ski Team/Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/University of Vermont
• *Nina O’Brien, Edwards, Colorado; 11/29/1997; Burke Mountain Academy/Team Palisades Tahoe
• Mikaela Shiffrin, Edwards, Colorado; 3/13/1995; Burke Mountain Academy/Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (Olympics: 2014, 2018)
• Jacqueline “Jackie” Wiles, Aurora, Oregon;  7/13/1992; White Pass Ski Club (Olympics: 2014)
• *Alix Wilkinson, Mammoth Lakes, Calif.; 8/2/2000; Team Palisades Tahoe
• *Isabella “Bella” Wright, Salt Lake City, Utah; 2/10/1997; Snowbird Sports Education Foundation

Men

• Bryce Bennett, Tahoe City, California; 7/14/1992; Team Palisades Tahoe (Olympics: 2018)
• Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Starksboro, Vermont; 3/27/1992; Cochran’s/Mount Mansfield Ski & Snowboard Club (Olympics: 2018)
• Tommy Ford, Bend, Oregon; 3/20/1989; Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation (Olympics: 2010, 2018)
• Travis Ganong, Alpine Meadows, California; 7/14/1988; Team Palisades Tahoe (Olympics: 2014)
• *River Radamus, Edwards, Colorado; 2/12/1998; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail
• *Luke Winters, Gresham, Oregon; 4/2/1997; Sugar Bowl Academy

*Denotes first-time Olympian 

Watch Team USA compete on the networks of NBC throughout the Olympics, February 4-20, 2022. 

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QUOTES

Mikaela Shiffrin
“I’m thrilled and honored to be representing my country on the biggest sporting stage in the world as part of this 2022 Olympic team. What I’m even more excited about is the depth this team has and the success we’ve collectively had coming into this Olympics. Not only do we have a group of very talented veterans, but we also have so many first-time Olympians who have a shot at the podium, and I can’t wait to see what they do. As always, I am extremely grateful for the team behind us that has helped us get here. With all of the challenges we’ve faced just getting to this point, we’re even more motivated to compete and more determined to win. When we leave the start gate in Beijing, we will all be giving it everything we’ve got. Thank you to our fans, our sponsors, our incredibly gracious donors, and—of course—our coaches and support staff who work tirelessly day in and day out to allow us to realize our dreams, especially our Olympic dreams.”  

Breezy Johnson
“I was thrilled to make my first Olympic Games in 2018, but I never intended them to be my last. I left Korea with a deep desire to work as hard as anyone ever has to come back to the Games in a place to win a medal. I never expected the roller coaster the last four years have brought me, but after everything there has been more doubt about whether I ever could reach the level to go back to the brightest stage, let alone contend for a medal. I feel incredibly proud to be representing Team USA at my second Games and I hope to bring something back to show that all the work on the dark days was worth it. They say qualifying to the Olympics is less likely than being struck by lightning. I feel blessed that lightning struck twice.”

Jackie Wiles
“I am beyond excited to be named to my third Olympic team. Being able to have the opportunity to represent my country while doing the sport I love is every athlete's dream. Having to miss 2018 due to injury makes this Olympics that much more special.”

Ryan Cochran-Siegle
“It’s always a great honor to represent our country at an Olympic Games and I feel a high level of excitement for the opportunity to be competing in Beijing. This year was especially competitive on the men’s side for selections, so I feel even luckier to be one of the very few to have qualified. In my eyes, there are many other guys out there who also deserve this opportunity that I’m being given, so it’s very heartbreaking that only six of us can go. I look forward to racing on the world’s biggest stage for the second time in my career and hope to perform to the best of my ability. I have to say thank you for all the support I’ve been given from my family, friends, teammates, coaches, sponsors and the entire U.S. Ski & Snowboard organization. It wouldn’t have been possible for me to be in this position pursuing my Olympic dreams without each and every one of you!”

Tommy Ford
“This is such a cool opportunity! I’m stoked to be a part of the team. It is freeing to be able to do what I know how to do with the support of those who believe in it.”   

River Radamus
“This moment is the culmination of years of work that would not be possible without everyone who’s helped me along the way. I'm filled with gratitude for the opportunity to compete at the Olympics and hope to do proud by everyone who’s supported my journey here.”

Jesse Hunt - Alpine Director
“This is a phenomenal team led by Mikaela, and she is not alone. This team is filled with talent and multiple podium threats in many events. We’ve had five athletes in the last two seasons who have had breakthroughs and career-first podiums. On top of that, we’ve had numerous up-and-coming athletes score personal best results. We are lucky to have the leadership, professionalism, and experience of our veteran athletes like Mikaela and Ryan to set an example for our up-and-coming athletes about what success looks like at this level. It is going to be an exciting Games for this team.” 
 

2022 Olympic Winter Games 
Alpine Schedule

Thursday, February 3 - Men’s Downhill Training
Friday, February 4 - Men’s Downhill Training
Saturday, February 5 - Men’s Downhill Training
Sunday, February 6 - Men’s Downhill 
Monday, February 7 - Women’s Giant Slalom
Tuesday, February 8 - Men’s Super-G
Wednesday, February 9 - Women’s Slalom and Men’s Downhill Training
Thursday, February 10 - Men’s Alpine Combined
Friday, February 11 - Women’s Super-G
Saturday, February 12 - Women’s Downhill Training
Sunday, February 13 - Men’s Giant Slalom and Women’s Downhill Training
Monday, February 14 - Women’s Downhill Training 
Tuesday, February 15 - Women’s Downhill
Wednesday, Feb. 16 - Men’s Slalom and Women’s Downhill Training
Thursday, February 17 - Women’s Alpine Combined 
Saturday, February 19 - Team Parallel Event

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Megan Harrod
Alpine Press Officer
megan.harrod@usskiandsnowboard.org