Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athletes Mikaela Shiffrin and Paula Moltzan finished sixth and 19th on the first day of the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup giant slalom series in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.

The women’s first run was stacked, with mere tenths of a second separating first from 10th, making for a competitive second run. After the first run, Shiffrin clocked in fifth and Moltzan 14th. 

"The course held up great; the snow is probably some of the best we have seen this year,” said Moltzan. “My first run felt better than the second run, but the good thing is there is another day tomorrow.”

Canadian skier Valerie Grenier secured her first-ever World Cup podium and victory with Italian skier Marta Bassino in second, and Petra Vlhova in third. 

“I think it was a very exciting race with the top ladies," said Shiffrin. "They skied very well and it was fun to watch."

Shiffrin is currently at 81 World Cup wins, just one shy of the 82-win women's record held by American skier Lindsey Vonn. Shiffrin plans to remain focused on her skiing as the record looms. 

“It was a great race and I will look at my video to see where I lost time, so we will see if I can pick it up tomorrow,” said Shiffrin. “I was not thinking about the record today. Every race I ski now I have the chance to equalize Lindsey’s record, but I will just focus on my skiing.”

Ava Sunshine, Katie Hensien and Stella Johansson finished the first run but did not qualify for a second run. Nina O’Brien was ripping through the track of the first run but unfortunately did not finish.

Shiffrin and the rest of the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team crew have a chance in another giant slalom race Sunday.

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Team men’s giant slalom crew raced on the Adelboden track in Switzerland today, Jan. 7. A highlight of the afternoon was the thousands of fans in attendance. The cheering was loud and the atmosphere was electric on the warm and sunny Switzerland afternoon.

River Radamus led the team and finished in 22nd place with Tommy Ford close behind in 27th. Both racers had trouble on the first and second runs, but remain in high spirits as they look to the next giant slaloms later this month.

Marco Odermatt of Switzerland had a big win in front of the home crowd. Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway took second and Swiss skier Loic Meillard was third.

Brian McLaughlin and Patrick Kenney both raced, but McLaughlin did not finish and Kenney did not qualify for a second run.

The Adelboden track turns to slalom on Sunday.

RESULTS
Women's slalom
Men's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH

Sunday, Jan 8, 2023

3:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, women's giant slalom, first run, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

4:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, men's slalom, first run, Adelboden, Switzerland, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

7:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, men's slalom, second run, Adelboden, Switzerland, streaming on  skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, women's giant slalom, second run, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia streaming on  skiandsnowboard.live

The U.S. Cross Country Team raced the first of three races in Val di Femme, Italy to kick off the last stop of the FIS Tour de Ski with JC Schoonmaker leading the way for the Americans, finishing seventh, Ben Ogden ninth, and Rosie Brennan 10th.

To begin the 1.5k classic sprint at the site for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, three men and three women qualified in the top 30 to advance to the next round. On the fast and hilly course, Ogden showed his speed by qualifying third, Schoonmaker was fifth and Zak Ketterson 15th - advancing to the heats for the first time in his World Cup career. For the women, Brennan led the way in qualifiers in 13th, Jessie Diggins in 16th, and Julia Kern in 24th to advance to the quarterfinal heats. 

Onto the heats - it's a game of mere inches. In the first heat for the men, Ogden skied smart and drafted Haavard Moseby of Norway through the tracks of the 1.5k course. With only meters to go, Ogden made the move and took the inside line of the critical left turn on the course and catapulted his way into a second-place finish. JC Schoonmaker, who qualified fifth in the qualifiers, made a move late in the heats to finish second - this led him to advance to the semifinal heats.

For women, Brennan skied smart throughout the entire first quarterfinal heat and pushed the pace alongside Krista Parmakowski of Finland and Nadine Faehndrich of Switzerland. Sprinting to the finish, Brennan was third in her heat, moving on to the semifinals with her lucky loser time. Diggins and Kern raced together in heat five but did not advance to the semifinals. 

In the semifinal heats, Ben Ogden charged into the lead with the eventual winner of the day, Johannes Klaebo, in tow. "They were kind of slow in the beginning, and I was just like 'Oh, I'm going to do it, I'm just gonna try,'" Ogden said of his mid-race effort that had him looking back to see the damage he inflicted. "I went as hard as I could, got to the top of the hill, and looked back and it was just me and the King (Kleabo). I was like maybe this could work, but of course, I paid the price in the end."

With fast skiing being the theme of the course, Klaebo made a move late and won the round, with Ogden finishing fifth. "I'll stand by (that effort)," Ogden added. "This was a unique course and a unique situation for me and I had a lot of energy...I might not try it again too soon, but I'm going to keep messing around. I've tried four times now to get into the finals, I mean eight times. I've been making errors doing other things...I try to ski smart and I don't make it, I try to wait till the end, and I don't make it, try to go early and I don't make it...so you have to try everything and see what works."

For Schoonmaker, the theme of fast skiing continued as the young American, finished third in the semifinal after skiing a smart round with some of the sports' veterans. 

In the semis, Brennan led the way in semifinal heat one, and even though she did not advance, reflected through a personal Instagram post that she is, "happy to find myself back in the semis today. It's been a slow journey in sprinting but forward is still forward!"

Now, with five out of seven stages of the Tour complete, the team resets for Saturday's 15k classic mass start. Watch LIVE on skindsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Men
Women

TOUR DE SKI SCHEDULE 

Val di Fiemme, Italy 
Stage 6: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023: 15k classic mass start 
Stage 7: Sunday, Jan 8, 2023: 10k freestyle final climb mass start 

HOW TO WATCH

All races will be LIVE with commentary on skiandsnowboard.live. 

Stage 6, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 7, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023
5:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Luke Winters secured an 11th place finish in the Garmisch, Germany Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup night slalom on Wednesday, the best Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team result in men’s slalom this season. It was a well-fought result in extremely difficult conditions.

“It feels good to get one in there and to have a second run,” said Winters on his successful day. “I knew I had to take advantage of the second run start position, and I thought I did what I could. I felt pretty good about my run crossing the finish line.”

During first run, the conditions showed through the athletes' times. The later the racer went, the worse the snow got with ruts and dishes from the spring-like conditions, but Winters tried his best to take advantage.

“With the conditions, your start number helped a lot, and it was tough, but I do enjoy these days. I grew up on this snow and it's kind of nice to have the struggle because then you also see the top guys struggle as well,” said Winters, who hails from Mt. Hood, Oregon. 

The top three finishers for the race included Norwegian skier Henrik Kristoffersen in first, Manuel Feller of Austria in second and Clement Noel of France in third.

Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athletes Ben Ritchie did not finish first run, and Jett Seymour fought his way through the difficult conditions to land in 53rd position.

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Team men will now look to Adelboden for a men’s giant slalom and slalom series January 7-8.

RESULTS
Men's slalom results

It was a fast day for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team on the fourth stage of the Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf, Germany. Jessie Diggins was back in the top 10, crossing the line in eighth place and Ben Ogden ended the pursuit in the top 20, finishing in 13th place. 

For the Americans, the men packed half of the team into the top 30, and for the women, every single athlete was in the top 50. In a familiar site of the Tour, Johannes Klaebo of Norway won his fourth straight race and Frida Karlsson of Sweden was first for the women. 

Let's Talk Times

The real magic of the day was reflected in the individual times. While the placement of where an athlete finished among the pursuit pack count for FIS points and overall Tour de Ski rankings, the overall place fails to reflect how fast they actually skied the course compared to their competitors.

Alayna Sonnesyn, who is now in 37th place for the Tour de Ski rankings, had the fifth fastest time of day among the women. If this was not a pursuit race, Sonnesyn would have been fifth overall, a career-best result and PR for the young American skier.

"I felt so good. I am very happy with the day! I gave it my all and I am proud of that," said Sonnesyn, post-race. "I hope I am ready for three more races, but looking back I am really proud of my pacing through this Tour and today's result exceeded my expectations. I am excited for more!"

Based on overall pursuit results, Diggins was eighth, Rosie Brennan was 13th, Julia Kern 17th, Sophia Laukli 30th and Alayna Sonnesyn 31st. However, digging deeper into individual times, Diggins won the day, Brennan was 10th, Kern sixth and Laukli eighth - noting that all five American women ranked within the top ten for the day. 

"I knew my body was fine the whole time; I just had to keep believing and trusting the plan. I finally had great skis and that's really what I needed. I was so grateful to our wax techs - to have the skis that I needed to have a competitive day," said Diggins. “But there are things that are more important than racing. I think being kind and being a good teammate is more important and I am proud to say that this is what I have been focused on this whole time throughout the Tour.”

For the men's overall pursuit result, the Americans packed the top 30. Ogden led the charge in 13th, Scott Patterson 17th, Hunter Wonders 19th, Gus Schumacher 26th, Zak Ketterson 55th, Finn O'Connell 56th, JC Schoonmaker 69th and Kevin Bolger 71st.

Yet, based on individual times, Patterson crossed the line in 4th place, Wonders 19th, Ogden 24th, Schumacher 26th, O'Connell 54th, Ketterson 61st, Schoonmaker 67th and Bolger 68th.

"It was good today. I was bib 29, but we caught the lead pack within three laps and then it turned into a cat-and-mouse game," said Patterson in a post-race reflection. "But, it turned out alright and I was right there in the mix. I am feeling good - the next two races will be fun and with my training and background, when people start getting tired, I start moving up the ranks, so I am excited for Val di Fiemme!"

Now, the team will travel to Val di Fiemme, Italy for the last three stages of the Tour de Ski. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

Start List Women

1. Jessie Diggins
2. Rosie Brennan
3. Julia Kern
4. Sophia Laukli
5. Alayna Sonnesyn

Start List Men

1. Ben Ogden
2. JC Schoonmaker
3. Scott Patterson
4. Hunter Wonders
5. Zak Ketterson
6. Gus Schumacher
7. Kevin Bolger
8. Finn O’Connell

TOUR DE SKI SCHEDULE 

Val Müstair, Switzerland 

Stage 1 - Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022: 1.5k freestyle sprint

Stage 2 - Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023: 10k classic pursuit 

Oberstdorf, Germany

Stage 3: Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023: 10k classic interval start

Stage 4: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023: 20k freestyle pursuit 

Val di Fiemme, Italy 

Stage 5: Friday, Jan. 6, 2023: 1.5k classic sprint

Stage 6: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023: 15k classic mass start 

Stage 7: Sunday, Jan 8, 2023: 10k freestyle final climb mass start 

HOW TO WATCH

All races will be LIVE with commentary on skiandsnowboard.live. 

Stage 5, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023
4:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, qualifiers, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, finals, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 6, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 7, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023
5:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Mikaela Shiffrin scored her 81st Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup win in the Zagreb, Croatia slalom, bringing her within one win to tie the record for the winningest woman alpine skier of all time. It was her fifth World Cup win in a row and her victory crowned her the Snow Queen atop the Sljeme track in front of an enthusiastic night slalom crowd.  

This was Shiffrin’s 51st World Cup slalom win, five of which have come from the infamous Snow Queen Trophy race in Zagreb. It was a warm day with tough snow conditions that caused the start to be lowered and the snow to rut up, but it didn’t seem to bother Shiffrin, who won the first run by .23 seconds. She took a measured amount of risk second run to take the overall win by .76 seconds.

“I’m incredibly happy,” said Shiffrin. “I had so much fun skiing today. It was really my best skiing both runs. Nothing less than the best is going to work. I was taking all the risks I needed and made it to the finish. It’s just an amazing feeling when it’s good enough.”

Petra Vlhova of Slovakia was second in the Snow Queen Trophy slalom with Anna Swenn Larsson of Sweden third.

The result brings Shiffrin just one race shy of former Stifel U.S. Alpine Team teammate Lindsey Vonn’s record of 82 World Cup wins, which would tie Shiffrin with the winningest woman alpine skier of all time. Ingemar Stenmark’s World Cup record is also in her sights at 86 wins. With another race on the Sljeme slalom track tomorrow and five wins in the last five races, Shiffrin is on a roll. Only two women ski racers have won more races in a row than Shiffrin: Vreni Scheider of Switzerland won eight in the 1988-89 season and Germany’s Katja Seizinger won six in 1997.

Katie Hensien, Zoe Zimmermann, Nina O’Brien, Paula Moltzan, Lila Lapanja and Ava Sunshine did not qualify for a second run.

The women race again in Zagreb tomorrow, Thursday, at 9 a.m. ET. Stream it live on InFront’s skiandsnowboard.live.

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

It was the day for career bests for the U.S Cross Country Ski Team in the third stage of the Tour de Ski. It was a very warm and rainy afternoon in Oberstdorf, Germany, but Ben Ogden and Hunter Wonders still posted historic results in the 10k classic. Ogden finished sixth in 22:08.5 and Wonders 11th, respectively. Rosie Brennan led the women in 11th place, crossing the line in 25:53.8. 

With temperatures reaching nearly 40 degrees Fahrenheit and rain misting the completely man-made track, the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team found their speed and had five men and four women in the top 50. 

Ogden continued his strong showing on the Tour with a sixth-place result, cementing his best-ever distance result in a World Cup. Hunter Wonders, who finished 11th, also had a career-best individual result to end the day. Five U.S. men were in the top 50 with Gus Schumacher in 15th, Scott Patterson 29th and Zak Ketterson 38th. Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won for the third time in a row, crossing the finish line in first with a time of 21:38.5 and will continue sporting the yellow bib in the next race. 

"It was a real treat out there today," said Ogden. "I just had unlimited energy, especially given it was the third race of the Tour... it was just a ton of fun. Each passing race I learn a little bit more about how to ski smart and today it really came together, and I got to sit in the leader chair so it was pretty awesome."

On the women's side, Rosie Brennan persevered through the confusing conditions and finished 11th among the strong and fast field of women. Julia Kern finished in 38th, Jessie Diggins 40th and rounding out the top 50 was Sophia Laukli in 44th. Frida Karlsson of Sweden was atop the podium in 24:53.3 and will dawn the yellow bib heading into the next stage. 

Continuing the streak of races, the Tour continues with the 20k skate pursuit kicking off tomorrow, Jan. 4th, on the same track in Oberstdorf. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women's 10k classic
Men's 10k classic

Start List Women

1. Jessie Diggins
2. Rosie Brennan
3. Julia Kern
4. Sophia Laukli
5. Alayna Sonnesyn

Start List Men

1. Ben Ogden
2. JC Schoonmaker
3. Scott Patterson
4. Hunter Wonders
5. Zak Ketterson
6. Gus Schumacher
7. Kevin Bolger
8. Finn O’Connell

TOUR DE SKI SCHEDULE 

Val Müstair, Switzerland 

Stage 1 - Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022: 1.5k freestyle sprint

Stage 2 - Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023: 10k classic pursuit 

Oberstdorf, Germany

Stage 3: Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023: 10k classic interval start

Stage 4: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023: 20k freestyle pursuit 

Val di Fiemme, Italy 

Stage 5: Friday, Jan. 6, 2023: 1.5k classic sprint

Stage 6: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023: 15k classic mass start 

Stage 7: Sunday, Jan 8, 2023: 10k freestyle final climb mass start 

HOW TO WATCH

All races will be LIVE with commentary on skiandsnowboard.live. 

Stage 4, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023
5:15 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 20k Skate Pursuit, men's, Oberstdorf, Germany, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
8:15 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 20k Skate Pursuit, women's, Oberstdorf, Germany,  streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 5, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023
4:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, qualifiers, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, finals, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 6, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 7, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023
5:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Rosie Brennan led the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team in the second stage of the Tour de Ski in Val Mustair, Switzerland, taking seventh place in the 10k classic pursuit. Ben Ogden was the top U.S. man in 18th place.

"I had a strong race today," Brennan said in a post-race interview. "I’m not sure I’ve ever done a pursuit start after a sprint so I wasn’t sure how that would unfold especially on a short 2.5km at altitude with very gradual climbing. The altitude and gradual climbing played to my strength and I was able to settle into a steady pace and pick people off. I made up some good ground early but in the later part of the race, the leaders turned it up a notch so my overall time didn’t make up quite as much ground as I had hoped but there were lots of good signs and a race I am very happy with."

Julia Kern continued her strong showing at the Tour, snagging 12th, and Jessie Diggins was 30th. Rounding out the women, Sophia Laukli was 50th and Alayna Sonnesyn 53rd.

Behind Ogden, Hunter Wonders was 53rd, Zak Ketterson 57th, Scott Patterson 59th, Gus Schumacher 62nd, Finn O'Connell 70th, Kevin Bolger 85th and JC Schoonmaker 88th.

The Tour de Ski now packs up to head to Germany, for a 10k classic and a 20k skate pursuit in Oberstdorf. The stage race continues on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

Tour de Ski Explained

The Tour de Ski is back! Each year, to begin period two of the FIS Cross Country World Cup circuit, a grueling race series takes athletes to three countries in less than ten days and includes seven different races. Based on the format of the Tour de France bike series, the Tour de Ski spans nine days, with seven stages of the competition and the overall winner dawns the yellow bib. 

For the past few years, the Tour de Ski has begun in Switzerland and historically concludes less than 10 days later with the infamous final climb up the Italian slope of Alpe Cermis. While the Tour de Ski races are considered FIS Cross Country World Cups with the standard point scoring system, the overall standings are decided based on time. But, the week is not just focused on individual performances - there is a team angle too. The best times of the two best athletes per gender, per country, are added together for the team competition. 

In 2020, Jessie Diggins won the Tour. Proving herself to be an all-around skier, winning in both sprint and distance races, Diggins is looking forward to the week but taking it one race at a time. After her 40th-place result in stage one, Diggins is only looking forward. "I think it's important to realize you don't know what is going to happen in every race. But now, I am going to focus on rest, recovery, food, hydration and all the things that are important in having a good Tour," said Diggins, post-race. "I am going to focus on moving forward and am excited for the 10k tomorrow!" 

As the rules state, if an athlete does not start or complete a race, they are eliminated from the Tour. For the U.S. team, five women and eight men will compete throughout the week.

Women

1. Jessie Diggins
2. Rosie Brennan
3. Julia Kern
4. Sophia Laukli
5. Alayna Sonnesyn

Men

1. Ben Ogden
2. JC Schoonmaker
3. Scott Patterson
4. Hunter Wonders
5. Zak Ketterson
6. Gus Schumacher
7. Kevin Bolger
8. Finn O’Connell

RESULTS
Women's 10k classic pursuit
Men's 10k classic pursuit

TOUR DE SKI SCHEDULE 

Val Müstair, Switzerland 

Stage 1 - Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022: 1.5k freestyle sprint

Stage 2 - Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023: 10k classic pursuit 

Oberstdorf, Germany

Stage 3: Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023: 10k classic interval start

Stage 4: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023: 20k freestyle pursuit 

Val di Fiemme, Italy 

Stage 5: Friday, Jan. 6, 2023: 1.5k classic sprint

Stage 6: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023: 15k classic mass start 

Stage 7: Sunday, Jan 8, 2023: 10k freestyle final climb mass start 

HOW TO WATCH

All races will be LIVE with commentary on skiandsnowboard.live. 

Stage 3, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Classic Interval Start, men's, Oberstdorf, Germany, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
8:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Classic Interval Start, women's, Oberstdorf, Germany,  streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 4, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023
5:15 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 20k Skate Pursuit, men's, Oberstdorf, Germany, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
8:15 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 20k Skate Pursuit, women's, Oberstdorf, Germany,  streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 5, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023
4:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, qualifiers, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, finals, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 6, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 7, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023
5:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Julia Kern finished 11th in the Stage 1 freestyle sprint of the FIS Tour de Ski Saturday to lead four U.S. athletes into the top 30 in Val Mustair, Switzerland.

Kern qualified sixth, and racing in the second quarterfinal - fastest heat of the day - finished second to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinal round, Kern led early in the race against a stacked field that included the top three finishers on the day - Nadine Faehndrich of Switzerland, Maja Dahlquist of Sweden, and Lotta Udnes Weng of Norway - but a late crash dashed her hopes of advancing to the finals.

"I felt really great today and my skis were ripping fast," Kern said. "In the quarterfinal, I felt strong and skied pretty well, but in the semifinal, I had some trouble closing the gap. Overall I'm pretty happy about the day but hungry for more as I'm tired of being the semifinal queen."

Rosie Brennan qualified 14th and advanced to the heats. She finished third in the quarterfinals and 14th on the day. "Having struggled with sprinting this year, I didn't have too many expectations," Brennan said. "I found my first hint of sprint feelings in my quarterfinal, but was also very disappointed with how I skied the last corner. So some good, some bad, made for an average day to start my Tour. I hope I can make up some time in the distance races moving forward. Tomorrow will certainly be a bit of a wild day with a short course and fast conditions so we'll see what happens out there."

In the men's race, Ben Ogden and JC Schoonmaker qualified fourth and 21st respectively. In the quarterfinal heats, Ogden broke a pole right out of the start, but thanks to a quick replacement pole handoff by coach Matt Whitcomb, he not only chased down the pack but took the lead over the top of the first climb. However, burning those early matches cost him down the stretch. Ogden finished 13th on the day with Schoonmaker in 26th. 

On a special note...Finn O’Connell had his World Cup debut Saturday, finishing 67th.

Up next, a 10k classic pursuit for both men and women. Catch all the action LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live.

Tour de Ski Explained

The Tour de Ski is back! Each year, to begin period two of the FIS Cross Country World Cup circuit, a grueling race series takes athletes to three countries in less than ten days and includes seven different races. Based on the format of the Tour de France bike series, the Tour de Ski spans nine days, with seven stages of the competition and the overall winner dawns the yellow bib. 

For the past few years, the Tour de Ski has begun in Switzerland and historically concludes less than 10 days later with the infamous final climb up the Italian slope of Alpe Cermis. While the Tour de Ski races are considered FIS Cross Country World Cups with the standard point scoring system, the overall standings are decided based on time. But, the week is not just focused on individual performances - there is a team angle too. The best times of the two best athletes per gender, per country, are added together for the team competition. 

In 2020, Jessie Diggins won the Tour. Proving herself to be an all-around skier, winning in both sprint and distance races, Diggins is looking forward to the week but taking it one race at a time. After her 40th-place result in stage one, Diggins is only looking forward. "I think it's important to realize you don't know what is going to happen in every race. But now, I am going to focus on rest, recovery, food, hydration and all the things that are important in having a good Tour," said Diggins, post-race. "I am going to focus on moving forward and am excited for the 10k tomorrow!" 

As the rules state, if an athlete does not start or complete a race, they are eliminated from the Tour. For the U.S. team, five women and eight men will compete throughout the week.

Women

1. Jessie Diggins
2. Rosie Brennan
3. Julia Kern
4. Sophia Laukli
5. Alayna Sonnesyn

Men

1. Ben Ogden
2. JC Schoonmaker
3. Scott Patterson
4. Hunter Wonders
5. Zak Ketterson
6. Gus Schumacher
7. Kevin Bolger
8. Finn O’Connell

RESULTS 

Stage 1 Freestyle Sprint
Men
Women

Overall (after one stage)
Men
Women

TOUR DE SKI SCHEDULE 

Val Müstair, Switzerland 

Stage 1 - Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022: 1.5k freestyle sprint

Stage 2 - Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023: 10k classic pursuit 

Oberstdorf, Germany

Stage 3: Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023: 10k classic interval start

Stage 4: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023: 20k freestyle pursuit 

Val di Fiemme, Italy 

Stage 5: Friday, Jan. 6, 2023: 1.5k classic sprint

Stage 6: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023: 15k classic mass start 

Stage 7: Sunday, Jan 8, 2023: 10k freestyle final climb mass start 

HOW TO WATCH

All races will be LIVE with commentary on skiandsnowboard.live. 

Stage 2, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 (Happy New Year!) 

6:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Classic Pursuit, women's, Val Mustair, Switzerland, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

7:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Classic Pursuit, men's, Val Mustair, Switzerland, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 3, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023

5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Classic Interval Start, men's, Oberstdorf, Germany, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

8:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Classic Interval Start, women's, Oberstdorf, Germany,  streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 4, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023

5:15 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 20k Skate Pursuit, men's, Oberstdorf, Germany, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

8:15 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 20k Skate Pursuit, women's, Oberstdorf, Germany,  streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 5, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023

4:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, qualifiers, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, finals, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 6, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023

5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

7:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 7, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023

5:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

6:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Mikaela Shiffrin and Paula Moltzan went big on the third day of racing in Austria, with the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes going one-two for the first time in a slalom Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup since 1971. 

Shiffrin made quite the impression in Semmering as she hat-tricked the weekend, clinching another first place for the third time in three days and adding another World Cup win to her list. Her win made history, making Shiffrin the third alpine skier to ever reach 80 World Cup wins, and brings a record 82 wins well within her sights.

 "Well that was a pretty insane evening," exclaimed Shiffrin. "As far as numbers go I don't have words, but I knew that this was going to be the race that Paula and I were on the podium which makes it so special."

Moltzan was third after first run by .79 seconds, and threw down a blazing second run to snag second place for her first slalom World Cup podium of her career. Moltzan never ventured out of the top 10 throughout the Semmering weekend, scoring ninth and 10th in the giant slalom, and finally stepped onto the slalom podium for the first time, and certainly not the last. Lena Duerr of Germany rounded out the podium in third.

“I honestly could not be more proud of myself and the team and to do this in front of my parents is amazing,” said Moltzan. “I am still finding the words but I am just really proud of myself right now.”

Katie Hensien was also in the mix, nabbing 29th first run to make the flip and bibbing up to finishing 21st.

“I really had that mindset of trust my skiing, proving I am be up there and believing in myself,” said Hensien.

The success didn't slow down for the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team tech women and neither did the support. Ava Sunshine and Nina O'Brien did not make the flip for run two and Lila Lapanja did not finish, but all were seen at the bottom cheering on Shiffrin, Moltzan and Hensien. As the women finished their second run, thunderous cheers and big hugs were seen around the world, with Moltzan skiing straight into the arms of her teammates after she finished her second run, Shiffrin finishing her second run and immediately hugging a tear-streaked Moltzan, and Shiffrin and Moltzan spraying each other with champagne on the podium.

As 2022 comes to an end, the athletes, coaches and support staff have lots of success to look back on as they prepare and reset for what 2023 will bring. 

RESULTS
Women's slalom 

Four Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes finished in the top 30 in the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Bormio super-G on Thursday. Ryan Cochran-Siegle led the way with a 13th-place finish among the strong men's field. 

“Today was another challenging day, surprisingly icy considering most of the course was set outside of the downhill track,” commented Cochran-Siegle. “It’s been a difficult start to the super-G season, so in a way getting a top 15 is a little bit of a win. I also recognize I am more capable than that, so it’s important to not get complacent.”

In addition to Cochran-Siegle’s performance, Erik Arvidsson raced to another strong result in 21st place, with teammate Kyle Negomir close behind in 24th and Jared Goldberg in 29th. 

“I felt like I had some mistakes today and wasn’t able to execute the way I wanted to but it was still good to see that I can not be very proud of my skiing and still be in the points,” said Negomir.  “Super happy with the skiing today we knew it would be possible to throw it in there because the snow was good," said Arvidsson. 

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Travis Ganong finished in 40th and River Radamus and Bryce Bennett did not finish. Regardless, the men’s speed team was very excited to see a strong performance by their teammates coming from the back.

“It was so much fun to see Erik ski to his potential this weekend, I'm so proud to see how much work he’s put into getting here and have it start to pay off. Looking forward to carrying this momentum with our young group of men for the rest of the season,” said Negomir. 

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team will reset over the next weekend and then head to the next World Cup - the slalom in Garmisch after the new year. 
 

RESULTS
Men's super-G