United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, in conjunction with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, today announced the addition of snowboarder Jake Vedder to the 2022 U.S. Olympic Team. 

He replaces the quota spot previously held by Alex Deibold, who was injured on Jan. 29 in a crash during the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup qualifiers at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. 

Vedder, 21, hails from Pinckney, Michigan, and was a member of  the International Snowboard Training Center. Vedder earned his first World Cup podium with a second-place finish at the 2018 Cervinia FIS World Cup, he currently ranks 34th in FIS points standings with 40-plus World Cup starts. Vedder has been a member of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team since 2018. 

Updated rosters can be found here, or at TeamUSA.org.

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

FOLLOW THE TEAM 

Instagram @ussnowboardteam
Facebook @usskiandsnowboard
TikTok @usskiandsnowboard
Twitter @usskiteam

U.S. Snowboard Team rider and 2014 Olympic bronze medalist Alex Deibold was injured during qualifying at the final FIS World Cup snowboardcross event at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, this past weekend. Deibold sustained a head injury that will require him to withdraw from the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to allow for a full recovery. 

Alex and his family are grateful for the care he is receiving and the support from their communities. Deibold shares, “While I’m grateful to know I’ll have a full recovery in the long run, I am obviously heartbroken to miss the Games.” He adds, “I feel pretty lucky to have all this medical staff helping me recover so quickly.”

“Alex is a huge asset to the team and always a big event medal contender, so it’s incredibly disappointing he won’t be able to compete,” says Snowboardcross Head Coach Peter Foley.

Deibold was coming off a phenomenal season, with twelve World Cup starts, ranking among the top 20 in FIS Points standings. Deibold was slated to travel with the U.S. Snowboardcross Team to Beijing 2022 to compete in his second Winter Olympics. In his debut appearance at Sochi 2014, Deibold had an incredible performance earning a bronze medal. 

A member of the U.S. Snowboard Team since 2004, Deibold has been part of five World Championship U.S. snowboard teams, including 2007, 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2021. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard, his coaches, and his teammates wish Deibold a full recovery.

Vuarnet, the iconic French eyewear brand, and U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic national governing body of skiing and snowboarding in the United States, announced today a new agreement to become an Official Eyewear Supplier of the U.S. Ski Team. 

Vuarnet’s alpine heritage and Olympic legacy run deep. Founded in 1957, Vuarnet’s Legend was born when French ski racer Jean Vuarnet won the Olympic downhill at the 1960 Squaw Valley Games wearing the original 02 model with SkilynxTM lenses, a disruptive new technology. Vuarnet has been crafting exceptional eyewear ever since then in its factory near Paris, France, which has received the prestigious Living Heritage Company (EPV) label. Vuarnet was also a sponsor of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games. 

Offering the highest level of protection, Vuarnet mineral glass lenses provide absolute clarity in the intense alpine environment. Passionate about quality and innovation, Vuarnet is proud to protect athletes’ sight when it matters most. New for the brand since reentering the U.S. market in 2016 is the introduction of goggles and an entire sports collection, featuring bio-nylon lenses designed to meet the needs of the world’s best athletes and athletes at heart. 

Vuarnet’s shared love of sport at all levels aligns with U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s mission in developing the future of competitive skiing and snowboarding. 

“We are proud to enter into this new partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard and reintroduce ourselves to the competitive U.S. snowsports world,” said Vuarnet CEO David Belhassen. “The mountains are in our roots and DNA, and we look forward to supporting athletes as they pursue greatness on and off the slopes. Our founder, Jean, was all about innovation in style. We are happy to align in our shared values of hard work, perseverance and sheer love of snowsports and the mountains.”

“Vuarnet and skiing are synonymous. The brand enjoys a great history on the slopes, and we are thrilled to partner with them to introduce their world-class eyewear to a whole new generation of athletes and snowsports enthusiasts,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Revenue Officer Michael O’Conor. “Vuarnet’s commitment to craftsmanship and innovation mirrors our athletes’ pursuit of excellence. We could not be more thrilled to welcome them to the U.S. Ski Team family.”

Vuarnet is proud to bring on athletes across disciplines as part of its roster and looks forward to building the relationship with U.S. Ski & Snowboard year over year.

###

About Vuarnet 
Vuarnet is the iconic French eyewear mountaineering brand founded in France by Jean Vuarnet in 1957.

Jean Vuarnet, a talented French skier, won the Olympic downhill gold medal at the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Olympics. A great lover of mountains and nature, he notably created the Avoriaz ski resort in 1966, the first French resort without cars, with an avant-garde vision of eco-responsibility. 

Today, Vuarnet produces its mineral glass lenses in its own French factory, using traditional manufacturing methods unchanged since its inception. Vuarnet mineral glasses, 100% natural and recyclable, provide the best protection against sunlight reflection thanks to LynxTM technology. Since 1957, the brand has offered timeless classic iconic frames that are still bestsellers. Vuarnet embraces its roots in 1960s skiing, nostalgia for craftsmanship, and the art of living in the French mountains.

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2022, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org

Media Contacts
Vuarnet
Shannon Welch
Chapter 2 Agency
shannon@chapter2agency.com

U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Courtney Harkins
Elevate Communications
charkins@elevatecom.com

Five Olympics. 13 X Games gold medals. Shaun White has led a legendary career in the snowboard halfpipe. He knows it, and his peers know it. But at 35, White is not yet ready to give up on the sport that has defined his life thus far. Not until he enters an Olympic pipe, one last time.

Washington Post writer Les Carpenter chronicles the inner turmoil that has led White to decide to retire after the Games in Beijing. The nagging pain in his knee and ankle, the need to take days off from practice, athletes 13 years his junior pushing him to his limit in competition, and the imminent progression of a sport that he helped define for so many years. 

For White to reach this decision, it had to be entirely his own. 

“I’m not, like, going to just hand it over,” he says. “I’m not going to walk away. I’m going to give it everything I have at this Olympics. It’s my title to defend.

“But knowing what was lying on the other side of this Olympics kind of gave me a second wind,” he continues. “And we’re like: ‘Okay, well, if this is the choice and this is the decision, I can let this crumble me and I’ll crawl away and give up or like, ‘Hey, this is your last go: Let’s be safe, let’s do this thing, but let’s push it to the point of breaking.’ ”

Read the full article at WashingtonPost.com.

Saturday, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Jackie Wiles made a symbolic return to the venue that once shook her Olympic dreams, finishing 21st in the downhill and matching her best result at the venue.

Four years ago, Wiles found herself in a similar position at the start of the Kandahar, with drastically different results. She crashed hard in the final downhill competition before the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, suffering fractures to her tibia and fibula, as well as cruciate ligament tears. Her crash was devastating to the then 25-year-old, who had been riding a season of career highs following a podium in Cortina and a top-five in Lake Louise.

Wiles spent years fighting to recover from her injuries, just to make it back on snow. At one point in her recovery, she wasn’t sure she would ever be able to ski again. Posting a point-scoring finish in Garmisch on the brink of the Winter Olympic Games Beijing 2022 shows just how far the now 29-year-old has come.

“Today meant a lot to me,” commented Wiles. “Coming back, racing the Garmisch downhill four years later after my crash pre-Olympics, feels like I can finally put it behind me. I was happy with my skiing today and had some fast sections. It wasn’t the result I had entirely hoped for, but excited to take confidence and momentum into Beijing.”

Wiles' teammate Alix Wilkinson also posted a point-scoring finish, in 24th. In the absence of Breezy Johnson, who had to withdraw from the upcoming Winter Olympic Games due to a persistent knee injury, 21-year-old Wilkinson will punch her ticket to the Games for the first time. Wilkinson carries the momentum of a top 25 in Garmisch and a top 20 finish in Cortina in the Games, two of her best results she has seen in the World Cup downhill thus far.

In the notable absence of both Johnson and current downhill leader Sofia Goggia of Italy, due to injury, Saturday saw Switzerland’s Corrine Suter and Jasmine Flury take the top two spots on the podium, followed by Austria’s Cornelia Huetter in third. American Keely Cashman finished outside the points by seven hundredths in 31st. Tricia Mangan finished 36th.

Following Sunday’s super G in Garmisch, the women’s speed circuit will join their fellow competitors in Beijing for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games before returning to the World Cup circuit in March.

RESULTS 
Women’s downhill

STANDINGS
Women’s downhill
Women’s overall

HOW TO WATCH

Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Super-G - LIVE, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock

Current television broadcast and streaming schedules for all sports are available here.

Sport-specific broadcast and streaming schedules are available below:

• Alpine
• Cross Country
• Freeski
• Freestyle
• Ski Jumping
• Nordic Combined
• Snowboard

Broadcast and streaming are updated on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard website throughout the season.

Streaming services and apps are third-party services and subject to such parties’ terms of use and data privacy. U.S. Ski & Snowboard disclaims any and all liability for use of third-party services and apps.

United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, in conjunction with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, today announced the addition of alpine skier Alix Wilkinson to the 2022 U.S. Olympic Team. 

She replaces the quota spot previously held by Breezy Johnson, who was injured on Jan. 21 in a downhill training run crash at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

Wilkinson, 21, hails from Mammoth Lakes, Calif., and skied for Team Palisades Tahoe. She recently scored her first FIS Ski World Cup points, with a top 20 (18th place) finish in the Cortina d’Ampezzo downhill in just her seventh career World Cup start. She followed that up with some more World Cup points and a solid finish in 24th in Saturday's Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany downhill. 

Updated rosters can be found here, or at TeamUSA.org.

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

FOLLOW THE TEAM 
Instagram @usskiteam 
Facebook @usskiandsnowboard
TikTok @usskiandsnowboard
Twitter @usskiteam

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced today an additional nomination of Decker Dean for the U.S. Olympic Ski Jumping Team to represent Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. 

Dean hails from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where he was a part of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. Dean’s career highlights include a second-place finish at the Continental Cup in Willington, Germany in 2021 and finishing third overall at the U.S. Olympic Team Ski Jumping Trials in Lake Placid, New York in December.

Dean’s nomination was granted following a reallocation of quota positions by the International Ski Federation (FIS). Once the quota was expanded to add an athlete from the United States, Dean was selected based on results from domestic and international competitions.

Ski jumping’s action-packed schedule kicks off Saturday, February 5 with the first of three medal events, the Individual Normal Hill competition, followed by the final round on Sunday, February 6. Friday, February 11 hosts the Individual Large Hill, with the final round taking place the following day. Team Ski Jumping will take place on Monday, February 14. 

2022 U.S. OLYMPIC SKI JUMPING TEAM
(Name, hometown; birthday; club; past Olympics)`

• *Decker Dean, Steamboat Springs, Colorado; 08/08/00; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club

*Denotes first-time Olympian 

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

FOLLOW THE TEAM 

Instagram @usskiteam 

Facebook @usskiandsnowboard

TikTok @usskiandsnowboard

Twitter @usskiteam 

ATHLETE QUOTE:
Decker Dean
“I’m insanely grateful and excited to be part of this Olympic Team. A lot of work, time and emotion has been put into this and I’m so stoked this childhood dream is actually happening! None of this would be possible without my parents, friends and coaches sticking by my side through the good and the bad. See you all in China!”

COACH QUOTE:
Bine Norcic - Men’s Ski Jumping Team Director
“We are looking forward to getting the full team there for the Olympics. It was an intense couple of days waiting and now we finally got it. We are ready for action.”

###

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2021, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Riley Elliott
Nordic Combined/Ski Jumping Olympic Press Officer
riley@usanordic.org

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announces today that AIRPHX, a leader in air purification technology, is now an official supplier.  

AIRPHX has provided air purification and complete indoor disinfection technology to U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s USANA Center of Excellence in Park City since 2020, reducing infection risk throughout the sports medicine, administrative and weight/training facilities within the team’s headquarters. AIRPHX air purification technology will also travel with the team to reduce airborne and other infection risks for athletes on Team USA that are competing in Beijing. 

“We are very excited to kick off our relationship with AIRPHX during an important season,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Revenue Officer Michael O’Conor. “Given their validated track record in reducing infection risks in professional and intercollegiate athletic facilities and the USANA Center of Excellence itself, we are proud to call them an official air purification supplier.” 

“We are honored to be an Official Supplier to U.S. Ski & Snowboard as our Team USA athletes travel to and participate in the most exciting and important competitions of their lives,” said AIRPHX President William Pommerening. “We are proud to reduce the risk to our athletes as they travel overseas in this time of heightened infection risk.”  

About AIRPHX:  
AIRPHX provides patented air purification technology that continuously eliminates airborne and surface pathogens. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia, AIRPHX has expanded rapidly into intercollegiate sports, counting almost 20% of the Power Five conference athletic programs as customers, professional sports, health care facilities and other industries. The company’s technology has been validated in active athlete, staff, patient and customer environments including the USANA Center of Excellence. The company has also received independent clinical data demonstrating reduced infections in health care facilities including reductions in central line infections, antibiotic resistant bacterial and viral infections and toxic mold infections. AIRPHX products are protected by issued and pending patents and trade-secrets. AIRPHX products are proudly Made in America and are unique in the market. For more information on AIRPHX, please visit www.airphx.com.  

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard 
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2022, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT 
Courtney Harkins
Elevate Communications/U.S. Ski & Snowboard
charkins@elevatecom.com

Bill Pommerening
President, AIRPHX
wpommerening@airphx.com

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced 24 athletes to represent the United States at the FIS Junior & U23 World Cross Country Championships Feb. 22-27 in Lygna, Norway.

“Following a year filled with constant changes, I am so pleased to see a team fielded with such depth among our roster,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Head Cross Country Development Coach, Greta Anderson. “We have several spots on this team that were declined because of athletes who are headed to the Olympic Games next week. This progress speaks volumes about our upcoming athletes ability not only to adapt but to thrive in uncertain environments and seize opportunities when they present themselves. We are taking this team to Norway, the ‘homeland’ of skiing, and cannot wait to see what they can do at the Championship.” 

The following athletes have been selected to represent the United States at the upcoming FIS U23 and Junior World Nordic Championships.

U23 World Championship Team

Women

• Abigail Jarzin (University of Utah/Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Lucinda Anderson (University of New Hampshire/Golden Valley, Minnesota)
• Anabel Needham (Michigan Tech University/Houghton, Michigan)
• Rena Schwartz (Dartmouth Ski Team/Middlesex, Vermont)
• Novie McCabe (University of Utah/Winthrop, Wash.) **
• Sophia Laukli (University of Utah/Yarmouth, Maine) **

Men

• Zanden McMullen (Montana State University/Anchorage, Alaska)
• John Steel Hagenbuch (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/Ketchum, Idaho)
• Noel Keeffe (University of Utah/Steamboat Springs, Colorado)
• JC Schoonmaker (Auburn Ski Club/Tahoe City, Calif.)**
• Benjamin Ogden (University of Vermont/Landgrove, Vt.)**
• Gus Schumacher (Alaska Winter Stars/Anchorage, Alaska)**
• Luke Jager (University of Utah/Anchorage, Alaska)**

Junior World Championship Team

Women

• Sydney Palmer-Leger (University of Utah/Park City, Utah)
• Kate Oldham (Middlebury College/Carbondale, Colorado)
• Nina Seemann (DartmouthCraftsbury, Vermont)
• Nina Schamberger (Summit Nordic Ski Club/Leadville, Colorado)
• Samantha Smith (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/Sun Valley, ID.)
• Annie McColgan (University of Vermont/Bend, Oregon)

Men

• Finn Sweet (University of Vermont/Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club/Waterbury, Vermont)
• Will Koch (University of Colorado/Peru, Vermont)
• Michael Earnhart (APU Nordic Ski Center/Eagle River, Alaska)
• Brian Bushey (University of Utah/Green Mountain Valley School/Waitsfield, Vermont)
• Walker Hall (University of Utah/Methow Valley Nordic Ski Education Foundation/Winthrop, Wash.)
• Alexander Maurer (University of Colorado/Anchorage, Alaska)

** - Denotes a ‘Decline’ of their respective spot on the team roster due to scheduling conflicts between the Olympic Winter Games & NCAA Regional Championships

The following staff has been nominated for the JWC, and U23 World Championships, led by US SKI TEAM Development Coach Greta Anderson and Sport Manager Bryan Fish.

The Junior World / U23  Championships will be held in Lygna, Norway on February 21-27th, 2022.

Staff:

• Greta Anderson (US SKI AND SNOWBOARD)
• Bryan Fish  (US SKI AND SNOWBOARD)
• Julia Hayes (Bridger Ski Foundation)
• Olof Hedberg (Summit Nordic Ski Club)
• Elizabeth Larkins (Montana State University)
• Anson Moxness (Nordic Ski Association Anchorage)
• Jack Novak (Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center)
• Patrick O’Brien (Stratton Mountain School)
• Paul Smith (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation)
• August Teague (Aspen Valley Ski Club)

*Trip Supported by Medical Staff: Dr. Kate Eichten & Dr. Elizabeth Smith*

Mikaela Shiffrin led three Americans into the top 20, finishing fifth in the giant slalom on the challenging Erta slope in Kronplatz, Italy – the final FIS Ski World Cup women's tech race before Beijing 2022. Nina O'Brien fought back into the top 15, finishing 15th, while teammate Paula Moltzan was 17th. 

Shiffrin's Slovakian rival Petra Vlhova led the way first run, charging hard from bib 1, with Sweden's Sara Hector in second, followed by Shiffrin in third. France's Tessa Worley had a solid second run to move up to third, with Vlhova falling to second and Hector continuing her dominance in the discipline with her second-straight win and third victory of the season. 

Following the race, Shiffrin reflected on her performance. "Unfortunately, today’s race may have been a very big decider in the GS globe. But I suppose that the “race” is not over yet, so I’ll keep pushing," she said. "Now we fully shift focus to the Olympics. It’s been a stressful and tiring few weeks trying to get everything prepped for the trip to Beijing, with so much more to do than previous Games in the time of Covid and different travel logistics than we’ve dealt with before, plus trying to get it all sorted while on the road as foreigners in Europe since November. I’m looking forward to getting there safely—fingers crossed—and to finally be passed the 'organizational & prep' part of the process, and on to the actual skiing part of it."

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷💨 (@mikaelashiffrin)

Shiffrin continues to lead in the overall standings, with 1,026 points to Vlhova's 1,009. Hector extended her lead to 462 points in the giant slalom standings, while Worley jumped to second with 367, followed by Shiffrin in third with 361.

AJ Hurt also started for the Americans but narrowly missed qualification first run. Allie Resnick, who started in her first World Cup giant slalom race, did not finish the first run. The women's tech crew will take a few days off before heading to Beijing to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. 

RESULTS 
Women's giant slalom

STANDINGS
Overall
Giant Slalom

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST

Please note: Streaming services and apps are third-party services and subject to such parties’ terms of use and data privacy. U.S. Ski & Snowboard disclaims any and all liability for use of third-party services and apps.

Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Downhill - LIVE, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live
6:30 a.m. FIS Snowboarding World Cup Snowboard Cross - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live

Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Super-G - LIVE, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live

Current television broadcast and streaming schedules for all sports are available here.

Sport-specific broadcast and streaming schedules are available below:

• Alpine
• Cross Country
• Freeski
• Freestyle
• Ski Jumping
• Nordic Combined
• Snowboard

Broadcast and streaming schedules are updated on a daily basis throughout the season.