Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Ben Ritchie won slalom gold at FIS Alpine World Junior Ski Championships in Bansko, Bulgaria on Friday, becoming the first American male to win the title since veteran teammate and downhiller Steven Nyman in 2002 in Sella Nevea, Italy. 

Vermonter and Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS) alumnus Ritchie was the 2019 silver medalist at World Junior Ski Championships at Val di Fassa, Italy, and recently grabbed a career-best 13th-place at World Championships at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. He was a clear favorite coming into Friday’s race. On a perfectly prepared track with a course set by head men’s development coach Sasha Rearick, Ritchie capitalized on the conditions and ended up tied in first with Switzerland’s Fadri Janutin. 

The pressure wasn’t a problem for Ritchie, who kept his composure and skied a solid second run, crossing the finish line in the lead by seven-tenths of a second over Austria’s Joshua Sturm, who would end up with bronze on the day. Switzerland up next, but Janutin couldn’t catch Ritchie, and crossed the finish line .48 seconds behind Ritchie to settle for the silver medal. 

“It feels really good. A couple of years ago I was in second place...I wasn’t expecting that result...and then last year, unfortunately, things got canceled so I’ve been waiting for a long time and it feels good to come through when the pressure’s on,” reflected Richie. Ritchie, who has been focusing on a full World Cup and Europa Cup schedule this season, felt a different kind of pressure skiing amongst his peer group in Bansko, but he was stoked to live up to the challenge. 

“It was a different feeling for me, this year I’ve been racing a lot of World Cups and Europa Cups,” Ritchie said. “It's different being the favorite here versus not being the favorite at some of those races, so I was really happy to be able to come through and take the win with that.” What did he do to ease the pressure? “I just relaxed and tried to pretend it was a training day, which is pretty hard to do sometimes, but I tried to relax and ski it like any other day,” he continued, in his calm and cool demeanor. 

This title has been a long time coming for American men. Prior to Ritchie’s silver in 2019, AJ Ginnis—who now skis for Greece—was the last World Juniors slalom medalist, with a bronze in 2015 in Hafjell, Norway. The last American male to win the World Junior Ski Championships slalom title was none other than veteran downhiller and teammate Steven Nyman, with his surprise victory in 2002 in Sella Nevea, Italy. Rearick told Ritchie after the race that the men’s downhill team was “super fired up” and asked if he was excited to join the downhill team. “No, I won’t be joining (the downhill team) anytime soon...I’m not a downhiller. Yeah, that’s about it...I’m no downhiller,” Ritchie replied with a laugh.

“I’m not a downhiller.”—Ben Ritchie, on his WJSC Slalom Title and the fact that downhiller @Steven_Nyman was the last American male to win a @fisalpine World Junior slalom title in 2002. 🤣🤘

Ben knows what’s up...slalom is where it’s at. #zickzack #Bansko2021 pic.twitter.com/oGYLD4b3Hu

— U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team (@usskiteam) March 5, 2021

Also starting for the Americans were Isaiah Nelson, who was 17th fastest after the first run, but did not finish the second run, Cooper Puckett, who also DNFed the second run, and Bradshaw Underhill, who DNFed in the first run. 

Slalom on Friday concluded competition for the men at the 2021 World Junior Ski Championships. What’s next for Ritchie? “Next is a little bit of training, and then Kranjska Gora World Cup, and then Europa Cup Finals and World Cup Finals...I’m really excited to go to Lenzerheide. It’s a really good opportunity to score some points, maybe even some FIS points...who knows,” he said. 

Up next, the women head to Bansko and will kick off competition on March 8, with the super-G. Live timing will be provided by FIS. Fans can also watch all of the action, live-streamed on Bansko’s Facebook page. 

RESULTS
Men’s slalom

WATCH THE SLALOM REPLAY
Bansko Facebook Page

BANSKO 2021 COMPETITION SCHEDULE
March 8  – Women's super-G
March 9  – Women’s giant slalom
March 10 - Women’s slalom

MORE INFORMATION
Bansko 2021 Official Website

FOLLOW THE LAND ROVER U.S. ALPINE SKI TEAM
Instagram - @usskiteam
Facebook - @usskiandsnowboard
Twitter - @usskiteam

Some days the team effort means so much more than the actual race result. Thursday was one of those days as the U.S. Women finished fourth—for the fourth time in a World Championships team relay event—in Oberstdorf, Germany, at the 2021 FIS Nordic Ski World Championships.

Norway skied away from the RSF team by 26 seconds to win the gold medal for the fifth time in the past six World Championships. However, the U.S. was oh so close to that elusive World Championships team relay medal until Finland’s Krista Parmakoski passed Jessie Diggins heading up the final climb, and held off the gritty American at the line to seal the bronze medal for Finland by just 0.8 seconds. 

“The relays are the highlights and why I’m still skiing racing,” said Sadie Maubet Bjonsen, who skied the second classic leg. “I think it’s so cool to see everybody give every bit that they can, and today our goal was to not be able to see when we were passing off to the next person because we had boxed ourselves so much—as the kids would say—and we did that 100 percent. 

“Of course, we were shooting for a medal, and for about six championships in a row, we knew it was possible if we had all the ducks lined up, but part of the game is getting those ducks lined up, and that is why we keep coming back and fighting,” she continued.

The U.S. opened the fight with Hailey Swirbul skiing her first World Championship team relay at the elite level. Swirbul, who was part of the historic U.S. Junior women’s World Championships bronze medal-winning relay team in 2017, tagged off to Maubet Bjornsen in the eighth position, just 14 seconds back of the Czech Republic team, with Norway and RSF in second and third.

Maubet Bjornsen pulled the U.S. Team into a bronze medal battle as Norway and Russia kept the pace high at the front of the race. Tagging off to Rosie Brennan for the third leg, the Americans were in the medal hunt, however, Finland’s Riitta-Liisa Roponen Germany’s Pia Fink marked Brennan’s every move.

“We’re gritty racers, and we’re aggressive races, and that was our card to play today and we all did that,” Brennan said. “Some days that pans out, and some days you just can’t drop those clingers. But that is what is so cool about this team, and that is something that I am very proud of and I know those young girls back home were watching this and are going to want to race the same way.”

Brennan tagged off to Diggins for the fourth and final leg, but just like Roponen, Parmakoski clung to Diggin’s every move and made her move on the final climb.

“I played the only card I had and I knew I had to ski twice as hard as the girls that were with us, and I did my absolute damndest to drop them in the only place I thought I could, and I am really proud of that effort,” Diggins said. 

“It’s heartbreaking to come that close to a medal and know that fitness-wise, we are so there, and that is what is really encouraging because that is the only part that we can really control is that coming into World Championships knowing that our fitness is there, our minds are there, our tactics are there, and most importantly, that we are gritty enough,” Diggins added. “That was an absolute championship performance from every member of this team and not just those of us who were racing, but those who weren’t racing. It’s heartbreaking to come that close and know that we’re there, but also that is part of the sport.”

For Swirbul, the experience will have a lasting impression. “It was so exciting for my first World Champs—or World Cup—relay,” Swirbul said. “I’m so proud to be part of it and it’s a weird feeling because we are expected to feel sad about finishing fourth, but I feel really proud of this team and how everybody did—and now I’m crying.”

RESULTS
Women’s 4x5k relay

HOW TO WATCH
Friday, March 5
7:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 4x10k relay - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel, Streaming Olympic Channel and Peacock
11:30 p.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 4x10k relay - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast NBCSN

Saturday, March 6
6:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 30k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
10:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 30k classic mass start - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel

Sunday, March 7
7:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 50k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Tuesday, March 9
12:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 50k classic mass start - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel

Lindsey Jacobellis, the winningest snowboardcross rider of all time, earned her 55th World Cup podium on Thursday, finishing third at the inaugural Bakuriani World Cup in Georgia. 

Jacobellis enjoyed the course at Bakuriani as it reminded the veteran rider of the “old days” competing in snowboardcross.

“I was really happy that this course catered to more than just the person who won the start,” said Jacobellis. “There were times where I won the start but ended up getting passed in the end. It makes you have to work from top to bottom and it’s not just suited for one style of rider. The course had a lot of turns that meant we needed to carry speed. It has a lot of transitions you needed to match and there are multiple drafting opportunities. It felt like the old days, honestly.”

This sentiment played out in a stacked big final where Jacobellis was matched up with Olympic Champions Michela Moioli of Italy, Eva Samkova of the Czech Republic, and rising star Julia Pereira de Sousa Mabileau of France.

“In the finals, I didn’t have a great start so I strategically hung back,” Jacobellis reflected. “I knew the last two big turns would carry all the speed into the final stretch. I wanted to do those really well in hopes that the front of the pack would be battling, maybe bumping into each other, and losing some speed. When I exited turn eight, I got stuck on the left side of Michela (Moioli). I was just happy to get on the podium after coming from behind.”
 

Samkova topped the podium in first place and Perreira De Sousa was second. U.S. Snowboardcross Team members Faye Gulini, Stacy Gaskill, and Meghan Tierney finished seventh, ninth, and 13th respectively. 

For the men, Eliot Grondin of Canada won the event, Lukas Pachner of Austria finished second, and Lorenzo Sommariva of Italy rounded out the podium in third. U.S. rider Nick Baumgartner earned his best result of the season, finishing 11th. Teammates Senna Leith and Hagen Kearney finished 15th and 17th respectively. 

Moving into the final race of the program on Friday in Bakuriani, Jacobellis will lean on her wisdom in hopes to add to her World Cup podium streak. 

“Moving into tomorrow I learned I should trust my experience,” she said. “I definitely have had a little trouble with that lately with the style of courses that have been common over the last couple of the years. They have been shorter with not enough length to execute my strengths. It’s a longer course than what we are used to and gives us an opportunity to capitalize on someone else’s mistake as well as gives you a chance to come back if you make a mistake.”
 

WATCH THE REPLAY ON PEACOCK
 

RESULTS
Women’s Snowboardcross Finals
Men’s Snowboardcross Finals
 

Interested in organization, athlete, and event-related news?
Sign up for our Daily or Weekly Update

Learn more about how to support the U.S. Freeski & Snowboard Teams..

Following yet another historic performance at 2021 FIS World Ski Championships at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy for two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion, Mikaela Shiffrin's emotional journey back to the top was featured by sportswriter Greg Bishop in Sports Illustrated.  

In the piece, Bishop writes,

There were months where Mikaela Shiffrin didn’t want to ski, mixed with weeks where she wondered if she could. There were times, too, that she couldn’t, even if she wanted: canceled events, weather delays, race postponements, a 10-month break, a savage back injury and an unending global pandemic. She needed to grieve. Needed to move forward. Needed to look back. Some days, she wasn’t sure which one. Some days, she tried all three.

She thought about all that at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships last month, after her first race, the Super-G, had netted a bronze medal that meant something different than any race she had ever won. “I don’t know how to explain it,” she tells SI, over the phone, from Europe. “It’s more of a symbol of, like, I’ve always been good at focusing. But over the last year, that’s something I’ve had to relearn. And it’s still not always there, right?”

She thought about all that at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships last month, after her first race, the Super-G, had netted a bronze medal that meant something different than any race she had ever won. “I don’t know how to explain it,” she tells SI, over the phone, from Europe. “It’s more of a symbol of, like, I’ve always been good at focusing. But over the last year, that’s something I’ve had to relearn. And it’s still not always there, right?”

This is Mikaela Shiffrin attempting to make sense of Mikaela Shiffrin, an athlete as dominant and introspective as any on the planet—and one who confronted an even more difficult 2020 than her peers. She’s dominant, usually, in the technical, clinical sense—a ski-racing cyborg who also thinks deeply about her life and her performances. Meaning she’s not at all an actual machine—she just plays one on TV screens, barreling down mountains, winning races at a faster clip than anyone ever in her sport. But, “I was never really the athlete who made those heroic moments happen,” she says. “I always just relied on really, really solid preparation, a very methodical process. And then I pulled out a performance like that [in Italy], where, if I were somebody else, I would have felt an incredible inspiration watching it.”

Shiffrin, who has won an otherworldly career 14 medals in 18 events at the world championship and Olympic starts, has found the joy and confidence, once again, after a traumatic year. She's found her way back to the top...and she's working on becoming an even better version of herself. Her journey to Bejing 2022 is not one you're going to want to take your eyes off...stay tuned. 

Read the full article on SportsIllustrated.com. 

ASPEN SNOWMASS, Colo. – March 4, 2021 – Aspen Snowmass, in collaboration with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club (AVSC), will host the 2021 U.S. Alpine Championships from April 5-16 at Aspen Highlands. The event will include men’s and women’s downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and alpine combined. 

The U.S. Alpine Championships will take place after Highlands has closed for public skiing this season and restrictions will be in place to ensure compliance with COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

“The Aspen Snowmass community has been a strong supporter of alpine ski racing for over 60 years hosting events at all levels,” says Eric Webster, Director of Events, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team. “We are excited to partner with Aspen Snowmass and AVSC this spring to host the U.S. Alpine Championships. Thank you to Aspen Skiing Company, AVSC, and the Aspen community for making these races possible.”

Aspen was originally set to host the 2021 NorAm Cup Finals from April 5-16, though COVID-19 and travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada forced the removal of the event from the schedule. Aspen was quick to step up, expressing interest in hosting the U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen. 

“Despite no shortage of challenges this season, our teams are meeting them head-on, and Nationals caps off our biggest event year ever, thanks to amazing venues, comprehensive safety protocols, and a deep appreciation for athletic achievement,” says John Rigney, senior vice president, Aspen Snowmass. “Aspen and its alpine racing community are thrilled to give Team USA athletes the opportunity to compete for a National Championship this year at Aspen Highlands.”

Ski racing history runs deep in the Roaring Fork Valley, as the resort not only hosted the first World Championships outside of Europe in 1950 but has also hosted numerous FIS Ski World Cup events for both men and women. Aspen hosted the 2017 World Cup Finals, where two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin won her emotional (first) overall title. Aspen is scheduled to host the U.S. Alpine Tech Championships in 2022.

“The Stapleton Training Center at Aspen Highlands continues to be an incredible resource for our Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club athletes,” says Mark Godomsky, Executive Director AVSC. “In a season where many clubs have struggled to secure consistent and quality training space, we feel incredibly lucky to work with Aspen Snowmass to provide safe, productive training on this world-class venue. We are excited to welcome others to Aspen Highlands and the Stapleton Training Center this spring for U.S. Alpine Championships and are grateful for the opportunity to host races, especially a series of this caliber, this season.”

The 2021 U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen is contingent on local and state health department approvals based on existing and future COVID-19 rules and regulations. FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the local organizing committee, and Aspen Snowmass are taking a unified approach consistent with guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities. 

2021 U.S. Alpine Championships at Aspen - Event Schedule
Monday, April 5, Slalom National Championships, Men
Tuesday, April 6, Giant Slalom National Championships, Men
Wednesday, April 7, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Championships, Men
Thursday, April 8, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Junior Championships, Men
Friday, April 9, Downhill Training, Men/Women
Saturday, April 10, Downhill Training, Men/Women
Sunday, April 11, Downhill National Championships, Men/Women
Monday, April 12, Downhill National Junior Championships, Men/Women
Tuesday, April 13, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Championships, Women
Wednesday, April 14, Super-G/Alpine Combined National Junior Championships, Women
Thursday, April 15, Giant Slalom National Championships, Women
Friday, April 16, Slalom National Championships, Women

Media Note
For a selection of ski racing images at Aspen Snowmass, click here. 

Photo credit goes to the photographer listed.

Media Contacts:
Aspen Snowmass
Tucker Vest Burton, (970) 300-7020, tvestburton@aspensnowmass.com  

U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Megan Harrod, (435) 714-9393, megan.harrod@usskiandsnowboard.org

About Aspen Snowmass
Established in 1946, Aspen Snowmass owns and operates four mountains – Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk - creating premium, sustainable and transformative experiences in recreation, culture and nature. In addition, the company runs the award-winning Ski & Snowboard Schools of Aspen Snowmass, Four Mountain Sports rental and retail shops, and a collection of sustainably-sourced on-mountain food & beverage outlets. Aspen Snowmass works to drive positive social change through climate, community, and minority group advocacy and investment. For more information about Aspen Snowmass, visit www.aspensnowmass.com. Follow @aspensnowmass on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

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, 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

###

BRADFORD, Vt. – March 4, 2021 – World Cup Supply, Inc. (WCS) is pleased to announce the first recipient of a Berlack/Astle Award for 2021 is Gray Flanagan of West Burke, Vt. Gray is currently a post-grad student at Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS) and graduated from Burke Mountain Academy (BMA) in 2020. Gray joins the previous award winners who all possess the skiing talent and positive personal attributes that both Ronnie and Bryce embodied.

Prior to this year, the Berlack/Astle Award was given to one male and one female U16 athlete based on completed applications and recommendations. For 2021, the structure of the Award and the selection process has been changed in a way we that believe will have a more significant impact for the recipients both now and in the future.

WCS will set aside $5,000 annually for the Berlack/Astle Award Fund. The Fund awards grants as needed and available to athletes from either the Eastern or Western/Inter-Mountain Regions who are recommended by U.S. Ski and Snowboard staff from those two regions. The athletes recommended for the grants will have been invited to a U.S. Ski and Snowboard camp or National Development Group (NDG) project and need financial assistance to attend the camp or project. We are confident this approach will have the direct impact we are looking for by helping talented athletes participate in growth opportunities they otherwise would not be able to attend.

Flanagan was recommended to us by Eastern Region staff as a promising alpine athlete who had an opportunity to travel to Europe this spring for a U.S. Ski and Snowboard NDG competition project lasting several weeks. The $2,000 award will allow Flanagan to attend the project by directly funding expenses related to the trip. During the project, Gray will be racing against European talent in 4 different countries with a small group of Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes and three coaches. Among the group of coaches is Rich Smith, Eastern Region Coach, who commented: “It’s always exciting to watch Gray race. He is a fearless competitor in search of speed and charges the fall line. Hard work, grit, and integrity are just a few of the many positive traits Gray possesses. He will be an outstanding role model for future recipients of this prestigious award.”

WCS reached out to Flanagan to inform him of the news just a few days prior to leaving for the project: “I am honored to be receiving the Ronnie Berlack/Bryce Astle Award for 2021 and look forward to representing them in my upcoming races”.

Brad Williams of WCS added “we are thrilled to be able to help talented athletes like Gray who are deep into the U.S. Ski Team program, to have access to the types of travel, training, and racing they need as they work so hard to get to the next level. Like our previous award recipients, we’ll be watching Gray closely and wishing nothing but the best for him both on and off the hill.”

Learn more at www.berlackastleaward.com. 

World Cup Supply, Inc has been a partner of ski racing for 30 years and the sport of skiing for 30 years. For more info please contact:  bwilliams@worldcupsupply.com

Release courtesy of World Cup Supply, Inc.

On another warm, spring-like day in Oberstdorf, Germany, at the 2021 FIS Nordic Ski World Championships, Scott Patterson led the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team, finishing 27th in the men’s 15k individual start freestyle.

Norway swept the podium with Hans Christer Holund taking his second career World Championships title, with countrymen Simen Hegstad Krueger taking the silver, and Harald Oestberg Amundsen the bronze. Simi Hamilton was 31st for the U.S., followed by David Norris in 34th and Gus Schumacher 51st.

“It was a tough race,” Patterson said. “I started out pretty strong skiing where I wanted to be, but the conditions started to deteriorate on laps two and three and I definitely suffered because of that and bled a lot of time. (Holund) started 30 seconds behind me and just blew by me, definitely wasn’t quite what I wanted, but there are still some good signs for later this week, so I’m looking forward to the (men’s 4x10K) relay and the 50k Sunday - there is a lot more racing.”

With overnight temperatures remaining above freezing, the course conditions deteriorated as the race progressed, leaving some sections soft and sugary, while other shaded areas remained hard and fast. “The course on those last couple of laps was getting softer and softer and wetter and wetter,” Hamilton said. “But the flats were still skiing well...it was hard-packed and you could find fast snow.”

Faced with the challenging snow conditions, once again the U.S. Cross Country Tech crew nailed the ski prep for Wednesday’s race after struggling a bit during last week’s classic sprint and skiathlon events. “My skis were amazing,” Hamilton said. “They felt fast the whole time and our techs did a really awesome job waxing today.”

Prior to Wednesday’s race, the athletes had a limited window to preview the course, but the conditions changed dramatically after the first athlete left the start. “Before there was any traffic on those corners, they skied really well,” Hamilton said. “It was tacky, you could step them all, but then after 65 people start in front of you, and like 180 laps worth of traffic, they were getting really, really soft. So you had to be on your toes. But, it’s fun. You have to expect the unexpected when you come into those things later on in the race, it’s a bummer to not be able to really recover at all, but it’s exciting - it’s a ski race!”

Starting 58th, Norris made the most of the conditions, charging on portions of the course where he could find the time, and trying not to lose time on other portions. “Not exactly what I wanted. But, not a disaster by any means...I fought through it and did my best,” he said. “On the first lap, I was able to find firmer tracks and pick lines that we still holding up and fast, but by the second and third lap every uphill was deep from side to side..by the end, it was all broke down and deep slush.”

Up next at the World Championships is the women’s 4x5k relay Thursday. Starting for the U.S. Team is Hailey Swirbul, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, Rosie Brennan, and Jessie Diggins. The race will be broadcast live on the Olympic Channel, and streamed live on NBC’s Peacock platform.

RESULTS
Men’s 15k individual start freestyle

HOW TO WATCH
Thursday, March 4
7:15 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 4x5k relay - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel, Streaming Olympic Channel and Peacock

Friday, March 5
7:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 4x10k relay - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel, Streaming Olympic Channel and Peacock
11:30 p.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 4x10k relay - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast NBCSN

Saturday, March 6
6:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 30k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
10:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 30k classic mass start - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel

Sunday, March 7
7:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 50k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
9:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 50k classic mass start - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel

Though Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete, Olympian, and FIS Ski World Cup winner Ryan Cochran-Siegle is sidelined with injury, he's staying optimistic about the upcoming Olympic year, and recently caught up with the Boston Globe's John Powers for a status update and to talk about the Cochran family's legacy. 

Cochran-Siegle, who grabbed his first World Cup podium this season in Val Gardena, Italy, with a second-place in downhill, followed that up with a World Cup victory in super-G at Bormio, Italy, 10 days later. He was looking strong and fast in training and on downhill day at the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbuehel, Austria, before crashing into the net and sustaining a "minor neck fracture."

RCS, as he’s known on the slopes, was supposed to be in Italy last month as the top American men’s speed racer at the biennial Alpine world championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. But one untimely slip and a scary crash in Kitzbuehel, Austria, in January left Ryan Cochran-Siegle with a minor cervical fracture and abruptly ended the best season of his decade-long career on the US ski team.

“In a way, it seems like I left a lot on the table,” said the 28-year-old from Starksboro, Vt., whose Super G victory in Bormio and second-place finish in the Val Gardena downhill set him up for potential podium finishes in both events at Cortina. “But you can’t have too many regrets. I was skiing well, and that’s what I need to focus on.”

Cochran-Siegle, who competed in four events at the last Winter Olympics, is gunning for another shot at next year’s Beijing Games and another opportunity to add to the legacy of the country’s First Family of Alpine skiing, which goes back for more than half a century.

Ryan’s mother Barbara Ann won the slalom at the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, Japan, where her brother Bob and sister Marilyn each competed in three events, and sister Lindy raced at the 1976 Games in Innsbruck. Their children continued the star-spangled tradition. Jimmy Cochran competed in the 2006 and 2010 Olympics, and Tim, Robby, and Jessica Kelley and Roger Brown all raced on the national team.

 

In the interview, his cousin Jimmy Cochran speaks of Ryan's natural ability for skiing and his desire to practice and focus on the journey rather than the results—an approach his mother instilled in her children. 

“He was practicing his starts out on the snowbank,” he said. “It was pitch black and he had skied all day. There was never a doubt that Ryan was going to ski until the lifts close.”

“He’s like a dog that’s meant to run,” observed Jimmy, who runs Cochran’s Ski Area. “Ryan was meant to be a ski racer. That’s what he’s always wanted to do. It’s built into the fabric of his being.”

Cochran-Siegle is recovering nicely and has been enjoying time with his family and girlfriend at home in Vermont. He's hungry for more, and will undoubtedly be one to watch in the 2021-22 season en route to the Beijing 2022 Olympics. On his journey, he'll remember the advice his mother gave him when he left for his lat Olympics in Korea “Enjoy the moment. Have fun with it." As Powers wrote, "Six decades later, that remains the Cochran Way."

Read the Full Article at BostonGlobe.com.

U.S. Freestyle Ski Team athlete Jesse Andringa is recovering from surgery to correct a season-ending ankle injury he sustained on Feb. 5.

Andringa suffered a gnarly crash during the preliminary rounds of what was a battle-ground Dual Mogul World Cup at the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort, skiing into a bottom air jump on one foot. Unfortunately, Andringa will sit out the remainder of the 2021 season and will be unable to compete in what would have been his first World Championships appearance this March in Kazakhstan.

Andringa is no stranger to the rehab process and has a positive outlook for his three-month recovery timeline. “I’ve done this a couple of times before,” Andringa reflected. “This is my fourth season-ending injury, my third surgery. Luckily none have been too terrible. I’m pretty callused up on what it does to me mentally.”

School will keep Andringa relatively busy over the next few months, as will learning the piano. “I’m trying to continue to play the piano, but it’s been uncomfortable trying to position my leg. So I play for 10 minutes at a time and do that about five times a day. It’s not the best way to learn the piano but better than nothing.”

Andringa is beginning his rehab process at home in Colorado with his family. He is optimistic to return to training by mid-May or early June. He is thankful to his teammates; coaches Matt Gnoza, Riley Campbell, Josh Bullock, and Chuck Williams; Dr. David Goltz; Hans Gardner; Dr. Alex Cohen; friends and family; as well as his fans, for their support during this time off-snow. Follow along Jesse’s journey back to training via his Instagram. 

Jessie Diggins finished just off the podium in fourth to lead four of her Davis U.S. Cross Country Team teammates into the top 23 in Tuesday’s individual start 10k freestyle at the FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany.

On a warm day with ample sunshine, little wind, and temperature approaching 60 degrees, racers were treated to two salted 5k loops that despite the warm sunshine, remained fast and firm for the 88 starters. 

“It’s no secret that I really struggle and these are not my temperatures, I’m more of a Minnesota winter athlete,” said Diggins, who was just 5.1 seconds off the podium on a course that featured numerous climbs baked by the warm sunshine. 

“My goal for today was to be the person who just gives the most,” she added. “I’ve been visualizing this course for weeks and I have practiced in my mind how I wanted to ski it, and I went out there and just skied hard, and I’m so proud of that because it is the only thing you can control. I never gave up, I kept pushing, even when I felt like I was going to fold in half and pass out.”

Fortunately, the course conditions did hold firm, which provided Sadie Maubet Bjornsen an opportunity to grind her way up the power climbs for an 11th-place finish. “The snow was really good, I was impressed,” Maubet Bjornsen said. “On a (hot day) like this...I’m really stoked that they salted (the course), and it made it a little bit more like ski racing. Granted, it was not the kind of firm snow that I love, but it could have been so much worse.”

Norway’s Therese Johaug took the gold by 54 seconds over Sweden’s Frida Karlsson in second and Sweden’s Ebba Andersson in third at 1:06.9 off the gold-medal pace. Rosie Brennan was 17th, and Sophia Laukli—racing in her first World Championships—was 23rd.

“I was very happy with how it went, it felt good,” Laukli said following her race in which she sported a sleeveless race suit and aimed to better her 25th-place result from Saturday’s skiathlon. “I definitely have not raced in this heat for quite a while, so that was kind of a shocker, but I felt good.”

Brennan crushed the first 5k loop but admitted that she felt pretty gassed down the stretch. “It was tough,” she said. “I started really well and things were going fine, and then, I don’t know, slowly the wheels came off and I didn’t have the body or the brain that I had hoped for, so it was just kind of a brutal battle to the end.”

Brennan has proved many times this season that a quick start followed by settling into her pace has led to some great results. “On a good day, I could have held it," she said. "I did plan to go out relatively hard and maybe it was just a little much with the heat and the body that I have right now, but it was a solid 5k, so hopefully, I can turn it around for the 5k in the (team) relay.”

Up next, the men’s will compete in an individual start 15k freestyle Wednesday with Scott Patterson, David Norris, Simi Hamilton, and Gus Schumacher starting for the U.S. Team. Thursday, the women’s 4x5k team relay takes center stage, followed by the men’s 4x10k relay Friday.

RESULTS
Women’s individual start freestyle 10k

HOW TO WATCH
Wednesday, March 3
7:15 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 15k freestyle - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Thursday, March 4
7:15 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 4x5k relay - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Friday, March 5
7:15 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 4x7.5k relay - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Saturday, March 6
6:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 30k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Sunday, March 7
7:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 50k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock