Shiffrin Strikes Gold in World Championships Alpine Combined

By Courtney Harkins

February, 15 2021

Mikaela Shiffrin struck gold in the 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, winning the super-G-slalom alpine combined event by an impressive margin. It is her second medal of the 2021 World Champs, her sixth career world title, and her ninth career World Championship medal.

The super-G portion of the combined led the day in sunny Cortina d'Ampezzo with Shiffrin finishing in third place, just .06 seconds behind leader Federica Brignone of Italy. Shiffrin looked confident and fast in the event she had just collected a bronze medal in on Saturday, but slalom was where she knew she could shine.

The second run introduced a slalom course set into a sheet of ice after the race crew had injected and temperatures had dropped overnight, causing racer after racer to crash or ski out throughout the afternoon. While there was a total of 14 DNFs, Shiffrin—who had spent many of her formative years racing on Vermont’s icy surfaces—made the conditions look easy, building her lead by half a second or more at each split. She came down an impressive 2.35 seconds ahead after her slalom run, and only Petra Vlhova of Slovakia was able to get near her, finishing second and .86 seconds behind her. Michelle Gisin of Switzerland took bronze.

“It was pretty fun!” said Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Shiffrin. “It was quite nice to ski today again. Beautiful weather and really nice in the super-G and again amazing in the slalom. It was tough conditions—like a real slalom—but I felt good and like I was pushing the whole time. It was nice when you feel like you’re skiing well and it works. Cool day”

Shiffrin had won slalom, giant slalom, and super-G medals at World Championships in the past, but this was her first alpine combined medal, having sat out the event in the past due to demanding World Champs schedules. Her gold also accrued her a slew of records, including collecting her sixth World Championship gold, passing Ted Ligety, and her ninth total World Championship medal, passing Lindsey Vonn.

“For sure the records are really nice,” said Shiffrin humbly. “It means something, but I don’t really know what to say about it. Today I was focusing on today. First: good super-G run; second: good slalom run. I wasn’t thinking about the record. I know that there’s something about the gold medals and something about total medals, but the first thing I have to do is make good turns on my slalom skis.”

Shiffrin also joins a small elite club of World Championships combined medalists. Tamara McKinney took home gold in 1989—32 years ago—while Julia Mancuso snagged silver in 2007.

In her first World Championships of her career, Bella Wright took home an impressive 14th place. “So much fun!” she exclaimed. “I love it here. I’m sad to be leaving after today, but some great memories here.”

She went on to describe what it’s like to be an athlete with Shiffrin on her team. “It’s amazing to be with her and to learn from her and today to be able to watch her on TV and see her ski some amazing super-G after like five days of super-G this year was so exciting and motivating,” said Wright. “She’s the greatest of all time in slalom, so that was perfect to watch.”

AJ Hurt also raced the slalom portion of the event after finishing 24th in the super-G, but struggled with the tough conditions and skied out. Breezy Johnson did not finish the super-G and is OK.

Speed specialists head home now that the downhill, super-G and alpine combined events have wrapped at the World Champs, but Shiffrin has another two races to go—the giant slalom and slalom—where she’ll look to collect more medals. Next up, the racers compete in the parallel on Tuesday.

RESULTS
Women’s World Championships alpine combined

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Tuesday, Feb. 16
8:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Parallel Slalom Finals - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
8:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Parallel Slalom Finals - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Streaming Peacock
5:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Parallel Slalom Finals - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

Wednesday, Feb. 17
6:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Team Event - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
6:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Team Event - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Streaming Peacock

Thursday, Feb 18
4:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Giant Slalom - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Streaming Peacock
6:30 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Giant Slalom - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
7:30 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Giant Slalom - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
4:30 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Giant Slalom - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

Friday, Feb. 19
4:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Giant Slalom - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
6:30 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Giant Slalom - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
7:30 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Giant Slalom - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

Saturday, Feb. 20
4:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Slalom - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
7:30 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Slalom - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
5:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Slalom - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

Sunday, Feb. 21
4:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men' Slalom - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
6:30 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Slalom - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
7:30 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Slalom - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
12:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Slalom - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBC

Bennett 16th in World Champs Alpine Combined

By Courtney Harkins

February, 15 2021

Bryce Bennett World Champs alpine combined

Bryce Bennett skis to 16th place overall in the World Championships alpine combined. (Getty Images - Alexander Hassenstein)

Bryce Bennett strung together a strong super-G run and a solid slalom run to score 16th in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships alpine combined event.

Marco Schwarz of Austria, the current best slalom skier in the world, took the gold—making Austria three-for-three in world titles so far in the 2021 World Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Alexis Pinturault—who was the favorite coming into the day—made a small error in the middle of the slalom and ended up second, just .04 seconds behind Schwarz. Loic Meillard of Switzerland took bronze.

North American neighbor Jack Crawford of Canada was one of the best stories of the day, finishing in fourth place. He ran 32nd in the super-G portion and after the TV cameras had stopped rolling, came down to win the super-G by .08 seconds ahead of Pinturault. However, the speed specialist couldn’t quite keep up with the quick slalom gates and bumped down to fourth place overall.

Bennett, who had an impressive 10th place result in the downhill on Sunday, showed good form again, scoring 13th in the super-G run. But his slalom skills were a bit rusty, as the speed specialist had not trained a day of slalom in the last year. He ended up in 16th overall—an impressive feat given the 11 DNFs in the slalom due to icy conditions, including some of the top competitors of the day. Bennett even threw down a stylish 180 as he crossed through the finish line.

“If we’re going to be honest, there’s no possible way I’m going to be competitive in slalom,” laughed Bennett. “I have not skied slalom in a year—not a single day of it. I took three runs in the warmup course and then was just trying to have fun this afternoon.”

Jared Goldberg was 29th after the super-G portion of the combined, but did not start the slalom run.

It’s the tech skiers turn to get to work now, as the World Championships leaves behind the speed events for the parallel, team event, giant slalom and slalom. Parallel is up next on Tuesday.

RESULTS
Men’s World Championships alpine combined

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

A Season Delayed: Early Cancellations Have Made for a Late Start to the Freeski and Snowboard World Cup Season

By Gabby Tachis

February, 15 2021

Toby Miller at the 2019 Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Snowboard Qualifiers (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Sarah Brunson)

The 2020-21 Freeski and Snowboard season has faced many delays, with most athletes just recently getting back into competition for the first time in nearly a year. U.S. Snowboard Halfpipe Pro Team athlete, Toby Miller, usually trains on snow year-round. After an early end to the 2019-20 season, Miller was unable to train on snow between March and July of 2020.

“It was very difficult not being on snow, but it taught me a lot about the work I can put into my snowboarding off of the mountain,” said Miller. “I was able to kick up my offseason training by working out at the gym, learning about nutrition, and taking on new hobbies like road biking. I now feel that I am the strongest I have ever been.”

Miller admits to missing the competitive aspect to snowboarding, confessing that he has been making small household chores into a competition. He stated, “I have found myself creating little battles with myself, whether it is cooking, or cleaning the house, the competitive drive is always there.”

U.S. Freeski Slopestyle Pro Team athlete, Maggie Voisin had a bit of a different offseason recovering from her second ACL surgery in just two years. Voisin completed most of her recovery in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana, spending time with family and in the outdoors backcountry skiing, hiking, and camping. Throughout her recovery, Voisin focused on becoming stronger physically, but also mentally. She referenced the last year as a “mental reset,” taking the time to slow down, learn about herself, and appreciate the small victories.

Voisin shared valuable advice on how to stay positive during the pandemic, “Everything in life is perspective. Our brain is so powerful. If we focus on the more positive things, more positive things will come into your life.” She claimed that these tough moments make her stronger, and she is extremely eager to get back to competition in 2021.

Although multiple competitions were either postponed or cancelled this season, the U.S Freeski and Snowboard teams only had to cancel one training camp prior to the season. This was largely due to the tireless efforts from the Official U.S. Ski and Snowboard Training Sites of Timberline Resort, Copper Mountain, Mammoth Mountain, Utah Olympic Park, and Woodward Park City.

U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Head Coach, Mike Jankowski weighed in, “The time away from the team was tough last year, but it sparked a heightened sense of gratitude among athletes. They have all taken this time to capitalize on every opportunity possible and are coming into this season hungrier than ever.”

There are four more events on the calendar for the U.S. Freeski and Snowboard teams. Domestically, the Aspen 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships at Buttermilk in Aspen, Colo. are set for March 10-16, followed by the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix March 18-21. The final freeski and snowboard World Cups of the season are set to take place March 25-27, with the freeskiers heading to Corvatsch, Switzerland and snowboarders to Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic.

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Bennett Top 10 in World Championships Downhill

By Courtney Harkins

February, 14 2021

Bryce Bennett races to 10th place in the World Championships downhill on Sunday. (Alexis Boichard - Agence Zoom/Getty Images)

Bryce Bennett had one of his best results of the 2020-21 season, scoring a top-10 finish in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships downhill in 10th place. Travis Ganong was just behind him in 12th.

It was another beautiful day in Cortina d’Ampezzo, with cold temperatures setting up the snow overnight on the new Vertigine downhill, gearing up the men’s speeds. The downhill course had initially caused controversy at the beginning of the week, with the downhillers displeased with the overly turny nature of the set and lack of jumps and air time. But after the athletes gave their feedback to the organizing committee and FIS, the course was adjusted to a good place for the men and it ran nicely for Sunday's race.

Vincent Kriechmayr of Austria, who won the World Champs super-G race earlier in the week, took the downhill victory to become the first man to sweep the World Champs speed events since Bode Miller did in 2005. Andreas Sander of Germany was only .01 seconds behind him for the silver medal and Beat Feuz of Switzerland, who won the 2017 World Championships gold in downhill, was bronze.

Bennett was pleased with his result, especially given an inconsistent 2020-21 season that has included a string of downhill World Cup results finishing in the middle of the pack. He had one shining result—a fourth place in Val Gardena, a favorite venue of the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team men—which showed potential similar to the previous season when he was regularly securing top-15 and top-10 results. Sunday’s World Championships downhill was a shift back to old form, triggered by equipment changes and a rediscovered confidence.

“I’m pretty fired up,” said Bennett. “We made some equipment changes and it really showed on the second training run. I tried to give it everything I could today.”

Bryce did get caught up in the wind, which slowed the 6’7” racer down, but Bennett was happy with the overall result. “You always want to go faster, but I’ve been having a pretty bad year, so it’s nice to show some signs of potential,” he said. “You have to ski it very precisely and also there’s some wind going on up top, so it all depends.”

Ganong finished just .14 seconds behind Bennett in 12th. Rounding out the Americans, Jared Goldberg secured a top-20 finish, in 20th.

Notably missing for the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team were Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who snagged speed event podiums all season long before minorly fracturing his neck in Kitzbuehel, and Steven Nyman, who has sat out the season due to an Achilles tendon injury.

The men and women next race the World Championships alpine combined on Monday.

RESULTS
Men’s World Championships downhill

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Sunday, Feb. 14
12:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Downhill - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBC
4:30 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Downhill - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

Monday, Feb. 15
3:45 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Combined Super-G - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
3:45 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Combined Super-G - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Streaming Peacock
5:15 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Combined Super-G - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
5:15 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Combined Super-G - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Streaming Peacock
8:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men and Women's Combined Slalom - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
8:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men and Women's Combined Slalom - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Streaming Peacock

Back Issue Forces Ligety To Forego Farewell Race; Return Home

By Megan Harrod

February, 13 2021

After announcing his retirement after a golden 17-year career on February 9th, two-time Olympic champion Ted Ligety announced an earlier-than-expected return to the States due to an ongoing back issue less than a week later, on Saturday.

Following the announcement of his retirement after a golden 17-year career on February 9th, two-time Olympic champion Ted Ligety announced Saturday an earlier-than-expected return home due to an ongoing back issue less than a week late. He will forego his final race at the FIS Ski World Championships giant slalom on Friday, Feb. 19, and instead return home to Park City, Utah.

In a post on Instagram, Ted explained,

Can’t make this $h!+ up. Ligety Out!

I was excited to race one last time then retire on my own terms. To dig deep, throw down and see what would be possible. Perhaps conjure up some “vintage Ligety”. Unfortunately it was not to be, my back said I’m the boss and you are finished now.

Yesterday, I woke up to the worst sciatic pain of my life. I can’t point to anything that triggered it but I had been experiencing low grade sciatica for a week or two which was “normal” for me on occasion for the last several years. An MRI revealed my discs at L4-5 and L5-S1 are herniated to the point it’s not safe to ski right now.

For context, the last 6 years my back has been in control of my skiing. 4 years ago after years of therapy and numerous cortisone injections were to no avail I had surgery. The surgery was largely successful and greatly reduced my symptoms. But if I’m honest with myself my back was never the same again. Okay became good and bad became fine. I tricked myself into thinking it was good and could support the forces needed to win, clearly it could not.

Now it’s time to get my back healthy to support a lifetime of playing and skiing with my kids. Thank you everyone for your support.

Ligety will return home on Sunday to rest and recover and to spend time with his wife, Mia, three-year-old Jax, and six-month-old twins Will and Alec.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ted Ligety (@ted_ligety)

Top-10 for Johnson in World Champs Downhill

By Courtney Harkins

February, 13 2021

Breezy Johnson Cortina World Champs Downhill

Breezy Johnson skis to ninth place in the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships. (Fabrice Coffrini - AFP via Getty Images)

Breezy Johnson led the way for the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team women in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships downhill in ninth place, a career-best World Champs result.

The Swiss women had another impressive day with Corinne Suter snagging gold—her second medal of the 2021 World Champs—and super-G winner Lara Gut in third place for the bronze. Kira Weidle of Germany was second for her first World Championships medal. Suter’s win made her only the second woman to win a medal in both downhill and super-G in two World Championships—former U.S. Alpine Ski Team star Lindsey Vonn was the only other skier to achieve the feat in 2007 and 2009.

While weather issues at the beginning of the week canceled the first two races, the day was as picturesque as one could ask in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Hero snow created the perfect track with a bit of wind whipping around the course. Johnson, who had been on the podium in the last four out of five downhills on the FIS World Cup circuit, came into the race confident and hunting for her first World Championships medal, but a mistake at the top of the course nearly took her down and lost her significant time. She pulled off an impressive recovery and continued making up time throughout the run to put her into ninth place overall.

“I knew the wind was kicking a lot and I lost sight of being over the outside ski a little bit more than I should have,” said Johnson. “I thought the rest of my run was really good and I really thought I executed my plan everywhere and skied as well as I could. Mistakes happen when you’re going for it!”

Isabella Wright, in her first-ever World Championships, snagged an impressive 21st place. Jackie Wiles was 24th and Laurenne Ross 26th.

The men race downhill on Sunday, followed by both alpine combined races on Monday.

RESULTS
Women's World Championships downhill

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Saturday, Feb. 13
2:30 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Downhill - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBC
4:30 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Downhill - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

Sunday, Feb. 14
5:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Downhill - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Streaming Peacock
5:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Downhill - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
12:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Downhill - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBC
4:30 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Downhill - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

Johnson Career-Best WSC Ninth DH

Laukli, McMullen, Schumacher Lead U.S. At World Champs

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard

February, 12 2021

Zanden McMullen was the top American in the junior men's 10k, finishing fifth, Friday at the FIS U23/Junior World Cross Country Championships in Finland. (Vuokattisport/@vuokattisport- Tomi Mäkipää)

Sophia Laukli finished fifth in the U23 women's 10k freestyle, and Gus Schumacher was ninth in the U23 men's 15k freestyle to lead the Americans at the 2021 FIS U23/Junior World Cross Country Championships in Vuokatti, Finland Friday.

In the junior men's 10k freestyle Zanden McMullen was fifth, Johnny Hagenbuch was 17th, Will Koch was 36th, and Wally Magill was 64th. In the junior women's 5k freestyle, Ava Thurston was 14th, Waverly Gebhardt was 51st, and Nina Seeman was 62nd.

Hailey Swirbul was eighth and Alexandra Lawson 23rd and Renea Anderson was 45th in the U23 women's race. Hunter Wonders was 13th, Ben Ogden was 33rd and JC Schoonmaker was 39th in the U23 men's race.

The U23/Junior World Championships continue Saturday with team relays for the juniors and a mixed team relay for U23. Live streaming is available at https://www.oz.com/jwsc2021

RESULTS
U23 women's 10k freestyle
U23 Men's 15k freestyle
Junior women's 5k freestyle
Junior men's 10k freestyle

Gaskill Leads Americans at Snowboardcross World Championships

By Andrew Gauthier

February, 11 2021

Stacy Gaskill after crossing the finish line at the 2021 FIS Cross World Championships in Idre Fjäll, Sweden. (FIS Snowboard)

U.S. Snowboardcross Development Group rider Stacy Gaskill led the Americans on day one of the 2021 FIS Cross World Championships in Idre Fjäll, Sweden, finishing sixth for a career-best elite-level competition result.

Twenty-year-old Gaskill showed tremendous improvement from her first World Championship appearance in 2019 at Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah where she finished 22nd, but it wasn’t an easy journey to the top-10. Gaskill had to best her teammate, five-time World champion and the winningest snowboardcross athlete of all time in Lindsey Jacobellis with a photo finish in the quarter-final.

“I absolutely looked up to Lindsey growing up in the sport,” said Gaskill. “When I first came across the line, they had called it already and the results had Lindsey moving through to the next round. But when they reviewed the video, I ended up beating her just by just a few inches. I was in awe!”

Great Britain’s Charlotte Bankes was crowned World Champion, Italy’s Michela Moioli took silver, and the Czech Republic’s Eva Samkova earned bronze. Jacobellis broke the top-10 with a ninth-place finish, while Meghan Tierney and Faye Gulini finishing 12th and 13th respectively.

For the men, Spain’s Lucas Euibar claimed gold, Austria’s Alessandro Haemmerle silver, and Canada’s Eliot Grondin bronze. The 2018 Junior World Champion Jake Vedder led the way for the Americans finishing ninth, followed by Hagen Kearney in 14th, Mick Dierdorff 18th, and Alex Deibold 23rd.

The course in Idre Fjäll was a sight to be seen with massive jumps, technical features, and a number of lead changes throughout each heat. According to FIS, although there had never been a snowboardcross World Cup event at the Swedish resort, course builder David Ny and his crew felt comfortable adapting the track already built for January’s ski cross World Cup to make it suitable for the riders.

“The course is honestly incredibly fun, but difficult as well,” said Gaskill. “It’s definitely hard to really nail it. One run you may do well, but the next if you are even a little bit off towards the bottom, the entire section can really slow you down. It’s great to be on a course that is big, has more air time, and I think Valmalenco was a great lead up to the venue here at World Champs.”

The FIS Snowboardcross World Championships continue on Friday, Feb. 12 with the second edition of a mixed team format at a major event. The first installment went well for the U.S. Snowboardcross Team with Dierdorff and Jacobellis earning the inaugural mixed team gold medal on home soil in 2019.

“I know both Hagen and Faye really want redemption, said U.S. Snowboardross Head Coach Peter Foley. “They are super fast on the course and they had unlucky days today. They want another chance at it and are pretty excited to be able to race in the mixed team event.”

WATCH THE REPLAY ON PEACOCK

RESULTS
Men’s Individual Snowboardcross
Women’s Individual Snowboardcross

HOW TO WATCH
All times in EST
Delayed Broadcast*

Friday, Feb. 12
6:30 a.m. FIS Snowboarding World Championships Snowboard Cross - LIVE, Idre Fjall, SWE, Broadcast Olympic Channel, Streaming Peacock

Saturday, Feb. 13
6:30 a.m. FIS Freestyle Skiing World Championships Ski Cross - LIVE, Idre Fjall, SWE, Streaming Peacock
11:30 a.m. FIS Freestyle Skiing World Championships Ski Cross - same-day broadcast, Idre Fjall, SWE, Broadcast Olympic Channel

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Gaskill Top-10

Aspen Snowmass to Host World Championships, Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard

February, 11 2021

The U.S. is primed to make history by hosting the Aspen 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships, featuring the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover, at Buttermilk in Aspen, Colo. March 10-16, followed by the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix March 18-21.

This is the first time that a nation has hosted consecutive FIS World Championships following the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle, and Freeski World Championships held in Utah. Aspen Snowmass will also take on the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix March 18-21, marking back-to-back weeks of elite ski and snowboard park and pipe competition at Buttermilk.

Following the cancellation of the 2021 FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Championships, originally scheduled to take place in Zhangjiakou, China, Feb. 18-28, U.S. Ski & Snowboard in partnership with the International Ski Federation (FIS) and Aspen Snowmass, found a new home for two events which are key to the overall 2020-21 FIS freeski and snowboard calendar as well as the 2022 U.S. Olympic Team selection process.

“We are truly grateful for our valued resort partners at Aspen Snowmass for their willingness and flexibility to host what should be two spectacular weeks of competition,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “This season has been incredibly challenging for event organizers across the globe, we are fortunate to be able to host World Championships, which will feature the Visa Big Air, and the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix on home snow at a famed venue like Buttermilk. We are thrilled to be able to keep these events on the calendar and provide competition opportunities for the world’s top skiers and riders.”

Aspen Snowmass is no stranger to world-class competition. Buttermilk has been home to X Games Aspen for two decades and hosts the Aspen Snowmass Open annually, now a stop on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Rev Tour. Snowmass served as an Olympic tryout event at the 2018 U.S. Grand Prix and Aspen Mountain even played host to the 1950 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships.

“This is a fantastic opportunity during a very unique season to add to Aspen Snowmass’s winter sports legacy by hosting the World Championships and another Grand Prix event,” said John Rigney, Senior Vice President of Aspen Snowmass. “Buttermilk has long been a proving ground for the very best skiers and riders in the world thanks to X Games, so while we’ll be mobilizing quickly to support these amazing athletes and our valued partners at U.S. Ski & Snowboard and FIS – we’re proud to offer a world-class venue for these prestigious competitions.”

The Aspen 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships will include slopestyle, halfpipe, as well as the second annual Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover, originally scheduled Dec. 18-19 at Copper Mountain, Colo. Following show-stopping performances in Atlanta’s SunTrust Park in December of 2019, it’s only fitting the Visa Big Air found a new arena fit for big air progression.

The Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix World Cup slopestyle and halfpipe competitions will serve as the first snowboard and freeski Olympic tryout events and will replace the originally scheduled competitions at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Calif., from Feb. 3-6. The Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain originally scheduled from Dec. 13-19 is officially canceled.

To encourage social distancing, there will not be spectator zones for both the World Championships and World Cup competitions, fans are encouraged to tune in to watch or stream on the networks and streaming platforms of NBC.

Specific event information will be forthcoming as the local organizing committee works through its detailed protocols with local and state health officials. The World Championships and the U.S. Grand Prix are 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.

SCHEDULE

Aspen 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships
Slopestyle, Halfpipe, and Big Air
March 10-16

Snowboard:
March 10 - Slopestyle qualifications
March 11 - Halfpipe qualifications
March 12 - Slopestyle finals
March 13 - Halfpipe finals
March 14 - Big air qualifications
March 16 - Big air finals

Freeski:
March 10 - Halfpipe qualifications
March 11 - Slopestyle qualifications
March 12 - Halfpipe finals
March 13 - Slopestyle finals
March 15 - Big air qualifications
March 16 - Big air finals

Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix World Cup
Slopestyle and Halfpipe
March 18-21

Snowboard:
March 18 - Halfpipe qualifications
March 19 - Slopestyle qualifications
March 20 - Slopestyle finals
March 21 - Halfpipe finals

Freeski:
March 18 - Slopestyle qualifications
March 19 - Halfpipe qualifications
March 20 - Slopestyle finals
March 21 - Halfpipe finals

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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 2020, 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.

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.

Ganong Eighth in World Championships Super-G

By Courtney Harkins

February, 11 2021

Travis Ganong Eighth Place at Worlds Super-G

Travis Ganong skis to eighth place in the FIS World Ski Championships super-G in Cortina. (Alain Grosclaude - Agence Zoom/Getty Images)

Travis Ganong led the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team men in the first race at the 2021 FIS World Ski Championships, taking eighth place in the super-G.

Battling a tricky set that took down 21 skiers throughout the day, Vincent Kriechmayr of Austria looked unrattled to secure his first World Championships gold medal. Coming into the race, Kriechmayr was the most decorated skier on the World Cup circuit without a major title. Veteran Romed Baumann of Germany—who hadn’t been on a super-G podium in a decade and previously raced for Austria before being cut from their team—was second, and World Cup overall leader Alexis Pinturault of France took bronze.

Ganong, who has a silver medal in super-G from the 2015 World Championships in Beaver Creek, Colorado, is no stranger to the pressure that comes from a large event like this. And seeing the first three men DNF, he had to quickly change his plan to secure a top spot.

“During inspection, it seemed kind of easy,” he said. “And then watching the first couple of guys go out, I totally had to change my plan because the course was really challenging. That little chute on the top was very difficult to manage and you had to be really tactical.”

Ganong skied strategically into fifth place and ended up in eighth overall. It’s his best super-G result since snagging fourth in Val d’Isere in December. “I’m really happy with my run,” he said. “My skiing was good. It’s close; it’s so close. It’s a beautiful sunny day and you can’t be mad about that.”

Behind Travis, Jared Goldberg snagged 15th place—his career-best super-G result. Bryce Bennett was 27th.

Notably missing from the 2021 World Championships are the fans, which, due to COVID restrictions to maintain the athletes’ health and safety, are banned from the venue. But with Cortina scheduled to host the Olympics in 2026, the skiers can picture what the venue will look like hosting another worldwide event in the future. “In a normal circumstance without COVID, this place would be absolutely packed full of people and it would be a big party,” said Ganong. “I think it’d be really fun, a big celebration of skiing. It’s a beautiful place. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever skied and is a perfect setting for a big event like this. Hopefully, with the Olympics coming back here, we’ll be able to have fans and be able to all celebrate sports together in the mountains. Too bad we can’t have them this year but the show must go on. It’s nice that we’re able to race still and compete during these times—we’re very fortunate.”

Next up at World Championships, the men run downhill training before racing the downhill on Sunday, followed by the alpine combined on Monday.

RESULTS
Men’s World Championships super-G

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Thursday, Feb. 11
5:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Super-G - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

Saturday, Feb. 13
5:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Downhill - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Chanel
2:30 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Downhill - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBC
4:30 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Downhill - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

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