Jessie Diggins (Afton Minn.) led four American women in the finals and skied to an eighth-place finish in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championship sprint on Thursday in Seefeld, Austria.

“If I was going to build a course perfect for me, this would not be it,” said Diggins, who battled hard in her semifinal heat, but in a short 1.2km course got boxed in and finished fourth. “But that’s OK because this is the only time all week I will need fast twitch and I am a self-described slow-twitch athlete. I am proud of how I raced today and did the best I could.”

“We had a great start today qualifying seven of eight,” said Head Coach Chris Grover.  “With sprinting you need a little bit of luck once you get into the rounds and it just didn’t go our way. Everyone raced really hard and the service team did an excellent job, and we have a lot more days of Championships ahead.”

The U.S. qualified all four starters in the event with Sophie Caldwell (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) qualifying fourth, Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) 14th, Diggins in 15th and Julia Kern (Waltham, Mass.) in 22nd.

The finals were marred by a crash late in the race allowing eventual winner and Norwegian standout Maiken Caspersen Falla to enter the final stretch with a good lead. Stina Nilsson of Sweden was second, and Mari Eide of Norway in third.

In the men’s race, Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.) was the top U.S. finisher in ninth - finishing fifth in a very fast semi final heat.

“I didn’t feel like I had the best energy today and my quarterfinal was really pinged the whole time and that took a lot out of me,” said Hamilton. “My plan was to use the second half of the course to draft and try to move up in the pack, but the pace was high at the start and the pack stayed together. I focused on a hard finish and it just wasn’t enough.”

The U.S. men qualified three of four starters with Hamilton in 11th, Logan Hanneman (Fairbanks, Alaska) 20th and Kevin Bolger (Sun Valley, Idaho) in 23rd. Norwegian Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo took the victory, with Federico Pellegrino of Italy in second and Gleb Retivykh of Russia completing the podium

“It was a disappointing day with regards to how things could’ve gone – we have a great sprint team – but we had a plan we believed in, and put everything we had into executing it,” said World Cup Coach Matt Whitcomb. “We nailed that part, and that’s why you’ll see us with our heads high as we move into the skiathlon. Our team was ready today, and we’ll be ready again on Saturday.”

The World Championships continue on Saturday with the men’s and women’s skiathlon.

RESULTS
Men’s sprint
Women’s sprint

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast

Thursday, Feb. 21
11:30 p.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s sprint finals - Seefeld, AUT - NBCSN*

Saturday, Feb. 23
5:00 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s 15k skiathlon - Seefeld, AUT - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:00 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 30k skiathlon - Seefeld, AUT - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s 15k skiathlon - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV*
9:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 30k skiathlon - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV*

Sunday, Feb. 24
5:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men and women’s team sprint finals - Seefeld, AUT - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
10:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men and women’s team sprint finals - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV*
11:30 p.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s team sprint finals - Seefeld, AUT - NBCSN*

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold andOlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.

Three-time Youth Olympic Games gold medalist and two-time FIS Junior World Ski Championships silver medalist, River Radamus (Edwards, Colorado), brought home his first Junior Worlds gold medal in  Val di Fassa, Italy, on Thursday under the sunshine, surrounded by the mighty Dolomites at the newly developed speed venue at Passo San Pellegrino called "La Volata."

The Dolomites seem to be good luck for Radamus, who scored his first FIS Ski World Cup points in just his fifth giant slalom World Cup start at Alta Badia, Italy, this past December. Despite the fact that his focus has been primarily on the tech events of slalom and giant slalom this winter, Radamus was able to find the fast line and focus he needed to take the super-G victory. To help him find that focus, coach Pete Anderson encouraged Radamus to pick an alternate channel on the radio to hear as little information as possible about the course before he pushed out of the start gate. The "less is more" strategy worked out for Radamus, who bested Norway's Lucas Braathen by .34 seconds and France's Florian Loriot by .48 seconds.

“World Juniors is an important benchmarking event for us, both for individual athletes on the way to the World Cup and to show our depth as a nation," remarked U.S. Ski & Snowboard Alpine Development Director Chip Knight. "River’s win today was exciting because he’s been in the hunt at the event the last two years, but he hadn’t won yet, so this results highlights his progression as an athlete.  It’s also encouraging for our program from top to bottom because River has worked closely with staff and teammates at the World Cup, Europa Cup, and NorAm levels this year. It takes a team to push athletes to the top!”

A lack of speed training and a nagging head cold wouldn’t stop Radamus from finally finding the top of the Junior World Championships podium, after grabbing a silver in 2017 in alpine combined and a silver - sharing the podium with teammate Luke Winters (Gresham, Ore.) in 2018 - in super-G. Radamus, who was eighth in Wednesday's downhill - led by teammate Kyle Negomir (Littleton, Colo.) sixth - had only skied five other super-G races before today, while his first downhill was this week. Knight mentioned Radamus was in line for a potential top five or even a top three downhill result yesterday, but made an error before the finish and lost time. Radamus’ mother, Sara Radamus, is in Val di Fassa, Italy coaching an athlete from Puerto Rico, so she was able to watch her son with gold.

“Today meant a lot to me. I’ve had silvers at the last two world juniors, and I was pretty sick of finishing runner-up to be honest" reflected Radamus. "When I sat down and made my goals last summer, I had 'Gold at World Juniors' at the top of the list. When I was in the gym training or exhausted from skiing, this race is what I’d think about to keep going. My motto all summer was 'remember why'. This race right here was my why." 

Radamus is quick to give credit where credit is due: his team. "I couldn't have done this without my team," he said. "We've been pushing each other's limits all summer and winter. The last few weeks we've been really locked in. Training with a common mission, and supporting each other as we pursued it. I was the one who got to take the top step today, but every one of them helped me get here." 

Double Olympic Champion and five-time World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) was cheering on her fellow Coloradan and teammate Radamus from Italy, where she's currently resting and then training for the next World Cups. "World juniors is a really important milestone," Shiffrin said. "I remember racing world juniors; that was the reason I was able to get my first World Cup start. It's a huge step in their careers and a telling sign that having success at world juniors often leads to being able to have success in the World Cup."

Shiffrin also noted that "seeing River winning the world juniors super-G is awesome, because I think everybody sees him as a real up-and-comer, a threat on the World Cup circuit in the future." As for the future, that's what Shiffrin says the world juniors is all about.

"I think one of the big goals for the U.S. Ski & Snowboard right now is developing the next generation," Shiffrin said. "So that we have depth on our team and that there's more than one person holding that torch. That's been a really big focus and I think River's success at world juniors is a sign that it is working and we just have to stay on course."

Up next at Junior World Championships is the team event on Friday, as well as women's super-G. 

RESULTS
Men's super-G
Men's downhill

COMPETITION SCHEDULE
Feb. 22  – Men’s and women’s team event and women’s super-G
Feb. 23  – Men’s alpine combined
Feb. 24  – Women’s alpine combined
Feb. 25  – Men’s giant slalom and women’s downhill training
Feb. 26  – Men’s slalom and women’s downhill training
Feb. 27  – Women’s downhill

MORE INFORMATION
Val di Fassa 2019

After a much-deserved rest from the 2019 FIS World Championships in Utah, the U.S. Moguls Team is back in the gate for a double World Cup event in Tazawako, Japan, with moguls February 23 and dual moguls February 24. This is their penultimate World Cup stop, and with the pressure leading into World Championships behind them, the Americans are excited to ski at their favorite international venue.

“The stressful part of the season is over so I’m super stoked to just ski,” said Hunter Bailey (Vail, Colo.) “It’s going to be fun, I feel good.”

Well into their groove, the team’s strategy as the season winds down is to ski clean runs and have strong finishes so they can end the season with good rankings. The ultimate goal is to cut down bib numbers. And there’s no better place to do so than at Tazawako, where the U.S. has a strong history of success. Americans have topped the Japanese podium six times in the last three seasons, including three wins: Tess Johnson (Vail, Colo.) won her first World Cup title in duals in 2018, Jaelin Kauf (Alta, Wyo.) claimed duals victory in 2017 and Bradley Wilson (Butte, Mont.) came first in moguls in 2016.

Tazawako is located in the Akita province of Japan, south of the famed powder fields of the northern island. Weather this time of year can be unpredictable and the challenge this weekend will be the snow.

“The snow is tough,” said Matt Gnoza, Head Moguls Coach for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “There’s been a lot of wet, heavy snow and it has made the course slippery. It’s hard to get an edge in, which may make it unforgiving during competition. For athletes to find success here they will have to have good execution of fundamentals: staying in front of their boots, onto the front of their skis, with good pressure on their turning foot so that they can have the most control.”

What Gnoza doesn’t foresee as a challenge is the double event. “We’ll monitor training loads the first two days and make sure no one is over-training,” explains Gnoza. “Thursday was all about getting familiar with the snow, course and set up. We’ll polish things on Friday and then really turn it up for competition on Saturday and Sunday. The adrenaline will carry these guys through to Sunday. We’re in the grind of it now as we wind down the competition season.”

While athletes won’t be unveiling anything new or crazy, what is new this week is Tom Rowley (Long Beach, N.Y.) returning to competition from injury. This is his first World Cup of the 2019 season. “It’s exciting to be back,” said Rowley. “I got to forerun at World Championships, which got me excited for Tazawako. I’ve podiumed here in the past and I usually like to ski here. The snow can get weird, but it’s fun - I love Japan.”

Athletes to watch include Kauf and Johnson, ranked third and fifth respectively, both of whom podiumed at World Championships and have a shot at an overall World Cup title or podium for the 2019 season. On the men’s side, watch for Wilson, who just claimed his second consecutive World Championships silver medal in duals. “Brad is always dangerous here,” said Gnoza. “He’s a fan favorite.”

Currently, the U.S. is in hot contention for the Nation’s Cup, sitting in second place. If the team finds success in Tazawako they will very much be in striking distance of the Cup, a feat not accomplished in recent memory for the moguls team.

Tazawako will provide the perfect opportunity for the Americans to focus on skiing and skiing well. The venue sets athletes up for success with a well-organized event, from the hotel and meal accommodations to shuttle services and enthusiastic crowds. “The atmosphere here is second to probably only Deer Valley, it’s the best international stop on the tour,” said Gnoza. “There’s always high energy from the crowd, with music and horns and cheering. U.S. moguls skiers are fan favorites here.”

Starters
Women

• Jaelin Kauf
• Tess Johnson
• Olivia Giaccio
• Nessa Dziemian
• Hannah Soar
• Alex Jenson

Men

• Bradley Wilson
• Casey Andringa
• Jesse Andringa
• Hunter Bailey
• Dylan Walczyk
• Tom Rowley
• George McQuinn

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Friday, Feb. 22
11:30 p.m. - Men and women’s moguls - Tazawako, JPN - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, Feb. 23
11:30 p.m. - Men and women’s dual moguls - Tazawako, JPN - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
 

While alpine athletes were busy competing on the world stage at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Åre, Sweden, a crop of our young, talented junior athletes were competing in events at both Poka Loka, Slovenia, and the prestigious OPA Cup - formerly known as the “Seven Nations Cup” - in Meiringen, Switzerland.

Pokal Loka, Slovenia

Nestled in the Ljubljana Valley, bordered by the Alps, Pokal Loka made for a prime location for a European opportunity and experience to top U16 athletes from the United States, who had qualified through the National Performance Series (NPS) at Burke Mountain in Vermont from January 5-11.

“My goal was to create an environment that was team-orientated, positive, and fun! Every day, as a team, we reflected on the positives and processed the disappointments (although there were not many),” noted Eastern Youth Development Coach Kathy Okoniewski. Prior to the competition, the group through training/skiing goals that consisted of creating an environment that would foster confidence and positive memories.

This environment would ultimately lead to Justin Bigatel’s (Western Region, Park City Ski Team) giant slalom victory. “It was positive on so many levels,” reflected Okoniewski. “It was a clear message to the whole team that they could compete with the Europeans. We felt, too, that it also bridged a few cultural gaps with the other European teams and coaches. Justin is the most easy going, thoughtful, team orientated, friendly athlete, and his teammates were so proud and happy for him.”

At over 6-feet tall, Bigatel’s athleticism and great touch for the snow, along with his fundamental skills and love for competition were all factors in his win. “His skis were so clean in the snow and he intuitively carried speed where his competition did not,” Okoniewski noted. The overall experience was completely positive and worthwhile, and they left Pokal Loka feeling accomplished and able to have heard the National Anthem at awards - a memory that will last forever.

Athletes:

• Chloe Aust – Burke Mountain Academy
• Max Bellino – Burke Mountain Academy
• Justin Bigatel – Park City Ski Team
• Carley Elsinger – Green Mountain Valley School
• Kjersti Moritz – Ski & Snowboard Club Vail
• Camden Palmquist – Buck Hill

Staff:

• Kathy Okoniewski – Eastern Youth Development Coach
• Urska Rabic-Bevc – Ski & Snowboard Club Vail

OPA Cup - Meiringen, Switzerland

The OPA Cup is considered to be the most competitive event in the world for ski racers ages 14-15, taking place in Meiringen, Switzerland, this year. Emma Resnick (Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) won the giant slalom, while Cooper Puckett (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) was fifth. In slalom, Dasha Romanov (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation) was 10th, Sebastian Kohlhofer (Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) 11th and Bayli McSpadden (Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) 12th.

The OPA Cup is the premier U16 competition in central Europe, with all the best athletes from Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Germany, Liechtenstein, Czech, Spain, and Andorra in attendance. Alpine Development Director Chip Knight noted that we use this event to expose some of our best athletes to a higher level of racing and to raise the bar for our domestic system. “It’s great to see our U16s compete in this environment, against a deep high-quality European field” Knight said. “This event is a good measuring stick for us as a country, and a great signal for everyone back home as we head into U16 Nationals at the end of the season.”

Athletes:

• Sebastian Kohlhofer - Ski & Snowboard Club Vail
• Bayli McSpadden - Ski & Snowboard Club Vail
• Jay Poulter - Stratton Mountain School
• Cooper Puckett - Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
• Emma Resnick - Ski & Snowboard Club Vail
• Dasha Romanov - Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation

Staff:

• Mike Prado - U.S. Ski & Snowboard Western Region Coach
• Ben Brown - Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club

RESULTS
Pokal Loka, Slovenia

City event slaloms are like a slug-fest on snow as racers punch through the gates. But as any good fighter knows, opening a match with a fist bump is a sign of respect, even when you’re the reigning champion.

“Before the second run, we did a little fist bump, like ‘yeah, come on,” said the undisputed five-time World Slalom Champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.), who punched her way to FIS Ski World Cup victory no. 14 this season after knocking out Germany’s Christina Geiger in Tuesday night’s city event big final in Stockholm, Sweden. “It was a different feeling at this race. Just a little bit more focus, but I enjoyed it. And it was nice to share with Anna and (Chris)Tina.”

Coming off her World Championships slalom victory Saturday in Åre, Sweden, Shiffrin was still battling a nasty chest cold that almost KO’d her. “It was a push tonight. I don’t think I could have done better if I was healthy,” she said. “My skiing was good, and I was attacking and doing everything that I could do for this evening, and it worked out just fine. So sickness, or no sickness, I’m really happy about that.”

While she maintained her focus on the city event slalom, a record sixth World Cup slalom title was on the card as the main event, which she would secure if she led the slalom standings by more than 200 points at the end of the night over the challenger from Slovakia - Petra Vlhova.

In the opening round of 16, Shiffrin’s beat Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel to advance to the round of eight, where she defeated Austria’s Katharina Truppe. But it was Geiger who delivered the knockout punch - defeating Vlhova in the round of eight and set Shiffrin up to secure the World Cup slalom title by night’s end. But, Geiger wasn’t done swinging yet. She continued her impressive skiing by defeating Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter to advance to the finals against Shiffrin, who defeated Sweden’s Anna Swenn-Larsson to set up an all-Sweden battle for third.

After the fist bump, it was game on as Shiffrin took the first run by the smallest of margins - 0.01-seconds!

“It was really, really close,” Shiffrin said of her 1/2 final match up with Swenn-Larsson, as well as her big final match up with Geiger. “I was training a bit yesterday at the same time as her (Anna Swenn-Larsson)...and watching her doing this blocking style and I thought ‘whoa, she’s really, really good at it.’ I think she’s faster than what she was able to show in the race tonight.”

In the second run, with the World Cup slalom title on the line, Shiffrin took the victory by 0.27-seconds and matched the World Cup season win record of 14 victories held by Austria’s Vreni Schneider. Swenn-Larsson defeated Hansdotter for third.

Shiffrin has wrapped up her sixth slalom Crystal Globe as she now leads Vlhova by 203 points with only two races remaining. Shiffrin also leads the overall World Cup standings by more than 700 points over Vlhova, as well as teh giant slalom and super-G standings.

Up next, the women’s World Cup circuit with a pair of downhills and an alpine combined event Saturday and Sunday.

RESULTS
Men’s city event
Women’s city event

WORLD CUP STANDINGS
Men
Women

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Tuesday, Feb. 19
11:30 p.m. - Men and women's city event - Stockholm, SWE - NBCSN*

Wednesday, Feb. 20
5:00 a.m. - FIS World Junior Alpine Championships men’s downhill - Val di Fassa, ITA - OlympicChannel.com

Friday, Feb. 22
3:30 a.m. - Men’s alpine combined run 1 - Bansko, BUL - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - Men’s alpine combined run 2 - Bansko, BUL - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, Feb. 23
4:15 a.m. - Women’s downhill - Crans-Montana, SWI - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:45 a.m. - Men’s super-G, Bansko, BUL - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, Feb. 24
3:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1 - Bansko, BUL - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
4:30 a.m. - Women’s alpine combined run 1 - Crans-Montana, SWI - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
6:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2 - Bansko, BUL - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Women’s alpine combined run 1 - Crans-Montana, SWI - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
10:30 p.m. - Women’s alpine combined run 1 - Crans-Montana, SWI - NBCSN*

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold andOlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.
 

Local favorite Alayna Sonnesyn (Plymouth, Minn., SMS T2) won the Minneapolis SuperTour sprint freestyle race Friday on the test track for the FIS World Cup to be held in March 2020.

“I found myself in second place coming down the hill and was hoping to slingshot around, but everyone one else was trying to do the same,” said Sonnesyn. “I was in a good position coming up and over the bridge and I really wanted it today, so I gave it everything I had in the last 100 meters.”

Joining Sonnesyn on the podium was Becca Rorabaugh (Fairbanks, Alaska, APU Nordic Ski Center) in second and Erika Flowers (Bozeman, Mont., Salomon) in third.

The men’s race was won by Canadian Antoine Briand (CNEPH) with Fellow Alaskan’s Tyler Kornfield (Anchorage, Alaska, APU Nordic Ski Center) in second and Forrest Mahlen (Frisco, Colo., APU Nordic Ski Center) in third.

When asked about how this race course will be for the World Cup next year, Sonnesyn said, “I am really excited the World Cup is coming to my hometown and feeling like the community is here to support it.  I think it will be a tactical race next year and will require some technical work and strategy to win.”

The SuperTour continues this Saturday, February 23rd in Hayward, Wisconsin, for the American Birkebeiner.

RESULTS
Men and women’s sprint
Men and women’s classic mass start
Men and women’s freestyle interval start

Eighteen U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes are ready to kick off the 2019 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld, Austria, Feb. 20 - March 3 against the best athletes in the sport in more than a dozen events -  all of which will be televised and/or streamed its entirely on networks of NBC Sports.

“The Team has had excellent preparation camps over the past two weeks,” said U.S. Cross Country Team Head Coach Chris Grover. “The sprint team has been Vålådalen, Sweden, preparing at lower altitude, while the distance team has been in Davos, Switzerland, at moderate altitude.  Our only challenges during this period have been having too much winter (i.e. lots of snow and cold temps), and too many kilometers of excellent grooming enticing athletes to ski more than they should!”

The team includes two medalists from past championships, Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) and Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.). At the 2017 World Championships in Lahti, Finland, Diggins won the silver in the freestyle sprint, and teamed up with Bjornsen in the classic team sprint to take the bronze. Only five Americans have won a cross country medal at World Championships.

“I’m excited for the World Championships, and as we wind down to the final week before the races, I feel good about my preparation,” said Diggins. “I can say with absolute honesty that I’ve done everything I can to be as fit as possible and as mentally ready as I can be, so now it’s just a matter of having fun and letting my body do what it already knows how to do; race as hard as possible!”

“The final prep has been going well here in Davos, Switzerland,” said Bjornsen. “I am really looking forward to showing up ready to fight in a variety of races throughout the Championships. I think my body is in the best place it has ever been at this time of the year, so I can't wait to see what I can convince my mind to do.”

Competition opens on Thursday, February 21, with the freestyle sprint, followed by the skiathlon before heading into the distance races. The Championships conclude on March 2-3 with a 30k women’s and 50k men’s freestyle mass start.

2019 U.S. Cross Country World Championship Team
(name, hometown, ski club, birthdate)

Men

• Simi Hamilton, Aspen, Co., (SMST2) 5/14/1987
• Erik Bjornsen, Winthrop, Wash., (Alaska Pacific University) 7/15/1991
• Andy Newell, Shaftsbury, Vt., (SMST2) 11/30/1983
• Kevin Bolger, Sun Valley, Idaho, (SVSEF) 04/11/1993
• Logan Hanneman, Fairbanks, Alaska, (Alaska Pacific University) 6/2/1993
• Kyle Bratrud, Eden Prairie, Minn., (SMST2) 2/9/1993
• David Norris, Fairbanks, Alaska, (Alaska Pacific University) 12/12/1990
• Ben Lustgarten, Burlington, Vt., (Craftsbury Green Racing) 4/17/1992
• Adam Martin, Wausau, Wis., (Craftsbury Green Racing) 10/26/1994
• Scott Patterson, Anchorage, Alaska, (Alaska Pacific University) 01/28/1998

Women

• Sadie Bjornsen, Winthrop, Wash., (Alaska Pacific University) 11/21/1989
• Sophie Caldwell, Stratton Mountain, Vt., (SMST2) 3/22/1990
• Jessie Diggins, Afton, Minn., (SMST2) 8/26/1991
• Rosie Brennan, Park City, Utah, (Alaska Pacific University) 12/2/1988
• Ida Sargent, Craftsbury, Vt., (Craftsbury Green Racing) 1/25/1988
• Julia Kern, Waltham, Mass., ( SMST2) 09/12/1997
• Caitlin Patterson, Craftsbury, Vt., (Craftsbury Green Racing) 1/30/1990
• Rosie Frankowski, Minneapolis, Minn., (Alaska Pacific University) 7/30/1991

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Preliminary schedule, subject to change
*Same-day delayed broadcast

Wednesday, Feb. 20
6:30 a.m. - Women's 5k qualifying - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com
8:00 a.m. - Men's 10k qualifying - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com
3:00 p.m. - Men's 10k and women's 5k - NBCSN*

Thursday, Feb. 21
6:00 a.m. - Men and women's sprint qualification - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com
8:30 a.m. - Women’s sprint finals - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
11:30 p.m. - Women’s sprint finals - NBCSN*

Saturday, Feb. 23
5:00 a.m. - Women’s 15k skiathlon - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:00 a.m. Men’s 30k skiathlon - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:30 a.m. Women’s 15k skiathlon - Olympic Channel-TV*
9:30 a.m. Men’s 30k skiathlon - Olympic Channel-TV*

Sunday, Feb. 24
5:30 a.m. - Men and women’s team sprint finals - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
10:30 a.m. - Men and women’s team sprint finals - Olympic Channel-TV*
11:30 p.m. - Women’s team sprint finals - NBCSN*

Tuesday, Feb. 26
7:30 a.m. - Women's 10k - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com
1:00 p.m. - Women's 10k - NBCSN*

Wednesday, Feb. 27
8:00 a.m. - Men's 15k - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com

Thursday, Feb. 28
7:00 a.m. - Women's 4x5k relay - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com

Friday, March 1
7:00 a.m. - Men's 4x10k relay - - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com

Saturday, March 2
7:00 a.m. - Women's 30k - - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com

Sunday, March 3
7:00 a.m. - Men's 50k -- Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold andOlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.

U.S Ski & Snowboard Team athletes Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) and Chloe Kim (Torrence, Calif.) joined golfing legend Tiger Woods and gymnast Simone Biles as the big U.S. winners of the annual Laureus World Sports Awards announced Monday in Monaco.

The Awards honored the greatest and most inspirational sports triumphs of the past calendar year and showcased the work of Laureus Sport for Good.

Skiing great Lindsey Vonn’s incredible career was recognized by the Laureus Academy with the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award. The Spirit of Sport Award is given at the discretion of the Academy, to recognize an athlete or team who have achieved remarkable success and displayed a relentless dedication to their sport. Vonn, the greatest female skier of all time, recently announced her retirement from the sport and won the FIS Alpine World Ski Championship downhill bronze in her final event Feb. 10 in Are, Sweden. Throughout her 18-year career, Vonn won eight World Championship medals, including two gold in downhill and super-G at the 2009 World Champs in Val d’Isere, France; three Olympic medals, including the downhill gold at the 2010 Games in Whistler, Canada; and a record 20 FIS Ski World Cup titles.

Seventeen-year-old American snowboarding sensation Chloe Kim, who became the youngest woman to win a Winter Olympics snowboarding gold medal at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, won the Action Sportsperson of the Year Award. Kim recently won her first FIS Snowboard World Championship gold medal in the halfpipe earlier this month in Park City, Utah. She also won the halfpipe gold - her fifth - at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado, last month. Olympic champion Shaun White (Carlsbad, Calif.) was also nominated in the category. 

The Laureus World Sports Academy – made up of 68 global sporting legends – volunteered their time to vote for the winners in each shortlisted category which recognizes sporting achievement in the 2018 calendar year. The Awards were hosted by actor James Marsden and featured entertainment from award-Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jorja Smith.

After her record-breaking performance at the gymnastics world championships, in which she won four gold, one silver, and one bronze medal, Simone Biles was crowned Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year. Biles, who also won the Sportswoman Award in 2017, made history last year by becoming the first woman to win four all-around world championships. At just 21, she now has a record 14 career world titles. Double Olympic champion, historic four-time slalom world champion and 2019 super-G World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) - who has broken nearly every record there is to break in the sport of alpine ski racing this year - was also nominated for this category. 

Golfing star and 10-time Laureus Nominee Tiger Woods won his third Laureus Award, after winning the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year accolade at the 2000 and 2001 Laureus Awards. The American received the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award for winning the Tour Championship, his first win in 1,876 days, returning to the game after spinal fusion surgery.

For a full list of this year’s award winners, visit awards.laureus.com.

David Wise (Reno, Nev.) battled through wind and snow to claim victory at the FIS Freeski World Cup halfpipe under the lights Saturday night at the Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

“Conditions were challenging, but the skiers still showed up and gave it their best here in Calgary,” said Wise. “I haven’t won a contest with my first run in a long time, so it feels like a double win for me. Stoked to share the podium with Nico and Noah, they both crushed it in tonight’s halfpipe.”

Wise, despite the wind and snow, displayed huge amplitude on run one and stomped a perfect run earning a score of a 90.00. As he caught his breadth in the finish carral, Wise said, “that took everything I had.” His first run score would hold as the top score of the night.

Wise put together what looked to be another stellar run on his second attempt, but lost his ski upon landing his last hit. Just like the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, he would have to push through an equipment malfunction, but this time around he had the luxury of sitting in first place.

Wise has laced together quite the season thus far with a third-place finishes at the U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colo., and the Dew Tour in Breckenridge, Colo., as well as a silver medal at X Games in Aspen, Colo.

U.S Rookie Team member Hunter Hess (Bend, Ore.) also skied very well landing his third and final run to jump into fourth place just missing the opportunity to collect his second ever World Cup podium. New Zealand’s Nico Porteous finished second and Canada’s Noah Bowman was third.

For the ladies, Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.) put on a great show, but was unable to reach the podium. She was in podium contention until the third and final run where China’s Kexin Zhang put all the pieces together to slide into third ahead of Sigourney. Sigourney was in the fourth position with one more opportunity to find her way back to podium contention, but she was unable to do so. U.S. Rookie Team member Svea Irving (Winter Park, Colo.) performed very consistently landing her first two of three runs with solid amplitude down the halfpipe.

Sharpe topped the podium for her first World Cup win of the season. Karker finished second and Zhang closed out the podium in third.

Competition in Calgary has mixed up the FIS World Cup freeski halfpipe standings. Sigourney moved from eighth into fifth and Karker is now the cup leader. For the men, following his win, Wise moves from seventh to third putting him in contention for the Crystal Globe with one more competition to go at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Calif., March 6-9. Also, Hess moved up one spot from fifth to fourth. New Zealand’s Nico Porteous is the current leader.

RESULTS
Men’s halfpipe
Women’s halfpipe

CUP STANDINGS
Men’s halfpipe
Women’s halfpipe
 

Lindsey Vonn - the most successful female ski racer in history - wrapped up her illustrious 18-year career a with a bronze medal in the downhill at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Are, Sweden, on Feb. 10, 2019

In victory, defeat, battling back from crashes and injuries, Vonn will be remembered as a vicious competitor and true champion, who brought the sport of alpine ski racing to the mainstream of American sports.

She left everything on the hill in her final race in her typical - all or nothing - fashion that over her 18-year career brought her 82 World Cup victories; eight World Championship medals, including two gold in downhill and super-G at the 2009 World Champs in Val d’Isere, France; three Olympic medals, including the downhill gold at the 2010 Games in Whistler, Canada; and a record 20 FIS Ski World Cup titles. 

"Anything is possible if you work hard enough!"

- Lindsey Vonn

“Lindsey Vonn will be celebrated as not only the greatest U.S. female skier of all time, but as an athlete who has inspired people around the world, both in and out of the sport of ski racing, for many years,” said Tiger Shaw, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “We have been so lucky to have been able to share many of Lindsey’s extraordinary achievements, but now the time is right for Lindsey to call time on her incredible career. On behalf of everyone in the U.S. and throughout the global ski racing community, thank you Lindsey. You have consistently raised the bar, you have created a legacy that will live forever, and you have given us all some of the greatest memories in our sport.”

Here is a look back on Vonn's outstanding career.