Mikaela Shiffrin shattered records on Tuesday, taking her first FIS World Cup slalom victory in more than a year in the Flachau, Austria, night slalom. Paula Moltzan had her career-best slalom finish, taking ninth place.

Shiffrin led the race after the first run by just .08 seconds, but after a remarkable second run by the Austrian hometown favorite Katharina Liensberger, there were thoughts that Mikaela would just be racing for second place. Instead, Shiffrin found the classic Shiffrin extra gear to hammer into the finish—and when she looked up to see that she won by .19 seconds, she let out an uncharacteristic celebratory scream.

“I felt inspired; I just felt alive,” said Mikaela. “I just was pushing. I wish I could explain. The second run, that was maybe the top slalom skiing I’ve been able to do in a race.”

Wendy Holdener of Switzerland was third and Petra Vlhova of Slovakia—current overall and slalom leader—was fourth.

While Shiffrin is never one to speak to records, she broke a number of them with her win in Flachau. It was her 44th career slalom victory—giving her the most wins for a female in a single discipline—and her 68th career World Cup win, which propels her into third place on the all-time victory list, surpassing Austrian Marcel Hirscher and putting her only behind Ingemar Stenmark (86) and retired teammate Lindsey Vonn (82). It was also her 100th career podium. Oh, and Shiffrin is still only 25 years old.

Though Shiffrin had won in Flachau three times in her career before Tuesday night, her last slalom victory was December 29, 2019, and she said she’s still finding the right mindset on the World Cup circuit again. “It takes a different mentality—and I’ve been learning that again this whole season,” she said. “There’s a couple of steps. A lot of things have happened, including getting more time in training, getting more time thinking about my mindset, and thinking about all the pieces that go into race day that we don’t have to experience in training. All those things came together tonight. It’s amazing, but it doesn’t mean it’s fixed yet. But tonight was really really good.”

Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Paula Moltzan also had a banner day, snagging ninth place to take home her best World Cup slalom finish. She loves the venue, having previously scored her best slalom finish in Flachau in 2019 with 12th place. “I’ve always just loved racing here—mostly because it feels like home,” said Moltzan. “I grew up in the Midwest. I trained at night under the lights every day—I thought it was weird to ski in the daylight. This just feels like coming back home and it’s really special to have my best result in slalom here again!”

AJ Hurt also got a second run, skiing intelligently to take 29th place and score her first slalom points. In her first full World Cup season, she has now scored in four events—giant slalom, super-G, parallel, and slalom. And the young 20-year-old Squaw Valley racer is hungry for more this season. 

Lila Lapanja just missed the second run, finishing in 32nd in the first run. Nina O’Brien and Resi Stiegler also did not qualify. In her first World Cup, Zoe Zimmermann skied out and did not finish. Katie Hensien also did not finish.

This was the last World Cup slalom prior to World Championships. The women’s tech team heads next to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia for two giant slaloms on January 16 and 17, replacing the Maribor races that were canceled due to lack of snow.

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

The world was watching as U.S. Freeski Pro Team member Colby Stevenson stormed out of nowhere in 2020 to win two gold medals at X Games Aspen, plus the coveted Best In Snow award as a rookie in X Games competition. What many don't know is that Stevenson suffered a traumatic brain injury following a car accident in 2016. Doctors didn’t know if he would walk again, let alone ski. However, Stevenson’s recovery was mighty, with the contest results to prove it. Today, Stevenson is a household name in elite-level freeski competition, but there’s more to Colby Stevenson than just gold medals and a comeback story. 
 

OGIO Inc., a leading innovator of sports and travel bags, backpacks, and golf bags, announced today their partnership with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, becoming the exclusive travel gear partner for some of the world’s most elite winter athletes. As an official partner, OGIO will work closely with the organization’s athletes, coaches, and equipment managers to produce travel and equipment bags built to the specifications that teams, skiers, and snowboarders demand throughout the global competition season and beyond. This includes wheeled ski and snowboard bags, on-mountain backpacks, and special travel gear that incorporates the key characteristics OGIO is known for – durability, protection, thoughtful organization, and comfort.

"OGIO has worked hard to earn its reputation as the most durable and functional travel gear for athletes and professionals of all types,” said Gregg Hemphill, OGIO’s General Manager. “We are thrilled to have earned the trust of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard teams’ athletes, coaches, team managers, and staff to carry all of their essential equipment and gear as they compete around the world. It has been very exciting to work hand-in-hand with such a passionate organization in creating our new winter sports gear bags, and we can’t wait for skiers and snowboarders around the world to get their hands on these bags as well.”

“Our athletes are innovators of their sports and we are excited to partner with an innovative company like OGIO for such an important need for our teams,” said Michael O’Conor, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Chief Revenue Officer. “U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and teams crisscross the globe chasing snow and competitions, and OGIO will provide peace of mind when it comes to transporting required gear and equipment. We are thrilled to bring the U.S. Ski & Snowboard OGIO line to life and know skiers and snowboarders of all abilities will appreciate the features and details this collection has to offer. Whether you’re an amateur weekend warrior or seasoned powder hound, you can count on OGIO to get you where you need to go, just as our elite teams do.”

Throughout the partnership, OGIO will unveil a variety of winter sports gear bags and backpacks, including U.S. Ski & Snowboard team-issue wheeled ski and snowboard bags, rolling duffels, backpacks, and a RIG 9800 wheeled gear bag specifically designed for winter sports. This collection will launch at the beginning of the ’21 winter season.

More information on U.S. Ski & Snowboard can be found at www.usskiandsnowboard.org. For more information on OGIO and to stay up to date on their latest product releases, please visit www.ogio.com.

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ABOUT OGIO
Founded in 1987, OGIO is an award-winning global leader in gear bag design and manufacturing, recognized for fusing performance, sports and lifestyle in every collection. Today, the company aims to make the world’s most ingeniously designed, expertly constructed and technologically unrivaled personal storage products.

The innovative brand produces gear-focused bags with durable materials, long shelf lives and a plethora of pockets for storage. In all production, OGIO operates on the pillars of organization, durability, protection, ergonomics, mobility and sustainability.

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

The Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund has exceeded its $3M goal, raising more than $3,075,000 to support all athletes and teams during these uncertain and unprecedented times. 

Just over three months after launching the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the fund has reached and exceeded its original goal of $3M, raising over $3,075,000. In creating the fund, the Shiffrin family, coupled with six families of generous donors, wanted to honor both Jeff’s legacy, as well as contribute to the ongoing pursuit of excellence for all athletes across all sports. Better days are still ahead, and the thrill and challenge of athletes’ Olympic dreams are worth fighting for. 

With challenges, come opportunities. 

The Shiffrin family believes that great goals can be achieved through hard work, discipline, and resiliency. The goal of the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund is to keep athletes’ skis and boards on the snow, despite potential storms ahead. The Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund will sustain coaching, training camps, and competition expenses now, and hopefully, help bridge the gap through the end of the 2022 fiscal year.

“It is an honor to share that we have fully funded the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund,” said Tiger Shaw, President, and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “We are incredibly grateful to Mikaela, her mother Eileen, and brother Taylor, as well as the six families who helped launch the Fund, for their hard work and energy in creating this crucial piece of funding for our athletes and teams. I can think of no better way of honoring Jeff than by ensuring athletes have access to the resources they need.” 

Shiffrin rallied a crew of alumni athletes and current athletes who embody the definition of “resiliency,” including Olympic champions Jonny Mosely, Kikkan Randall, Jessie Diggins as well as three-time World Champion Jeremy Bloom and three-time World Cup winner and Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team downhiller Steven Nyman, to share their unique stories of resilience. In addition, over 30 athletes across sports shared their stories of resilience in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s social media challenge to #KeepTheFlameAlive. Donations flooded in from around the world, including 19 different countries, and 39 states—with Colorado and New York amassing the most donations. From Latvia to Great Britain and even Luxembourg, U.S. Ski & Snowboard fans from around the world donated and shared their words of encouragement with Shiffrin and her teammates. 

“I am so full of gratitude, first, for my teammates for being open and courageous as they shared their stories of resilience...and, of course, to U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the donor families who worked tirelessly to make this Fund a reality,” said Shiffrin. “Finally, I’m thankful to all of those who donated, sent words of encouragement, and shared their own stories of resilience via social media. It was really heartwarming to see all of the feedback, and I know my dad would have been so proud of this project and so excited to see athletes across U.S. Ski & Snowboard off to such a strong start this season. Thank you.” 

A big thanks is in order to all of the generous donors and to all of the athletes, led by Shiffrin, for their outreach to their personal networks. The fund has allowed U.S. Ski & Snowboard to sustain our training and competition schedule as many funding sources were impacted due to COVID. This has translated into one of the most successful seasons in history, as we have amassed 27 podiums and eight victories this season across all sports—including a historic Tour de Ski win by Olympic Champion Jessie Diggins—which is a direct result of the consistent funding. On top of that, many athletes have reached the podium for the first time, the points for the first time, and have also enjoyed career-best results. 

“This past year has been a master class in resilience, for our organization and our athletes,” added Shaw. “Through this Fund, we will be able to bridge the gap caused by challenges relating to the global pandemic, and beyond. I am humbled by the continued generosity of our donors and supporters, we could not do what we do without the passionate team behind the team.’  

“We have had an incredible start to this competition season, and remain grateful to be able to train and compete. This is an important year for us in the run-up to the next Olympics. As medical advances are made and some sense of normalcy returns to the world, we look forward to a brighter 2021, and we cannot wait to celebrate with the world in Beijing in 2022.“

We are now shifting our focus to our annual alpine and freeski and snowboard sport fundraisers to further support the travel costs of each team. 

For more information about the Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund visit keeptheflamealive.org. 

Learn more about the upcoming Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team fundraiser. 
Learn more about the upcoming freeski/snowboard fundraiser. 
Learn more about how to support the U.S. Freestyle Moguls Ski Team.

With 10 podiums from five athletes, the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team is off to its strongest start in years. Strong skiing equals strong interest, so we thought we’d spend a little time demystifying the television broadcast and streaming opportunities for you to experience the FIS Alpine World Cup this season, to the  World Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and beyond! 

The TV rights situation is a complex one. 
Former women’s World Cup beat writer Gabbi Hall took the time a few years back to give fans a look at the complexity of the TV rights in alpine ski racing. Since she did such a stellar job explaining it, and much of the information still holds true today, we thought it would be a good idea to resurrect her article, 5 Things You Never Knew About World Cup TV Rights. Grab your coffee, and head over to that piece for a few to get acquainted if your attention span is up for the task. 

Where can I find the full alpine TV schedule?
Not only can you expect for us to share the viewing information prior to each World Cup race on our social mediums, but you can also find it 24/7 on our website here. It’s a pretty sweet resource that includes both TV broadcast and streaming information. 

Why are Austrian World Cup venue races exclusive to NBC’s Peacock TV?
To lay it out very clearly:

All races outside of Austria = Available on Olympic Channel, NBCSN, and/or NBC + Peacock

All races in Austria = Available exclusively on Peacock. 

Now, let’s dive in. 
Currently, ski and snowboard World Cup events in Austria are not available for broadcast in the United States on Olympic Channel, NBCSN, and NBC. Broadcast and digital distribution rights are negotiated between the event’s rights holder (Austrian Ski Federation) and media companies. We do not control the media rights to Austria races. Are there other options? Yep! 

Peacock Premium offers live coverage of the entire event schedule, as well as the option to watch on-demand. Don’t want to wake up at 4 a.m. to watch the Mikaela Shiffrin crush the first run, but want to watch it later? Easy. Check it out. 

Note: Peacock Premium does not have commentators, it provides only the live video feel with natural sounds (which is cool in and of itself...you can hear the sound of athletes skiing 80+mph with two planks that have razor-sharp edges) and graphics, however Olympic Channel, NBCSN, and NBC will once again be broadcasting all events outside of Austria, and will include commentary. As far as costs go for Peacock Premium, it’s actually less expensive than NBC Sports Gold’s Snow Pass...at $4.99/month it is about $10 less than the annual cost of $69 for Snow Pass. Also, you can pay by the month, only for the winter, so five months would be under $25. Lots of Austrian venue races coming up in January...why not snag Peacock Premium for a month? You can do that. Five bucks. How much did you spend on coffee this week? Just sayin’.

We've heard many individuals say they don't want to pay more for a streaming service, on top of your cable package. Think of it this way: paying for Peacock Premium (even for one month) is good for the sport for the athletes, as it states a case for more and wider coverage in the future. 

All streams will be available via desktop as well as mobile, tablet, and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports, Peacock TV, and Olympic Channel app are available on the Apple App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire. Comcast’s eligible Xfinity X1 and Flex customers, as well as eligible Cox Contour customers, enjoy Peacock Premium included with their service at no additional cost.

How can I get in contact with Peacock? 
https://www.peacocktv.com/help/

Thank you, as always, for your support. Also—just for good measure, we'll share the broadcast/streaming schedule again, in really big, bold font. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at megan.harrod@usskiandsnowboard.org. 

ALPINE TV/STREAMING SCHEDULE

It was another stunning day in St. Anton, Austria, where Isabella “Bella” Wright led the way for the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, grabbing a personal best 24th place and her first super-G points—just one day after scoring her career-first FIS Ski World Cup points. Young (20-year-old) up-and-comer AJ Hurt landed in 26th in her debut World Cup super-G start. 

In what was an extremely technical set with not much flow or rhythm, Switzerland’s Lara Gut slayed in Sunday’s super-G, earning her first super-G win since January 21, 2018, and her 27th career World Cup victory. Italy’s smooth-as-can-be Marta Bassino landed in second, 16 hundredths back, with Swiss Corinne Suter rounding out the podium in third, a mere two tenths off Gut’s pace. 

Not surprising, given the technical set with tighter-than-usual distances between gates, there were 14 DNFs and four disqualifications in Sunday’s super-G. The surface was, again, buff and beautiful. Utahn and Snowbird Sports Education Foundation’s Wright, who is in her first season officially named to the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team and her first full World Cup schedule, loved the technical course set. 

“Today in the super-G I felt really calm and happy in the start, and ready. I skied exactly how I wanted on the top part of the course and was very mellow in my head, but attacking at the same time...and just skiing and enjoying more turns. I loved how technical it was...that’s my favorite kind of super-G,” reflected Wright. “When I got towards the bottom I hooked my shoulder on a gate and didn’t think I was going to make it for a quick second, but I am grateful I crossed the finish line and I was happy with a lot of my skiing out there today.”

Teammate AJ Hurt, hailing from Squaw Valley, Calif., started in her first career super-G race and landed in 26th, grabbing her first World Cup points in the discipline—her third time in the points this season, across three disciplines (parallel, giant slalom, and now super-G). She was psyched with her run and knows she has more in her. Hurt’s teammate and best friend, Keely Cashman, who was 10th in her career-first super-G in Val d’Isere, France, crashed in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany during training and had to sit out the race series in St. Anton to rest and recover.  

 

 

 

 

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Olympian and veteran Laurenne Ross got low, missed a gate, and DNFed, but she is OK. Breezy Johnson, who podiumed in her third-straight downhill on Saturday, caught an edge and almost had a bad day, but pulled off a great recovery and finished just outside of the points, in 32nd. 

Following her first World Cup points on Saturday, Wright was full of emotions, hugging teammates and crying in the finish area with immense joy. “I’m extremely happy with this weekend. I feel like it was a big step for me, mentally, with my confidence more than anything,” she noted. “I have been training really well, and it’s just been about putting that into race day on these tracks that are all brand-new to me. So, it was a really big step, and the downhill day was really emotional for me...I wasn’t sure when I came through the finish if I had done it, and all I saw was 27th and I just was overwhelmed with joy—I don’t think I’ve ever felt that much joy.”

Teammate and veteran Alice McKennis, who was the defending downhill champion on this track (2013), was missed by her teammates, but especially Wright. “Alice McKennis was in my head and my heart all day, thinking about her...she was the last person to win here and I really wanted her to be there today with us, but I know she was there in spirit. It meant a lot to finally get in the points, and put down a solid run even with some conservative skiing at the bottom, and know that I can be in there and I have a lot more in me...I’m happy I have a lot more in me, and I know that it’s just a process of building that confidence more and more. It was a super emotional day.”

The group cohesion of the women’s speed team has always been notable, and the addition of Wright to the Team has elevated that cohesion even more so. Her positive energy and genuine spirit have been a great addition to the squad. “I think that it was more relief than anything, and I felt so much gratitude for everyone who has gotten me to this point and this Team—I’m so proud to be a part of it. They push me every single day. 

The Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team continues to show its depth and success across all levels, male and female. There are so many exciting things that have happened this year...including the fact that five different athletes have podiumed a total of 10 times so far this season. In fact, coming into Sunday’s race, every named female Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete who has started multiple World Cups this season has scored World Cup points.

Following Sunday’s race, Wright and Hurt went “soul-shredding” in St. Anton, grabbing some freeski turns on the perfectly prepared groomers, under the sunshine. What’s next for Wright? “Just going to try to continue this momentum and carry it into the next races, and hopefully put down a run top-to-bottom that I know I’m capable of,” she said. “I’m super happy with the weekend, and happy to have shared it with all of my teammates and friends here. It means a lot and I am so grateful for that.”

Up next, a large and deep women’s tech crew will head to Flachau, Austria for the classic night slalom on Tuesday. 

RESULTS
Women’s super-G

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Sunday, Jan. 10
2:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Slalom - same-day broadcast, Adelboden, SUI, Broadcast NBCSN

Tuesday, Jan. 12
12:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Flachau, AUT, Streaming Peacock
2:45 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Flachau, AUT, Streaming Peacock

All streams will be available via desktop as well as mobile, tablet, and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports, Peacock TV, and Olympic Channel app are available on the Apple App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire.
 

Luke Winters scored his first FIS Ski World Cup points of the 2020-21 season in the Adelboden slalom, finishing in 22nd.

On another sunny day in Switzerland, the tough Chuenisbärgli hill tripped up man after man, with many athletes skiing out or hiking to finish. Marco Schwarz of Austria was the winner of the day with Linus Strasser of Germany in second. British skier Dave Ryding took his third career podium in third place.

Winters had a solid first run showing and sat in 20th going into second run. But like so many men in the race, Luke went down on his hip on the pitch. However, he stayed cool and didn’t let the mistake affect his skiing, continuing to race and make it to the finish. This was the first time Luke scored World Cup points since the Adelboden slalom last year where he finished 26th, and was his fourth career points score.

"It was a good day for me," said Winters. "I was fast here last year on the first run as well and so I knew where I needed to take the speed and where I need to be smart. I thought I executed my plan well that first run. What I’ve been focusing on in training is being athletic and loose and that’s how I skied first run."

Ryan Wilson, the men's World Cup slalom coach agreed with Luke that it was a good day and that this is a step in the right direction for the slalom team. "Big win today for U.S. slalom," said Wilson. "We have a belief that we are coming to more results that we haven’t had yet. This definitely helps."

Rounding out the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, Jett Seymour just missed second run, finishing in 34th. Ben Ritchie also did not qualify for second run. But the guys are getting closer. "Jett and Ben have both been skiing incredibly fast in training," said Winters. "It’s just a matter of time before they do it. Looking forward to that. It happened to be me today, but it’s going to happen soon with all of us."

The results are starting to come in because of how hard this team is working—both physically and mentally. And fans should start expecting to see more second runs from this crew.

"We had an absolute reset in the approach to racing and the way that we were training coming into this from Zagreb," said Wilson. "We changed the mentality of going fast and letting your athletic ability come out. These guys are three freakshow athletes, so if they’re trying to go as fast as they can and making recoveries, that’s way better than trying to control everything that doesn’t play to their strengths."

The men’s World Cup stays in Switzerland for the classic Lauberhorn downhill on Friday and Saturday and slalom on Sunday in Wengen.

RESULTS
Men’s slalom

Sunday, Jan. 10
2:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Slalom - same-day broadcast, Adelboden, SUI, Broadcast NBCSN

Tuesday, Jan. 12
12:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Flachau, AUT, Streaming Peacock
2:45 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Flachau, AUT, Streaming Peacock

All streams will be available via desktop as well as mobile, tablet, and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports, Peacock TV, and Olympic Channel app are available on the Apple App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire.

Jessie Diggins started the final stage of the 15th FIS Tour de Ski with two goals: to win the overall, and to absolutely bury herself on the final climb. Proudly, she accomplished both, finishing second in the final stage to become the first American to win the Tour de Ski overall title.

“Wow!” Diggins said after completing her eighth Tour de Ski, with her previous best result being third in the 2018 Tour. “This is a lifelong goal...it really means a lot. We have had an amazing team atmosphere this whole time, amazing support, and help, and so many cheers from all around the world, so that really gave me wings up the hill today.”

Diggins led another solid day for the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team on what has become an incredible season with 13 podiums so far. In the men’s race Sunday, Gus Schumacher finished 19th in the final stage, to finish 18th overall - the best Tour de Ski finish ever for an American man. He also moved up to 27th in the overall World Cup standings.

Rosie Brennan attacked all the way to the finish after suffering a setback on stage 6, and then another mishap on the final stage.

"Unfortunately, I stuck a tip in the powder on the side of the trail leading into the climb and took another digger," said Brennan, who battled back to finish seventh on the stage to move up to sixth in the final overall standings, a career-best Tour de Ski result. "I worked really hard to make up the places that I could and then really went for it when we reached the climb to try to get into the leading group. I was able to recollect myself and hold strong but frustratingly missed the top five (overall) by a mere four seconds. Sixth place is absolutely a career-best and I am proud of my effort of fighting back after the disaster that was stage 6, but I always want more of myself and those four seconds certainly sting a bit."

Competing in her first Tour de Ski, Hailey Swirbul finished 15th in the final stage and 18th overall. Katharine Ogden was 24th Sunday to finish a career-best 23rd overall. Scott Patterson was 38th in Sunday’s stage and finished 37th overall, while Kevin Bolger was 48th Sunday and 48th overall in his first Tour de Ski.

Sunday’s final stage, a 10k freestyle mass start featured 6.5k of rolling terrain and two bonus point sprints before getting down to business on the final 3.5k climb up the alpine slopes Val Di Fiemme that averaged a 12% gradient, with stretches up to 44%. Sweden set the early pace for Linn Svahn to score maximum bonus points, but also set up Ebba Andersson to launch an attack at the base of the climb in hopes of landing on the overall podium.

Andersson started the day sixth overall, more than 2:00 behind Diggins, but just 19 seconds off the podium. She built a 10-second lead over Diggins and Russia’s Yulia Stupak on the lower slopes. With 1k to go, Andersson held her advantage over Diggins as Stupak fell off the pace, but the Russian kept Andersson in her sight to protect her second place in the overall standing. Andersson crossed the finish line nine seconds ahead of Diggins to take the stage win - her first career World Cup victory. France’s Delphine Claudel was third at 20-seconds back, and Stupak finished fourth at 24-seconds back to seal her second-place in the overall.

The overall victory caps off a very successful Tour de Ski for the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team. Over the 10-day,  eight-stage race, Diggins and Brennan landed on the podium nine times, with not one, but two historic 1-2 finishes for Diggins and Brennan in stages 3 and 4, and four U.S. women in the top 30 overall for the third time in the 15-year history of the event. With her victory, Diggins overtakes Brennan for the overall World Cup lead. Brennan still leads the overall World Cup distance standing.

"It was inspiring to watch Jessie put so much fight in every day and that certainly inspires me to find more," Brennen said of her teammate. "I couldn't think of a better person to take the yellow (World Cup Leader's) bib off my back. I am also really excited to hold onto the red distance bib!"

RESULTS
Stage 7
Women’s 10k freestyle final hill climb
Men’s 10k freestyle final hill climb

STANDINGS
Final Women’s Tour de Ski overall
Final Men’s Tour de Ski overall
Women’s World Cup overall
Men’s World Cup overall
 

The U.S. Aerials Freestyle Ski Team rang in 2021 with three competitions to cap off a domestic training block at Official Training Site Utah Olympic Park (UOP). The team took advantage of two NorAms on Jan. 5-6 before the U.S. Aerials Freestyle National Championships on Jan. 9. Although it is unusual for the team to compete in NorAms, it is important for athletes to get as much under their skis during a season that has been anything but ordinary. Athletes enjoyed a world-class jump site and several classic, beautiful Utah bluebird days to prepare for the remainder of their season. 

"We ran a very successful training camp at the UOP these past few weeks," said Head Coach Vladimir (Vad) Lebedev. "We've been training since Dec. 15 and the team has been performing well. The goal for us was to train and compete as much as possible ahead of the next leg of our World Cup tour. Seems like we're ready."

Due to high wind, Tuesday’s NorAm did not run in its entirety and the men were unable to compete off of the triple. Quinn Dehlinger was the sole National Team athlete to compete and the qualification rounds’ results were used as final results. Megan Smallhouse claimed the top spot for the women, Kaila Kuhn placed second and Park City Ski & Snowboard’s Tasia Tanner took third. On the men’s side, Park City Ski & Snowboard’s Derek Kreuger won, Dehlinger came in second and Park City Ski & Snowboard’s Nick Novak rounded out the podium in third. 

Wednesday provided perfect conditions and against a deep blue sky, America’s top and up and coming aerial skiers laid down some amazing tricks for a stunning second day of competition. Ashley Caldwell, Chris Lillis and Eric Loughran opted not to compete to save their bodies for Saturday’s main event. Megan Nick took the win for the women, Kuhn earned another second place and Smallhouse took third. On the men’s side, Justin Schoenefeld won the event, Dehlinger came in second for the second-straight day, and Kreuger came in third. 

Saturday was another stunning Utah day and the team was in excellent spirits to close out their domestic preparation period. Caldwell claimed her fifth U.S. National title. “It feels great to win another Nationals,” she said. “I’ve been struggling with a knee injury so to come out today and put all of my jumps to my feet is really awesome. It’s good motivation going into the next couple of World Cups.”

Park City Ski & Snowboard’s Karenna Elliott claimed second and Kuhn picked up a third-place. 

On the men’s side, Lillis reigned the day and claimed the top spot with a beautiful double full full full off of the triple. This is Lillis’ second National title. “[It is] definitely a confidence booster going forward,” he said. “I had a little bit of a rough event [in Ruka] to start the competition season. But I definitely expect big things out of myself going into these next World Cups. I know any one of us [on the team] can put down a sweet jump. It was definitely fun to land on the top of the podium”

Last year’s National Champion Eric Loughran took second and Schoenefeld rounded out the podium in third. 

Junior National Championships ran parallel to the event. On the women’s side, Kuhn claimed victory (her fourth podium in as many competitions), Tanner came in second, and Smallouse in third. On the men’s side, Kreuger won, Park City Ski & Snowboard’s Connor Curran came in second, and Dehlinger in third. 

The Aerials Team has just enough time to wash their clothes and pack their bags before they board a plane Sunday morning for three weeks on the road. The team will compete in back to back World Cup competitions, including a double event weekend Jan. 16-17 featuring the season’s first Mixed Team Aerials World Cup.

RESULTS

Jan. 5 NorAm
Women’s Aerials
Men’s Aerials

Jan. 6 NorAm
Women’s Aerials
Men’s Aerials

Jan. 9 National Championships
Women’s Aerials
Men’s Aerials

Jan. 9 Junior National Championships
Women’s Aerials
Men’s Aerials

On a sunny day with a perfect surface, Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Breezy Johnson put the hammer down, grabbing her third (third-place) podium in as many downhill races at stunning St. Anton, Austria.

Coming into Saturday, women from the U.S. had won the last two World Cup downhill events in this ski resort: Lindsey Vonn in 2007 and Alice Mckennis Duran in 2013. But, it was a pedal-to-the-metal—or shall we say “medal”—run for Italy’s Sofia Goggia with her signature, wild skiing that keeps fans on the edge of their seats and Goggia on the top of the podium. She was pushing it to the absolute limit, and no one could catch her, as she took the victory by 96 hundredths of a second. Austria’s Tamara Tippler finished just ahead of Johnson in second, while Johnson rounded out the podium in third—a mere eight hundredths off of Tippler’s pace. 

Of Goggia's performance, Johnson said, “I think that Sofia’s run was incredible...she skied with a lot of courage and she sometimes isn’t so good at always pulling that off, but she did an amazing job today and skied really spectacularly. Hats off to her.”

With a bulletproof surface, blue skies, and all of the positive vibes (including a text exchange from former teammate Lindsey Vonn, who said "Try to keep St. Anton in America's hands, ok?"), Johnson sent it down the technical—though classic, true—Arlberg Kandahar Rennen downhill to ski into third—her third third-place in a row in downhill. Following the race, Johnson credited Official Training Site Copper Mountain, Colorado, for the solid prep period in November that set the speed team up for success coming into Europe. 

“We struggled to get training in the spring, but our coaches worked really hard to find good training opportunities...we went to Saas-Fee (Switzerland), and then we were the only team besides the German men who went to Copper Mountain,” noted Johnson. “We worked really hard there, we had great conditions, we trained with our men’s team...and had a lot of really good training there. That was great to get full-length downhill training in November—I honestly don’t know if anyone else got that, but it was really amazing to have. I think that helped a lot in order to get ready, because you come to Val d’Isere and here (at St. Anton), and it almost feels a little bit slow.”

The Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team continues to show its depth, with first-year U.S. Ski Team member Isabella “Bella” Wright scoring her career-first World Cup points. After a competitor had a bad crash in the finish and Wright was “iced” (long hold) in the start, Wright calmed her mind and focused on the task at hand, moving from bib 45 to 27th and grabbing her first World Cup points. In the finish, she was greeted by teammates and hugs and was overcome with emotion as she shed some happy tears. 

Olympian and speed veteran Laurenne Ross, who sustained back-to-back knee injuries that kept her sidelined for the entire 2019-20 season, returned to the start gate in a courageous fashion on Saturday. After watching her partner Tommy Ford’s horrific crash in Adelboden, Switzerland, just before her race, Ross found the courage to step into the World Cup start gate for the first time in a massive 704-day break. Ross finished in 39th. 

Olympian Alice McKennis, who won at St. Anton in 2013 and recently broke her ankle (in Val d'Isere), said of teammate Ross, "I don't think I've ever watched a women's speed race from home, injured. But seeing her finish was worth it." 

The St. Anton World Cup weekend wraps on Sunday with a super-G before the tech women head to Flachau, Austria for the classic night slalom on Tuesday. 

RESULTS
Women’s downhill

HOW TO WATCH
Jan. 6-13, 2021

Saturday, Jan 9
8:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Giant Slalom - same-day broadcast, Adelboden, SUI, Broadcast NBCSN

Sunday, Jan. 10
4:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Adelboden, SUI, Streaming Peacock
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Super-G - LIVE, St. Anton, AUT, Streaming Peacock
7:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Adelboden, SUI, Broadcast Olympic Channel
7:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Adelboden, SUI, Streaming Peacock
2:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Slalom - same-day broadcast, Adelboden, SUI, Broadcast NBCSN

Tuesday, Jan. 12
12:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Flachau, AUT, Streaming Peacock
2:45 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Flachau, AUT, Streaming Peacock

All streams will be available via desktop as well as mobile, tablet, and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports, Peacock TV, and Olympic Channel app are available on the Apple App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire.