With perfect conditions, sunshine and hero snow prepared superbly once again by the legendary Talon Crew, Travis Ganong led four Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes into the points at the Xfinity Birds of Prey World Cup in Beaver Creek, Colo. 

In what was an incredible run, the young Swiss Marco Odermatt skied what Travis called a “1 out of 100 run” - pushing the line all the way down. At one point, it resulted in a near-crash as Marco took the pizza-rather-than-french-fry-approach, but he miraculously pulled it off and skied confidently into first place. Norway’s Attacking Viking Aleksander Aamodt Kilde skied into second, just a tenth off of Marco’s time, with Austrian Matthias Mayer rounding out the podium in third. 

The course set today was a classic, more technical super-G set. For that reason, it favored the more technical super-G skiers, while the classic downhillers who excel on more downhill-like super-G sets, like Italy’s Dominik Paris, Switzerland’s Beat Feuz and Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud struggled with today’s super-G set - “too technical,” Dominik said in the finish area, followed by  some expletives. On the flip side, the technical set benefited guys like Marco, as well as France’s Alexis Pinturault, who finished just off the podium in fourth. 

Travis was the lone American to finish in the top-10, though he led four athletes into the top 30 on Friday. Ryan Cochran-Siegle finished tied for 18th, Steven Nyman was 24th, and Ted Ligety finished 28th from bib 64 - in what appeared would be a top-five run before Ted made a mistake into the flats and lost time. 

It was a smooth run with solid and error-free skiing for Travis, who normally makes up a ton of time on the bottom, but today he was fast on the top. “The top section was normally my nemesis, but today the flow was amazing up there and the snow was really easy, reflected Travis. “I had a really good feelings on the top, then lost a little time on the bottom, but I’m super fired up to land in sixth.”

Once again the Talon Crew did an incredible job, making the track “a joy to ski,” as many guys said in the finish. “I just really had a fun and enjoyable run,” Travis said after his run. “The snow was perfect - it was money, the Talon Crew did an awesome job preparing the track as always! Anyone can win a super-G, it’s about who is willing to take the most risk and pull it off, watching Odermatt - he took way too much risk, but somehow it worked out for him and that’s tough to beat. That’s on the limit super-G, and that’s what’s fast.” Travis will bring the confidence from today’s run into tomorrow’s downhill. 

Kyle Negomir, Sam Dupratt, and River Radamus also started for the American squad but did not land in the top-30, while Tommy Ford and Thomas Biesemeyer started but did not finish. 

Up next for the men will be the “real event” (as Ryan - who is skiing in all three events this weekend at Beaver Creek - joked in the finish area with Steven) - downhill on Saturday at the Xfinity Birds of Prey World Cup.  

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RESULTS
Men’s Super-G

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Saturday, Dec. 7
1:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill, Xfinity Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, Colo. - Olympic Channel,  Olympic Channel.com. NBC Sports Gold
2:30 p.m. - Women’s downhill, Lake Louise, Alberta - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
11:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill, Xfinity Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, Colo. - NBCSN*

Sunday, Dec. 8
11:40 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1, Xfinity Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, Colo. - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com. NBC Sports Gold
1:00 p.m. - Women’s super-G, Lake Louise, Alberta - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
2:30 p.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2, Xfinity Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, Colo. - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com. NBC Sports Gold
5:00 p.m. - Men’s giant slalom run, Xfinity Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, Colo. - NBC
6:00 p.m. - Women’s super-G, Lake Louise, Alberta - NBCSN*

*Same-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app.

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

Shrouded in constant darkness characteristic of Finnish Lapland, the U.S. Moguls Team is gunning to get into the start gate and are primed to emerge victorious from the moguls Freestyle FIS World Cup Opening in Ruka set for Dec. 7. Despite being unable to work on their goggle tans (this crew hasn’t seen the sun in five weeks), the Team has been grinding it out in Scandinavia since early November in their last prep period before game day. 

There is no better place to kick off the moguls World Cup season than Ruka, Finland. Athletes will compete on the famous Ruka Batter Run, and the course was freshly rebuilt Wednesday. “There are no distractions, only opportunities on the Ruka course,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Head Moguls Coach Matt Gnoza. Cold temperatures have made for dry and fluffy snow, and paired with the fresh course, we can expect quick, athletic skiing and high flying tricks off of the newly cut jumps. 

The Team has a huge prep period under their belts that started domestically at official training sites Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows, Utah Olympic Park and Timberline Resort & Ski Area, then moved on internationally to Chile, Switzerland, Sweden, and finally, Finland (but not before they navigated an airline strike that forced them to travel across the entire Finnish country from Helsinki to Ruka by bus). 

Two new coaches joined this summer: Riley Campbell and Joe Discoe. Matt has worked hard to integrate the team together. “It’s not just pressure on the athletes but pressure on the staff to stay on top of everything.” Returning for another tour is Athletic Development Coach Josh Bullock and Physical Therapist Chuck Williams. “Chuck is the key to keeping the calm in the start, it’s where he’s been since Day one,” said Matt. “He’s the gear guy, cleaning boots, checking binds, making sure everyone’s set for that countdown.”

2019-20 is a whole new season and everything will get left on the snow this Saturday when the competition kicks off. Jaelin Kauf leads the Team as the second-ranked female in the world and the still-fastest-woman on the mountain. “I’m really excited to get back into the start gate and get the competition season rolling!” Jaelin said. “Our team has been putting in a lot of work and training this off season and I think we’ve all made some really great improvements. My biggest challenge is just remembering my competition routine and getting back into the swing of things. The first event is always the hardest in that aspect. It’s been a while but I’m ready! I love competing, pushing out of the gate and giving it my all on comp day. It’s been a long prep season and I’m ready to put it all together on Saturday!”

The American women of the U.S. Moguls Team have represented the best female team on tour two seasons in a row - a title they’re proud of and excited to defend. Together Jaelin, Tess Johnson, Olivia Giaccio and Hannah Soar make up the #PowHERhouse, a force we wouldn’t want to reckon with. The most technically sound skier of the group and the youngest American freestyle athlete to medal at World Champs, Tess will be one to watch for a lesson in fundamentals. Olivia has been hammer focused on her training and all that hard work is paying off - her jump-ability is unmatched and her run, a back full to cork 7, is the highest degree of difficulty for the women, making for an exciting show. She looked so good during Tuesday’s training that the French team stayed to video it. Hannah is a natural-born skier, has skied over 100 days a year for the past 18 years (and she’s only 20), and will call upon all of that experience no matter what course wherever in the world she’s competing. 

The men’s team will look to re-establish themselves with new leaders emerging. Jesse Andringa is the top American man and hungry to prove himself as such to the world. “I am feeling stronger than ever going into this season and my goal is to show and prove that to the judges!” he said. “We have been doing a ton of training and prep for this season, including five weeks of training without seeing the sun up in Scandinavia at the top of the world. So we are all hoping these first couple comps shine some light on us!”

Making their World Cup debuts are new Team members Alex Lewis and Nick Page. Alex has a solid, technical ski base to draw from and isn’t afraid to push the limits. He’s focused and has the execution on snow to prove it. Nick has the tricks, the technique and the athleticism. He’s getting his first shot at the world stage and is going to put the international field on notice. 

The key to success for this moguls World Cup season will be execution. “We’ve thought a lot about this as a team,” said Matt. “No matter what trick an athlete throws or how fast they ski, being able to execute turns and jumps at a really high level and minimize mistakes will be crucial to make it onto the podium. We need to see athletes stomp their landings of their airs and immediately return to high level skiing - that will make the biggest difference.”

U.S. Starters
Jaelin Kauf
Tess Johnson
Olivia Giaccio
Hannah Soar
Jesse Andringa
Alex Lewis
Nick Page
Dylan Walczyk*
George McQuinn*
*non Team athlete

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST
Saturday, Dec. 7
9:00 a.m. - Men and women’s moguls, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Attention has shifted from the HomeLight Killington Cup over to speed week at the Xfinity Birds of Prey in Beaver Creek, and the anticipation is high for three days of racing, including Friday’s super-G, Saturday’s downhill, and Sunday’s giant slalom. 

Up in Lake Louise, the women will tackle two downhills and a super-G Friday through Sunday. After successful training runs that saw two Americans - both male and female - with the fastest times on the day Wednesday, the quest will now be to search for more than just “fools gold” and get it done on race day. 

Coming from bib 25, Ryan Cochran-Siegle was able to get a solid and informative course report from his teammates about the terrain on this year’s downhill track. The jumps - including Harrier, Golden Eagle, and Talon - were all flying big this year. So much so, in fact, that the race organizer decided to shave them prior to what would have been the second training run on Thursday. Eventually, snow and fog came in, forcing the organizers to cancel the second and final training run, leaving the guys with just one look going into the weekend. “I know you’re all good with the terrain, and you’re bummed,” said Head Coach Randy Pelkey in the team meeting with a laugh.” It’s true that the American boys like to fly. 

“The terrain does kick in places, a lot...especially with the jumps too - big air, that I wasn’t expecting,” Ryan reflected, “so hearing the course report gave me some time to change my approach and I think that’s why it was fast today. It’s a little bit of fool’s gold, so just trying to focus on the skiing and not focus on anything else.”

Switching your mindset from training day to race day and amping up the intensity is what separates the men from the boys, and that'll be the trick this weekend. It takes a lot of mental fortitude in order to have the ability and confidence to hurl yourself down a mountain at nearly 100mph. When asked what downhill feels like, legend Bode Miller has said, "It's like sticking your head outside when you're driving down the highway." It's true. Imagine that, and now imagine it on a vertical ice rink wearing nothing but a tight suit. The intensity level will go up more than a few notches, and the Europeans will be ready to throw down. The Americans are happy with their start, but they'll be hunting for more than just fool's gold at Birds of Prey. 

“I’m definitely satisfied with my skiing in Lake Louise," said Ryan, who was 21st and 30th in super-G and downhill in Lake Louise, respectively. "You can’t complain when you score twice, but I think you always want more as a ski racer too, so I think taking it as it is and not trying to get overly confident or down on it either. I can trust it right now, and that’s all I need to be doing. The guy's intensities are incredibly high and there are guys that are going to be performing incredibly well on race day, so I think carrying good skiing and trusting that you’ll be able to build speed."

It's been a rough couple of years for the Americans, with injuries across speed and tech, and veteran Steven Nyman - who was ninth in Wednesdays first and only training run - is excited for the squad to dive in to the new season. He'll be bringing his secret weapon - dad strength (he's the father to a 2 1/2-year-old little girl named Nell) - into the weekend. 

“This is the healthiest the team has been in a while. We had a rough couple of years," Steven said after his training run. "I’ve done well here and had three podiums, but I’ve never won here - that’s obviously highly motivating to me. Just being here is motivating - that energy and desire to push for more, that heightened focus, it’s a place where I tend to switch things on. This year was the best I’ve ever done at Lake Louise in 10th, and I hope to switch it on here. It’s a fun hill, I see it, I understand it, it’s just a joy to ski - it’s one of the most well-rounded downhills on tour. It has the steeps, it has the flats, it has the terrain, long flights...especially off of Harrier. I wish they build up Red Tail and that thing’s big.”

On the men's tech side, Olympic champion Ted Ligety and Tommy Ford - who was a career-best fourth place at Soelden, Austria - will lead the charge. Teammate Ryan Cochran-Siegle will start in all three events this weekend at Beaver Creek. George Steffey, who is returning from injury and has been working tirelessly in the gym and on snow to come back, will be starting in his career-first World Cup on Sunday in giant slalom. 

The women will kick off their speed season up in Lake Louise, led by veteran Alice McKennis and 2019 super-G world champion and 2019 super-G titleholder Mikaela Shiffrin. Alice Mckennis and Jackie Wiles will both be returning to competition after gnarly leg injuries had them each sidelined for the entire 2018-19 season. In the first of two training runs on Wednesday, Alice tied for first to lead the charge, with Mikaela on her heels by just .17 seconds back. Lake Louise has been a special venue for Mikaela Shiffrin, who won her career-first downhill on the track in 2017, and followed that up with a career-first super-G win in 2018 - cementing herself in history as the first athlete ever - male or female - to win in all six currently contested FIS Alpine Ski World Cup disciplines. Keep an eye on these ladies as they hunt for the podium. 

Additionally, Alix Wilkinson and Isabella Wright will each start in their first World Cup - in the downhill. Keely Cashman and AJ Hurt each have World Cup tech starts under their belts, but they will be starting in their first World Cup speed events as well. 

See below for all of the details on who and how to watch. 

MEN’S STARTERS
Tommy Biesemeyer - SG, DH
Bryce Bennett - DH
Ryan Cochran-Siegle - SG, DH, GS
Sam Dupratt - SG
Tommy Ford - SG, GS
Travis Ganong - SG, DH
Jared Goldberg - DH
Ted Ligety - SG, GS
Brian McLaughlin - GS
Sam Morse - DH
Wiley Maple - DH
Kyle Negomir - SG, DH
Steven Nyman - SG, DH
River Radamus - SG, GS
George Steffey* - GS 

WOMEN’S STARTERS
Keely Cashman - DH
AJ Hurt - DH, SG
Alice McKennis - DH, SG
Alice Merryweather - DH, SG
Mikaela Shiffrin - DH, SG
Jackie Wiles - DH, SG
Alix Wilkinson* - DH
Isabella Wright* - DH

*Denotes first World Cup start

MEN’S DH TRAINING
Run 1

Men's DH Start List
 

WOMEN’S DH TRAINING
Run 1
Run 2

Women's DH Start List

WATCH 
Check out the Xfinity Birds of Prey Opening Press Conference, brought to you by Land Rover.

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Official event hashtags: #bcworldcup, #worldcuplakelouise

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Friday, Dec. 6
12:30 p.m. - Men’s super-G, Xfinity Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, Colo. - NBCSN, NBCSN.com,  NBC Sports Gold
2:30 p.m. - Women’s downhill, Lake Louise, Alberta - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
11:00 p.m. - Women’s downhill, Lake Louise, Alberta - NBCSN*

Saturday, Dec. 7
1:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill, Xfinity Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, Colo. - Olympic Channel,  Olympic Channel.com. NBC Sports Gold
2:30 p.m. - Women’s downhill, Lake Louise, Alberta - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
11:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill, Xfinity Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, Colo. - NBCSN*

Sunday, Dec. 8
11:40 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1, Xfinity Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, Colo. - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com. NBC Sports Gold
1:00 p.m. - Women’s super-G, Lake Louise, Alberta - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
2:30 p.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2, Xfinity Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, Colo. - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com. NBC Sports Gold
5:00 p.m. - Men’s giant slalom run, Xfinity Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, Colo. - NBC
6:00 p.m. - Women’s super-G, Lake Louise, Alberta - NBCSN*

*Same-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app.

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

Adrenaline junkies and Deadheads of Atlanta rejoice! Not only are U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the Atlanta Braves bringing you Olympic-level skiing and snowboarding, but in partnership with Teton Gravity Research (TGR), will be premiering highly anticipated “Fire on the Mountain” in SunTrust Park ahead of freeski big air competition on Saturday, December 21. 

"We are excited to be sharing Fire on the Mountain and segments from Winterland on the huge screen at the Big Air competition in Atlanta,” said Todd Jones, Co-Founder of Teton Gravity Research. “Since we founded Teton Gravity Research 24 years ago, our mission has been to inspire - we look forward to bringing our films and the TGR energy to such a large scale event, in a region that isn't normally known for ski and snowboard events.”
 

  Tickets on sale now at Braves.com/visabigair
  More information at usskiandsnowboard.org/visabigair

“Fire on the Mountain” comes from the mind of Chris Benchetler, and this short film features a cast of some of the world’s best athletes on an improvisational journey of skiing, snowboarding, surfing, and music, complete with a soundtrack comprised of only Grateful Dead music. Narrated by Hall of Fame basketball player and television sportscaster Bill Walton, with music supervision by David Lemieux (audiovisual archivist and legacy manager for the Grateful Dead), “Fire On The Mountain” features some of action sports’ most legendary athletes: snowboarding’s Jeremy Jones, Kimmy Fasani, U.S. Snowboard Team alumnus Danny Davis, surfing icon Rob Machado, and skiers Michelle Parker and Chris Benchetler. This visual journey features never seen before visual effects within nature and original artwork by Benchetler and Skye Walker.
 

Attendees of Friday’s snowboard big air and Saturday’s free ski big air competitions will also be treated to segments of TGR’s newest feature-length film “Winterland” throughout the weekend. “Winterland” is a celebration of ski and snowboard culture just as is the Visa Big Air presented by Land Rover. Spectators will not only be wowed by elite competition as skiers and riders complete tricks 80-100 feet through the air off of a 15-story steel scaffold jump covered in 800 tons of snow, but also by the insane visuals featured in these films. Through the partnership with TGR, fans from all sides of the ski and snowboard industry - competitive, big mountain and film - will have something to celebrate in what is sure to be the ultimate winter kick-off party in Atlanta. 

Media Accreditation Application
 

Backing up his top-10 Saturday, Travis Ganong led three Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes into the points, finishing 12th in the first FIS Ski World Cup super-G of the season at Lake Louise, Alberta, Sunday.

Austria’s Matthias Mayer won, followed by Dominik Paris of Italy in second, and for the second straight day, there was a tie for third - this time between Vincent Kriechmayr of Austria and Mauro Caviezel of Switzerland. 

Ryan Cochran-Siegle was 21st, followed by Steven Nyman in 22nd. Thomas Biesemeyer, Bryce Bennett, Sam Dupratt and Kyle Negomir also started for the men but did not finish in the top 30. 

Up next, the men head to home soil for the classic Birds of Prey World Cup race - a favorite by many on the circuit - at Beaver Creek for three days of downhill, super-G and giant slalom races Dec. 6-8.

RESULTS
Men’s super-G

STANDINGS
World Cup overall
World Cup super-G

World Cup victory number 62 tasted pretty sweet for Mikaela Shiffrin after she put forth a commanding performance at the HomeLight Killington Cup Sunday in front of 11,000 fans. She won the first run by 1.13 seconds and extended her victory margin to a massive 2.29 seconds on a scrappy second run. With this victory, Mikaela continues onward with the strongest start she's had to a season in years. Considering she won a record 17 races last year, this is a notion that must have her competitors nervous.  

The other women couldn't seem to figure out the surface today, and typical rival Petra Vlhova of Slovakia was second at Killington for the third time in her career, while Sweden’s Anne Swenn Larsson rounded out the podium in third.

Coming into Sunday, Mikaela was a bit nervous, but she was trying to stay focused on the task at hand. Perhaps, even, her grandmother - or "Nana" - was on her mind. Four years ago, Nana came to watch Mikaela ski at Killington for the first time ever, and she saw Mikaela win on home soil. It was a special visit with family, and nana even came up to the podium for the picture. Those memories are sweet for Mikaela, who got emotional during the post-race victory press conference speaking of her grandmother.

"Nana has been on my mind every race I've ever skied," Mikaela said, teary-eyed. "I didn't want to feel like I was racing for Nana today, but in a way I'm always racing for her. She was such a big supporter and my biggest inspiration. I feel like honoring Nana is continuing to enjoy ski racing because I know that's what Nana would want. Joy, kindness, and gratitude were important to her. I try to embody those characteristics the best I can. Right now I'm just trying to remember her the best way I can, because she was an angel who walked this earth." Today Mikaela celebrated on the podium, once again with family - her ski family and her actual family, though there was a big void without Nana's presence and a warm smile. 

"I actually ended up going with the same set-up in the second run as I did in the first run," Mikaela reflected, "and it's my normal set-up that feels the best in everything. In these conditions, it's tough because there were spots that were breaking and also some spots that were pretty slick. So to be able to have a ski set-up that's smooth in the snow that's rough and has enough grip in the snow that's icy is not easy. I really thought I was out of the course a couple of times. It was just fighting all of the way down. I really didn't think it was going to be fast. There were a lot of times on the course where I felt like I was on the limit." 

Mikaela came out knowing that she had the best equipment on the mountain for these rough conditions, which she felt like was an advantage. Coming to the finish fighting, feels sweeter to Mikaela when she sees the green light. And, boy, did she see a green light. A 2.29-second margin is almost unheard of in a sport that's decided in hundredths.  

With Sunday's record-setting 42nd-slalom victory, Mikaela walks away from Killington as commanding owner of the leader bib, and she also tied Austrian alpine skier Annemarie Moser-Pröll, in fourth on the all-time World Cup victory list. Now, only Ingemar Stenmark (86 victories), Lindsey Vonn (82) and Marcel Hirscher (67) have more wins. 

"The record's keep going, don't they?" Mikaela laughed. "It's different from what Ingemar was able to do, or what Annemarie was able to do - to me, with these amazing racers, their records will last forever. It's a different generation, with different events. But the records are also a symbol of the work that I do and the work that my team does...the way that we all work together - it's like a family and we're just doing the best we can every day. When it pays off, it shows in these records, and making history like that is special, for sure. I hate to think that there are legend ski racers out there thinking their records are gone, and they will be forgotten. No one is ever going to forget Ingemar, or any of these legends, for that matter." 

Paula Moltzan, who has been struggling with some nagging back pain - "skier's back," as athletes call it (it's common for tech skiers) - went out today with the mindset that it was "just two minutes:...all she needed to do was be strong for two minutes. In what was an incredible run, Paula had top-10 speed before she sat back a little and got launched by the aggressive, responsive snow, sliding down the pitch and hitting the net. Thankfully, she got up and skied down and is OK. Teammate Nina O'Brien was also having a blazing run before she got into trouble on the bottom pitch and DNFd. Birthday girl Katie Hensien skied a fast top split but ended up DNFing. Keely Cashman and Foreste Peterson also started but did not qualify for a second run. 

Total crowd size for Sunday was 11,000, bringing the weekend total to 36,500 fans - there were also 6,000 on Friday and 19,500 on Saturday. Saturday's crowd was the largest single-day crowd the Killington Cup has had to date. 

Next up for women is the first speed series of the season, in Lake Louise, Canada. Jackie Wiles and Alice McKennis will make their return to competition after a year of being sidelined with injury, and Mikaela plans to ski in all three events - two downhills and a super-G - up in Lake Louise. From there, the FIS Alpine World Cup Tour travels to Europe.

"Let's get this party started!" Mikaela said when she asked if she was ready to fully dive in to the World Cup season and head to Europe. "I hope everyone's watching again this year, because I'm having a lot of fun and I hope it's fun to watch. Right now I'm having the time of my life, and I hope you are too."

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

STANDINGS
World Cup slalom 
World Cup overall

Jessie Diggins posted the third-fastest time of the day to lead the way for the Davis U.S. Cross Country National Team Program in the 10k freestyle pursuit, the final stage of the Ruka Triple mini-tour Sunday in Finland. 

“Any day I can land a (time of the day) podium is a great day, so I’m really happy with how it went,” Jessie said. “I just went out charging as hard as I could today, looking to hunt people down and skied without putting any pressure on myself. It was cold out there, but having grown up in Minnesota…I just loved that and felt right at home!”

Overall, it was a great start to the season for the U.S. women at the three-day event, with Sadie fourth in the overall Ruka Triple standings, Jessie fifth, and Rosie Brennan 10th. As a bonus, Sadie started the day in the yellow overall World Cup leader’s bib, but an equipment mishap off the start distracted her from settling into her pace.

“What an honor to head out on the course in the yellow bib, that sure was fun!” Sadie said. “I had a broken binding and my foot was sliding around on my ski, which left me worried that I was going to lose my ski on one of the downhills. After I made it around the first loop in one piece, I was able to forget about it, and focus on the task at hand.”

Although she dropped to fourth in the overall World Cup standings, Sadie is only 110 points behind overall leader Therese Johaug of Norway. Jessie is fifth, and Rosie is 11th overall.

“(Sunday) was far from my best race, but I am satisfied with the fight I put up and really thrilled to have opened the World Cup with a 10th in the Ruka Triple,” Rosie said. “That far exceeds my expectations for the weekend. It's certainly time for a little rest after a big opening weekend and hopefully trying to find more speed in the coming weeks.”

With her early-season fitness coming around, Jessie is focusing on the numerous mini-tours on this year’s World Cup schedule and making every weekend count.

“I always work my way into the season and this year is no different, but it was a great surprise to feel so awesome today and to see a TOD podium,” Jessie said. “With no Championships or Games, this year I’m excited to focus on making each and every weekend that I race an absolute all-out effort, and I’m also looking forward to having so many tours this season because I think they are a ton of fun and a great challenge for the body and the brain.”

Erik Bjornsen led the way for the U.S. men Sunday, finishing 30th on the day. Erik was also the top American in 25th place in the overall Ruka Triple standings.

Up next, the FIS World Cup Cross Country tour moves to Lillehammer, Norway, for a women’s 15k classic/freestyle and men’s 30k classic/freestyle skiathlon on Saturday, Dec. 7; and a women’s 4x5k, men’s 4x7.5k team relays on Sunday, Dec. 8.

“Now it is time to do some resting, recovering, and traveling to Norway for our second weekend of racing’” Sadie added. “With the way my teammates are skiing right now, we should have a SUPER fun relay event ahead!”

RESULTS
Women’s 10k freestyle
Men’s 15k freestyle

Women’s 10k Winner of the Day
Men’s 15k Winner of the Day

Women Ruka Mini-Tour overall
Men Ruka Mini-Tour overall

STANDINGS
World Cup women
World Cup men

On a sunny and blistering cold day in Killington, Vt. in front of 19,500 screaming fans, Mikaela Shiffrin fought her way to a third-place finish in Saturday’s tight giant slalom. Italy's Marta Bassino won her first World Cup race by .26 over countrywoman Federica Brignone, with Mikaela rounding out the podium, trailing Federica by a mere .03 hundredths for third. 

Due to high winds, the race organizers were forced to move the start down to the reserve start prior to the first run, therefore making it more of a sprint. After Mother Nature poured rain on Killington on Thanksgiving, the surface was prepared amazingly by Tom Johnston and his team, once again. Unlike in past years when it was a vertical ice rink, this year the snow was a bit grippier, so coupled with the shortened course, it can create a scenario that didn’t allow for much spread in the field. 

“I guess I thought that the surface would be a little bit harder,” Mikaela said, “it was surprisingly easy to track the edges in the snow and I think I was pushing a little bit too hard in the wrong way, so I was a little bit harsh on the skis. Second run I was trying to still be really aggressive but a little bit softer on my edges and I felt much smoother and more flowy. I felt pretty good with my skiing in both runs, so I’m pretty happy with the day.”

With her performance today, Mikaela joins cross country teammate Sadie Bjornsen in leader bib land, solidifying the two women’s shared place in history as the only two American women to ever share the honor of wearing the leader bib in the combination of cross country and alpine at the same time. 

“It’s really awesome to see Sadie and the cross country girls continue to have such strong results on the World Cup,” Mikaela said after her race in Killington, “I’m psyched we’re both starting the season with strong skiing and even more psyched we both have the leader bib! Sadie is such an awesome person and she deserves it!”

Mikaela was joined in the points by teammate Nina O’Brien, who ended up 28th, making her two for two in scoring points at World Cup giant slalom races this season. “I had a solid race in Soelden (Austria), and it gave me the confidence that I had the speed, so I feel like there’s not as much anxiety about how you’re going to stack up against others. Today, I was honestly trying to not overthink the moment, and be comfortable and go for it. The crowd didn’t psych me out at all. I love hearing them cheer loud. I had some good turns out there, and I’m actually skiing really well - I’m starting to show that in the race, but I’m still struggling to get a full run down while being aggressive and going for it. Overall, I think it’s going in a good direction.”

After having an extremely fast top split, AJ Hurt finished just outside of the top-30 first run, while Keely Cashman and Storm Klomhaus did not finish. Paula Moltzan did not start, making the decision to focus her energy on Sunday’s slalom. Mikaela will lead the women in Sunday’s slalom, as she goes for a 4-peat on Killington snow. Paula Moltzan, Nina O’Brien, Katie Hensien, Keely Cashman, and Foreste Peterson will start for the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team. 

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Sunday, Dec. 1
9:40 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1, Killington, Vt. - Olympic Channel & Olympic Channel.com
12:30 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1, Killington, Vt. - NBC
2:00 p.m. - Men’s super-G, Lake Louise, Alberta - NBC

*Same-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

Steven Nyman and Travis Ganong tied for 10th place to lead five members of the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team into the top 30 at the opening FIS Ski World Cup downhill of the season at Lake Louise, Alberta, Saturday.

Germany’s Thomas Dressen took the victory in a stunning fashion as he returned to World Cup action after being sidelined with an injury last season, with Dominik Paris of Italy in second and Swiss Carlo Janka tied for third with fellow countryman Beat Feuz. It was a good day for the Americans, despite the fact that veteran Steven Nyman said he had "higher expectations" for the opening World Cup race.

"I tweaked my back the last run of the last training day. I've been skiing kind of timid in training and haven't been super aerodynamic, and today I thought I brought more intensity and I was feeling good warming up. I took some anti-inflammatory meds and I was like, 'Oh, it's on - I think I can win.' But, I just was a little soft - a little hesitant - in some turns, and that's not the form that's going to get you to the top. It's still my best result ever at Lake Louise, and starting the year with a top-10 is nice, but I had higher expectations and I'll look for bigger things in the future. Tying with Travis is great, and it brought me back to being tight with Bryce last year. Having six guys in the top-30 is a great start. There's a lot more to come, and I'm looking forward to Beaver Creek for sure."

Steven will look to further establish himself in tomorrow's super-G, and keep on hunting for that eventual super-G podium. Additionally, Bryce Bennett was 23rd, followed by Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Jared Goldberg tied for 30th (which was a three-way tie with Canada's Ben Thomsen).  Just outside of that three-way tie for 30th on the wrong side of the hundredths today was Tommy Biesemeyer, who finished 33rd. Kyle Negomir, Sam Morse, and Wiley Maple also started, and finished 53rd, 54th and 60th, respectively. 

Up next, the men compete in the first World Cup super-G of the season Sunday at Lake Louise before heading to Colorado and the Birds of Prey at Beaver Creek for three days of downhill, super-G and giant slalom races Dec. 6-8.

RESULTS
Men’s downhill

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Sunday, Dec. 1
9:40 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1, Killington, Vt. - Olympic Channel & Olympic Channel.com
12:30 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1, Killington, Vt. - NBC
2:00 p.m. - Men’s super-G, Lake Louise, Alberta - NBC

*Same-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

Sadie Maubet Bjornsen finished fourth in today’s 10k classic in the three-day Ruka mini-tour and became the first American woman ever to wear the overall FIS Cross Cross Country World Cup leader’s bib.

“Another dream day here in Ruka, just barely missing the podium by one second,” Sadie said. “No regrets though, because I gave it my all today. I have always loved the courses here in Finland, but it just feels like things came together for me. I managed to pace myself well, which was important after yesterday’s hard effort. On top of that, I once again had awesome skis out there to work with!”

Maubet Bjornsen led three Davis U.S. Cross Country National Team Program athletes into the top 15 in Saturday’s 10k. Rosie Brennan tied a career-best World Cup result in sixth, and Jessie Diggins was 13th. 

“I wasn't feeling terribly confident in the warm-up with the super steep hills here in Ruka so I had pretty low expectations,” said Rosie, who noted that she has the tendency to go out a little hot and then slowly fade. “So my only plan was to start conservative and push the flats. I got to the first split, just over 1k into the race and I heard I was race leader...so much for a plan. After that, I just kept trying to make up time in all the small spots. It worked well and I was greeted at the finish with a long stint in the leader's chair which is always a great way to start the season.”

“Massive shout out to my training buddy, who has been just crushing workouts all summer and fall long, Rosie Brennan,” Sadie added. “She started quite a bit earlier than me, so I channeled energy from her because I kept hearing the loudspeakers announcing how well she was doing.”

In the 15k men’s race, Eric Bjornsen was the top American in 28th and Simi Hamilton was 35th.

The three-day Ruka mini-tour wraps up Sunday with a 10k freestyle for the women and 15k freestyle for the men. Sadie is currently second in the overall Ruka mini-tour standings, just 18 seconds behind Norway's Therese Johaug. Rosie is eighth overall, and Jessie 12th. 

RESULTS
Women’s 10k classic individual start
Men’s 15k classic individual start

STANDINGS
Women’s overall World Cup standings
Men’s overall World Cup standings

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Sunday, Dec. 1
4:00 a.m. - Women’s 10k pursuit, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:15 a.m. - Men’s 15k pursuit, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:30 a.m. - Women’s 10k pursuit, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel*

*Same-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.