PARK CITY, UTAH – U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced ClimateCase and CatTongue Grips as its newest partners in the mobile accessories category.

ClimateCase, the Official Insulating Smartphone Carrier of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team, is an insulating smartphone carrier that can prevent a cellphone issue that almost everyone has faced at one time or another. After just 15 minutes below 32°F or above 95°F a cellphone may shut down completely to protect itself, leaving users vulnerable and out of touch. The ClimateCase was launched to address that issue by providing protection for smartphones from overheating and freezing.

“Prolonged exposure to harsh temperatures can permanently damage a smartphone and its internal battery,” said ClimateCase’s CEO Lisa Lambert. “With the ClimateCase, U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s athletes and staff can protect their phones from harsh conditions, both on and off the mountain. It also protects against accidental drops, so users are covered in most all situations.”

CatTongue Grips are the perfect anti-slip solution for a mobile device and can be used directly on the device or existing case. CatTongue Grips feel great in users’ hands and are functional and super durable for everyday use or for extreme athletes to use. There are over 50 designs as well as a customization option, so users can make each grip their own.

“As lovers of all things art, we wanted this product to not only have a fantastic grip, but to include fun, feel-good artwork and design for a more personal touch,” said Missy Kelly, co-founder and president of CatTongue Grips. “Plus, CatTongue Grips are recyclable, extremely durable, waterproof and can stand up to the variable terrain and conditions U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes encounter.”

For more information, visit climatecase.com and cattonguegrips.com.

Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) wrapped up her World Cup season on the podium Thursday, finishing third in the super-G at the World Cup Finals in Are, Sweden.

“It’s nice to close out the season with a podium in super-G,” said Vonn, who now has 46 career World Cup super-G podium finishes, “and to end the season on a high note.”

Italy’s Sofia Goggia won her second career World Cup super-G by 0.32-seconds over Germany’s Viktoria Rebensburg. Vonn was 0.53 back on the soft, bumpy and rutted course that will also be used for the 2019 World Alpine Ski Championships.

Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein finished sixth in Thursday’s race and wrapped up her second career World Cup super-G title.

With her World Cup season in the rearview mirror, Vonn looks ahead for her run at Ingemar Stenmark’s World Cup record of 86 victories.

“My focus now it just to try to beat Ingemar’s record,” Vonn said. “I’m four (wins) behind and I feel like I’m in a good place, picking up steam, confident and relatively healthy, so that’ll be my focus from here on out.”

Up next, the team event takes place Friday in Are, followed by slalom and giant slalom events for the men and women Saturday and Sunday.

RESULTS
Women’s super-G
World Cup super-G standings
 

In the wax cabin outside the stadium, Bryan Fletcher pulled on his cross country race bib one more time. In a few minutes, he would step to the starting line for nearly the 200th time in his international career. Nearby, a technician labored over his Atomic skis, prepping them for the grueling 10 kilometers of cat and mouse that was about to play out at Holmenkollen, one of the most hallowed venues in nordic sport.

Nordic combined is a small sport, but an intriguing one. It blends the explosiveness of launching off a ski jump, soaring like a bird through the air, combined with an inexplicable 25 minutes of maximum aerobic output on the cross country trail.

Holmenkollen is a special place to Bryan Fletcher. It was here six years earlier where he became only the fifth American to win the King’s Cup - the most prestigious prize in nordic combined. It meant an audience with the King and his named etched forever in the annals of his sport.

Today was a different day. A final race at Holmenkollen then up to Trondheim to close out his career. While it didn’t end up like that storybook day in 2012, it was still highlighted by a great pride in sport - pride in community.

“My gratitude extends to everyone big and small who have been a part of my journey in nordic combined,” said Fletcher. “This community is one that I have been lucky to be a part of for so many years. It's amazing in so many ways and I truly cannot thank everyone enough. I am humbled that I got to follow and learn from the best mentors and role models as I came up with the sport. I would not be who I am today if it wasn't for them.”

It was a quiet close to a career with humble beginnings. As a young boy with cancer, Bryan longed to be up on the ski jumps in Steamboat Springs. Despite doctor’s orders, mother Penny just wanted her son to be happy. Skiing provided that joy. So he jumped. And with that passion he beat his cancer.

His career as an athlete has provided a lifetime of lessons for Fletcher. “This sport has taught me more than I ever could have imagined and I am quite certain the life lessons are not over yet,” he said. “To say it was the good times that taught me the most would be a lie. It was the challenges I faced along the way that taught me the most about life, myself, and what I am capable of achieving. Every setback along the way challenged me to be a better version of myself personally and athletically.”

It was the lesson cancer taught him as a child.

One of the hallmarks of sport is passion for athletes to give back. As a childhood cancer survivor, his work with cc:Thrive has given him the chance to help others. And as one of the most respected athletes in his sport, he has helped inspire a new generation as a two-time Olympian.

“That day in Holmenkollen was a dream come true and a memory that will fulfill me for a lifetime,” reflected Fletcher. “Winning the King's Cup put me among some pretty amazing company. But I cannot wait to see who of the future generation will get to share that company.”

Fletcher tells a story of that day at Holmenkollen as he broke out into the lead. Every time he quickly glanced back to see the chase group, his vision was obscured. So he just kept charging.

“The reality is that I had the upper hand because that day I had 100-percent confidence in myself,” he stated with conviction. “That day solidified the belief that I could be among the best in our sport. It proved to me the power the mind has in the sport. That day I believed I could win and so many things played out to perpetuate that belief.”

In his final races at Holmenkollen and in Trondheim, Fletcher was toasted by the leaders of his sport. At the same time he focused on leaving his legacy to the young combined skiers who joined him in PyeongChang - their careers just beginning.

“If I could impart one piece of advice to the younger generation,” said Fletcher, “it would be to always believe in yourself.”

For the 82nd time in her illustrious career, Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) stood atop a World Cup podium after winning the downhill at the World Cup Finals in Are, Sweden Wednesday. Best of all, she shared the podium with her teammate, Alice McKennis (New Castle, Colo.), who finished third.

Although she came up just short of her ninth World Cup downhill title, Vonn did win the last four downhill events of the season. Italy’s Sofia Goggia, who won two of the eight downhills this season, finished second Wednesday and just nipped Vonn for the downhill title by three points.

“I’m really happy to close out the season with a win, and I’m sure (Sofia) is very excited to have the title,” Vonn said. “Sofia always gives it 110 percent and sometimes she wins, and sometimes she crashes. I feel like she is very similar to myself. We have a great deal of respect for each other and it’s been fun to compete with her this year.”

For McKennis, it was her first trip to the podium since 2013 when she won the downhill in St. Anton, Austria.

“It’s been a while,” McKennis said. “I’m so stoked! It’s been a journey to get here again and to be on the podium again is amazing.”

Wednesday’s race started from the lower start position after the morning training run was canceled due to fog and snow, but that didn’t stop Vonn from nailing her line on the course that will host the 2019 World Championships.

“I don’t think we’ve ever raced from very high up,” Vonn said. “There has always been the problem of fog and wind, so I definitely think that will be a determining factor in the World Championships next year.”

Breezy Johnson (Victor, Idaho) finished eighth.

Bennett 24th in Men’s Downhill

Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) didn’t put down the result he was hoping for, finishing 24th in Wednesday’s World Cup Finals downhill in Are, Sweden.

Austria swept the top two podium spots with Matthias Mayer and Vincent Kriechmayr going 1-2. Beat Feuz of Switzerland was third and wrapped up the downhill World Cup title.

Up next, the men and women compete in super-G Thursday in Are.

RESULTS
Women’s downhill
Men’s downhill

Final women’s World Cup downhill standings
Final men’s World Cup downhill standings

Eight members of the U.S. Alpine Ski Team descended upon a very wintry Åre, Sweden for the much-anticipated FIS Ski World Cup Finals week after an extremely long winter. The crew will be headlined by Olympic champions Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah), Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.) and Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.)

Not only did Shiffrin wrap up her second-straight overall title and her fifth slalom title in six years, as well as grab a third in giant slalom and first in slalom this past weekend in Ofterschwang, Germany, but she did it before she turned 23 years old on March 13th. Her win during Sunday’s slalom brings her to an impressive 42 World Cup wins, which made her the most successful under-23-year-old ski racer in history. Keep an eye on Shiffrin this weekend, as she’ll ski the most pressure-free she has this season, which has included 17 podiums, and 11 World Cup victories in 25 starts, plus Olympic gold and silver medals.

The big story of the week will be Wednesday’s downhill, where Vonn will fight Italy’s fiery Sofia Goggia – who is also a friend of Vonn’s – for the crystal globe. Vonn currently has a record 20 globes among men and women, including four overall titles (2008-10, 2012) and 16 discipline titles (eight downhill, five super-G and three alpine combined). Vonn (406 points) currently sits 23 points behind Goggia (429 points) in the downhill standings. Goggia is looking to bag her first World Cup globe in any discipline. Vonn’s eight globes ties the record for most World Cup victories in a single discipline as Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark won the slalom and giant slalom eight times.

Odds are looking good for Vonn who, coming into Are, has won the last three World Cup downhill races, including the second event in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy and both races in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. In Tuesday’s shortened downhill training run, Alice McKennis (New Castle, Colo.) – who was fifth in the Olympic downhill in PyeongChang, South Korea – set the pace, followed by surprise super-G Olympic champion Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic. Vonn was fifth fastest but knows where she can find the time. The women will ski another training run on Wednesday morning from the start, prior to their race.

Vonn’s still eyeing Ingemar Stenmark’s World Cup win record of 86 victories. She currently boasts 81 victories and will look to build on that count this week in Stenmark’s home country, likely with him watching and cheering her on. Buckle up for an exciting finale to this Olympic season’s action!

See who to watch and where to catch all the action below.

WOMEN’S STARTERS

• Stacey Cook (DH)
• Breezy Johnson (DH)
• Alice McKennis (DH)
• Mikaela Shiffrin (GS, SL)
• Lindsey Vonn (DH, SG)

MEN’S STARTERS

• Bryce Bennett (DH)
• Tommy Ford (GS)
• Ted Ligety (GS)

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

ALPINE
Wednesday, March 14
5:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s downhill, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
7:00 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s downhill, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
12:00 p.m. - World Cup Finals men’s downhill, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast
1:00 p.m. - World Cup Finals women’s downhill, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast

Thursday, March, 15
5:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s super-G, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
7:00 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s super-G, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
12:00 p.m. - World Cup Finals women’s super-G, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast
1:00 p.m. - World Cup Finals men’s super-G, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast

Friday, March 16
11:00 a.m. - World Cup Finals team event, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
5:30 p.m. - World Cup Finals team event, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast

Saturday, March 17
4:45 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s giant slalom run 1, Are - OlympicChannel.com
5:45 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s slalom run 1, Are - OlympicChannel.com
7:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s giant slalom, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
8:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s slalom, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
6:30 p.m. - World Cup Finals men’s giant slalom, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast
7:30 p.m. - World Cup Finals women’s slalom, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast

Sunday, March 18
4:45 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s giant slalom run 1, Are -OlympicChannel.com
5:45 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s slalom run 1, Are - OlympicChannel.com
7:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s giant slalom, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
8:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s slalom, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
3:00 p.m. - World Cup Finals men’s slalom & women’s giant slalom, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast

Many U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team athletes will be competing in their final World Cups of the season this weekend, including Olympic champions Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle/Vail, Colo.) and Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.). While Shiffrin has already locked in her second overall title and fifth slalom title, Diggins is in the hunt to finish in the top three in the overall and distance cross country standings. Lindsey Vonn is just 23 points off from winning the overall downhill title. Mogul skier Jaelin Kauf (Alta, Wyo.) is also still in the running for a top-three finish in the moguls standings while Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.) leads the men’s slopestyle snowboarding standings. Read on to see where the action is this week and how to watch via NBCSN and the Olympic Channel - Home of Team USA.

FIS Ski World Cup Finals - Are, Sweden
The World Cup Finals take place this week (March 14-18) in Are, Sweden, site of the 2019 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) will be competing for the World Cup downhill title in Wednesday’s race. Olympic downhill champion Sofia Goggia of Italy holds the World Cup lead with 429 points, while Vonn is second with 406 points. Vonn is also scheduled to compete in the super-G Thursday. Having already wrapped up the overall and slalom World Cup titles last weekend in Germany, Shiffrin is scheduled to race in the slalom Saturday and giant slalom Sunday.

FIS Freeski World Cup - Megeve, France (Skicross World Cup Finals)
Tanya Prymak (Goshen, N.Y.) will look to close out her season on a high note at the skicross World Cup finals in Megeve, France on March 17.

FIS Freeski World Cup - Seiseralm, Switzerland (Slopestyle World Cup Finals)
Caroline Claire (Edina, Minn.), Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.), Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.), McRae Williams (Park City, Utah) and newly crowned World Cup winner Alex Hall (Park City, Utah) headline the U.S. starters for slopestyle skiing World Cup finals in Seiseralm, Switzerland. Qualifying takes place on Wednesday, March 14 followed by finals on Friday, March 16.

FIS Freestyle World Cup - Megeve, France (Moguls World Cup Finals)
The moguls World Cup season concludes March 18 with a dual moguls competition in Megeve, France. Kauf is sitting 66 points behind current World Cup leader Perinne Laffont of France and, and with a good result this weekend could move up in the standings. The U.S. women’s moguls team currently has four athletes ranked in the top 10.

FIS Cross Country World Cup Finals - Falun, Sweden
The World Cup tour journeys to Sweden for the Finals in Falun March 16-18. The schedule is very U.S.-centric with an opening freestyle sprint on Friday, a 15k/10k classic mass start on Saturday and a 15k/10k freestyle pursuit Sunday to close the season. Diggins (Afton, Minn.) is third in the overall and distance World Cup standings, while Sophie Caldwell (Peru, Vt.) is third in the sprint standings.

FIS Men’s Ski Jumping World Cup - Lillehammer/Trondheim/Vikersund, Norway
Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, Ill.) and Michael Glasder (Cary, Ill.) will close out the Raw Air Tournament with four competitions March 13-18. Athletes will take to the HS140 hill in Lillehammer on March 13 followed by the HS138 hill in Trondheim. The weekend closes out with ski flying on the HS240 hill in Vikersund March 17-18.

FIS Nordic Combined World Cup - Trondheim, Norway; Klingenthal, Germany
Brothers Bryan and Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), Jasper Good (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and Ben Loomis (Eau Claire, Wisc.) kick off the week in Trondheim with two events on March 13 and 14. These events will be the final events of Bryan’s career. Stephen Schumann (Park City, Utah) joins Fletcher, Good and Loomis for another doubleheader in Klingenthal.

FIS Snowboard World Cup - Veysonnaz, Switzerland (Snowboardcross World Cup Finals)
The snowboardcross World Cup season concludes this weekend with individual and team events in Veysonnaz, Switzerland. The U.S. is coming off a successful weekend with a team podium and multiple top 10 individual finishes last weekend in Moscow and will be fielding a strong men’s team for World Cup finals.

FIS Snowboard World Cup - Seiseralm, Italy (Slopestyle World Cup Finals)
Seiseralm will also play host to the final slopestyle snowboarding event of the season this week with qualifications on Thursday, March 15 and finals on Saturday, March 17. Chris Corning (Silverthorne. Colo.), Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, Alaska), Chandler Hunt (Park City, Utah), Judd Henkes (La Jolla, Calif.), Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii) and Eric Willett (Breckenridge, Colo.) will represent the U.S. Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.) currently leads the World Cup standings, but will not be competing.

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EDT

ALPINE
Wednesday, March 14
5:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s downhill, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
7:00 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s downhill, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
12:00 p.m. - World Cup Finals men’s downhill, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast
1:00 p.m. - World Cup Finals women’s downhill, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast

Thursday, March, 15
5:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s super-G, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
7:00 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s super-G, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
12:00 p.m. - World Cup Finals women’s super-G, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast
1:00 p.m. - World Cup Finals men’s super-G, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast

Friday, March 16
11:00 a.m. - World Cup Finals team event, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
5:30 p.m. - World Cup Finals team event, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast

Saturday, March 17
4:45 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s giant slalom run 1, Are - OlympicChannel.com
5:45 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s slalom run 1, Are - OlympicChannel.com
7:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s giant slalom, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
8:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s slalom, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
6:30 p.m. - World Cup Finals men’s giant slalom, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast
7:30 p.m. - World Cup Finals women’s slalom, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast

Sunday, March 18
4:45 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s giant slalom run 1, Are - OlympicChannel.com
5:45 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s slalom run 1, Are - OlympicChannel.com
7:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s giant slalom, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
8:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s slalom, Are - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE
3:00 p.m. - World Cup Finals men’s slalom & women’s giant slalom, Are - NBCSN - Same Day Broadcast

FREESKI
March 16
6:30 a.m. - Slopestyle, Seiseralm - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE

March 17
8:30 a.m. - Skicross, Megeve - OlympicChannel.com
1:00 p.m. - Skicross, Megeve - Olympic Channel TV - Same Day Broadcast

FREESTYLE
March 18
7:30 a.m. - Dual moguls, Megeve - OlympicChannel.com
3:00 p.m. - Dual moguls, Megeve - Olympic Channel TV - Same Day Broadcast

CROSS COUNTRY
March 16
7:15 a.m. - Men and women’s sprint, Falun - OlympicChannel.com
2:00 p.m. - Men and women’s sprint, Falun - Olympic Channel TV - Same Day Broadcast

March 17
6:30 a.m. - Women’s 10k mass start, Falun -  OlympicChannel.com
9:30 a.m. - Men’s 15k mass start, Falun -  OlympicChannel.com
4:00 p.m. - Women’s 10k mass start, Falun - Olympic Channel TV - Same Day Broadcast

March 18
6:30 a.m. - Women’s 10k pursuit, Falun - OlympicChannel.com
9:15 a.m. - Men’s 15k pursuit, Falun - OlympicChannel.com
4:00 p.m. - Women’s 10k pursuit, Falun - Olympic Channel TV - Same Day Broadcast

SKI JUMPING
March 14
12:30 p.m. - Men’s HS138 qualifying, Trondheim - OlympicChannel.com

March 15
12:00 p.m. - Men’s HS138, Trondheim - Olympic Channel TV - LIVE

March 16
12:30 p.m. - Men’s HS240 qualifying, Vikersund - OlympicChannel.com

March 17
11:15 a.m. - Men’s HS240 Team, Vikersund - OlympicChannel.com
7:30 a.m. - Men’s HS240 Team, Vikersund - Olympic Channel TV - Same Day Broadcast

March 18
11:30 a.m. - Men’s HS240, Vikersund - OlympicChannel.com
6:00 p.m. - Men’s HS240, Vikersund - Olympic Channel TV - Same Day Broadcast

NORDIC COMBINED
March 14
8:00 a.m. - Men’s HS 140, Trondheim - OlympicChannel.com
8:00 a.m. - Men’s individual, Trondheim - OlympicChannel.com

March 17
4:45 a.m. - Men’s HS 140, Klingenthal - OlympicChannel.com
8:45 a.m. - Men’s 4x5k, Klingenthal - OlympicChannel.com

March 18
7:30 a.m. - Men’s HS 130, Klingenthal - OlympicChannel.com
11:00 a.m. - Men’s 10k, Klingenthal - OlympicChannel.com

SNOWBOARDING
March 17
5:50 a.m. - Parallel giant slalom, Winterberg - OlympicChannel.com
6:30 a.m. - Snowboardcross, Veysonnaz - OlympicChannel.com
11:00 a.m. - Snowboardcross, Veysonnaz - Olympic Channel TV - Same Day Broadcast
12:00 p.m. - Slopestyle, Seiseralm - Olympic Channel TV - Same Day Broadcast

March 18
4:35 a.m. - Parallel giant slalom team, Winterberg - OlympicChannel.com
6:30 a.m. - Snowboardcross team, Veysonnaz  - OlympicChannel.com
11:00 a.m. - Snowboardcross team, Veysonnaz - Olympic Channel TV - Same Day Broadcast

Goldberg Career-Best Super-G At Kvitfjell

Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah) picked up a career-best FIS Ski World Cup super-G result Sunday, finishing 16th on the Olympic course in Kvitfjell, Norway.

Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud took the victory ahead of Switzerland’s Beat Feuz in second and Brice Roger of France in third. Jansrud also wrapped up the World Cup super-G title with his victory Sunday.

Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) was 37th; Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.) was 38th, and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.) was 41st.

Up next, the World Cup finals take place March 12-18 in Are, Sweden.

RESULTS
Men’s super-G
World Cup overall standings
World Cup super-G standings

Olympic champion Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) gained another level of global respect Sunday. Diggins commanded a spot in the lead group from start to finish in the Holmenkollen 30k freestyle race in Oslo, Norway to finish second behind Norwegian superstar Marit Bjoergen. It was the first time an American woman had taken a podium spot in a World Cup 30k race.

Diggins wasted no time, charging out of the start and battling with Finland’s Krista Parmakoski for the lead. By the 5k mark, Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla joined the fray. At 10k, Diggins, Kalla and Norway’s Ragnhild Haga formed a lead group with Bjoergen and Astrid Jacobsen a few seconds back. At times in the latter stages of the race, the lead trio had put a 25-second gap on the chase. 

“I was feeling great today, and I’ve been in the best shape of my life these last few weeks,” said Diggins. “So I decided that whatever else happened, I was going to have a gusty race and be brave enough to push the pace even if that meant skiing in the front and doing a lot of the work, because I knew that was my best shot. I took my chances and kept hammering ... I felt I was almost sprinting the whole 30k.”

Kalla and Wiggins took turns pulling the lead group with Haga sitting back. In the final five kilometers, Haga took over the lead as Bjoergen and Jacobsen were quickly closing the gap. Sensing the chase narrowing, Kalla took over the lead again, quickening the pace with Diggins right on her heels. 

"It would have been smart to switch skis, but I was just focusing on going," Diggins said. "I was in front most of the time, so I did not know who was going to switch or not."

With just a kilometer to go, the two groups melded with Bjoergen vaulting to the lead and quickly putting a gap on Kalla and Diggins. In the sprint to the finish, Diggins charged ahead to take second with Haga barely nipping Kalla at the finish for third.

It was a strong day for the USA with four in the points. Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) had a career-best 12th. In her final visit to Holmenkollen, Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) was 19th for a top career 30k skate (she was 12th at Holmenkollen in 2014 in a 30k classic). Caitlin Patterson (Anchorage) was 28th - a first-time long distance World Cup points finish. Rosie Frankowski (Minneapolis) just missed the points in 31st.

The World Cup tour now journeys to Sweden for the Finals in Falun next Friday, Saturday a, d Sunday. The schedule is very U.S.-centric with an opening freestyle sprint, a 15k/10k classic mass start and a 15k/10k freestyle pursuit Sunday to close the season.

Diggins remained third in the overall World Cup standings and is also third in distance. Heidi Weng retained the World Cup lead with Ingvild Jacobsen second, 107 points ahead of Diggins.

RESULTS
Women's 30k mass start freestyle
World Cup overall standings

Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) finished 15th in Saturday’s FIS Ski World Cup downhill in Kvitfjell, Norway. Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah) was 27th and Wiley Maple (Aspen, Colo.) was 42nd.

Germany’s Thomas Dressen continued his late-season surge, with his second World Cup victory. Switzerland’s Beat Feuz was second, followed by Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway in third.

Up next, the men race super-G Sunday in Kvitfjell before heading to Are, Sweden for the World Cup Finals. Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.) is currently 25th in the super-G standings heading into Sunday’s event. Only the top 25 in each discipline qualify for the World Cup Finals. Bennett is the only American who has qualified for the downhill at the World Cup Finals.

RESULTS
Men’s downhill
World Cup downhill standings
World Cup overall standings

Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.) won a fifth World Cup slalom title following her 42nd FIS Ski World Cup victory Saturday in Ofterschwang, Germany. Shiffrin now holds the record for the most World Cup victories before the age of 23.

Battling spring snow conditions and light rain, Shiffrin won the first run, then unseat second run leader Wendy Holdener of Switzerland by 0.09-seconds for the victory. Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter rounded out the podium in third.

“It was a really good fight,” said Shiffrin, who celebrates her 23rd birthday March 13. “For Wendy, I knew she had a really good run because I could hear the announcers from the top, but I thought ‘not today Wendy!’”

Saturday’s win was Shiffrin’s 31st World Cup slalom victory, and after wrapping up the overall World Cup title with a third-place finish in Friday’s giant slalom, she now has won the World Cup slalom title five times: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018.

“It was an incredible, incredible weekend for sure,” said Shiffrin, who now heads to the World Cup Finals in Are, Sweden next week. “My biggest challenge this year has not been the Olympics, or the (World Cup) overall or any of that, but getting motivated for these last races.

“I’m in a constant chase of skiing my best and skiing free,” she added. “Hopefully, I’m not going to be feeling a lot of nerves (in Are) because there is not a lot of risk. But still every time I get in the start gate I want to perform at my highest level, and that’s the biggest goal there.”

Up next, the women race downhill at the World Cup Finals in Are March 14, followed by super-G March 15; team event March 16; slalom March 17 and giant slalom March 18. 

RESULTS
Women’s slalom
World Cup slalom standings
World Cup overall standings