History was made in U.S. men’s cross country skiing, with JC Schoonmaker taking his first career World Cup podium in the Östersund, Sweden sprint and Stifel U.S. Ski Team teammate Ben Ogden just behind him in fourth place. On the women’s side, Rosie Brennan and Jessie Diggins also finished at the top in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Diggins is now first in the overall and Brennan is third.

History in the Sprints

The Östersund sprint course was longer than a typical sprint, taking athletes over three minutes to complete the track. The snow was tricky, with new snow falling, glazed-over tracks and cold temperatures. Yet, despite the tough conditions to wax for, the wax technicians team nailed the American skis and the athletes capitalized. After the qualification round, where the top 30 times advanced, three American women and two men advanced to the heats: Diggins, Brennan, Julia Kern, Schoonmaker and Ogden. 

In the men’s heats, where the top two finishers advance, Ogden handily won his quarterfinal while Schoonmaker was second. The semis was a similar story with Ogden winning and Schoonmaker scoring second. It was the first time that Ogden and Schoonmaker had advanced to the sprint final in their careers, showing that the next generation of U.S. men’s skiing is here. 

In the final, Ogden and Schoonmaker were surrounded by four Norwegians, including the ultimate winner of the race, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo. It was a tight race from start to finish, with various leaders going stride for stride on the long Östersund track. In the final stretch, around the 180-degree final turn, Schoonmaker was hanging onto the lead pack and crossed the finish line in third, landing himself on a World Cup podium for the first time in his career. Ogden was only seconds behind, crossing the finish in fourth. With this result, Ogden is now third in the overall World Cup sprint standings; Schoonmaker is seventh. 

“This is the best team in the world and my heart is full knowing I get to be a part of it!” said Schoonmaker, post-race. Teammate Luke Jager added, “I tell myself nothing else in the world matters when your team is doing what they’re doing right now! I felt like I was watching the Moon Landing live today during the men’s final. And Jessie and Rosie just causally both being top three in the overall?! These people show us over and over again that if you do your best every day and you are nice to everyone, good things will happen.”
 

Simi Hamilton was the last U.S. man to stand on a World Cup podium in 2017. 

For the women, Diggins and Brennan did it again, both landing in the top five and furthering themselves from the field in the overall standings. Similar to the men’s race, Brennan and Diggins both led their quarterfinals, easily making their way into the semis. In the semifinal, Brennan finished fourth, which typically results in an end to the race day, yet, based on Brennan’s time, she advanced to the final. Diggins won her semifinal, punching herself a ticket to the final alongside Brennan. In the last race of the day, Emma Ribom of Sweden ultimately won, but Brennan and Diggins crossed the line in fourth and fifth, showcasing their ability to be podium contenders in every single race they enter. Brennan’s fourth place also marks her best-ever classic sprint result. 

When asked about post-race feelings, the focus of Diggins was solely on the men. “When a person succeeds on our team, it feels like everyone’s success,” said Diggins. “We really do celebrate that. When JC crushed the sprint today, it felt like the whole team was part of that moment.”

The momentum of the U.S. team continues to tomorrow in the 10k skate. 

RESULTS

Women’s sprint
Men’s sprint

On Saturday’s men’s giant slalom in Val d’Isére, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete River Radamus secured a 10th place result in the first men’s giant slalom of the season. 

It was a difficult giant slalom race across the board with over 20 racers not finishing the first run. The course's first run set was turny and difficult to keep a rhythm. Many of the world’s best had trouble making it down the course clean. 

“Val d’Isére is the most challenging and demanding giant slalom of the circuit so it was a tough welcome back to the circuit,” said Radamus.

Radamus ran bib 16 and landed in the 10th spot after run one. The swiss skier, Marco Odermatt, continued his dominant skiing, both run one and two up over a second from the rest of the field. The second run was just as tricky for the skiers. However Radamus skied a clean line making it to the finish without hesitation. He ended up in 10th place for his first giant slalom of the season. 

“It was awesome to get one under the belt and to come away with the top ten was great,” said Radamus. “I wasn't thrilled with either of my runs and I have a lot of work to ski the way I know I can on race day but still happy with the top ten.”

Swiss phenom Marco Odermatt won the race by almost a second, Marco Schwarz of Austria took second place and Andorra’s Joan Verdu landed his first Word Cup podium in third, he also secured Andorra’s first World Cup podium in any winter Olympic sport. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team member George Steffey did not qualify for the second run. Tommy Ford, Brian McLaughlin, Isaiah Nelson and Patrick Kenney also raced but they did not finish the first run. 

The next men’s giant slalom will be in Alta Badia, Italy Dec. 17-18. The men’s slalom team will hit the Val d’Isére slope next on Sunday. 

RESULTS

giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH (Times in ET)

3:30 a.m. - Val d’Isére World Cup, men’s slalom, run 1, skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. - Val d’Isére World Cup, men’s slalom, run 2, skiandsnowboard.live

On Saturday’s women’s downhill in St. Moritz, Stifel U.S. Ski Team member and winningest skier of all time Mikaela Shiffrin notched her fourth downhill victory, 91st World Cup win and 142nd World Cup podium. Stifel U.S. Ski Team member Bella Wright also started her downhill season strong with a 12th place finish.

The day started out beautiful and sunny with a solid snow surface for the competitors. Shiffrin ran bib three and immediately took the top spot, skiing an aggressive and clean line to nail the pitch and rollers. The fiercest downhill competitor, Sofia Goggia of Italy, came just a few skiers later, also skiing an gutsy line. She came in just 0.15 behind Shiffrin, giving Shiffrin the clear lead and eventual win. Goggia ultimately took second place with Italian teammate Federica Brignone in third. 

“Today was amazing,” said Shiffrin. “I felt so good with my plan and my skiing. The biggest challenge for me was to trust that if I don’t ski the perfect line I can still dive into the turn with confidence.” 

Wright ran just after Shiffrin with bib four. She also took an aggressive approach, executing the pitch perfectly and punching it to the line with a competitive time, ending the day in 12th place. 

“Today was a big stepping stone for me,” said Wright. “I've been having some interesting training days and I’ve been trying to lay down an aggressive run so I was happy to make it to the finish with a smile on my face.”

The action continued for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team with Alice Merryweather set to make her official return to World Cup skiing running bib 33. The weather began to turn just a few racers before her run with the sun going behind the clouds, making the visibility extremely poor and dangerous for speed. The race still ran as planned for Merryweather and she made it down to the finish. 

“It was probably one of the scariest runs I’ve ever done,” said Merryweather. “It was so dark so it was not what I would have wanted as my first run back, but I am also really proud I made it down and if I can get through that hopefully I can ski almost anything."

As Merryweather crossed the finish line she was overcome with emotion as she made her return to the circuit after more than three years off the circuit. Her teammates immediately embraced her in the finish area congratulating her for making it back. 

“It has been more than three and a half years since I pushed out of a World Cup start gate and I’ve dreamed of this day for so long. There are so many emotions and so much that has helped me become who I am in the past three years,” said Merryweather. 

The race was called off right after Merryweather ran due to the extremely poor visibility making it unsafe to continue. However, the race is still considered a valid race.

Jackie Wiles, Keely Cashman, Tricia Mangan and Lauren Macuga all slated to compete did not run due to the midway cancelation. 

The women’s speed team will now switch gears to a super-G on Sunday. 

RESULTS
Women's downhill

HOW TO WATCH (Times in ET)

4:30 a.m. - St. Moritz World Cup, women’s super-G, skiandsnowboard.live

Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athlete Jaelin Kauf secured her eighth career World Cup win and fifth dual moguls win on Saturday, Dec. 9, in Idre Fjäll, Sweden. 

Kauf is known as one of the fastest women on the World Cup moguls circuit, which was on full display today in Sweden. Early in the heats, Kauf started knocking out the best of the best, including the most dominant women’s moguls skier in the world, Jakara Anthony. 

"I’m super happy with today; I had so much fun skiing," said Kauf. "The first few events [this season] I didn't bring the skiing to competition that I wanted, but today I finally hit that skiing I’d been searching for. It felt really good to lay down some really fun skiing and just let it go."

Despite low visibility, it was a battle of the Americans today with multiple U.S. head-to-head heats. Olivia Giaccio and Alli Macuga battled in the round of 16, pushing each other to ski faster and having fun in the process. The women motivate each other on and off the snow, cheering each other on even when skiing side by side. 

The U.S. women once again packed the top 10 with Johnson just outside the small final in fifth, followed by Giaccio in sixth, Hannah Soar in seventh, Kai Owens in eighth, Liz Lemley in ninth and Alli Macuga in 13th. 

Nick Page led the men with a seventh place finish. Dylan Walczyk followed in 14th, Cole McDonald in 19th, and Dylan Marcellini in 28th. 

Next up the team is headed to Alpe d’Huez, France for another set of moguls and dual moguls events Dec. 15-16. 

RESULTS:
Women
Men 

Stifel U.S. Freeski Team halfpipe team athletes showed insane talent in the Secret Garden, China halfpipe finals with Alex Ferreira taking home first, Hanna Faulhaber second and Hunter Hess third. 

Two-time Olympic medalist Ferreira took home the win in the first of five stops of the 2023-24 FIS Freeski World Cup halfpipe circuit. Ferreira went huge on his hits, dominating the space. In his winning run he executed switch left 10 blunt, right double 16 safety, left 10 blunt, switch right dub 10 Japan and left double 16 safety. Hess, looking smooth himself, earned his second podium, with his first in 2018 in this very location. Luke Harrold of New Zealand was in the second spot on the podium.  

“I was actually talking to my coach on the bus ride up…  I don’t know what’s going on but this is the least stressed I’ve ever been going into a final,” said Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athlete Alex Ferreira. “I think it’s finally because I have my life in order and am just so happy to be skiing well. I’ve been training very hard and everything’s just unfolding in front of my eyes exactly how I envisioned it.”

Stifel U.S. Freeski Team teammates Dylan Ladd finished in seventh and Kai Morris, who earned his personal best in competition today, ended up in eighth. 

On the women’s side of things, Faulhaber, the reigning world champion, landed in second place, clinching her fourth career World Cup podium. Known for going huge on her first hit, she skied to the bottom of her runs, always a smile on her face. Teammates Riley Jacobs and Kate Gray both earned personal bests in competition, taking home the fourth and sixth spots, respectively. 

Eileen Gu ultimately came out on top for China finishing in first and Amy Fraser of Canada finished third.

Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athletes Nick Geiser, Cassidy Jarrell and Matt Labaugh were also in China for the competition, but did not make finals.

"I’m incredibly proud of the whole squad, especially Alex Ferreira for sticking to the plan and securing the well-deserved win, Hunter Hess for embracing a new run and earning third, and Hanna Faulhaber for sending it huge as always and claiming second for the ladies (and going for her first-ever 10 on run 3)," said Stifel U.S. Freeski Team halfpipe team head coach, Mike Riddle. "Everyone has been skiing well all week and I’m excited to watch them keep it going all year. Thanks Secret Garden for hosting an amazing event. Next stop Copper!”

Next up the freeski halfpipe team heads to the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Copper Mountain Dec. 13-16. 

Results
Women’s Halfpipe
Men’s Halfpipe

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes had another successful day in Idre Fjäll, Sweden, with Nick Page snagging second place and Olivia Giaccio bringing home third for the second week in a row. 

"I tried to keep things simple and focus on my process and execution run after run; it was sweet to have things pan out results-wise," said Giaccio. "I'm very proud of the effort and process focus I've been putting into my performances, and I am hungry for more in duals tomorrow!"

Idre Fjäll is a favorite stop for many U.S. athletes, as Page and Liz Lemley earned their first World Cup wins at the venue in 2022, and Page has now podiumed there four times. 

“Today was special," said Page. "It felt really nice to bounce back after last week and compete with the guys at the top again. There’s a lot to be said about learning from mistakes and growing from them. Last week offered me an opportunity to understand what went wrong — and once I processed all that I was able to adjust for this event. I’m happy with how I competed today and am excited to keep it rolling into duals tomorrow!”

Page sat in first after his superfinals run but was bumped into second by moguls World Cup leader Mikael Kingsbury.

This event setup differed from most, with women’s qualifications happening the day before finals instead of the same day. Some of the women were nervous about how this would impact their performance, along with the low visibility and snow throughout today’s finals; however, this did not stop the U.S. women from shining once again.

Just off the podium was Tess Johnson in fourth, followed by Jaelin Kauf in fifth, Lemley in sixth, Hannah Soar in seventh and Kai Owens in 12th. Alli Macuga finished qualifications in 33rd. 

On the men’s side, Cole McDonald finished finals in eighth, followed by Dylan Walczyk in 17th, Landon Wendler in 21st, and Dylan Marcellini in 30th. 

The team is looking forward to the first dual moguls World Cup of the season tomorrow in Idre Fjäll. 

RESULTS
Women’s moguls
Men’s moguls

HOW TO WATCH
Saturday, Dec. 9 
6:30 am ET - Idre Fjall dual moguls - skiandsnowboard.live 

On Friday’s super-G in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Mikaela Shiffrin snagged a fourth place finish in the season speed opener.

Shiffrin was joined by teammates Keely Cashman and Lauren Macuga in the top 30. Cashman notched a 24th place and Lauren Macuga scored her first super-G points in 30th. 

It was a snowy and overcast day for the race but there was a solid surface underfoot. As racers came down, the light on the slope started to fade, making for a challenging race all around. Shiffrin ran bib 11, initially skiing into the third place spot, but Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami came in after Shiffrin, taking over the third place position. Italian skier and the previous season’s downhill Crystal Globe winner, Sofia Goggia, won the race in dominant fashion, almost a second up from the second place finisher, Austrian skier Cornelia Huetter. 

“I love to be in St. Moritz and I am happy with it,” said Shiffrin. “I planned to take an aggressive approach and I did that, some spots maybe too aggressive, but it's the first real run of super-G I’ve had in a while."

The exciting moments for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team continued as the rest of the squad made their way down the course. Keely Cashman ran bib 44 and moved up to the 24th position. 

“It felt really good. I had a hard time with super-G last year so this feels like a good start to the season,” said Cashman. “The snow is really good, a little bumpy and the flat light was the biggest thing separating people so you have to trust yourself and trust where you are going.” 

Lauren Macuga ran bib 49 and snagged herself a super-G point in 30th. 

“I am so excited because it was such a wild run, you couldn't see anything and it was so bumpy,” said Macuga. “I think I finally got my groove back.” 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Tricia Mangan and Bella Wright raced as well. Mangan landed in 38th place and Wright did not finish. 

The speed women will switch to downhill for Saturday’s race. 

RESULTS
Women's super-G

HOW TO WATCH (Times in ET)

Saturday, Dec. 9
4:30 a.m. - St. Moritz World Cup, women’s downhill, skiandsnowboard.live

Sunday, Dec. 10
4:30 a.m. - St. Moritz World Cup, women’s super-G, skiandsnowboard.live

Maddie Mastro led the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team halfpipe athletes as they returned to the same venue as the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China's Secret Garden. Mastro walked away with a podium in third, while teammates Bea Kim and Chase Josey were just off the podium in fourth, and Lucas Foster was seventh. 

Two-time Olympian Mastro took home third in the first of five stops of the 2023-24 snowboard halfpipe World Cup circuit. Before each drop-in, Mastro visualized her run and took a moment of reflection before throwing down for her 12th World Cup podium. Just one spot behind Mastro, up-and-comer Kim scored her personal best in just her second World Cup start. 

Team China took spots one and two for the women with Xuetong Cai in first and Jiayu Liu in second.

On the men’s side, two-time Olympian Chase Josey put down solid runs to land himself in the fourth place position. Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team teammate Lucas Foster also dropped into the pipe throwing a double alley-oop mctwist, a trick never been done in a contest before, to finish in seventh overall. 

Aussie Scotty James took home first, Ruka Hirano of Japan was second and Chaeun Lee finished out the podium in third. 

Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team athletes Kinsley White, Chase Blackwell, Levko Fedorowycz and Joey Okesson were also in China for the competition, but did not make finals.

Next up the snowboard halfpipe team heads to the Toyota Grand Prix in Copper Mountain Dec. 13-16. 

Results
Women’s halfpipe
Men’s halfpipe

Two-time Olympian Caroline Claire officially announces her retirement from competitive freeskiing.

Born in Edina, Minnesota, and later moving to Manchester Center, Vermont and attending Stratton Mountain School, Caroline has been skiing since she could walk. 

Caroline broke onto the scene in 2014 after winning the USASA nationals and only excelled from there. In her 2015-16 season, she competed in the Junior World Championships (JWC) nabbing a bronze medal, and then later that season found herself on top of two podiums at the Revolution Tour. Then, in 2017, she earned another bronze at JWC. She has competed in two Olympic Winter Games—PyeongChang 2018 and Beijing 2022—has six World Cup podiums, and was recognized as Female Breakthrough Skier of the Year at the 2020 Newschoolers Awards. 

We caught up with Caroline recently and were fortunate enough to hear her thoughts on retiring. 

What has your experience been like on the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team?

I’ve been on the U.S. team since I was 15 so it’s pretty eye-opening now to realize I’ve spent all of my adult years as part of this program. My best friends are the girls I traveled with and competed with for the last two Olympic cycles. Being on the team was a kick in the butt in terms of growing up fast, but I wouldn’t trade these eight years for anything. Through successes, injuries and failures, I’ve felt the staff’s support through it all. Without the support of physical therapists and athletic trainers like Jen Kimball, Sara Chavez and Robyn Hase, I wouldn’t be where I am today: healthy and happy. 

How are you feeling about announcing your retirement?
This has been something I have felt at peace with for a while. After suffering a torn ACL at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games, I made the decision with the support of my coaches to take last season off from competition. This season proved to be one of the most enlightening I’ve ever had. I took the time to discover new passions and throw myself into being a student full-time and I’m so happy the team allowed me to take a physical and mental break.

What are you excited about in the next chapter of your life?
While it's sad to think I won’t ever put a bib on again, I’m so excited for the future. I’ll be finishing up school and skiing as much as possible here in Utah. I’m hoping to take some time to travel and explore new parts of my skiing as well. I took a little bit of time to film last season and have some plans for some filming with fellow Stifel U.S. Freeski Team alum Devin Logan this season. I’m most grateful for the position the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team has allowed me to be in at this point in my life. I get to leave the sport as a two-time Olympian who is still young and healthy and has other passions waiting to be explored.

Caroline is an integral part of freeskiing culture and will be missed on the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team. She continues to receive an outpouring of love and support from current and former teammates and coaches.

"Caroline reminds me of my younger self. Eager, hardworking and an outspoken East Coast girl, we became extremely close throughout our years on the team together and still are to this day,” said former Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athlete and Olympic silver medalist Devin Logan. “Having a very similar upbringing with growing up on Long Island, skiing out of Mt. Snow with the same coaches, we were always able to relate to each other. I know Caroline is going to thrive with whatever the future holds for her. I wish her all the best and a huge congratulations on her outstanding skiing career!” 

“Carol has had an incredible competitive career, and has been an integral part of our team,” said Stifel U.S. Freeski Team slopestyle team head coach, Dave Euler. “Her determination, grit and high standard for herself stands out to me. She would get countless reps on her tricks until they looked and felt how she envisioned them. She skis with great style and flow that helped her achieve two Olympic games, six World Cup podiums and X Games appearances. Carol has grown immensely as a skier and person off the slopes over the years and she has so much to be proud of.  I’m excited to see what amazing things she does next!” 

Press release courtesy of Backcountry

PARK CITY, Utah (Dec. 6, 2023) – U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the national governing body of Olympic skiing and snowboarding, is elevating its merchandise program in an exclusive partnership with Backcountry, the leading specialty retailer for outdoor gear and apparel.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Backcountry,” says U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “Backcountry has a rich history in the outdoor industry and we are delighted to engage with the brand in new and unique ways, while offering a quality U.S. Ski & Snowboard collection.”

Backcountry's apparel design team has revamped the U.S. Ski & Snowboard merchandise collection with new hoodie and t-shirt designs that embody the spirit of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard organization with modern graphics and silhouettes. The collection will feature the U.S. Ski & Snowboard collection produced by Kappa Sportswear, as well as lifestyle and fan merchandise, such as the Stripe Team Hoodie ($69.00), Big Air Snowboard Long-Sleeve Crew ($34.00), and Big Air Ski T-Shirt ($29.00). The U.S. Ski & Snowboard merchandise is available exclusively on the Backcountry website at https://www.backcountry.com/usskiandsnowboard. The new U.S. Ski & Snowboard merchandise store launches today and apparel will be available for immediate purchase.

"Our collaboration with U.S. Ski & Snowboard marks a significant milestone for Backcountry,” says Backcountry chief product officer, Colby Black. “This partnership goes beyond merchandise. It signifies a commitment to excellence, innovation, and a shared passion for winter sports. Together, we are proud to launch an exclusive collection that reflects the essence of both our brands and offers customers a curated experience."

For more information and media inquiries, please email Andrea Green at andrea.green@rygr.us.

###

U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic and Paralympic 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 competing on 10 teams: alpine, cross country, freestyle moguls, freestyle aerials, snowboard, freeski, nordic combined, ski jumping, Para alpine and Para snowboard. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org.

About Backcountry 
From the one-on-one expertise of Backcountry Gearheads to its epic selection of the best in both style and performance, Backcountry has been a leading outdoor retailer since 1996. Dialing in your gear closet, exploring your backcountry, recharging with après—Backcountry elevates the entire outdoor experience. In 2018, Backcountry began building its own Gearhead-inspired products; the fast-growing Built By Backcountry ski, bike, climb, hike, fly fish, and après lines include collabs with trusted brands like GORE-TEX, Pertex, and ALLIED Down. After 27 years as a successful online retailer, Backcountry opened its first brick and mortar location in Park City, UT and has since expanded its retail footprint to include nine stores from coast to coast, offering a seamless omnichannel experience for its consumers. For more information, visit www.backcountry.com.

Media Contacts:
Backcountry
Andrea Green
Senior PR Account Manager
andrea.green@rygr.us 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Courtney Harkins
Director, Marketing & Communications
courtney.harkins@usskiandsnowboard.org