The U.S. Freestyle D-Team moguls athletes filled the podium spots for both men and women on the first day of the U.S. Freestyle Selection Events in Winter Park, Colo. Alli Macuga and Charlie Mickel won the day with their teammates right there with them on the podium.

For the men, Mickel "really went for it" and came out on top. On top of the podium in third was fellow National team athlete Dylan Marcellini. "Today definitely went well for qualifiers and finals, I did what I needed to do to get into the next round and it worked out!" said Mickel. "Definitely means a lot to win this event because it's all the top U.S. guys and it feels good to be on top!"

"I want to give a huge thanks to the Winter Park Competition Center for putting up a great event today," said Dylan Marcellini. "The course was awesome, the jumps were great and I was glad to see it!"

On the women's side, four-time NorAm podium and two-time Junior World Championships podium finisher, Macuga, was once again on top to cap off day one. "First, I want to thank everyone here for putting on a great event," Macuga said, post-competition. "Stoked to see the athletes putting down some really good runs and I'm excited to see what they have for the rest of the days to come!" Right there with Macuga was the 2021 U.S. National Moguls Champion, Kasey Hogg in second. 

"It was an awesome day out there," said Hogg. "The course was better than ever this year and we had great competition. Super excited to be here and excited for the rest of the competition!" 

Also on the podium were U.S. club athletes, LuLu Shaffer in third for the women and Landon Wendler in second for the men. 

The U.S. Freestyle Selection Events are used to qualify skiers to earn starts in the U.S. World Cups and the NorAm competitions. The top regional mogul and dual mogul athletes from the U.S. Ski & Snowboard member clubs, along with athletes from Australia, Japan, The Netherlands, Italy, and the U.S. Freestyle Team are in Winter Park to compete. 

Competition resumes on Wednesday, Jan. 11 for the moguls event, followed by dual moguls on Thursday, Jan. 12. 

JAN. 9th RESULTS 

Women

Men

Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athlete Ben Ritchie secured a 26th place in the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup slalom in Adelboden on Sunday. Ritchie started 42nd and was able to squeeze his way into a second run, a feat considering the deterioration of the course at his bib number.

“It’s a little bittersweet, first run was really tough with the conditions, it was warm and big ruts so I was happy to get a second run,” said Ritchie. “I was happy with my skiing second run just a dumb mistake towards the end, but still happy to get some points.”

Former U.S. Ski Team member and now Greek athlete, AJ Ginnis, had a solid day landing in 20th place, moving up from bib 48. The day’s winners included a one-two podium by the young Norwegians Lucas Braathen in first, and Atle Lie McGrath in second. Germany’s Linus Strasser took third place.

The Swiss crowds again showed up by the thousands to pack the finish stadium and cheer on their favorite racers. The weather did not bring much sunshine, but instead a bit of rain. Regardless the atmosphere was indescribable.

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes Luke Winters and Jett Seymour also raced, Winters did not finish first run and Seymour landed in 56th first run after hiking.  

“I think the whole U.S. slalom team is skiing really great," said Ritchie. "A little bit of bad luck this season but we had one good result by Luke and there are more coming."

The slalom team will have another chance at slalom in Wengen, Switzerland on Jan. 15th.

RESULTS
Men's slalom

Today was a day for career-bests and rewriting history. Sophia Laukli nabbed her best-ever World Cup result, Ben Ogden made history with the top finish by a U.S. male in the Tour de Ski and Rosie Brennan finished top five overall through the seven stages.

The Final Climb

To cap off the grueling Tour de Ski, the final stage took the athletes still in contention up the Alpe Cermis resort, a 10k course that approaches nearly 30 degrees of steepness at points. The Final Climb course is considered the hardest course on the FIS World Cup circuit as it winds up 10k of alpine terrain with grades that one typically only skis down, not up. 

Laukli, or as her teammates call her, the "uphill queen" left it all out on the course and finished the day in third, skiing to her first career World Cup podium and the best result of her career. Throughout the race, Laukli made pivotal moves that left the women around her shocked.

Laukli, also a professional trail runner, is all too familiar with steep elevation gain in short distances, making the Final Climb far less intimidating. Her experience with steep grades, pushing it through intense elevation gain and just being an overall great skier, led her to make the move onto the podium for the first time in her career. 

“This result is really motivating and it’s so fun to end the Tour on this race. Today topped it all off for sure and I’ll savor this feeling forever!” Laukli said, post-race. 

For the women, the entire team made it to the top and three were in the top ten. Laukli made it to the top of the mountain in third, Jessie Diggins fifth and Brennan sixth. As seen in the last several hundred meters, it was a fight with Diggins and Brennan less than a second apart and only 53 seconds back from the winner, Delphine Claudel of France. Julia Kern crossed the line in 21st and Alayna Sonnesyn in 35th. 

An important note - all women who started the tour for the U.S., finished. 

For the men, Scott Patterson kept his momentum up the hill and ended the day in 14th place, leading the men in the final stage. "It was hard, it's been a long tour but it's been pretty good. I am happy with it and I'm psyched for what's next," said Patterson.

Not far behind was Ogden in 24th, Hunter Wonders in 32nd, Gus Schumacher 33rd and Finn O'Connell in 47th. Zak Ketterson, JC Schoonmaker and Kevin Bolger did not race the final stage of the Tour. 

Overall Tour de Ski Standings

For the overall Tour de Ski standings, history was made. Ogden finished in 13th, marking the best result of any U.S. in Tour de Ski history. The young American skier has made a rapid push to become a strong and consistent contender on the World Cup circuit and his overall result shows why he deserves to be at the top. 

For the women, Brennan was a force throughout the entire seven stages and finished fourth overall, an incredible feat for the team. Brennan was consistent throughout the Tour - she never ventured past 15th place and had several top-ten finishes, her best being fourth place in the 15k classic mass start in Val di Fiemme, Italy. 

"I got a split in the middle of the climb that I was moving up in the overall, so I got a second wind and made it to the top," said Brennan in a post-race interview. "I am finally starting to come around and it's a good sign for the future!" 

Now, the team will rest before they head to the next set of races. 

Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athlete Mikaela Shiffrin made history, winning her 82nd career Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in the Kranjska Gora giant slalom and tying Lindsey Vonn’s record of 82 World Cup victories, the most World Cup wins by a woman alpine ski racer.

The race conditions were unpredictable in Kranjska Gora, but Shiffrin powered through the sugary snow and flat light to win first run. She built on her lead in second run to win by .77 seconds—a massive margin in alpine ski racing. When she crossed the finish line and saw her result, she let out an uncharacteristic celebratory yell and sat on her skis to let it soak in. 

“I really wanted to ski it well and I did,” said Shiffrin. “I can’t believe it. It was a fight.”

Rounding out the podium for the Kranjska Gora Golden Fox Trophy race, Federica Brignone of Italy was second and Lara Gut-Behrami was third.

Shiffrin’s result ties her with the legendary Lindsey Vonn, who collected 82 wins over her storied career, making the two best women alpine skiers in history from the United States and part of the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team. Together these women have inspired generations of skiers and generations to come. 

"I was so nervous on the second run because I said I did not care about the number, but I was more nervous than I have ever been," said Shiffrin. "I am trying not to think about the records or change my goals but its 82 victories it's a bit indescribable." 

Shiffrin’s victories have spanned the last decade and she hasn’t let up in 2022-23. This is her eighth victory of the season in the women’s World Cup: two slaloms in Levi, a super-G in St. Moritz, two giant slaloms in Semmering, a slalom in Semmering, a slalom in Zagreb and today’s giant slalom in Kranjska Gora. Her win rate is an extraordinary 35%, which means that when she steps into the start gate, she is likely to win over one-third of all races.

Shiffrin also claimed her 51st World Cup slalom win just over a week ago, more than any other alpine skier in a specific event. Only Ingemar Stenmark (81 in men’s slalom & 72 in men’s giant slalom) has as many podium finishes in a specific event as Shiffrin in the women’s slalom (71).

Now Shiffrin will look to the next women’s event in Flachau, Austria, a night slalom, for her 83rd win, and a chance to make history as the best woman alpine skier in history. 

Paula Moltzan also had a banner day, grabbing the top 10 and tying her second-best giant slalom result in ninth place. Nina O’Brien also made the flip and scored her second World Cup points since her injury at the 2022 Olympic Games. 

"I think today was a good step forward of me," said O'Brien. "It is a relief and gives me some confidence, it has been a challenging month or two for me but everyone has been reaching out and has been so supportive." 

Ava Sunshine, Stella Johansson and Katie Hensien did not qualify for second run, but cheered for their Stifel U.S. Alpine Team teammates at the finish.

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

The U.S. Cross Country Team continues to shine at the Tour de Ski. In the 15k classic mass start, Brennan was the top American woman, finishing just off the podium in fourth place, and Ogden led the men in 19th. Now, going into the final climb of the Tour, Brennan is fifth overall and Ogden ninth. Ogden is on track to have the best result for an American man in Tour de Ski history!

“I decided to just believe in myself today, believe in what was possible and take a chance on myself," said Brennan. "I’m really glad I did because I felt good. I had good legs and it was just a really great day!”

Tomorrow, Jan. 8, the team is back in action for the last stage of the Tour de Ski, a 10k skate climb straight up a ski resort. Watch the men and women LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live, starting with the women at 5:45 a.m. ET and men at 7:30 a.m. ET. This is a race you won't want to miss!

Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athletes Mikaela Shiffrin and Paula Moltzan finished sixth and 19th on the first day of the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup giant slalom series in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.

The women’s first run was stacked, with mere tenths of a second separating first from 10th, making for a competitive second run. After the first run, Shiffrin clocked in fifth and Moltzan 14th. 

"The course held up great; the snow is probably some of the best we have seen this year,” said Moltzan. “My first run felt better than the second run, but the good thing is there is another day tomorrow.”

Canadian skier Valerie Grenier secured her first-ever World Cup podium and victory with Italian skier Marta Bassino in second, and Petra Vlhova in third. 

“I think it was a very exciting race with the top ladies," said Shiffrin. "They skied very well and it was fun to watch."

Shiffrin is currently at 81 World Cup wins, just one shy of the 82-win women's record held by American skier Lindsey Vonn. Shiffrin plans to remain focused on her skiing as the record looms. 

“It was a great race and I will look at my video to see where I lost time, so we will see if I can pick it up tomorrow,” said Shiffrin. “I was not thinking about the record today. Every race I ski now I have the chance to equalize Lindsey’s record, but I will just focus on my skiing.”

Ava Sunshine, Katie Hensien and Stella Johansson finished the first run but did not qualify for a second run. Nina O’Brien was ripping through the track of the first run but unfortunately did not finish.

Shiffrin and the rest of the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team crew have a chance in another giant slalom race Sunday.

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Team men’s giant slalom crew raced on the Adelboden track in Switzerland today, Jan. 7. A highlight of the afternoon was the thousands of fans in attendance. The cheering was loud and the atmosphere was electric on the warm and sunny Switzerland afternoon.

River Radamus led the team and finished in 22nd place with Tommy Ford close behind in 27th. Both racers had trouble on the first and second runs, but remain in high spirits as they look to the next giant slaloms later this month.

Marco Odermatt of Switzerland had a big win in front of the home crowd. Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway took second and Swiss skier Loic Meillard was third.

Brian McLaughlin and Patrick Kenney both raced, but McLaughlin did not finish and Kenney did not qualify for a second run.

The Adelboden track turns to slalom on Sunday.

RESULTS
Women's slalom
Men's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH

Sunday, Jan 8, 2023

3:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, women's giant slalom, first run, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

4:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, men's slalom, first run, Adelboden, Switzerland, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

7:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, men's slalom, second run, Adelboden, Switzerland, streaming on  skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, women's giant slalom, second run, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia streaming on  skiandsnowboard.live

The U.S. Cross Country Team raced the first of three races in Val di Femme, Italy to kick off the last stop of the FIS Tour de Ski with JC Schoonmaker leading the way for the Americans, finishing seventh, Ben Ogden ninth, and Rosie Brennan 10th.

To begin the 1.5k classic sprint at the site for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, three men and three women qualified in the top 30 to advance to the next round. On the fast and hilly course, Ogden showed his speed by qualifying third, Schoonmaker was fifth and Zak Ketterson 15th - advancing to the heats for the first time in his World Cup career. For the women, Brennan led the way in qualifiers in 13th, Jessie Diggins in 16th, and Julia Kern in 24th to advance to the quarterfinal heats. 

Onto the heats - it's a game of mere inches. In the first heat for the men, Ogden skied smart and drafted Haavard Moseby of Norway through the tracks of the 1.5k course. With only meters to go, Ogden made the move and took the inside line of the critical left turn on the course and catapulted his way into a second-place finish. JC Schoonmaker, who qualified fifth in the qualifiers, made a move late in the heats to finish second - this led him to advance to the semifinal heats.

For women, Brennan skied smart throughout the entire first quarterfinal heat and pushed the pace alongside Krista Parmakowski of Finland and Nadine Faehndrich of Switzerland. Sprinting to the finish, Brennan was third in her heat, moving on to the semifinals with her lucky loser time. Diggins and Kern raced together in heat five but did not advance to the semifinals. 

In the semifinal heats, Ben Ogden charged into the lead with the eventual winner of the day, Johannes Klaebo, in tow. "They were kind of slow in the beginning, and I was just like 'Oh, I'm going to do it, I'm just gonna try,'" Ogden said of his mid-race effort that had him looking back to see the damage he inflicted. "I went as hard as I could, got to the top of the hill, and looked back and it was just me and the King (Kleabo). I was like maybe this could work, but of course, I paid the price in the end."

With fast skiing being the theme of the course, Klaebo made a move late and won the round, with Ogden finishing fifth. "I'll stand by (that effort)," Ogden added. "This was a unique course and a unique situation for me and I had a lot of energy...I might not try it again too soon, but I'm going to keep messing around. I've tried four times now to get into the finals, I mean eight times. I've been making errors doing other things...I try to ski smart and I don't make it, I try to wait till the end, and I don't make it, try to go early and I don't make it...so you have to try everything and see what works."

For Schoonmaker, the theme of fast skiing continued as the young American, finished third in the semifinal after skiing a smart round with some of the sports' veterans. 

In the semis, Brennan led the way in semifinal heat one, and even though she did not advance, reflected through a personal Instagram post that she is, "happy to find myself back in the semis today. It's been a slow journey in sprinting but forward is still forward!"

Now, with five out of seven stages of the Tour complete, the team resets for Saturday's 15k classic mass start. Watch LIVE on skindsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Men
Women

TOUR DE SKI SCHEDULE 

Val di Fiemme, Italy 
Stage 6: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023: 15k classic mass start 
Stage 7: Sunday, Jan 8, 2023: 10k freestyle final climb mass start 

HOW TO WATCH

All races will be LIVE with commentary on skiandsnowboard.live. 

Stage 6, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 7, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023
5:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Luke Winters secured an 11th place finish in the Garmisch, Germany Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup night slalom on Wednesday, the best Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team result in men’s slalom this season. It was a well-fought result in extremely difficult conditions.

“It feels good to get one in there and to have a second run,” said Winters on his successful day. “I knew I had to take advantage of the second run start position, and I thought I did what I could. I felt pretty good about my run crossing the finish line.”

During first run, the conditions showed through the athletes' times. The later the racer went, the worse the snow got with ruts and dishes from the spring-like conditions, but Winters tried his best to take advantage.

“With the conditions, your start number helped a lot, and it was tough, but I do enjoy these days. I grew up on this snow and it's kind of nice to have the struggle because then you also see the top guys struggle as well,” said Winters, who hails from Mt. Hood, Oregon. 

The top three finishers for the race included Norwegian skier Henrik Kristoffersen in first, Manuel Feller of Austria in second and Clement Noel of France in third.

Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athletes Ben Ritchie did not finish first run, and Jett Seymour fought his way through the difficult conditions to land in 53rd position.

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Team men will now look to Adelboden for a men’s giant slalom and slalom series January 7-8.

RESULTS
Men's slalom results

It was a fast day for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team on the fourth stage of the Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf, Germany. Jessie Diggins was back in the top 10, crossing the line in eighth place and Ben Ogden ended the pursuit in the top 20, finishing in 13th place. 

For the Americans, the men packed half of the team into the top 30, and for the women, every single athlete was in the top 50. In a familiar site of the Tour, Johannes Klaebo of Norway won his fourth straight race and Frida Karlsson of Sweden was first for the women. 

Let's Talk Times

The real magic of the day was reflected in the individual times. While the placement of where an athlete finished among the pursuit pack count for FIS points and overall Tour de Ski rankings, the overall place fails to reflect how fast they actually skied the course compared to their competitors.

Alayna Sonnesyn, who is now in 37th place for the Tour de Ski rankings, had the fifth fastest time of day among the women. If this was not a pursuit race, Sonnesyn would have been fifth overall, a career-best result and PR for the young American skier.

"I felt so good. I am very happy with the day! I gave it my all and I am proud of that," said Sonnesyn, post-race. "I hope I am ready for three more races, but looking back I am really proud of my pacing through this Tour and today's result exceeded my expectations. I am excited for more!"

Based on overall pursuit results, Diggins was eighth, Rosie Brennan was 13th, Julia Kern 17th, Sophia Laukli 30th and Alayna Sonnesyn 31st. However, digging deeper into individual times, Diggins won the day, Brennan was 10th, Kern sixth and Laukli eighth - noting that all five American women ranked within the top ten for the day. 

"I knew my body was fine the whole time; I just had to keep believing and trusting the plan. I finally had great skis and that's really what I needed. I was so grateful to our wax techs - to have the skis that I needed to have a competitive day," said Diggins. “But there are things that are more important than racing. I think being kind and being a good teammate is more important and I am proud to say that this is what I have been focused on this whole time throughout the Tour.”

For the men's overall pursuit result, the Americans packed the top 30. Ogden led the charge in 13th, Scott Patterson 17th, Hunter Wonders 19th, Gus Schumacher 26th, Zak Ketterson 55th, Finn O'Connell 56th, JC Schoonmaker 69th and Kevin Bolger 71st.

Yet, based on individual times, Patterson crossed the line in 4th place, Wonders 19th, Ogden 24th, Schumacher 26th, O'Connell 54th, Ketterson 61st, Schoonmaker 67th and Bolger 68th.

"It was good today. I was bib 29, but we caught the lead pack within three laps and then it turned into a cat-and-mouse game," said Patterson in a post-race reflection. "But, it turned out alright and I was right there in the mix. I am feeling good - the next two races will be fun and with my training and background, when people start getting tired, I start moving up the ranks, so I am excited for Val di Fiemme!"

Now, the team will travel to Val di Fiemme, Italy for the last three stages of the Tour de Ski. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

Start List Women

1. Jessie Diggins
2. Rosie Brennan
3. Julia Kern
4. Sophia Laukli
5. Alayna Sonnesyn

Start List Men

1. Ben Ogden
2. JC Schoonmaker
3. Scott Patterson
4. Hunter Wonders
5. Zak Ketterson
6. Gus Schumacher
7. Kevin Bolger
8. Finn O’Connell

TOUR DE SKI SCHEDULE 

Val Müstair, Switzerland 

Stage 1 - Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022: 1.5k freestyle sprint

Stage 2 - Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023: 10k classic pursuit 

Oberstdorf, Germany

Stage 3: Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023: 10k classic interval start

Stage 4: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023: 20k freestyle pursuit 

Val di Fiemme, Italy 

Stage 5: Friday, Jan. 6, 2023: 1.5k classic sprint

Stage 6: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023: 15k classic mass start 

Stage 7: Sunday, Jan 8, 2023: 10k freestyle final climb mass start 

HOW TO WATCH

All races will be LIVE with commentary on skiandsnowboard.live. 

Stage 5, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023
4:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, qualifiers, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, finals, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 6, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 7, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023
5:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Mikaela Shiffrin scored her 81st Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup win in the Zagreb, Croatia slalom, bringing her within one win to tie the record for the winningest woman alpine skier of all time. It was her fifth World Cup win in a row and her victory crowned her the Snow Queen atop the Sljeme track in front of an enthusiastic night slalom crowd.  

This was Shiffrin’s 51st World Cup slalom win, five of which have come from the infamous Snow Queen Trophy race in Zagreb. It was a warm day with tough snow conditions that caused the start to be lowered and the snow to rut up, but it didn’t seem to bother Shiffrin, who won the first run by .23 seconds. She took a measured amount of risk second run to take the overall win by .76 seconds.

“I’m incredibly happy,” said Shiffrin. “I had so much fun skiing today. It was really my best skiing both runs. Nothing less than the best is going to work. I was taking all the risks I needed and made it to the finish. It’s just an amazing feeling when it’s good enough.”

Petra Vlhova of Slovakia was second in the Snow Queen Trophy slalom with Anna Swenn Larsson of Sweden third.

The result brings Shiffrin just one race shy of former Stifel U.S. Alpine Team teammate Lindsey Vonn’s record of 82 World Cup wins, which would tie Shiffrin with the winningest woman alpine skier of all time. Ingemar Stenmark’s World Cup record is also in her sights at 86 wins. With another race on the Sljeme slalom track tomorrow and five wins in the last five races, Shiffrin is on a roll. Only two women ski racers have won more races in a row than Shiffrin: Vreni Scheider of Switzerland won eight in the 1988-89 season and Germany’s Katja Seizinger won six in 1997.

Katie Hensien, Zoe Zimmermann, Nina O’Brien, Paula Moltzan, Lila Lapanja and Ava Sunshine did not qualify for a second run.

The women race again in Zagreb tomorrow, Thursday, at 9 a.m. ET. Stream it live on InFront’s skiandsnowboard.live.

RESULTS
Women’s slalom