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Fresh Snow, Cheering Fans Power Brennan Onto Lillehammer Podium

By Tom Horrocks
December, 4 2021

Fresh snowfall and cheering fans have a way of bringing out the best in Rosie Brennen.  

“It was a great day for me today,” Brennan said after posting her first FIS Cross Country World Cup podium of the season, finishing third in the 10k freestyle individual start in Lillehammer, Norway. “It snowed a bit overnight and the winter conditions were beautiful. I love skiing in new snow. It was great to have spectators out there today too! I forgot how fun it is to have fans.” 

Sweden’s Frida Karlsson continued to display her early-season fitness, winning her second race of the season by just 0.03 seconds over Norway’s Therese Johaug. Brennan was third at 11.3 seconds back. Jessie Diggins was 18th, while Hailey Swirbul just missed scoring points, finishing 32nd. Julia Kern was 36th; Sophia Laukli 46th; Movie McCabe 52nd; Caitlin Patterson 53rd; and Katharine Ogden was 56th.

In the men’s 15k individual start freestyle, Gus Schumacher was the top Davis U.S. Cross Country Team finisher in 38th. Zanden McMullen was 48th, Hunter Wonders 63rd, David Norris 64th, and Ben Ogden 67th. Scott Patterson, racing in his first World Cup of the season since recovering from a wrist injury sustained in training over the summer, was 70th. Norway swept the men’s podium with Simen Hegstad Kruger taking the win, Hans Christer Holund in second, and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget in third.

Organizers in Lillehammer debuted new courses for this weekend’s races, which are shorter than courses traditionally used for previous World Cup events and the 1998 Olympic Winter Games. The shorter distance courses require multiple laps. For Saturday’s 10k, the athletes completed three laps on a 3.3k course.

“There is no rest, and the terrain requires constant work, especially with the slightly slower conditions,” Brennan said, adding that she enjoyed the new course design, despite the increased traffic. “With a three-lap course, we had more traffic out there than usual, so I skied with some other skiers but mostly felt like I was giving some others a good ride.”

Brennan added that with so many skiers on the course simultaneously, it was difficult to gauge her actual position in the race. “I knew it was tight, so I really tried to let loose the last lap and trust my strength,” she said. “I had great skis and was able to hold pace all the way to the finish while others faded, giving me a podium.”

Brennan flirted with the podium at the 4.6k point of the race, moving into the fourth position. But it wasn’t until the 7.4lk mark that she moved into podium contention when Johaug briefly moved into the lead, with Karlsson at 0.6 seconds back and Brennan at 10.5 seconds off the pace. At the 8.3k interval, Karlsson moved back into the lead, with Johaug second at 0.6 seconds and Brennan third at 10.5 seconds back. 

“I am thrilled to find myself on the podium and feel really good about my fitness,” said Brennan, who sits third in the World Cup distance standings through three races. She is also fourth in the overall World Cup standings, with Diggins sitting fifth.

Racing concludes Sunday with men’s 4x7.5k relay and the women’s 4x5k relay. 

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

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

HOW TO WATCH
Sunday, Dec. 5
3:20 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Men 4x7.5k Relay - LIVE, Lillehammer, NOR, Streaming Peacock, Ski and Snowboard Live
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Women 4x5k Relay - LIVE, Lillehammer, NOR, Streaming Peacock, Ski and Snowboard Live

 

Hall, Stevenson Advance Into Freeski Finals at VISA Big Air

By Annie Fast
December, 3 2021
Alex Hall jumps through the air.
U.S. Freeski Team athlete Alex Hall airs into a fourth place finish at the VISA Big Air at Steamboat, Co. (Mike Dawsy - U.S. Ski & Snowboard) 

U.S. Freeski athletes Alex Hall and Colby Stevenson advanced into finals in a heated qualification session at the Visa Big Air presented by Toyota in Steamboat, Colorado on Friday. Two-time World Cup big air winner Hall earned the fourth place qualifying spot with his signature switch left double cork 1800 buick. 

“We’ve been really lucky with the weather the last couple days and the jump has been really good,” said Hall. “I pretty much had to do my hardest tricks to make finals. The level is so crazy nowadays and everyone is so good, so I just had to give it my all. I’m hyped on how I skied—I’m usually just looking to ski my best and if I can make finals, that’s the cherry on top. And Colby’s in there, too with me, so that should be really fun.”

Hall’s U.S. Freeski teammate Stevenson also landed in the top-10 to advance into Saturday’s finals, stomping a switch double cork 1800 stale grab - the first time he’s landed the trick in competition. 

“What a crazy qualifier,” said Stevenson. “You either needed to do an 1800 with a different grab than a safety or just go huge and do something creative. I’m just really hyped to make it through, so I couldn’t be more stoked.”

Hall and Stevenson are among a stacked field of ten men advancing into Saturday’s finals with Sweden’s Henrik Harlaut leading the way with the day’s top score for his left nosebutter triple cork 1620 safety grab. Norway’s Christian Nummedal and France’s Antoine Adelisse followed behind Harlaut with the second and third best scores for the men.

Eight women advanced into Saturday’s finals, with France’s Tess Ledeux in the top spot after landing a left double cork 1260 mute grab for a score of 95.75. Switzerland’s Sarah Hoefflin and Norway’s Johanne Killi rounded out the top three women. 

VISA Big Air Freeski Finals will run Saturday 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. MST

Final Starts List:

Men’s Freeski Big Air Finals

Women’s Freeski Big Air Finals

 

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021

3:30 p.m. FIS Freeski World Cup Visa Big Air Presented by Toyota Men and Women’s Finals - LIVE - Streaming Peacock

11:00 p.m. FIS Freeski World Cup Visa Big Air Presented by Toyota Men and Women’s Finals - Same-day broadcast - NBCSN

 

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Johnson Second in First Lake Louise Downhill

By Mackenzie Moran
December, 3 2021

In her first race back in Lake Louise since 2017, Breezy Johnson earned her first downhill podium of the Olympic season behind Italy's Sofia Goggia. Goggia executed a flawless run, posting a winning time 1.47 seconds faster than Johnson. Austria's Mirjam Puchner finished just behind Johnson in third, 1.54 off the pace.

"You know I hope she's not unbeatable, but I'll have to analyze it a little bit because it was an incredible run honestly," Johnson chuckled in response to questions about Goggia's inimitable run. "She's showing what women's ski racing can be, and you know I think the men should maybe start watching her a little bit too."

Despite missing two days of training in Lake Louise due to weather, the women were able to get their first speed race of the season off under bluebird skies in Lake Louise thanks to the hard work of the course crew. Lack of training on the track did not deter Johnson's confidence. She still chose to run early and attack the first women's downhill of the season with the same tenacity and aggression as she has in the past.

"It's been a process, getting better and better, so I feel really good. I felt like today was a really solid run," expanded Johnson. "You can only ski one hundred percent, so I'm going to try and ski one hundred percent of my best and not worry so much about Sofia and going beyond my limits because that's when I make mistakes."

Friday also saw a handful of top 30 results from the American women. Jackie Wiles finished 23rd, Mikaela Shiffrin finished 26th, and Isabella Wright finished 27th overall.

Shiffrin, who won the downhill in Lake Louise in 2017, has come into the 2021/22 season with a focus on the overall title but hasn't had much opportunity to work speed training into her pre-season schedule. Nonetheless, she made the commute to Lake Louise with realistic expectations, knowing that there is no better training than feeling the very real pressures of race day, no matter where she lands in the ranks.

"Right now, I have a pretty lofty goal of shooting to race in every event at the Olympics, but I can't just go into it and do it," said Shiffrin. "I'm trying to take these races as not only practice but training. The last run of downhill I had was in September and before that it was in May, so it's trying to get as much as I can, as quickly as I can, and racing is really the perfect situation to practice finding your balance mentally and physically, and the right intensity for race mode."

Up-and-comer Alix Wilkinson finished just outside the top 30 in 33rd, Keely Cashman finished 46th, and Lauren Macuga skied into the finish with a smile and waved to the crowd, having finished her first-ever World Cup downhill in 48th.

Competition in Lake Louise continues on Saturday with yet another downhill, and again on Sunday with the women's super-G season opener.

RESULTS 
Women's Downhill

HOW TO WATCH

Saturday, Dec. 4
1:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - LIVE Beaver Creek, CO, Streaming Peacock
1:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - LIVE Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast NBCSN
2:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Downhill - LIVE, Lake Louise, CAN, Ski and Snowboard LiveStreaming Peacock
5:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - Same-day broadcast, Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast NBC

Sunday, Dec. 5
12:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Super-G - LIVE Lake Louise, CAN, Streaming Peacock
2:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - LIVE, Beaver Creek, CO, Streaming Peacock
2:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Super G - LIVE, Lake Louise, CAN, Ski and Snowboard Live
2:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - Same-day broadcast, Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast, NBCSN
4:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - Same-day broadcast, Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast NBC

Current television broadcast and streaming schedules for all sports are available here

Check out our "How to Watch" guide to figure out what the best watch option is for you. 

 

Ganong Earns First-Career Podium In A World Cup Super-G

By Mackenzie Moran
December, 3 2021

Travis Ganong grabbed his first career podium in a FIS Ski World Cup super-G on Friday, Dec. 3, in front of a roaring crowd of Americans at the Xfinity Birds of Prey World Cup in Beaver Creek, Colo. Ganong, who ran second, came out strong right out of the gate, but his time was eventually surpassed by four-time Beaver Creek super-G winner, Marco Odermatt. In the end, Odermatt finished in second, two-hundredths of a second off of Norway's Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.

After a difficult day of racing for most of the men's field on Thursday, Ganong finished 22nd overall. A decent result in his eyes, but not what he wanted. In his race recap, he said the only thing he could do was come back tomorrow and do better. And thankfully, he did just that.

"I felt pretty great out of the gate today, skied tactically on the top, and really felt my flow right away," commented Ganong. "Yesterday I also skied well, but messed up the tactical section and today I nailed it. So today I'm stoked to be up there with the top guys."

Ganong has often found himself just outside of podium position, so to finally grab a top spot on home snow, in front of 15+ members of his family, is a great way to start the season. Friday's finish is his first podium since his victory in Garmisch, Germany's gnarly downhill in 2017.

"People love ski racing in the U.S., and skiing in general in the U.S. is such a popular activity, all these people are so passionate, so it's awesome to showcase our sport back here at home," said Ganong. "It's almost like a little family reunion."

Both Ryan Cochran-Siegle and River Radamus were on track to post strong times throughout their runs but skied out of the course and DNFed. Fellow Americans Erik Arvidsson, Steven Nyman, Bryce Bennett, finished just outside of the points in 35th, 36th, and 39th respectively.

Looking ahead, the men have two more chances to perform on home snow. Due to excess snow in Lake Louise, Canada, the Xfinity Birds of Prey World Cup has the opportunity to host not one, but two, downhill events before the athletes head to Europe for the next couple of months.

RESULTS
Men's super-G

HOW TO WATCH

Saturday, Dec. 4
1:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - LIVE Beaver Creek, CO, Streaming Peacock
1:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - LIVE Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast NBCSN
2:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Downhill - LIVE, Lake Louise, CAN, Ski and Snowboard LiveStreaming Peacock
5:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - Same-day broadcast, Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast NBC

Sunday, Dec. 5
12:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Super-G - LIVE Lake Louise, CAN, Streaming Peacock
2:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - LIVE, Beaver Creek, CO, Streaming Peacock
2:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Super G - LIVE, Lake Louise, CAN, Ski and Snowboard Live
2:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - Same-day broadcast, Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast, NBCSN
4:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - Same-day broadcast, Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast NBC

Current television broadcast and streaming schedules for all sports are available here

Check out our "How to Watch" guide to figure out what the best watch option is for you. 

 

Vinecki, Schoenefeld fifth, USA sixth in Ruka World Cups

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
December, 3 2021
Winter Vinecki
Winter Vinecki, shown here competing at the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International, earned a fifth place finish at the Aerials World Cup Dec. 3 in Ruka. (Steven Earl - U.S. Ski Team)

It was a back-to-back competition day for the aerial skiers of the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team on Friday, Dec. 3, with two World Cup events in Ruka, Finland.

Things kicked off with a one-jump World Cup event. Differing from the usual World Cup format, a one-jump World Cup is exactly what it sounds like: athletes have only one opportunity to land on the podium. Winter Vinecki and Justin Schoenefeld led the Americans, each placing fifth. 

“We’re still in the beginning of our season and just getting our jumping feet back under us,” said Vinecki. “It was exciting to put some jumps to my feet today. I’m looking forward to cleaning up my jumps [for next week]. I’ll also hopefully get some new tricks off in Ruka so I’m in a good position for the rest of the season.”

Vinecki has competed her double-Full Full the past two days and will look to bring a Full double-Full to snow to round out her trick package. Today’s double-Full Full earned her a score of 89.19, tying with Australia’s Danielle Scott for fifth place. 

China’s Xu Mengtao and Kong Fanyu earned first and second, respectively. Belarus’ Hanna Huskova rounded out the women’s podium in third. Kaila Kuhn finished eighth, Tasia Tanner 18th, Karenna Elliott 22nd, Dani Loeb 24th, and Ashley Caldwell 27th. 

Schoenefeld threw a Full double-Full Full to earn a score of 117.26. Russia’s Maxim Burov won, China’s Zongyang Jian came in second and Switzerland’s Noe Roth finished third. Eric Loughran finished 18th, Derek Kreuger 37th, and Quinn Dehlinger 38th.

Vinecki, Schoenefeld, and Loughran represented the U.S. in the Mixed Team event, which makes its Olympic debut in February in China later this season. In Mixed Team Aerials, nations field mixed-gender teams of three athletes. Each team’s athletes jump in the first round and combined scores per nation determine which teams compete in the final round of four. 

Vinecki kicked it off for the USA and threw a double-Full Full in the first round and earned a score of 89.18. Loughran jumped second with a Full double-Full Full, looked great in the air but came in a bit too short and punched front, only earning 92.04. Schoenefeld also threw Full double-Full Full but unfortunately slapped back on the landing, earning 83.63. Team USA finished sixth. China won, Russia came in second, and Ukraine in third.

"It felt great improving from the day before, but I know there is still a lot of work to be done to end up on the podium this winter," said Shoenefeld. "I'm excited to get some more training in before next weekend's World Cups. This is an important season and we are building to peak at the right time."

“We made some improvements today and we are slowly moving to where we should be,” said Head Aerial Coach Vladimir (Vlad) Lebedev. "We look forward to continuing to train and getting more jumps ahead of the next competitions.”

Aerials’ World Cup season continues next week in Ruka with three more competitions on Dec. 10 & 11. 

RESULTS

Women’s Aerials
Men’s Aerials
Mixed Team Aerials

 

Diggins Second, Brennan Fifth in Lillehammer Freestyle Sprint

By Tom Horrocks
December, 3 2021

Jessie Diggins earned her first podium of the season, finishing second, while Rosie Brennan was fifth in Friday’s FIS Cross Country World Cup freestyle sprint on a new course in Lillehammer, Norway.

Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist edged Digging by 0.35 seconds to win her second World Cup sprint of the season, as Norway’s Tiril Udnes Weng earned her first career individual World Cup podium, finishing third. 

“Nobody really knew what this course was going to be like tactically,” said Diggins, who along with teammate Julia Kern pushed the pace in the opening quarterfinal heat. “It was a really cool chance for me to figure out where my strengths were on this course and how to work around this, because it is a really cool course, but also sprinting is kind of scrappy sometimes and you have to figure out how to position yourself and be where you want to be at the right moment.”

With light snow falling, both Diggins and Brennan worked their position well on the new two-lap sprint course that maintains the short punchy climb into the finish area’s long, flat straight, and single 180-degree corner before the finishing stretch. In both the semifinal, and final, Diggins fought for inside positioning on the final corner for a clear sprint line to the finish. Meanwhile, Brennan advanced to both the semifinals and finals as the Lucky Loser.

“The long uphill into the finish provided a good opportunity to make some moves,” Brennan said. "I felt that if I could get some more space for myself, I stood a chance in the final. I made a move early in the final to try to see what I had and unfortunately, was passed on the downhill into the last uphill. I didn't find the space I needed on the uphill but kept battling to the end."

“It was awesome to have two Americans in the final,” Brennen added. “Despite the lack of snow, it was cold and very good conditions for racing so I'm looking forward to an action-packed weekend.”

Overall, it was an outstanding day for the Americas as seven Davis U.S. Cross Country athletes qualified for the heats, including JC Schoonmaker and Kevin Bolger, who finished 11th and 12th respectively. Schoonmaker finished second in his quarterfinal heat to advance to the semifinals, while Bolger advanced to the semis as one of two Lucky Losers. For Schoonmaker, it was his second-straight semifinal sprint appearance after finishing a career-best seventh in the classic sprint last week in Ruka, Finland.

"That course was super fun," Schoonmaker said. "I’ve never raced on the old Lillehammer course... it would’ve been cool to race on the one that was used in the Olympics, but still a sweet course that skied super well in the heats. I thought the race went great and was really happy with it. I would’ve liked to have squeaked into that final, but was just missing a little bit of steam in that last 100 meters. Super pumped for Davos now!"

Ben Ogden qualified for the heats, finishing 30th. Luke Jager was 33rd, Gus Schumacher 41st, and Logan Hanneman 45th. Kern finished third in her quarterfinal race and just missed advancing to the semifinals as one of two Lucky Losers, and ended up 13th; while Hannah Halvorsen advanced to the heats and was 28th. Hailey Swirbul was 42nd, Movie McCabe 56th; Katharine Ogden 61st, and Sydney Palmer-Leger was 62nd.

“It was so cool to have so many athletes in the heats,” Diggins added. “It's just so motivating when you know you're there with your team and a bunch of people having a great day...it's a very cool feeling.”

In the men’s race, Norway went 1-2 Friday with Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo winning his 39th career individual World Cup race, and Thomas Helland Larsen picking up his first career World Cup podium in second. Richard Jouve of France was third. 

Racing on another cold day with light snow falling, the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team tech crew once again rose to the occasion, delivering fast skis for the athletes.

“It was really impressive how amazing our skis were (today),” Diggins added. “That's always huge because you don't win alone, and you don't lose alone, everything we do is as a team and all the pieces of the puzzle have to come together to have a good day. So I’m just feeling really really thankful to our coaches and techs for getting that piece of the puzzle totally nailed.”

Racing continues Saturday with a 10k freestyle individual start for the women, and a 15k individual start for the men. Sunday, it’s team relay time!

RESULTS
Women’s freestyle sprint
Men’s freestyle sprint

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

HOW TO WATCH

Saturday, Dec. 4

4:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Men’s 15km Freestyle - LIVE, Lillehammer, NOR, Streaming
6:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Women’s 10km Freestyle - LIVE, Lillehammer, NOR, Streaming 

Sunday, Dec. 5

3:20 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Men 4x7.5k Relay - LIVE, Lillehammer, NOR, Streaming Peacock, Ski and Snowboard Live
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Women 4x5k Relay - LIVE, Lillehammer, NOR, Streaming Peacock, Ski and Snowboard Live

 

Langland Advances Into Finals at VISA Big Air

By Annie Fast
December, 2 2021
Hailey Langland jumps in Big Air.
Hailey Langland earns the top score for the U.S. Team in Thursday's VISA Big Air qualifiers at Steamboat. (Mike Dawsy - U.S. Ski & Snowboard)

Hailey Langland earned the top result of the day for the U.S. Snowboard Team in Thursday’s qualifications at the Visa Big Air World Cup presented by Toyota at Steamboat Resort, with a fifth-place finish to advance into Saturday’s women’s finals. Langland, a three-time X Games medalist, most-recently led the U.S. Snowboard team with a second-place finish in snowboard slopestyle at the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix World Cup in Aspen last season. 

Langland earned her top score with a frontside 900 Weddle. “The jump is so good, so I felt really safe,” said Langland. “I thought the girls were going to play it safe, but as soon as Anna [Gasser] did her back 10 I knew it was going to be on from there. It’s so cool to watch everyone progress and especially on such a fun jump.”  

Langland finds herself amongst a stacked field of eight women advancing into Saturday’s finals, with Japan’s Reira Iwabuch leading the way on the strength of her backside doublecork 1260 melon to earn the top spot, followed by Austria’s Anna Gasser and Germany’s Annika Morgan in the top three. 

U.S. Snowboard Team rider and Olympic Gold Medalist Red Gerard landed in the eleventh spot in qualifiers, after putting down a switch backside 1620 Weddle, just missing the top 10 result needed to advance into Saturday’s finals. It was Norway’s Marcus Kleveland who earned the top score of the day, opening up the second round of qualifiers with a stomped backside 1800 melon followed by China’s Yiming Su and Japan’s Hiroto Ogiwara rounding out the top three. 

VISA Big Air Finals will begin Saturday 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST

Final Starts List: 

Men’s Snowboard Big Air Finals

Women’s Snowboard Big Air Finals

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EDT

Saturday, Dec. 4
12:30 p.m. FIS Snowboard World Cup Visa Big Air Presented by Toyota Men and Women’s Finals - LIVE, Steamboat Springs, CO, Streaming Peacock
9:00 p.m. FIS Snowboard World Cup Visa Big Air Presented by Toyota Men and Women’s Finals - Same-day broadcast - NBCSN

Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021
4:00 p.m. FIS Snowboard World Cup Visa Big Air Presented By Toyota Men and Women's Finals, Steamboat, CO, Broadcast NBC

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Two American Top-30 Finishes At Xfinity Birds of Prey Beaver Creek Opener

By Mackenzie Moran
December, 2 2021
Ryan Cochran-Siegle
Ryan Cochran-Siegle competes in the 2021 Xfinity Birds of Prey World Cup in Beaver Creek, Colorado (Sean M. Haffey - Getty Images).

The Xfinity Birds of Prey World Cup in Beaver Creek, Colo. got underway on Thursday, Dec. 2, yielding some decent results for the American men. Ryan Cochran-Siegle was the top U.S. finisher, skiing into a tie at 19th with Switzerland's Thomas Tumler. Travis Ganong tied for his position of 22nd with France's Mathieu Faivre.

Both Cochran-Siegle and Ganong did what they could at the super-G season opener, which posed some issues for a majority of the men's field. By the conclusion of the race, 15 men had DNFed, including top speed competitors such as Dominik Paris, Max Franz, and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. Switzerland's Marco Odermatt repeated his past success in Beaver Creek, taking the lead by 0.78 seconds over Austria's Matthias Mayer. Canada's Broderick Thompson shocked the start order, skiing from the back of the pack in bib 35 to snag third by three-hundredths of a second. 

The track has a reputation for touting grippy, hero-snow, that is fast, yet controlled, and an absolute blast for the athletes to compete on. But Thursday's warm conditions upped the pace. Fast snow, a bumpy course, and a turny course set made for a race that set the tone for a weekend – fight hard, it's anyone's game.

"I've had a lot of good races here, and today wasn't one of them, but it was still decent," Ganong commented after his run. "On a day like today when a bunch of people were missing the same gate it would have been nice to know how turny it was. But we have an opportunity to make it better tomorrow."

Ganong, who started ahead of Cochran-Siegle, and came into his run with little information about this particular turn that had caused a lot of the field trouble. So he stuck to his plan. Cochran-Siegle, on the other hand, received info that Ganong took the problem turn a bit too straight, which led him to stivvy his skis, and dump some speed in hopes of keeping it together and skiing a clean run. Unfortunately, he released a bit too much.

Edwards, Colo. native, River Radamus, also had a strong showing for a majority of his run, on track throughout each split to finish among the top 20 men of the group. Unfortunately, Radamus lost his grip on the course just a few gates before the finish and DNFed. He'll seek vengeance in the weekend's second super-G on Friday, Dec. 3rd. Fellow Americans Steven Nyman, Bryce Bennett, and Jared Goldberg finished 42nd, 43rd, and 46th. 

The speed crew is looking forward to not one, but two, downhill races on home snow over the course of the weekend, and another chance at the super-G on Friday. Fuel has been added to the fire, and with the extra chance to show off their speed on home soil, it's sure to be a show fans won't want to miss.

RESULTS
Men's super-G

SUPER-G STARTERS
Erik Arvidsson
Bryce Bennett
Ryan Cochran-Siegle
Travis Ganong
Steven Nyman
River Radamus

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021
11:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Super-G - Same-Day Broadcast, Beaver Creek, CO, NBCSN

Friday, Dec. 3, 2021
12:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Super-G - LIVE, Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast NBCSN
2:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Downhill - LIVE, Lake Louise, CAN, Ski and Snowboard Live

Saturday, Dec. 4
1:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - LIVE Beaver Creek, CO, Streaming Peacock
1:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - LIVE Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast NBCSN
2:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Downhill - LIVE, Lake Louise, CAN, Ski and Snowboard LiveStreaming Peacock
5:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - Same-day broadcast, Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast NBC

Sunday, Dec. 5
12:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Super-G - LIVE Lake Louise, CAN, Streaming Peacock
2:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - LIVE, Beaver Creek, CO, Streaming Peacock
2:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women’s Super G - LIVE, Lake Louise, CAN, Ski and Snowboard Live
2:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - Same-day broadcast, Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast, NBCSN
4:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Xfinity Birds of Prey Men's Downhill - Same-day broadcast, Beaver Creek, CO, Broadcast NBC

Current television broadcast and streaming schedules for all sports are available here

Check out our "How to Watch" guide to figure out what the best watch option is for you. 

 

Radamus Skis Out on Home Turf

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Names Guaranteed Rate As Official Mortgage Partner

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
December, 2 2021
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Names Guaranteed Rate As Official Mortgage Partner

CHICAGO/PARK CITY, UTAH (December 2, 2021) – U.S. Ski & Snowboard today announced that Guaranteed Rate, a leader in retail mortgage lending and digital financial services, is now the Official Mortgage Partner as the 2021-22 season opens.

Guaranteed Rate’s sponsorship launches at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Big Air on Dec. 3, as athletes on the U.S. Freeski Team and the U.S. Snowboard Team will be looking to secure their spots on Team USA to compete at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

“We are very excited to kick off our partnership with Guaranteed Rate ahead of an important season,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Revenue Officer Michael O’Conor. “Given their track record of simplifying the mortgage process and delivering best-in-class customer service, we are proud to call them our Official Mortgage Partner.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard joins a host of Guaranteed Rate’s successful sports partnerships including U.S. Figure Skating, NHL, MLB and the Professional Bowlers Association.

“We are honored to partner with U.S. Ski & Snowboard as these amazing athletes prepare to enter the most exciting and important competitions of their lives,” said Guaranteed Rate Vice President of Sports Marketing and Partnerships Steve McNelley.

Founded in 2000, Guaranteed Rate’s mission is to deliver more value to customers than any other financial services company by offering innovative technology, low rates and unparalleled customer service.

For more information on Guaranteed Rate, please visit www.rate.com. 

 

 

About Guaranteed Rate Companies:  

 The Guaranteed Rate Companies includes Guaranteed Rate, Inc., one of the top five retail mortgage lenders in the United States, Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, and Proper Rate, LLC. Headquartered in Chicago, Guaranteed Rate Companies combined funded over $73 billion in 2020 and have more than 10,000 employees in over 850 offices across the United States. Founded in 2000 and located in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., Guaranteed Rate has helped homeowners nationwide with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has established itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates and delivering unparalleled customer service. In 2017, the company launched Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY), a global leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage. In 2020, the company launched Proper Rate, LLC, a mortgage origination joint venture between Guaranteed Rate, Inc. and @properties, one of the nation's largest residential brokerage firms. Collectively, the Guaranteed Rate Companies have earned numerous honors and awards including: Forbes Advisor’s Top 10 Mortgage Lenders for 2021; Best Mortgage Lender for Online Loans and Best Mortgage Lender for Refinancing by NerdWallet for 2021; 2018 Top Lender for Online Service by U.S. News & World Report; HousingWire’s 2020 Tech100 award for the company’s industry-leading FlashCloseSM technology; No. 3 ranking in Scotsman Guide's 2021 list of Top Retail Mortgage Lenders; Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for six consecutive years; and Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces list for seven consecutive years. Visit rate.com for more information.

 

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard

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

 

Career-Best for Dehlinger in Aerials World Cup Opener

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
December, 2 2021
Quinn Dehlinger
Quinn Dehlinger earned a career best eighth place result at the 2021 Aerials Ruka World Cup Opener. (Steven Earl - U.S. Ski Team)

Quinn Dehlinger led the Americans with a career-best eighth place result in the Aerials FIS World Cup Opener in Ruka, Finland, Friday. 

“The whole day was going fantastic,” Dehlinger said. “I was jumping really consistently, putting down all of my jumps. It all fell into place there at the end to put me into that result.”

This is Dehlinger’s second season competing on the triple. It’s a years’-long process to work up to the highest degree of difficulty jumps to be competitive to make the super final round. “[The process] is going just about as well as I can hope for. My goals for this season are to make as many finals as possible and to do Full double-Full Full Full, which looks like it will happen very soon.”

“Quinn competed very well. His final jump was beautiful,” said Head Aerial Coach Vladimir (Vlad) Lebedev. 

Cold temperatures, wind and snow made for tricky training and competition conditions all week. Athletes had to manage the elements while still getting their jumping legs under them. “A big part of that is trusting your coach with the speed and making sure you hit a great takeoff,” explained Dehlinger.

Three Americans qualified for finals in Friday’s event, including Dehlinger. Eric Loughran and Kaila Kuhn both finished ninth. 

On the men’s side Russia’s Maxim Burov won and Switzerland’s Pirmin Wener and Noe Roth finished second and third, respectively. China’s Fanyu Kong won for the women, Kazakhstan’s Zhanbota and China’s Qi Shao tied for second. 

Justin Schoenefeld finished 27th and Derek Kruger 31st. Karenna Elliott finished 15th, Tasia Tanner 21st, Ashley Caldwell 27th, Winter Vinecki 28th, Megan Nick 32nd, and Dani Loeb 37th.

Competition continues Friday with a one-jump World Cup followed by the first Team event of the season. 

HOW TO WATCH

All times EST

Friday, Dec. 03, 2021

3:40 a.m. FIS Freestyle World Cup Women’s Aerials - LIVE, Ruka, FIN, Streaming Peacock, Ski and Snowboard Live

6:15 a.m. FIS Freestyle World Cup Men’s Aerials - LIVE, Ruka, FIN, Streaming Peacock, Ski and Snowboard Live

9:30 a.m. FIS Freestyle World Cup Mixed Team Aerials - LIVE, Ruka, FIN, Streaming Peacock, Ski and Snowboard Live

Current television broadcast and streaming schedules for all sports are available here

Sport-specific broadcast and streaming schedules are available below:

Broadcast and streaming are updated on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard website throughout the season.

2021-22 Freestyle World Cup Schedule

2021-22 Freestyle Olympic Schedule

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