Jan. 21, 2018 - On the final day of Olympic selection for most sports, several new spots were clinched based on objective criteria. Olympic medalists Gus Kenworthy (Telluride, Colo.) and Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) took it right down to the wire on the last day of Olympic selection to claim objective spots in men's slopestyle skiing.

Just 10 months after a significant knee injury, Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.) confirmed her Olympic spot after the final event Sunday in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Ross scored a top-10 finish in Val d'Isere in December that held up to put her on the team. Also qualifying in super-G were Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) and Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.). After the final men’s slalom, David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, Colo.) and Nolan Kasper (Warren, Vt.) qualified based on World Cup ranking in slalom. Kasper returned to the World Cup after nearly three years battling injuries earlier this week to earn his spot in his first World Cup back.

All of the objective qualifiers from snowboarding halfpipe and slopestyle/big air plus freeski halfpipe were honored Saturday night at Mammoth Mountain during the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix.

Team announcements are scheduled for this coming week and will be sequenced whenever final team sizes are known.
 

Jan. 20, 2018 - Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) earned a shot at repeating her 2010 Olympic downhill gold as she clinched an Olympic Team spot with a win in the final downhill at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Jackie Wiles (Bend, Ore.) was third to make her second Olympic Team. Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.) also qualified with her two downhill podiums this season. A fourth downhill position may be added this week. In Kitzbuehel, Jared Goldberg (Salt Lake City, Utah) and Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) sealed their downhill spots on the Olympic Team.

Jonathan Cheever (Saugus, Mass.) claimed his Olympic spot when no other athletes were able to unseat him in selection events. Cheever scored a podium in the season opener last summer.

At Mammoth Mountain, the day kicked off with the final slopestyle snowboarding contest of the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix. Hailey Langland (San Clemente, Calif.) and Julia Marino (Winchester, Mass.). Kyle Mack (West Bloomfield, Mich.) took the men's win to claim the final remaining objective criteria spot. Closing out the evening, Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, Vt.) and Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.) claimed halfpipe snowboarding nominations.

Jan. 19, 2018 - In a hotly contested Toyota U.S. Grand Prix halfpipe skiing finale, final objective spots for the Olympic Team were claimed. Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.) sealed a return Olympic berth with a win. Devin Logan (W. Dover, Vt.) also sealed a return, but this time in halfpipe. Logan is still in contention for a slopestyle spot. In the men's halfpipe, Alex Ferreira (Aspen, Colo.), who narrowly missed in 2014, earned a spot finishing second. Torin Yater-Wallace (Aspen, Colo.) claimed a return spot. Defending gold medalists David Wise (Reno, Nev.) and Maddie Bowman (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.) had already clinched spots. Additional fourth spots for men and women may be named next week.

In the final men's super-G of the selection period, Tommy Biesemeyer (Lake Placid, N.Y.) and Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.) claimed Olympic spots based on World Cup rankings. Weibrecht has medaled in super-G the last two Olympics.

Jan. 14, 2018 - Olympic selection continued on Sunday, but there were no new athletes achieving objective criteria for selection. In men's slopestyle skiing Sunday in the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Aspen-Snowmass, Gus Kenworthy (Telluride, Colo.) took the men's win over Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.). It was Kenworthy's first podium of the selection period, second for Goepper. But it was not enough for either to mathematically clinch one of the three objective criteria spots. It will now come down to the final two slopestyle contests at Mammoth Mountain.

Jan. 13, 2018 - Shaun White (Carlsbad, Calif.) led three Americans to PyeongChang Saturday at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen-Snowmass with all three clinching Olympic berths. White will make his fourth Olympic team, first for Ben Ferguson (Bend, Ore.) and Jake Pates (Eagle, Colo.), who won Youth Olympic Games gold two years ago.

Earlier in the day at Aspen, Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.) nailed a repeat spot in slopestyle skiing.

Cross country ended its World Cup selection with a freestyle sprint in Dresden, Germany. New team qualifiers with a top 50 World Cup sprint ranking included Ida Sargent (Orleans, Vt.), Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Colo.) and Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, Vt.).

Jan. 12, 2018 - Teen Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.) rocketed to his second Olympic qualifying win at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Aspen-Snowmass Friday to claim a slopestyle snowboarding spot in PyeongChang. Olympic champions David Wise (Reno, Nev.) and Maddie Bowman (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.) claimed their halfpipe skiing spots and will defend their Sochi titles. At the Visa Freestyle International in Deer Valley, aerials skier Kiley McKinnon (Madison, Conn.) sealed her first Olympic Team spot.

Jan. 11, 2018 - Jaelin Kauf (Alta, Wyo.) and Morgan Schild (Rochester, N.Y.) clinched Olympic berths with their finishes in the Visa Freestyle International World Cup moguls events in Deer Valley. With just one event remaining in the Olympic selection period, both have achieved two top three World Cup finishes and have mathematically sealed a spot.

Jan. 9, 2018 - Resi Stiegler (Jackson, Wyo.) clinched her spot on a third Olympic team after the final slalom of the selection period. Stiegler qualified based on her World Cup ranking behind slalom leader Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.).

Dec. 31, 2017 - Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) earned a spot on his second Olympic Team with a win in nordic combined. Mike Glasder (Cary, Ill.) clinched his first Olympic berth with a ski jumping victory while Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, Utah) claimed a return trip with her women's ski jumping win.x

Olympic selection continues in most sports through next weekend with full teams being announced the week of January 22.

Selection Notes
This update is as of the noted date and subject to change through the selection period. Update includes only those athletes who have achieved the top levels of objective selection criteria, which does not guarantee a spot on the team. Final team announcements will be made the week of Jan. 22, subject to USOC approval.
 
Alpine (selection period runs through Jan. 22)
Bryce Bennett (top 10 alpine combined; World Cup ranking downhill) ^
Tommy Biesemeyer (World Cup ranking SG) ^
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (World Cup ranking alpine combined) ^
Tommy Ford (World Cup ranking GS) ^
Jared Goldberg (top 10 downhill) ^
Ted Ligety (top 5 giant slalom) ^
Megan McJames (World Cup ranking GS) ^
Laurenne Ross (top 10 super G) *
Mikaela Shiffrin (top 3 downhill, top 5 super G, top 3 giant slalom, top 3 slalom) ^
Resi Stiegler (World Cup ranking SL) ^
Lindsey Vonn (top 3 downhill) ^
Andrew Weibrecht (World Cup ranking SG) ^
Jackie Wiles (top 3 downhill) ^
^ Qualified for U.S. Olympic Team
* Achieved objective qualification criteria

Cross Country (selection period runs through Jan. 15)
Erik Bjornsen (top 50 World Cup ranking in distance, sprint) ^
Sadie Bjornsen (top 8 in designated selection event) ^
Rosie Brennan (top 50 World Cup ranking in distance, sprint) ^
Sophie Caldwell (top 8 in designated selection event) ^
Jessie Diggins (top 8 in designated selection event) ^
Simi Hamilton (top 50 World Cup ranking in sprint) ^
Andy Newell (top 50 World Cup ranking in sprint) ^
Kikkan Randall (top 50 World Cup ranking in sprint, distance) ^
Ida Sargent (top 50 World Cup ranking in sprint) ^
Liz Stephen (top 50 World Cup ranking in distance) ^
^ Qualified for U.S. Olympic Team
* Achieved objective qualification criteria as of rankings on Jan. 6 (rankings subject to change through Jan. 15)
 
Freeski (selection period runs through Jan. 21)
Maddie Bowman (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in halfpipe) ^
Alex Ferreira (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in halfpipe) ^
Nick Goepper (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in slopestyle) ^
Gus Kenworthy (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in slopestyle) ^
Devin Logan (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in halfpipe) ^
Brita Sigourney (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in halfpipe) ^
Maggie Voisin (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in slopestyle) ^
David Wise (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in halfpipe) ^
Torin Yater-Wallace (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in halfpipe) ^
 
Freestyle (selection period runs through Jan. 21)
Jaelin Kauf (2 top 3 moguls) ^
Kiley McKinnon (2 top 3 aerials) ^
Morgan Schild (2 top 3 moguls) ^
* Achieved objective qualification criteria
 
Nordic Combined (selection period runs through Jan. 22)
Bryan Fletcher (winner Olympic Trials) ^
^ Qualified for U.S. Olympic Team
 
Ski Jumping (selection period runs through Jan. 21)
Mike Glasder (winner Olympic Trials) ^
Sarah Hendrickson (winner Olympic Trials) ^
^ Qualified for U.S. Olympic Team
 
Snowboard (qualifying through Jan. 21)
Jamie Anderson (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in slopestyle) ^
Jonathan Cheever (top 3 in designated snowboardcross selection event) ^
Kelly Clark (clinched objective spot in halfpipe in qualifying series) ^
Ben Ferguson (clinched objective spot in halfpipe in qualifying series) ^
Red Gerard (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in slopestyle) ^
Chris Corning (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in slopestyle) ^
Faye Gulini (top 3 in designated snowboardcross selection event) ^
Lindsey Jacobellis (top 3 in designated snowboardcross selection event) ^
Chloe Kim (clinched objective spot in halfpipe in qualifying series) ^
Hailey Langland (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in slopestyle) ^
Maddie Mastro (clinched objective spot in halfpipe in qualifying series) ^
Julia Marino (mathematically clinched qualifying series points in slopestyle) ^
Jake Pates (clinched objective spot in halfpipe in qualifying series) ^
Shaun White (clinched objective spot in halfpipe in qualifying series) ^
^ Qualified for U.S. Olympic Team
* Achieved objective qualification criteria

Battling headwinds, crosswinds and blowing snow, Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) salvaged a sixth-place finish to lead the U.S. Ski Team at the FIS Ski World Cup super-G in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday.

“I’m not mad, I’m just a little bit frustrated,” Vonn said after her run where midway down the course strong winds blew up clouds of snow, reducing visibility and changing the snow surface. “Sometimes this happens in ski racing, where the races aren’t really fair and the wind comes, the light comes, the clouds come, but I tried my best and I’m happy with my skiing. But unfortunately, I just wasn’t very lucky today.”

Swiss Lara Gut picked up her 24th career World Cup victory, with Italy’s Johanna Schnarf in second and Austria’s Nicole Schmidhofer in third. Jackie Wiles (Aurora, Ore.) was 19th; Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.) 21st; and Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) was 23rd. Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.) had an uncharacteristic DNF after getting low and late on a gate midway down the course. 

Sunday’s event was the final opportunity for athletes to achieve Olympic Selection Criteria. Based upon results this season, Ross, who suffered a significant knee injury last March, met the criteria after scoring a top-10 super-G finish in Lake Louise. Vonn and Shiffrin also qualified.

Despite Sunday’s super-G results, the weekend was very successful for the U.S. ladies with Vonn and Shiffrin going 2-3 in Friday’s downhill, and Vonn and Wiles going 1-3 in Saturday’s downhill.

“I’m still very happy with the weekend,” Vonn said. “I’m happy with the way I’m skiing and I have a lot of confidence now going into February. We still have some more races before the Olympics, but this is a good place for me to be and yesterday’s win was amazing.”

Shiffrin continues to lead the overall World Cup standings heading into Tuesday’s giant slalom in Kronplatz, Italy.

RESULTS
Women’s super-G

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST 
Sunday, Jan. 21
9:00 p.m. - Women’s super-G; Cortina – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
10:00 p.m. - Men’s slalom; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Tuesday, Jan. 23
6:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom; Kronplatz – Olympic Channel TV
2:30 p.m. - Men’s slalom; Schladming – Olympic Channel TV
12:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom; Schladming – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) finished 15th to lead four Americans into the top 30 in Saturday’s FIS Ski World Cup downhill in Kitzbuehel, Austria.

“I’m not too satisfied with my performance,” said Nyman, who is still not 100 percent following last season’s knee injury. “I skied some sections pretty well, and I was a little hesitant in some sections, but it’s coming along … every day it’s getting better with my confidence and my knee.”

Germany’s Thomas Dressen won his first career World Cup race, edging out Swiss Beat Fuez by 0.20 seconds for the victory. Austria’s Hannes Reichelt was third.

Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, N.Y.) came out of the 46th start position to finish one place behind Nyman in 16th.  Wiley Maple (Aspen, Colo.) came out of the 45th start position to finish 22nd; and Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) was 28th.

The weekend will culminate with slalom Sunday, where David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, Colo.) and Nolan Kasper (Warren, Vt.) will headline the roster for the Americans. Kasper led the way in his first World Cup slalom race in nearly three years, earning a top 20 result in Wengen, Switzerland last weekend.

RESULTS
Men’s downhill

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Saturday, Jan. 20
3:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – NBC (same day broadcast)
11:00 p.m. - Women’s downhill; Cortina – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
12:00 a.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Sunday, Jan. 21
5:30 a.m. - Women’s super-G; Cortina – Olympic Channel TV
7:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom; Kitzbuehel – Olympic Channel TV
9:00 p.m. - Women’s super-G; Cortina – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
10:00 p.m. - Men’s slalom; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Tuesday, Jan. 23
6:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom; Kronplatz – Olympic Channel TV
2:30 p.m. - Men’s slalom; Schladming – Olympic Channel TV
12:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom; Schladming – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Beaming with confidence and skiing with power, Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) produced a dominating performance to win her 79th career FIS Ski World Cup race and secure her Olympic Team selection in Saturday’s downhill at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Jackie Wiles (Aurora, Ore.) finished third and also punched her ticket to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

“I was definitely disappointed with my result yesterday with that big mistake, but today was a great run - clean, solid,” said Vonn, who won by 0.92-seconds over Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein. “I’m very happy with my skiing and it gives me a lot of confidence going forward into the Olympics.”

Wiles was skiing just off Vonn’s pace at the top intervals but nearly overcooked a turn after catching a rut. But she made a strong recovery and built speed toward the bottom of the course to grab her second career World Cup downhill podium.

“I had a lot of fun,” Wiles said. “A little scary at the bottom, but I kept is rolling and it came together. “

“It was a great day having Jackie on the podium,” added Vonn, who has been a mentor for Wiles and provided financial assistance for her early in her career through the Lindsey Vonn Foundation. “I’m really, really proud of her!”

 “She has done a lot to help me get to this point,” Wiles said of Vonn. “She’s a great friend and role model, and I’m super thrilled to be on the podium with her.”

It was a banner day for U.S. Ski Team with seven athletes finishing in the top 30, including Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.) in seventh; Breezy Johnson (Victor, Idaho) in 11th; Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) 16th; Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, Calif.) in 25th; and Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.) in 26th.

Shiffrin leads the overall World Cup standings by a massive 907 points over Italy’s Sofia Goggia.  She also leads the overall World Cup slalom and giant slalom standings and is third in the downhill standings behind Goggia and Weirather.

Up next, the women compete in super-G Saturday in Cortina. 

“I’m excited,” Vonn said of Sunday’s super-G. “I think I’m skiing better super-G than downhill. I have a lot of confidence from today and yesterday, so I’ll attack as always and see how it goes.”

RESULTS
Women’s downhill

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Friday, Jan. 19
4:00 p.m. - Men’s super-G; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Saturday, Jan. 20
3:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – NBC (same day broadcast)
11:00 p.m. - Women’s downhill; Cortina – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
12:00 a.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Sunday, Jan. 21
5:30 a.m. - Women’s super-G; Cortina – Olympic Channel TV
7:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom; Kitzbuehel – Olympic Channel TV
9:00 p.m. - Women’s super-G; Cortina – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
10:00 p.m. - Men’s slalom; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Tuesday, Jan. 23
6:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom; Kronplatz – Olympic Channel TV
2:30 p.m. - Men’s slalom; Schladming – Olympic Channel TV
12:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom; Schladming – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
 

Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.) was the top American finisher in 24th in Friday’s weather-shortened FIS Ski World Cup super-G in Kitzbuehel, Austria.

Norway went 1-2 with Aksel Lund Svindal taking the win ahead of teammate Kjetil Jansrud. Austria’s Matthias Mayer was third.

Heavy snow forced race officials to move the start lower and push back the start time to allow crews to clear the course. Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, N.Y.) finished 26th; Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) was 27th; Maple Wiley (Aspen, Colo.) was 29th; and Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) was 32nd. Both Biesemeyer and Weibrecht clinched Olympic spots.

Up next, the men race downhill on the Hahnenkamm track Saturday.

RESULTS
Men’s super-G

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Friday, Jan. 19
4:00 p.m. - Men’s super-G; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Saturday, Jan. 20
4:00 a.m. - Women’s downhill; Cortina – Olympic Channel TV
5:30 a.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – Olympic Channel TV
3:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – NBC (same day broadcast)
11:00 p.m. - Women’s downhill; Cortina – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
12:00 a.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Sunday, Jan. 21
5:30 a.m. - Women’s super-G; Cortina – Olympic Channel TV
7:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom; Kitzbuehel – Olympic Channel TV
9:00 p.m. - Women’s super-G; Cortina – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
10:00 p.m. - Men’s slalom; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Tuesday, Jan. 23
6:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom; Kronplatz – Olympic Channel TV
2:30 p.m. - Men’s slalom; Schladming – Olympic Channel TV
12:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom; Schladming – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) was one slight mistake away from the top step of the podium but still managed to salvage a second-place finish in front of teammate Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.) in Friday’s FIS Ski World Cup downhill in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. It was an outstanding day for the U.S. women with six athletes finishing in the top 20.

Sofia Goggia of Italy won her second-straight downhill as Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, Calif.) wrapped up a storied 18-year career with her final race, after announcing her retirement prior to Friday’s downhill.

Vonn was clearly in the driver’s seat to achieve her 79th career World Cup victory on one of her favorite downhill tracks. However, she got caught up in a rut two-thirds of the way through her run and pulled out a dramatic one-ski recovery to not only remain upright but also hold her speed and push to the finish.

“I caught my edge, the light was flat and that happens,” Vonn said. “I’m happy that I kept fighting to the end. I was hoping that I didn’t lose too much time, but unfortunately, it was enough to lose the win.

“I still got second place, which is pretty outstanding, all things considered,” Vonn added. “I know I have the speed and I’m skiing well, so tomorrow is another opportunity and hopefully I won’t be caught in that rut tomorrow.”

Friday’s downhill was a makeup race from the event canceled in Val d’Isere, France last month. The ladies will race another downhill on Saturday, followed by super-G on Sunday.

Shiffrin, meanwhile, added to her overall World Cup lead and is second in the overall World Cup downhill standings as she continues to make huge strides in mastering the speed events with her second downhill podium finish of the season.

“I learned a lot in the first training run, the second training run and then for the race today I was aggressive,” Shiffrin said. “For tomorrow, I can build on that.”

Jackie Wiles (Aurora, Ore.) put down another top-10 World Cup result Friday, finishing seventh. Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) was 11th; Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.) finished 17th; and Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, Calif.) was 20th.

After announcing her retirement prior to the race, Mancuso donned a Super Women outfit for her final World Cup race and received a Champagne shower from her teammates after crossing the finish line one final time.

“For me it’s been an emotional ride, not having a body that can perform how you want,” Mancuso said of her recovery and working so hard to come back this season to try an qualify for her fifth Olympic team. “So mentally, it’s been really tough, but on the bittersweet side, I feel so incredibly grateful to have had such an amazing career. Especially growing up with Lindsey, and pushing each other and being able to be part of such a great team.

“Looking back I have no regrets,” she added. “I’m just thankful for the journey and really thankful to have had the opportunity to get healthy enough to make it down a World Cup run and feel awesome, and dress up and add that to the list of experiences.”

RESULTS
Women’s downhill

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Friday, Jan. 19
4:00 p.m. - Men’s super-G; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Saturday, Jan. 20
4:00 a.m. - Women’s downhill; Cortina – Olympic Channel TV
5:30 a.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – Olympic Channel TV
3:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – NBC (same day broadcast)
11:00 p.m. - Women’s downhill; Cortina – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
12:00 a.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Sunday, Jan. 21
5:30 a.m. - Women’s super-G; Cortina – Olympic Channel TV
7:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom; Kitzbuehel – Olympic Channel TV
9:00 p.m. - Women’s super-G; Cortina – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
10:00 p.m. - Men’s slalom; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Tuesday, Jan. 23
6:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom; Kronplatz – Olympic Channel TV
2:30 p.m. - Men’s slalom; Schladming – Olympic Channel TV
12:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom; Schladming – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
 

All eyes on the biggest stage of the FIS Ski World Cup circuit this weekend in Kitzbuehel, Austria and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. It’s difficult to explain just how special both Kitzbuehel and Cortina are on the World Cup circuit. The adrenaline rush of the Hahnenkamm and the extreme beauty and perfect snow on the Olympia delle Tofane slope are unmatched. In the final weekend of Olympic qualifying events, the athletes will be putting it all on the line to prior next week’s U.S. Ski & Snowboard's team announcements.

Veterans Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) and Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) return to competition to lead the American Downhillers down the Streif in the ski racing Mecca known as Kitzbuehel, Austria. Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) and Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah), who has also been showing great consistency, will compete in the super-G and downhill events on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Nyman was second in the first downhill training run Tuesday and Goldberg posted the fourth-fastest time on Thursday.

The weekend will culminate with slalom Sunday, where David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, Colo.) and Nolan Kasper (Warren, Vt.) will headline the roster for the Americans. Kasper led the way in his first World Cup slalom race in nearly three years, earning a top 20 result in Wengen, Switzerland last weekend.

Over in Cortina, the current overall, slalom and giant slalom leader Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.) returns to the World Cup circuit this weekend for a chance to extend her already sizable 800-plus-point lead. Shiffrin joins teammates Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.), Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.), Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, Calif.) and more for a pair of downhills and a super-G Jan. 19-21.

Vonn, who is searching for that 79th career victory, grabbed her first podium in Cortina and has won a staggering 11 times in Cortina, and Shiffrin was just .03 seconds off the super-G podium under the sunshine in beautiful Cortina in 2017. Vonn’s first podium was in Cortina in January of 2004 – a third place in the downhill. Cortina was also the location for Mancuso’s first and second podiums – a second in the super-G followed by a second in the downhill in January of 2006.

The first downhill is scheduled for Jan. 19 and is a make-up race from the canceled event in Val d’Isere, France. Vonn won Wednesday’s and Thursday’s downhill training runs by almost a second, with Jackie Wiles (Aurora, Ore.) third both days, Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) fourth on Wednesday and Shiffrin fifth on Thursday.

Steve Schlanger and U.S. Ski Team alumnus Steve Porino will call the action in the coming week. See who to watch and where to catch all the action below.

WOMEN’S STARTERS
Cortina, ITA

Super-G and Downhill

• Stacey Cook
• Breezy Johnson
• Julia Mancuso
• Alice McKennis
• Alice Merryweather
• Laurenne Ross
• Mikaela Shiffrin
• Lindsey Vonn
• Jackie Wiles

MEN’S STARTERS
Kitzbuehel, AUT/Schladming, AUT

Super-G and Downhill

• Bryce Bennett
• Tommy Biesemeyer
• Jared Goldberg
• Wiley Maple
• Steven Nyman
• Andrew Weibrecht

Slalom

• David Chodounsky
• Mark Engel
• AJ Ginnis
• Nolan Kasper
• Robby Kelley
• Hig Roberts

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Friday, Jan. 19
4:00 a.m. - Women’s downhill; Cortina – Olympic Channel TV
5:30 a.m. - Men’s super-G; Kitzbuehel – Olympic Channel TV
4:00 p.m. - Men’s super-G; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Saturday, Jan. 20
4:00 a.m. - Women’s downhill; Cortina – Olympic Channel TV
5:30 a.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – Olympic Channel TV
3:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – NBC (same day broadcast)
11:00 p.m. - Women’s downhill; Cortina – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
12:00 a.m. - Men’s downhill; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Sunday, Jan. 21
5:30 a.m. - Women’s super-G; Cortina – Olympic Channel TV
7:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom; Kitzbuehel – Olympic Channel TV
9:00 p.m. - Women’s super-G; Cortina – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)
10:00 p.m. - Men’s slalom; Kitzbuehel – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

Tuesday, Jan. 23
6:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom; Kronplatz – Olympic Channel TV
2:30 p.m. - Men’s slalom; Schladming – Olympic Channel TV
12:00 a.m. - Men’s slalom; Schladming – NBCSN Encore (same day broadcast)

RESULTS
Men’s Training Run 1
Men’s Training Run 2
Women's Training Run 1
Women’s Training Run 2

START LISTS
Women’s Downhill
Men’s Super-G

Olympic Qualification Update

Some U.S. athletes have already qualified for the Olympic team based on their performances so far this season. They include:
Bryce Bennett (top 10 alpine combined) ^
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (World Cup ranking alpine combined) ^
Stacey Cook (top 10 downhill) *
Tommy Ford (World Cup ranking GS) ^
Breezy Johnson (top 10 downhill) *
Ted Ligety (top 5 giant slalom) ^
Megan McJames (World Cup ranking GS) ^
Laurenne Ross (top 10 super G) *
Mikaela Shiffrin (top 3 downhill, top 5 super G, top 3 giant slalom, top 3 slalom) ^
Resi Stiegler (World Cup ranking SL) ^
Lindsey Vonn (top 3 super G) *
Jackie Wiles (top 5 downhill) *
^ Qualified for U.S. Olympic Team
* Achieved objective qualification criteria

After a storied 18-year career, Olympic champion Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, Calif.) will hang up her tiara and take a victory lap on Friday, January 19th in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – which happens to be the first track she podiumed on in January of 2006. Mancuso will move on to the next chapter of her career in PyeongChang, South Korea – this time not on the mountain, but with the NBC Olympics team in PyeongChang.

As a junior ski racer, Mancuso came blazing on to the scene – grabbing an American record eight Junior World Championship medals. A four-event athlete from the beginning, Mancuso started World Cup racing and was a NorAm champion at 16, competed in the Olympics at 17, set a U.S. record for Junior World Championships medals before she was out of her teens, and then started her twenties by capturing two World Championships medals.

Mancuso’s first FIS Ski World Cup was in 1999, and her first World Cup podium was a super-G silver in Cortina. Known for her renegade style and her ability to perform on the big stage, Mancuso donned a tiara on the podium in 2006 and 2010 when she won Olympic gold and silver.

Julia Mancuso Career Highlights

• Most decorated big event American female athlete (nine medals: four Olympics, five World Championships)
• Most Olympic medals for an American female ski or snowboard athlete (four)
• Medals in three consecutive Olympic Games
  • Gold, giant slalom, Torino, ITA, 2006
  • Silver, downhill, Vancouver, CAN, 2010
  • Silver, super combined, Vancouver, CAN, 2010
  • Bronze, super combined, Sochi, RUS, 2014
• Four Olympic Teams
• Seven World Cup victories across four disciplines (city event, downhill, super-G, alpine combined)
• 36 World Cup podiums
• 399 World Cup starts
• First World Cup start November 20, 1999 – Copper Mountain, Colo.

Nicknamed “Super Jules” and often sporting superhero attire, Mancuso led a fun-focused, unconventional career, splitting her time between surfing in Maui and traveling the world chasing snow in the winter. In between, she captured more major event medals than any other American woman with nine – four Olympic and five World Championship medals.

For Mancuso, it wasn’t just about fun on piste, though. In 2010, Mancuso proved to the snowsports world that she was one of the most well-rounded and gifted skiers, grabbing a third in the Extreme Verbier Freeride event. Growing up in Squaw Valley, California, Mancuso was always inspired by the mountain and had a love for freeskiing too.

Mancuso’s passion for the remoteness of backcountry slopes and deep powder were a big reason she participated in friend and Austrian freeskier Sandra Lahnsteiner’s production Shades of Winter: BETWEEN. During the filming of the all-women ski film, she was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of skiing in Hawaii on Mauna Kea.

Since she was 18 years old, though, Mancuso battled issues with her hip. Hip surgery after the 2014-15 season had Mancuso sidelined from World Cup competition for two full seasons, but with an extreme fighter mentality, she made her return to competition in St. Moritz, Switzerland in December of 2017.

“It has been an epic battle with my hip injury, and the past three years I have put everything into returning to competition at the highest level and the goal to reach my fifth Olympic Games,” reflected Mancuso. “There have been really promising days during this challenging process, and I have kept my spirits up despite many who questioned or doubted me. Sadly, I haven’t found the progression to compete with the best in the world again, but I’m proud to have fought until the very end. It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to ski racing, but I do so with a full heart.”

Mancuso looks forward to the next chapter of her career, where she will join the NBC Olympics team in PyeongChang. Mancuso will contribute features on a variety of platforms including The Olympic Zone – a nightly 30-minute show that airs on NBC affiliates – and will also serve as a reporter, covering venues and locations throughout the Games. Mancuso worked for NBC in a similar capacity at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

QUOTES
Julia Mancuso
It has been an epic battle with my hip injury, and the past three years I have put everything into returning to competition at the highest level and the goal to reach my fifth Olympic Games. There have been really promising days during this challenging process, and I have kept my spirits up despite many who questioned or doubted me. Sadly, I haven’t found the progression to compete with the best in the world again, but I’m proud to have fought until the very end. It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to ski racing, but I do so with a full heart.

I am so grateful for all the incredible opportunities I’ve been provided and the amazing friendships I’ve made along the way. I’d like to thank the U.S. Ski Team, GoPro, KT Tape, POC, Spyder, Squaw Valley, Stoeckli, and Swix for their unwavering support during the past few seasons. I’d also like to thank my family, sponsors, and my team for believing in me, my doctors and fans, and especially my husband who has supported me through these difficult times. I am happy that I get to ski my last race here in Cortina – one of my favorite stops on the tour. I had my first podium here, and now I get to say farewell. I’m excited to see where skiing and life’s adventure will take me next!