Finally healthy following a couple seasons of injuries and setbacks, Ryan Cochran-Siegle once again led Team USA, finishing tied for 11th, in the giant slalom at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games Sunday. Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah), the defending Olympic gold medalist, was 15th.

 “I couldn’t have anticipated these results at all,” said Cochran-Siegle, who also led Team USA in super-G with a 15th-place finish. “I know that it’s the best in the world here, so to be able to perform and get these results is pretty outstanding for me. These were my career-best finishes in both events, so obviously when you go to the Olympics you want to perform at your best, but you also can’t really expect anything that you haven’t done before.”

Austria’s Marcel Hirscher absolutely blew away the field to win the gold medal, finishing more than a second ahead of silver medalist Henrick Kristoffersen of Norway. Alexis Pinturault of France claimed the bronze. Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.) was 20th and Tim Jitloff (Reno. Nev.) did not complete his first run.

Competing in his best event, Ligety, a four-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist, struggled to keep pace on the first run.

“First run, I didn’t ski with anywhere the intensity, cleanliness and attack I needed to, and second run I tried to step it up but I just didn’t have the speed in me today,” Ligety said. "It’s an unfortunate day to have a bad day. I have been skiing with podium speed and feel like I was a potential medal contender, I just didn’t have it in me today.”

“I was disappointed that we did not step up and take the risks we needed to on the first run,” head coach Sasha Rearick said. “Second run – I’m proud of Ryan Cochran-Siegle – phenomenal job, a young guy who had his career best today.”

Cochran-Siegle posted the third-fastest second-run time and is part of a core group of up-and-coming skiers on the U.S. Ski Team. Ligety meanwhile, is a solid team veteran who just had a bad day at the office.

“In the world history of skiing, Ted has accomplished amazing things,” Rearick said. “Things that, I think, are unbelievable. He was able to stay at the top for so long, and today, why he is disappointed, is because we know there was a chance he could get close today and do it … I, for sure hope he carries on, he’s still got good gas in the tank, his body is feeling good, he’s got great experience.”

“I’ll be 37 years old at the next Olympic Games, and that’s not out of the realm of possibility,” Ligety said of potentially going for his fifth Olympic team. “I know I’m for sure going to race next year, and we’ll see after that. When you have a family, there are other priorities in life than just ski racing. Jax (Ligety’s son) is seven months old, so he doesn’t really care how I did today – so that’ll be my reprieve on the day.”

Up next, the men compete in the slalom on Thursday. First run is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. KT / 8:15 p.m. EST Wednesday. The second run is scheduled to start at 1:45 p.m. KT / 11:45 p.m. EST Wednesday.

RESULTS
Men’s giant slalom
 

ALPINE
Vonn Sixth as Ledecky Stuns Super-G Favorites
One mistake cost Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) a shot at another Olympic medal. But it was one fast snowboarder who took a second Olympic super-G gold away from Austria’s Anna Veith.
Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic, the World Cup overall snowboard parallel giant slalom leader and the odds-on favorite for Olympic gold in PGS, came out of the 26th start position to win the super-G gold medal, and pick up her first-ever alpine skiing podium finish Saturday at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre Saturday. Veith, the defending Olympic super-G gold medalist took the silver, and Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein won the bronze, her first Olympic medal.
After an hour's delay due to high winds, Vonn, running bullet with bib 1, was well on her way to laying down a medal-contending run until she came in wide on the third to final gate, scrubbing precious speed before crossing the line.
“I thought running bib 1 was either going to be really great or really bad, and it didn’t quite turn out the way I’d hoped,” Vonn said. "I left it all out on the hill … I just made one mistake, and that cost me a medal. It’s ski racing, and that’s why it’s so difficult to win at the Olympics because literally, anything can happen.”
Downhill training starts Sunday leading up to Wednesday's Olympic downhill where Vonn will look to repeat her 2010 gold. … READ MORE / RESULTS

Ligety To Lead Team USA in Giant Slalom Sunday
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah) competes in his marque event, giant slalom, Sunday at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre. Ligety, the defending Olympic giant slalom gold medalist will be joined by Team USA teammates by Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.), Tim Jitloff (Reno, Nev.) and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.). First run is scheduled for 10:14 a.m. KT / 8:15 p.m. EST Saturday. Second run starts at 1:45 p.m. KT / 11:45 p.m. EST Saturday.
START LIST
Men’s giant slalom

FREESKIING
Voisin Fourth, Logan 10th in Slopestyle
Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.) returned to the Olympics, finishing fourth, and Devin Logan (Mount Snow, Vt.) was 10th in slopestyle freeskiing Saturday at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
“I had an injury four years ago and wasn’t able to compete at Sochi, that day four years ago I told myself I would do whatever it takes to get back to the 2018 games and here I am," Voisin said. "It was a rollercoaster over the last four years with a lot of ups and downs. I have to find the positive in every situation and it's a win in itself to just drop in at my first Olympics.”On her final run, Switzerland's Sarah Hoefflin moved past her teammate Mathilde Gremaud to claim the gold medal, as Gremaud won the silver medal.
Voisin briefly moved into medal contention on her third run, but was surpassed by Great Britain's Isabel Atkin, who won the bronze medal. … READ MORE / RESULTS

Men’s Slopestyle Sunday
Team USA’s Gus Kenworthy (Telluride, Colo.) and Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.), both medalists from the 2014 Games, along with Alex Hall (Salt Lake City) and McRae Williams (Park City, Utah) compete in the men's slopestyle freeskiing at Phoenix Snow Park Sunday with the qualifying rounds at 10:00 a.m. KT / 8:00 p.m. EST Saturday. The finals begin at 1:15 p.m. KT / 11:15 p.m. EST Saturday.
START LIST
Men’s slopestyle qualifying

FREESTYLE
Lillis Advances to Medal Round
Jonathan Lillis (Pittsford, N.Y.) posted the highest score in qualifying for the final in men's aerials Saturday evening at the Phoenix Snow Park. Lillis scored 127.44 on his back full-double full-full in the first qualifying run led the field, 0.74 points ahead of China's Qi Guangpu.
“These big contests are when I seem to jump the best,” said Lillis. “I won World Championships last year, and I just wanted to keep that momentum going.”
Lillis will be the only American in Sunday's final after Mac Bohonnon (Madison, Conn.) and Eric Loughran (Pelham, N.H.) were unable to advance. Bohonnon's 112.39 ranked 17th among the competitors in the second qualification run, while Loughran was 25th with an 86.28.
The final is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 18 at 8:00 p.m. KT / 6:00 a.m. EST.
START LIST
Men’s aerials finals

CROSS COUNTRY
Olympic-Best Relay Finish For Team USA
Team USA finished fifth, in the 4x5k relay Saturday evening at the Alpensia Cross Country Skiing Centre at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
“That was our best Olympic finish ever,” said Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, Alaska), who along with her teammates Sophie Caldwell (Peru, Vt.), Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash) and Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) finished 1:20.5 off the gold medal time of Team Norway. “While we tend to be really focused on the medals because we know deep in our hearts that it is possible, it’s amazing to put together four strong legs and to get that best ever result.”
Sweden took the silver medal, hitting the line exactly two seconds behind Norway, while the Olympic Athletes from Russia earned the bronze medal. ...READ MORE / RESULTS

Men’s 4x10K relay Sunday
The men compete in the 4x10k team relay Sunday at the Alpensia Cross Country Skiing Centre at 3:15 p.m. KT / 1:15 a.m. EST.  Starting for Team USA are Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, Vt.), Reese Hanneman (Anchorage, Alaska), Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska), and Noah Hoffman (Aspen, Colo.).
START LIST
Men’s 4x10k relay

SKI JUMPING
Bickner Soars to 20th
Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, Ill.) soared to the best Team USA ski jumping performance since the 2002 Olympics, finishing 20th in the large hill competition Saturday night at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre. Bickner had been 18th in the normal hill round earlier in the week.
“My goal coming into the season was to be in the top 20 at the Olympics,” said Bickner. “I was expecting a better result on the large hill so that surprised me a bit. But unlike the normal hill (where he was 18th), I was able to put together two really consistent jumps together and shows the level I’m at right now.”
Bickner flew 129.5 and 124.0 meters. Poland's Kamil Stoch took gold.
Team USA will wrap up the Olympic ski jumping program on Monday night with the four-man team competition.
RESULTS
Men’s HS140 finals

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

SATURDAY, FEB. 17
NBC
3:00-6:00 p.m. - Men's freestyle aerials, women's 4x5k relay.
8:00-11:00 p.m. - Men's giant slalom first run (live), men's ski jumping large hill
11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. - Men's giant slalom second run (live), men's slopestyle skiing finals

NBCSN
1:30-5:30 p.m. - Men's large hill ski jumping
7:00-10:10 p.m.- Men's slopestyle skiing (live)

Olympic Channel: Home Of Team USA
12:00-12:30 p.m. - Winter Olympics Daily with Jimmy Roberts

NBCOlympics.com - Live Streaming
8:00-10:05 p.m. - Men's slopestyle skiing qualifying (Sunday)
8:15-10:20 p.m. - Men's giant slalom first run (Sunday)
11:15 p.m.-12:50 a.m. - Men's slopestyle skiing finals (Sunday)
11:45 p.m.-1:45 a.m. - Men's giant slalom second run (Sunday)

SUNDAY, FEB. 18
NBC
3:00-6:00 p.m. - Men's freestyle aerials finals
7:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. - Women's halfpipe skiing (live), men's 4x10k cross country relay
12:35-2:00 a.m. - Women's big air snowboarding

NBCSN
10:15 a.m.-1:00 p.m. - Men's freestyle aerials finals
1:00-5:00 p.m. - Men's 4x10k cross country relay

NBCOlympics.com - Live Streaming
1:15-3:10 a.m. - Men's 4x10k relay
6:00-7:10 a.m. - Men's aerials finals
7:30-10:25 p.m. - Women's big air snowboarding qualifying (Monday)
8:00-9:25 p.m. - Women's halfpipe skiing qualifying (Monday)

MONDAY, FEB. 19
NBC
3:00-5:00 p.m. - Men's large hill team ski jumping finals
8:00-11:30 p.m.- Women's halfpipe skiing finals (live)
12:05-1:00 a.m. - Men's halfpipe skiing qualifying (live)

NBCSN
7:10-11:00 a.m. - Men's large hill team ski jumping final

Olympic Channel: Home Of Team USA
5:00-7:00 a.m. - Medal Ceremony (live)
12:00-12:30 p.m. - Winter Olympics Daily with Jimmy Roberts

NBCOlympics.com - Live Streaming
7:30-9:15 a.m. - Men's large hill team ski jumping
8:30-9:55 p.m. - Women's halfpipe skiing finals (Tuesday)
11:00 p.m.-12:45 a.m. - Men's halfpipe skiing qualifying (Tuesday)

One mistake may have cost Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) a shot at another Olympic medal. But it was one fast snowboarder who took a second Olympic super-G gold away from Austria’s Anna Veith.

Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic, the World Cup overall snowboard parallel giant slalom leader and the odds-on favorite for Olympic gold in PGS, came out of the 26th start position to win the super-G gold medal, and pick up her first-ever alpine skiing podium finish, Saturday at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre Saturday. Veith, the defending Olympic super-G gold medalist took the silver, and Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein won the bronze, her first Olympic medal.

After an hour's delay due to high winds, Vonn, running bullet with bib 1, was well on her way to laying down a medal-contending run until she came in wide on the third to final gate, scrubbing precious speed before crossing the line.

“I thought running bib 1 was either going to be really great or really bad, and it didn’t quite turn out the way I’d hoped,” Vonn said. "I left it all out on the hill … I just made one mistake, and that cost me a medal. It’s ski racing, and that’s why it’s so difficult to win at the Olympics because literally, anything can happen.”

Weirather, hoping to duplicate the Olympic gold medals won by her mother at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, came down bib 7 and moved atop the leaderboard by 0.01-seconds over Switzerland’s Lara Gut. Weirather’s time held until Veith came down 15th and took the lead by 0.10-seconds.

The celebration for Austria was just getting started when Ledecka gave everyone a reason to look at the venue video board. Leading at the final two splits set the stage for the upset until she caught massive air off the final jump. But after landing on the back of her skis, and rocketing across the finish line, she stunned everyone, including herself, finishing just 0.01-seconds ahead of Veith and winning the first alpine skiing gold medal for the Czech Republic.

Breezy Johnson (Victor, Idaho) finished 14th in her Olympic debut. Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.) was 15th, followed by Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, Colo.), also making her Olympic debut, in 16th.

“Our results today as a team were amazing,” McKennis said. “I feel good about my run. It wasn’t perfect. I made some mistakes. Unfortunately, one was going into the flats, which is not the best place to make a mistake, but I was pushing and had no hesitation in how I was skiing.”

Up next, the women open three scheduled days of downhill training beginning Sunday. The downhill is scheduled for Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. KT / 9:00 p.m. EST Tuesday.

RESULTS
Women’s super-G

ALPINE
Shiffrin Comes Up Short in Slalom
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.), the defending slalom gold medalist from the 2014 Sochi Games, just missed the podium, finishing fourth, in Friday’s slalom at Yongpyong Alpine Centre.
“It’s not about the medals, it’s about how I feel on my skis,” Shiffrin said. “And today I didn’t feel like myself. Coming here today and skiing real conservative was a huge, huge disappointment.”
Shiffrin struggled to find her rhythm on her first run, finishing fourth almost a half-second off the pace set by Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener. She found her groove on the second run, only to make a costly mistake near the bottom of the course that cost her precious time.
“I know I have the best slalom turns in the world, but I didn’t put it out in the two runs where it mattered,” Shiffrin added. “Sometimes I feel like in slalom that the only one who can beat me in slalom is me. And I beat myself in the wrong way today.” … READ MORE / RESULTS

Vonn Running Bullet in Super-G
Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo) makes her first PyeongChang Olympic start, running bullet with bib 1, in women’s super-G Saturday, 11:00 a.m. KT / 9:00 p.m. EST Friday. Joining Vonn will be Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.) Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) and Breezy Johnson (Victor, Idaho).
START LIST
Women’s Super-G

Cochran-Siegle 14th in Super-G
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.) was the top finisher in 14th for Team USA in super-G Friday afternoon at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
"This was a good day, but having me be the top finisher and no athletes in the top 10 was kind of a bummer – especially when we have had so much success in the past at this event," Cochran-Siegle said. … READ MORE / RESULTS

FREESKI
Women’s Slopestyle Saturday
Freeskiing slopestyle kicks off Saturday with women’s qualifying at 10:00 a.m. KT / 8:00 p.m. EST Friday. The finals are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. KT / 11:00 p.m. EST Friday. Starting for Team USA are Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.) , Devin Logan (West Dover, Vt.), Darian Stevens (Missoula, Mont.), Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.)

FREESTYLE
Olsen Goes Big in Medal Round
Madison Olsen (Park City, Utah) punched her ticket to the medal round in women’s aerials on Friday night. After advancing through the first and second round of finals with two lower degree of difficulty jumps, Olsen went for broke and attempted a full, double full for the first time on snow. She missed the landing, but finished an impressive sixth in her first Olympics. It was the best U.S. women’s performance Nikki Stone won in Calgary in 1998.
“That was my first time doing that jump on snow, so I was definitely really nervous,” said Olsen. “But, I figured, why not do it in the super final at the Olympics? I could have hit a little bit of a better take off. I got into my twist and when I came out to land, I was just a bit under rotated. I’ll get it next time! I was really just enjoying the moment. The adrenaline was just pumping through my body and I was just super excited to be out there jumping and having a good time. Each round I was just so excited to make it through and see what I could do.” … READ MORE / RESULTS

CROSS COUNTRY
Team USA Fired Up For 4x5k Relay
Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) will lead a strong Team USA lineup in the women's 4x5k cross country relay on Saturday. Team USA announced its team that will include Sophie Caldwell (Peru, Vt.) and Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) on the opening two classic technique legs followed by Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) and Diggins closing out on the freestyle technique spots.
Each of the four U.S. women has been on a World Cup podium in an individual event this season. "All four athletes are clearly in top shape and we feel this team is our best chance to bring home a medal for the USA," said Head Coach Chris Grover."Relays are my all-time favorite events and a medal would be the coolest thing because it shows the depth of our team," said Diggins. "You don’t get anywhere in life alone! We have a committed team of was staff giving me this awesome opportunity. I am fired up for the relay."
The relay is set for 6:30 p.m. KT / 4:30 a.m. EST Saturday.

Patterson 19th in 15k
Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska), competing in his first Olympic Winter Games, lead the way for Team USA, finishing 19th, in the men’s 15k freestyle Friday at the Alpensia Cross-Country Skiing Centre.
Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) was 41st, Noah Hoffman (Aspen, Colo.) 48th, and , Tyler Kornfield (Anchorage, Alaska) 74th.
RESULTS
Men’s 15k freestyle

SKI JUMPING
Two Into Large Hill Finals
Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, Ill.) and Norge Ski Club teammate Michael Glasder (Cary, Ill.) soared into Saturday’s large hill medal round in Friday night’s qualifying.
Bickner soared 122.5 meters to finish 35th. Glasder was 38th going 222.5m.
" My trial round gives me the confidence to be an underdog tomorrow in the medal round,” said Bickner.
Will Rhoads (Park City, Utah) missed finals by a mere two-tenths of a point. Casey Larson (Barrington, Ill.) was also just outside the qualification mark.
The large hill finals get underway at 9:30 p.m. KT / 7:30 a.m. EST Saturday.

SNOWBOARD
Jacobellis Just Misses SBX Medal
Lindsey Jacobellis (Roxbury, Conn.) finished fourth in women's snowboardcross Friday afternoon at Phoenix Park.
Jacobellis, the only American rider to survive the quarterfinals, took the early lead in the big final, but was overtaken on the bottom third of the course before a rider fell in front of her near the finish, which may have been the difference between fourth and a spot on the podium.
“On this course, you really don’t want to have the holeshot because someone is going to draft you,” Jacobellis said. “But that is kind of the risk you take because you don’t want to be stuck in traffic. I tried to stay in the mix and look for opportunities to pass back again. But it just didn’t pan out because we just kind of ran out of course.” … READ MORE / RESULTS

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST
FRIDAY, FEB 16
NBC
3:00-5:00 p.m. - Men's 15k freestyle cross country, men's large hill ski jumping
8:00-12:00 p.m. - Women's super-G (live), women's aerials finals

NBCSN
10:45 a.m.-2:00 p.m. - Men's large hill ski jumping

Olympic Channel: Home Of Team USA
12:00-12:30 p.m. - Winter Olympics Daily with Jimmy Roberts

NBCOlympics.com - Live Streaming
8:00-9:40 p.m. - Women's slopestyle skiing qualifying (Saturday)
9:00-10:55 p.m.- Women's super-G (Saturday)
11:00-12:35 a.m. - Women's slopestyle skiing finals (Saturday)

SATURDAY, FEB. 17
NBC
3:00-6:00 p.m. - Men's freestyle aerials, women's 4x5k relay.
8:00-11:00 p.m. - Men's giant slalom first run (live), men's ski jumping large hill
11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. - Men's giant slalom second run (live), men's slopestyle skiing finals

NBCSN
7:10-10:30 a.m. - Men's freestyle aerials
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. - Women's 4x5k cross country relay
1:30-5:30 p.m. - Men's large hill ski jumping
7:00-10:10 p.m.- Men's slopestyle skiing (live)

Olympic Channel: Home Of Team USA
5:00-7:00 a.m. - Medal Ceremony (live)
12:00-12:30 p.m. - Winter Olympics Daily with Jimmy Roberts

NBCOlympics.com - Live Streaming
4:30-5:45 a.m. - Women's 4x5k relay
6:00 - 7:15 a.m. Men’s aerials qualifying
7:30-9:15 a.m. - Men's large hill jump
8:00-10:05 p.m. - Men's slopestyle skiing qualifying (Sunday)
8:15-10:20 p.m. - Men's giant slalom first run (Sunday)
11:15 p.m.-12:50 a.m. - Men's slopestyle skiing finals (Sunday)
11:45 p.m.-1:45 a.m. - Men's giant slalom second run (Sunday)

SUNDAY, FEB. 18
NBC
3:00-6:00 p.m. - Men's freestyle aerials finals
7:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. - Women's halfpipe skiing (live), men's 4x10k cross country relay
12:35-2:00 a.m. - Women's big air snowboarding

NBCSN
10:15 a.m.-1:00 p.m. - Men's freestyle aerials finals
1:00-5:00 p.m. - Men's 4x10k cross country relay

NBCOlympics.com - Live Streaming
1:15-3:10 a.m. - Men's 4x10k relay
6:00-7:10 a.m. - Men's aerials finals
7:30-10:25 p.m. - Women's big air snowboarding qualifying (Monday)
8:00-9:25 p.m. - Women's halfpipe skiing qualifying (Monday)

Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.), the defending slalom gold medalist from the 2014 Sochi Games, just missed the podium, finishing fourth, in Friday’s slalom at Yongpyong Alpine Centre.

“It’s not about the medals, it’s about how I feel on my skis,” Shiffrin said. “And today I didn’t feel like myself. Coming here today and skiing real conservative was a huge, huge disappointment.”

Shiffrin struggled to find her rhythm on her first run, finishing fourth almost a half-second off the pace set by Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener. She found her groove on the second run, only to make a costly mistake near the bottom of the course that cost her precious time.

“I know I have the best slalom turns in the world, but I didn’t put it out in the two runs where it mattered,” Shiffrin added. “Sometimes I feel like in slalom that the only one who can beat me in slalom is me. And I beat myself in the wrong way today.”

Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter took the gold, her first Olympic medal, as Holdener held on for the silver. Austria's Katharina Gallhuber, who went from ninth after the first run to post the fastest second run time, took the bronze.

Megan McJames (Park City, Utah.) was 36th, and Alice Merryweather, competing in her first Olympics, was 42nd.

“It was so exciting to get to start this race,” Merryweather said. “I have not skied a lot of slalom recently, but since I found out that I was going to be here, I trained four days of slalom and it’s been going pretty well. But I don’t think my (first) run today really showed all the training that I have been doing, but it was so fun and I was really determined to make it to the finish line, and I did that. So I’ll take what I can get.”

Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, Wyo.) straddled a gate and crashed in the first run.

Up next is the women’s super-G on Saturday, 11:00 a.m. KT / 9:00 p.m. EST Friday.

“I won’t be skiing super-G tomorrow,” Shiffrin said. “I’ll cheer on my teammates, then ski the downhill training runs and see how I feel.”

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.) was the top finisher in 14th for Team USA in super-G Friday afternoon at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

"This was a good day, but having me be the top finisher and no athletes in the top 10 was kind of a bummer – especially when we have had so much success in the past at this event," Cochran-Siegle said. 

Matthias Mayer of Austria won the gold as Switzerland’s Beat Feuz, who won the bronze in Thursday’s downhill, earned the silver medal. Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud, the silver medalist in the downhill, won the bronze.

Jared Goldberg finished 24th. Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.), the reigning Olympic silver medalist in the event after taking bronze at the Vancouver 2010 Games, and two-time Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah) both did not finish.

"I knew I was the dark horse coming into super-G, so I needed to take a lot of risks to even have a chance," Ligety said. "I made a dumb mistake at the bottom. My times were good, not in line with a medal position, but in line with what I wanted. Super G is really good training for me for Giant Slalom. It gives me the confidence to arch clean turns at high speeds. I will take how I skied out of today with confidence and move it forward to Sunday (in the giant slalom)." 

Up next, the men compete in giant slalom Sunday. The first run start time is 10:15 a.m. KT / 8:15 p.m. EST Saturday. The second run is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. KT / 11:45 p.m. EST.

RESULTS
Men’s super-G
 

ALPINE
Shiffrin Wins Giant Slalom Gold
It took a few days, but the wait was very worthwhile as Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.) won the giant slalom gold medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games Thursday.
After three days of howling winds at the Yongpyong Alpine Centre that first postponed the giant slalom – originally scheduled for Monday – then Wednesday’s slalom event, racers were finally greeted with sunshine and a hard-fast course.
“I skied well,” Shiffrin said after the first run in which she finished second to Italy’s Manuela Moelgg by 0.02-seconds. “I skied loose and I put some of my good skiing from training in there. But I also feel like I can go a little bit harder and there’s nothing to hold back for on the second run. That’s the nice thing about the Olympics – you don’t hold back!"
Indeed, she held nothing back in the second run, posting the fastest time to move atop the leaderboard and put all the pressure on Moelgg, which was too much for the Italian as she slipped to eighth. Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel won the silver, while Italy’s Federica Brignone won the bronze.
“I feel like my best was good enough today," said Shiffrin after her win. "To have an opportunity to win a medal at the Olympics at all is incredible, so for me, today was special. After Sochi, I set a goal that I wanted to come to the next Olympics and I wanted to be one of the best giant slalom skiers in the world. It’s never easy, and I put a lot of fight into the second run, and it feels incredible.” … READ MORE / RESULTS

Bennett Leads Team USA in Downhill
Racing under bright sunshine and on a perfect track, Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) led Team USA in the downhill, finishing 16th, at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games Thursday.
“I treated this run like any other run," Bennett said. "I just didn’t perform the way I wanted. I will use this run to move forward, over the next four years, and I will be ready for the next Olympic Winter Games.”
Aksel Lund Svindal won Norway’s first-ever downhill gold. His countryman Kjetil Jansrud won the silver medal. Switzerland’s Beat Feuz won the bronze.
"I am super happy how I approached today and how I skied," said Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah), who was 20th. "I was skiing at a really high level and I am proud of that. Some things happened with the wind and made it very difficult for anyone in the middle of the pack to break the top 10. I have no control over that so I am just happy how I executed my run."
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.), who replaced Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, N.Y.) after he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Wednesday’s downhill training, was 23rd. Wiley Maple (Aspen, Colo.) made his Olympic debut and finished 30th. … READ MORE  RESULTS

FREESTYLE
McKinnon, Olsen Advance To Finals
After missing out on the top six in the first round of qualifications, Kiley McKinnon (Madison, Conn.) and Madison Olsen (Park City, Utah) found redemption in the second round of qualifications, finishing fifth and sixth to advance to Friday night’s medal round. Both McKinnon and Olsen landed a full, full and scored 87.88, with McKinnon taking the higher end of the tie breaker. Both athletes had to wait until the final competitor to see if they had secured their spots.
“I honestly wasn’t sure if I was going to make it through, but to make it really means a lot to me,” said Olsen. “It’s a lot to wait and see if your score is going to hold, but I did the best I could and I made it through.”
“I didn’t have the best first jump, so I knew I had to go out there and do the best second jump I possibly could to make it in,” said McKinnon. “After that, it was a waiting game. That final moment when I knew was a huge relief.”
Ashley Caldwell (Ashburn, Va.) completed two triple jumps, a full, full, full and a lay, full, full, but was unable to land cleanly and missed out on finals.
The medal round kicks off on Friday at 8:00 p.m. KT / 6:00 a.m. EST

CROSS COUNTRY
Diggins Just Seconds Away From A Medal
Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) finished fifth in the women's 10k freestyle Thursday afternoon at the Alpensia Cross-Country Skiing Center.
Diggins was in contention for a medal, positioned in third place at the 6.2km and 8.4km intervals, but fell back over the final portion of the race to finish in 25:37.7, 3.3-seconds away from a podium finish.
“To be that close and to ski with the best in the world is so awesome and I could not have gone any harder, I don’t know where I would have found those seconds,” Diggins said. “I pushed my body way passed my limit and that’s a really good feeling to know I gave it my all and I am really proud of my race.” … READ MORE / RESULTS

Men’s 15k Freestyle Friday
The men’s 15k freestyle takes place Friday at the Alpensia Cross-Country Skiing Center starting at 3:00 p.m. KT / 1:00 a.m. EST. Starting for Team USA is Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.), Noah Hoffman (Aspen, Colo.), Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska) and Tyler Kornfield (Anchorage, Alaska).

SNOWBOARD
Baumgartner Fourth, Dierdorff Fifth in Snowboardcross
Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, Mich.) and Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) battled through multiple crash-filled heats to race in the medal round of men’s snowboardcross at Phoenix Snow Park on Thursday.
Both finished just off the podium in fourth and fifth. It was a career-best Olympic finish for Baumgartner, a three-time Olympian, and an impressive showing for first-timer Dierdorff.
Baumgartner and Dierdorff rode in the same semi-final heat and both suffered crashes midway down the course. Both were able to get back up and, due to other crashes, crossed the finish line in second and third to make the big final.
“From when I was 12 years old starting this sport, I've always been told that the race is never over - when you go down you get back up and finish,” said Dierdorff. “That paid off today and I got into the final heat of the Olympics.” … READ MORE / RESULTS

Women’s Snowboardcross Friday
Four-time Olympian and 2006 silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) leads Team USA in the women’s snowboardcross event kicking off with the qualifying rounds Friday at 10:00 a.m. KT / 8:00 p.m. EST Thursday. Joining Jacobellis will be Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City) and Meghan Tierney (Edwards, Colo.). Rosie Mancari (Anchorage, Alaska) was also scheduled to start, but suffered and injury in training and will not compete.
START LIST
Women’s snowboardcross

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15
NBC
3:00 - 5:00 p.m. - Women's 10k freestyle cross country
8:00 p.m.-12:30 a.m. - Women's snowboardcross finals (live), women's freestyle aerials, women's 10k freestyle cross country

NBCSN
11:00 p.m.-2:40 a.m. - Men's 15k freestyle cross country (live)

Olympic Channel: Home Of Team USA
5:00-7:00 a.m. - Medal Ceremony (live)
12:00-12:30 p.m. - Winter Olympics Daily with Jimmy Roberts

NBCOlympics.com - Live Streaming
8:00-9:50 p.m. - Women's slalom first run (Friday)
8:00-9:25 p.m. - Women's snowboardcross seeding
9:00-11:10 p.m. - Men's alpine super-G (Friday)
10:15-11:15 p.m. - Women's snowboardcross finals
11:15 p.m. -12:15 a.m. - Women's giant slalom second run (Friday)
1:00-2:50 a.m. - Men's 15k freestyle cross country (Friday)

FRIDAY, FEB 16
NBC
3:00-5:00 p.m. - Men's 15k freestyle cross country, men's large hill ski jumping
8:00-12:00 p.m. - Women's super G (live), women's aerials finals

12:35-2:00 a.m. - Women's slopestyle skiing finals

NBCSN
10:45 a.m.-2:00 p.m. - Men's large hill ski jumping

Olympic Channel: Home Of Team USA
5:00-7:00 a.m. - Medal Ceremony (live)
12:00-12:30 p.m. - Winter Olympics Daily with Jimmy Roberts

NBCOlympics.com - Live Streaming
1:00-2:50 a.m. - Men's 15k freestyle cross country
6:00-7:20 a.m. - Women's aerials finals
7:30-8:40 a.m. - Men's large hill ski jumping qualifying
8:00-9:40 p.m.- Women's slopestyle skiing qualifying (Saturday)
9:00-10:55 p.m.- Women's super-G (Saturday)
11:00-12:35 a.m. - Women's slopestyle skiing finals (Saturday)

SATURDAY, FEB. 17
NBC
3:00-6:00 p.m. - Men's freestyle aerials, women's 4x5k relay.
8:00-11:00 p.m. - Men's giant slalom first run (live), men's ski jumping large hill
11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. - Men's giant slalom second run (live), men's slopestyle skiing finals

NBCSN
7:10-10:30 a.m. - Men's freestyle aerials
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. - Women's 4x5k cross country relay
1:30-5:30 p.m. - Men's large hill ski jumping
7:00-10:10 p.m.- Men's slopestyle skiing (live)

Olympic Channel: Home Of Team USA
5:00-7:00 a.m. - Medal Ceremony (live)
12:00-12:30 p.m. - Winter Olympics Daily with Jimmy Roberts

NBCOlympics.com - Live Streaming
4:30-5:45 a.m. - Women's 4x5k relay
7:30-9:15 a.m. - Men's large hill jump
8:00-10:05 p.m. - Men's slopestyle skiing qualifying (Sunday)
8:15-10:20 p.m. - Men's giant slalom first run (Sunday)
11:15 p.m.-12:50 a.m. - Men's slopestyle skiing finals (Sunday)
11:45 p.m.-1:45 a.m. - Men's giant slalom second run (Sunday)

It took a few days, but the wait was very worthwhile as Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.) won the giant slalom gold medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games Thursday.

After three days of howling winds at the Yongpyong Alpine Centre that first postponed the giant slalom – originally scheduled for Monday – then Wednesday’s slalom event, racers were finally greeted with sunshine and a hard-fast course.

“I skied well,” Shiffrin said after the first run in which she finished second to Italy’s Manuela Moelgg by 0.02-seconds. “I skied loose and I put some of my good skiing from training in there. But I also feel like I can go a little bit harder and there’s nothing to hold back for on the second run. That’s the nice thing about the Olympics – you don’t hold back!"

Indeed, she held nothing back in the second run, posting the fastest time to move atop the leaderboard and put all the pressure on Moelgg, which was too much for the Italian as she slipped to eighth. Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel won the silver, while Italy’s Federica Brignone won the bronze.

“I feel like my best was good enough today," said Shiffrin after her win. "To have an opportunity to win a medal at the Olympics at all is incredible, so for me, today was special. After Sochi, I set a goal that I wanted to come to the next Olympics and I wanted to be one of the best giant slalom skiers in the world. It’s never easy, and I put a lot of fight into the second run, and it feels incredible.”

Three-time Olympians Megan McJames (Park City, Utah) and Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, Wyo.) finished 31st and 36th respectively. Patricia Mangan made her Olympic debut, but slide out on the first run and did not finish.

“Skiing wise, I’m happy to have laid it all on the table,” said Mangan, who has been enjoying her first Olympic experience, including watching a number of events. “I love watching the other events … speed skating, which I have never seen before, and when you’re right there next to the rink, it’s crazy, it’s so awesome. Being at the Olympics, you have an appreciation for how much work everybody has put in to get here.”

Up next, Shiffrin defends her 2014 Olympic gold in slalom Friday, first run is 10:00 a.m. KT / 8:00 p.m. EST Thursday. The second run is 1:15 p.m. KT / 11:15 p.m. EST Thursday. Other starters for Team USA include Stiegler, McJames and Alice Merryweather (Hingham, Mass.).

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

Racing under bright sunshine and on a perfect track, Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) led Team USA in the downhill, finishing 16th, at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games Thursday.

“I treated this run like any other run," Bennett said. "I just didn’t perform the way I wanted. I will use this run to move forward, over the next four years, and I will be ready for the next Olympic Winter Games.”

Aksel Lund Svindal won Norway’s first-ever downhill gold. His countryman Kjetil Jansrud won the silver medal. Switzerland’s Beat Feuz won the bronze.

"I am super happy how I approached today and how I skied," said Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah), who was 20th. "I was skiing at a really high level and I am proud of that. Some things happened with the wind and made it very difficult for anyone in the middle of the pack to break the top 10. I have no control over that so I am just happy how I executed my run."

Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.), who replaced Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, N.Y.) after he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Wednesday’s downhill training, was 23rd.

"I feel for him (Biesemeyer) right now," Cochran-Siegle said. "When I was coming back from my injury we were working closely together, so I understand what he is going through and I only want the best for him. I am going to try best as possible to send him positive vibes and race with him again soon. I am proud of my run today and excited to race tomorrow.”

"Coming into today I felt excited," said Wiley Maple (Aspen, Colo.), who made his Olympic debut and finished 30th. "I was looking forward to racing. The Olympics are notorious for allowing anyone to do anything. I didn’t come in with the highest expectation but there is always a little bit of a dream that if I do ski well, maybe I could sneak into the top. I wasn’t too nervous, I just felt excited to be here."

Thursday’s downhill was originally scheduled for Sunday, but high winds at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre forced Olympic organizers to reschedule the event.

"There is a great energy in this group of skiers," said men's coach Johno McBride. "Although it is very difficult to have three athletes get hurt, there is a lot of positive momentum moving forward. I am very proud of the way everyone skied today. These athletes put a plan together and executed that plan. That is what I am most proud of. Their result isn’t indicative of their performance - that is just a part of the sport."

Up next the men will compete in super-G Friday at 11:00 a.m. KT / 9:00 p.m. EST Thursday. Starting for Team USA will be Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, N.Y.), Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah), Goldberg and Cochran-Siegle.

RESULTS
Men’s downhill

START LIST
Men's super-G
 

Team USA downhill skier Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, N.Y.) suffered a season-ending right ankle injury during downhill training on Wednesday. He was taken by team medical staff to a local clinic, where he was treated and released. He will not compete in the men’s downhill on Thursday. His place in the race will be taken by Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.).

For Biesemeyer, it was a heartbreaking injury on the eve of his first Olympic event.

"I wonder why this happens. It is hard to not think if there is a deeper meaning to it all. You are supposed to be optimistic in times like these and say something like, ‘I will come back stronger than ever.’ But I just can't bring myself to do it. I am honored to have been named to Team USA and walking in the Opening Ceremony is a moment I’ll never forget.“