KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (Mar. 4, 2017) – David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) was the top U.S. finisher at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom in Kranjska Gora taking 21st place. Marcel Hirscher of Austria won the race, clinching his sixth consecutive overall World Cup crystal globe.

A storied race that has been on the alpine circuit since it began in 1967, the Vitranc Pokal is the last World Cup series for the men before World Cup Finals, March 15-19 in Aspen, Colorado. Notably missing was Ted Ligety (Park City, UT), who is out with an injury, but has won at the Slovenian venue a record six times.

The second run weather deteriorated quickly, with a thick cloud settling on the course and rain drizzling on the racers. The snow was good—the rain working with the salted snow—but visibility was tough, causing a number of race holds throughout the second run.

But the conditions didn’t trip up Hirscher. Accompanying him on the podium was Leif Kristian Haugen of Norway in second - a career best result - and Matts Olsson of Sweden in third.

Chodounsky finished just ahead of teammate Tim Jitloff (Park City, UT), who was 22nd. Tommy Ford (Bend, OR), who has only ever scored points or DNFed at Kranjska Gora, had a strong first run, finishing 16th, but went down on his hip in the second run and did not finish.

“I could have been a little bit faster,” said Chodounsky. “It’s the end of the season and my body feels it. I’m a little sick. It was difficult out there today but I pushed and gave it all I could.”

Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) and Hig Roberts (Steamboat Springs, CO) did not qualify for a second run. Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City, UT) and Kieffer Christianson (Anchorage, AK) did not finish first run.

The men race slalom at Kranjska Gora Sunday to wrap up the World Cup tour in Europe. Chodounsky, who was seventh on the track in the 2016 slalom, looks for a good result to propel him into the top 25 and qualify him for the Aspen World Cup Finals.

HIGHLIGHTS

• David Chodounsky was the top American finisher in 21st. Tim Jitloff was 22nd.
• Marcel Hirscher clinched his sixth consecutive overall World Cup crystal globe.
• The top 25 men move on to the Aspen World Cup Finals for the final GS race of the season.
• A slalom in Kranjska Gora on Sunday wraps up the World Cup tour in Europe.

QUOTES

David Chodounsky
I could have been a little bit faster. It’s the end of the season and my body feels it. I’m a little sick. It was difficult out there today but I pushed and gave it all I could. I’m glad to get some points and it’s on to next year for GS.

The snow wasn’t bad. It was actually very good. Because it’s straight rain, the salt works. The snow is nice, but the visibility is hard. That’s the tough part. You can’t see the little bumps and it makes you uneasy. You have to trust yourself and go.

I’m guessing similar conditions for the slalom tomorrow. I’m going to go as hard as I can. I’m looking for a good result to make it to Aspen.

RESULTS
Men’s slalom

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (March 4, 2017) – Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) finished second to lead four American women into the top 11 in Saturday’s downhill at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup test event for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

Italy’s Sofia Goggia finally won her first World Cup event of the season after finishing on the podium nine times this season. World Cup downhill leader Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia was third. Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) was fourth. Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA) sixth and Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) was 11th.

Lindsey Vonn finished second the Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre on Saturday in South Korea. (Getty Images-Sean M. Haffey)

Racing under brilliant blue skies and temperatures climbing into the 50s, Vonn chose bib No. 1, hoping to get down the track before the sun baked it.

“I thought it was a good decision,” said Vonn, who started bib 1 for only the second time in her career in downhill. “But it looks like the track (was) getting quite a bit faster, especially on the top, so maybe it wasn’t the fastest choice. But either way I skied it as fast as I could, and I have no regrets.”

Vonn laid down a solid run as Stuhec, who started bib 3, couldn’t match her time. However, Goggia, who narrowly missed the downhill podium two weeks ago at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, absolutely nailed the bottom of the course, erasing a 0.22 deficit to Vonn at the fifth split to take the victory by 0.07.

Laurenne Ross was fourth at the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup downhill in Jeongseon, South Korea. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

“I thought my run was pretty solid,” Vonn said. “I definitely made a couple mistakes, especially on top and the very bottom – I lost a couple tenths in both places. I know there is a lot of time to be had, but I think it’s better that I save my best skiing for the Olympics. Of course I would have loved to win today, but I was second as well in Vancouver in the test events before the Olympics. So if that shows any indication of what’s to come next year, hopefully that’s what it means.”

Based on two days of training and now with one race in the books, the American women like what they see in the 2018 Olympic downhill course.

“I really, really love the track,” said Cook. “I think it suits our team better than any major championships track we’ve run in a long time. The first time I saw it, I was like this is something that meets my skills a lot better than some of the World Cup courses that we’ve been on, that I’ve been struggling on.”

Stacey Cook skied to sixth in Saturday’s Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup downhill in Jeongseon, South Korea. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

“The track here is pretty sweet,” Ross added. “It feels a little bit more like downhill than some of the downhills that we’ve done this year. It’s nice to have bigger turns and get up to speed.”

Stuhec had the opportunity to seal the World Cup downhill crystal globe with a top-two finish in South Korea. However, she leads Goggia, who moved into second overall, by 97 points with one downhill remaining at the World Cup Finals in Aspen, Colorado. Mikaela Shiffrin, who didn’t race Saturday, but did train earlier in the week on the Jeongseon course, still leads the overall World Cup standings with 1,323 points. Stuhec is second with 1,085 points with Sunday’s super G and next week’s giant slalom and slalom at Squaw Valley, California as the final World Cup events of the season before the Finals in Aspen March 13-19.

Up next, the women race super G on the 2018 Olympic course Sunday. NBCSN will broadcast the race live at 9 p.m. EST Saturday. (South Korea is 14 hours ahead of EST.)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Lindsey Vonn finished second to lead four American women into the top 10 in Saturday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill on the 2018 Olympic downhill course in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
• Italy’s Sofia Goggia finally won her first World Cup event of the season after finishing on the podium nine times this season.
• World Cup downhill leader Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia was third.
• Laurenne Ross was fourth, Stacey Cook sixth, Jackie Wiles 11^th, Alice McKennis (New Castle, CO) was 27^th and Anna Marno (Centennial, WY) was 42^nd.
• Road to Aspen: Mikaela Shiffrin, who didn’t race Saturday, leads the overall World Cup standings with 1,323 points. Stuhec is second with 1,085 points. Stuhec had the opportunity to seal the World Cup downhill crystal globe with a top-two finish in South Korea. However, she leads Goggia, who moved into second overall, by 97 points with one downhill remaining at the World Cup Finals in Aspen, Colorado.

QUOTES
Lindsey Vonn
I thought my run was pretty solid. I definitely made a couple mistakes, especially on top and the very bottom – I lost a couple tenths in both places.  I know there is a lot of time to be had, but I think it’s better that I save my best skiing for the Olympics. Of course I would have loved to win today, but I was second as well in Vancouver in the test events before the Olympics, so if that shows any indication of what’s to come next year, hopefully that’s what it means.

I’ve only started number one in downhill once. I thought it was a good decision. But it looks like the track is getting quite a bit faster, especially on the top, so maybe it wasn’t the fastest choice. But either way I skied it as fast as I could, and I have no regrets.

Laurenne Ross
The track here is pretty sweet. It feels a little bit more like downhill than some of the downhills that we’ve done this year. It’s nice to have bigger turns and get up to speed. Relatively speaking, it's not super technical. The top section is the hardest - the third gate is probably the most difficult section of the course - but after that it just flows really nicely and the snow was really good today, surprisingly considering how warm it is.

I feel good about my run. I had a couple mistakes, it wasn’t perfect, but I went for it. I’m happy with it and psyched to be here.

I think it’s really, really awesome that we can show how fast we are here. It gives all a lot of confidence, being second, fourth, sixth, 11th, or whatever and having really solid training runs has been really important for us coming into the Olympics next year. I think we’re all going to step up and hopefully ski it like we did this week.

Stacey Cook
I really, really love the track. I think it suits our team better than any major championships track we’ve run in a long time. The first time I saw it, I was like this is something that meets my skills a lot better than some of the World Cup Course that we’ve been on, that I’ve been struggling on.

I’ve been trying to use some of my park, skiercross skills on the top section. Just really feeling solid on my equipment and everything seems to be coming together here.

I still need a little bit more confidence, and I needed to get into my tuck a few more time, and I made a few mistakes that killed me today. But I’ll take my fast splits, the fun I had and the knowledge I gained out of this today.

BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
All events streaming at www.nbcsports.com/live

Saturday, Mar. 4
3:30 p.m. – women’s downhill – re-air on Universal HD
9:00 p.m. – women’s super G – LIVE on NBCSN

RESULTS
Women’s downhill

PYEONGCHANG, Korea (Mar. 3, 2017) – The women’s speed team will look to put a rough Audi FIS Ski World Cup weekend in Crans-Montana, Switzerland behind them as they take on the Olympic test event at the Jeongseon Alpine Centre this weekend with a downhill on Saturday and super G on Sunday. Meanwhile, the men head to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia for a tech series.

South Korea wouldn’t be the first place you’d expect for an Audi FIS Ski World Cup venue, but nestled into one of the most remote areas of South Korea in the Gariwang mountain surrounded by a 500-year-old sacred forest, the temps are cold and the snow surface is hard. That, combined with the handiwork of man, myth and legend - Wyoming’s cattle rancher-turned-snow-master Tom Johnston - provides for some sweet conditions.

Laurenne Ross finished 10^th in Friday’s downhill training run. (Getty Images/Agency Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

Johnston, Chief of Race for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, is the man behind the top-notch surface for the event, and earned the role after having crafted the surface at Beaver Creek, Colorado for the World Championships and as a mainstay for the annual World Cup stop. Add to that the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and 2014 Sochi Games, and you’ll quickly understand why the man is a legend…and why the Jeongseon surface is prepped to perfection.

The American Downhiller men had the first chance to check out the new track last year, and their first impressions were favorable across the board. It was certainly a successful weekend for Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah), who grabbed third place in the first 2018 Olympic test event. There are some familiar faces from the American Downhiller crew in the mix this weekend, too, with Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) and Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) forerunning.

The Jeongseon Alpine Center in Jeongseon-gun, South Korea hosts the Audi FIS Ski World Cup this weekend. (Getty Images-Sean M. Haffey)

And, by the looks of it, the American women are liking the track just as much - if not more. Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) is the clear favorite after throwing down the fastest time in both training runs leading into the weekend. She bested the Slovenian speed powerhouse Ilka Stuhec and Italy’s feisty Sofia Goggia who went second and third both days, though disqualified for missing gates.

In fact, in the final training run, Vonn led six Americans into the top 12 with Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA) fourth, Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) sixth, Jackie Wiles (Aurora, Oregon) eighth, Laurenne Ross (Bend, Oregon) 10^th and Alice McKennis (New Castle, CO) 12^th. With long, sweeping turns and a lot of terrain, the track suits the style of the American women well.

“The track is really has long, sweeping turns and good tactical sections, and it’s all about carrying your speed from top to bottom,” said Vonn after the second and final downhill training run. “When I first inspected yesterday, I knew I was going to like this track, and I think my training runs so far have been good, but not great. So, I’m surprised that I’m fast, but I think that just bodes well for the weekend and also for next year for the Olympics.”

Breezy Johnson finished sixth in Friday's training run in Jeongseon-gun, South Korea. (Getty Images-Tom Pennington)

The American women have also had the chance to do some cultural exploration off the hill, with a visit to the nearby Woljeongsa Temple, founded in 643 by the Silla monk Jajang. Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) and her teammates are soaking it in and enjoying the exploration. “It’s a totally different culture and I’m enjoying every minute of it,” said Ross.

Over on the men’s side, keep an eye on Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) in giant slalom and David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO), as they lead a solid group of 11 men into a tech series including one giant slalom and one slalom. It is the last World Cup before Finals for the men, so they’ll be fighting to be in the top 25 in the world.

The test event will be live streamed on NBCsports.com/live with NBCSN carrying the women's downhill and super G live on Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. EST. The men’s tech series will air on Universal HD both days. Make sure to follow along on Instagram (@usskiteam) to catch all of the behind-the-scenes of the final test event before the Olympic Winter Games in 2018. 

Road to Aspen
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO), who will not compete this weekend as she has shifted her focus to the upcoming tech series at Squaw Valley, carries a 298-point lead over Stuhec into the weekend. There are presently four speed and four technical events remaining on the schedule. Shiffrin will seek to solidify her lead when the tour comes to Squaw Valley for a giant slalom and slalom. She holds a 145-point lead in slalom and could clinch that title in Squaw Valley. The Audi FIS Ski World Cup crystal globes will be awarded at the World Cup Finals in Aspen.

CONFIRMED STARTERS
Jeongseon, Korea – Women:
Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA) – DH, SG
Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) – DH, SG
Anna Marno (Centennial, WY) – DH, SG
Alice McKennis (New Castle, CO) – DH, SG
Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) – DH, SG
Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) – DH, SG
Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) – DH, SG

Kranjska Gora, Slovenia – Men: 
Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) – SL
David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) – GS, SL
Kieffer Christianson (Anchorage, AK) – GS
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) – GS
Mark Engel (Truckee, CA) – SL
Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) – GS
AJ Ginnis (Vouliagmeni, Greece) – SL
Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) – GS
Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT) – SL
Hig Roberts (Steamboat Springs, CO) – GS, SL
Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City, UT) – GS

QUOTES
Lindsey Vonn
[On the course and conditions]
The track is really has long, sweeping turns and good tactical sections, and it’s all about carrying your speed from top to bottom. When I first inspected yesterday, I knew I was going to like this track, and I think my training runs so far have been good, but not great. So, I’m surprised that I’m fast, but I think that just bodes well for the weekend and also for next year for the Olympics.

[On the confidence that comes from skiing well on a track heading into a big event]
It’s kind of like Lake Louise. I get in the starting gate and I’m confident, I don’t even need to inspect the course. I know what I’m doing, and I know what it takes to win and I kind of already feel a similar sense of confidence on this track. I feel like I know exactly where to ski well and exactly what the key parts of the course are, and it’s not often that you feel that right away in the first and the second training run. I can’t tell you what’s going to happen next year, but so far, so good.

Laurenne Ross
[On the course and conditions]
It’s a lot of fun. Today was pretty awesome, the snow was nice and hard, it was icy, there’s a lot of good response whereas yesterday it was a bit soft. But, I think if the snow stays good, it’s going to be a great race. There are some really fun jumps and some nice turns, and all in all, the speeds are kind of high and it feels really fun.

[On the culture]
It’s a totally different culture and I’m enjoying every minute of it. This is definitely the most different culture I’ve been in, compared to most of the places we race in Europe, North America and even Russia. This is the most uncomfortable I’ve felt, and I like that. I really like immersing myself in something new and trying to learn things that I don’t really feel like I’m that familiar with. We went up to some temples the other day (Woljeongsa Temple) and explored a little bit. Trying to understand the language is really difficult, and even learning simple words is proving to be really tough, so it’s a challenge but I’m psyched.

Stacey Cook
[On the course and conditions]
We’ve had two, very different training runs, so we’re preparing for all conditions. Yesterday was really, kind of soft, spring-like and today was really nice, hard, compact, consistent conditions. I think we really liked what we had today. Yesterday was a lot like conditions in California, so I found that to be pretty fun, but the course runs really well with this harder, faster snow.

[On what it’s like to compete on the track before the Olympics]
We’ve heard that this climate is very cold, and that makes us hopeful to have consistent conditions throughout the whole Olympics. It’s good to just soak in every ounce of knowledge that we can about what may vary with the conditions and what this hill can offer.

[On what it’s like to ski on a new track]
Being an older racer on the World Cup circuit, we go back to the same hills year after year after year, and I’ve gotten unaccustomed to seeing things that are new. It’s really fun, it kind of makes me feel like a kid and makes me excited. That—along with the Olympic atmosphere—which is always so special, reminds you of your dreams and your goals you had as a kid and what’s inspired you all along.

BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
All events streaming at www.nbcsports.com/live

Friday, Mar. 3
9:00 p.m. – women’s downhill – LIVE on NBCSN

Saturday, Mar. 4
3:30 a.m. – men’s giant slalom – run 1 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
6:30 a.m. – men’s giant slalom – run 2 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
3:30 p.m. – women’s downhill – re-air on Universal HD
5:00 p.m. – men’s giant slalom – Universal HD
9:00 p.m. – women’s super G – LIVE on NBCSN

Sunday, Mar. 5
3:30 a.m. – men’s SL – run  1 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
6:30 a.m. – men’s SL – run  2 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
7:30 p.m. – men’s slalom – Universal HD

Live streaming available on NBCsports.com/Live and the NBC Sports app, which is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.

RESULTS
Women’s downhill training 1
Women’s downhill training 2

The 19-year-old German ski racer gave a tug on the laces of her leather boots, clicking them into the cables on her long wooden skis. Behind her was the towering Piz Nair, the iconic peak on Corviglia at St. Moritz, high in the Swiss Alps.

A day earlier she had won silver in the downhill on Piz Nair - five minutes, 38 seconds down the mountain. It was the first medal of her young career. Now it was time for slalom, as she placed her bamboo poles into the snow and pushed out onto the course.

Christl Cranz was the first great superstar of women's alpine ski racing - a new sport in the 1930s, making its Olympic debut in 1936. Belgium born, her family moved to Germany after World War I when she was just a child. She was skiing by six and took to it with a passion, eventually winning a dozen world titles and her sport's first Olympic gold at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany in 1936.

Among her accomplishments were three-straight World Championship slalom titles from 1937-39 - a feat never matched in 78 years. That is, until last week in St. Moritz when young Mikaela Shiffrin dominated the day to win her third-straight gold.

There's a reason no one had matched the record of Christl Cranz. It's tough! The intensity of competition three quarters of a century later makes it more difficult than ever to stay on top.

What sets Mikaela Shiffrin apart is she endears herself to the media not so much as a champion, but as a real person who passionately cares about her sport. (U.S. Ski Team–Tom Kelly)

As the second run approached on Saturday, Shiffrin sat in the snow atop the slalom hill on Suvretta. An umbrella provided shade for her as the sun baked the snow. Her physical therapist piled snow atop her boots to keep the plastic hard and responsive for the race just minutes ahead.

Shiffrin came to slalom day with a different look about her - hair braided into two pigtails, reminiscent of one of her slalom ski racing heroes Janica Kostelic of Croatia, who won the World Championship slalom in 2003 at St. Moritz. The two braids had brought her out of a funk two years ago when she had a slow start to the season before finally winning in Kuhtai, Austria on the eve of the World Championships at Vail/Beaver Creek.

While Shiffrin had a first run lead, the race is never over until the final gate. Swiss Wendy Holdener was only .39 back. Any simple mistake could spell the difference. Holdener would run 29th, Shiffrin 30th. And Holdener put down a strong run.

Now it was Mikaela's date with destiny.

"I tried to pretend like it was a new race completely," she said. "When I was in the start gate, nothing like that was on my mind. It was just, 'now it's time to go.'"

As an 18 year old in Schladming, Austria four years ago, Shiffrin broke through to win her first gold by .22 over home country favorite Michaela Kirchgasser. Two years ago, she withstood the pressure of a hometown World Championships to repeat the title by .34 over Sweden's Frida Hansdotter. In St. Moritz, Holdener had now put down the gauntlet with a solid run that ignited the hometown crowd.

Slalom is about subtleties. When you watch Mikaela Shiffrin ski, you may not even notice it - the direction, the precision, the comfort in her skiing, her confidence. But it plays out quickly in the timing splits.

Split by split, the light went green. Despite being 30 racers into a softening course, Shiffrin continued to build her lead. And coaches knew the best was yet to come. In the first run, her entire lead was capture on the flat bottom split. And she did it again on the second run, crossing the line 1.64 seconds ahead of Holdener - an unimaginable margin.

Shiffrin is too early in her career to think much about records. "It's a lot to think about - it's a long time ago," she said in response to tying the record. "It's difficult to perform so well in big events three consecutive times. It's not easy and I can understand why people haven't done it.

Mikaela Shiffrin earned her third-straight World Championship slalom gold medal by an unimaginable margin – 1.64 seconds. (U.S. Ski Team - Steven Earl)

"But my team around me is really great. My coaches are amazing and we've managed the season really well. I'm really proud of us taking a step back and saying 'I'm not doing the combined or super G. I'm just focusing on my events.' It put more pressure on the GS and slalom, but it worked out."

What sets Mikaela Shiffrin apart as one of her sport's greatest champions is her perspective. She doesn't get caught up in the hype. She endears herself to the media not so much as a champion, but as a real person who passionately cares about her sport.

"It's really cool. But, to be honest, I don't really know what it means yet," she said. "I wasn't thinking about that. Today my real focus was just on the day - on both my runs and my own skiing. I wasn't trying not to worry about anybody else - any of the other skiers.

"Today it wasn't about three medals," she said. "It was just about today and one medal."

Christl Cranz would have been proud.

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Foundation is fortunate to have many dedicated and passionate supporters. Sadly, John Bloomberg, a Park City-based trustee and avid USSA Masters Racer, passed away last week.
 
John had been a trustee since 2004. He, together with his wife Toni, were enthusiastic supporters of USSA athletes. John was a generous contributor to the organization and the Center of Excellence Legacy Campaign, which has provided millions of dollars to USSA’s athletic programs. The Bloomberg Athlete Lounge, located on the first floor of the Center of Excellence, is named after him.
 
In addition to supporting the USSA, John was also a Masters racer. He started racing later in life and was one of the first Masters members in Park City when he joined in 1990. Despite no former racing experience, he was able to secure multiple national championship titles in his age group.

“John’s passion for competition and supporting our athletes was unparalleled,” said USSA President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “We thank John, Toni and their entire family for their support. His presence on the course and within our organization will be missed.”
 
Details on a memorial service for John are to be determined. Condolences can be sent to:

Toni Bloomberg
1248 Skylark Drive
La Jolla, CA 92037
 

KVITFJELL, Norway (Feb. 26, 2017) - Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY) was the top-placed American in Sunday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup super G, won by Italy’s Peter Fill.

It was a career-first super G victory for Fill, as Austria’s Hannes Reichelt was second, and Canada’s Erik Guay finished third. Biesemeyer was 19^th.  Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City) finished 33^rd, Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, CA) 34^th, Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) 45^th and Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) in 47^th.

Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, who did not race the Kvitfjell speed events, continues to lead the overall World cup standings with 1,275 points. Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud, who was seventh Sunday, moved up to second overall with 871 points. Jansrud also leads the overall super G standings with 365 points.

"It was tough for me today," said Biesemeyer after the race. "I haven’t been able to race the downhills because of my shoulder and I’m having knee issues. Honestly, I had zero expectations for today. I had a mistake at the bottom that I think cost me a top 10, but all in all it was a good performance under the circumstances of where I’m at physically." 

Up next, the men travel to Kranjska Gora, Slovenia for the final two World Cup races of the season, a giant slalom and slalom, March 4-5.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Italy’s Peter Fill won his first career Audis FIS Ski World Cup super G Sunday in Kvitfjell, Norway.
• Austria’s Hannes Reichelt was second, and Canada’s Erik Guay finished third.
• Tommy Biesemeyer was the top-placed American in 19^th.
• Road to Aspen: Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, who did not race the Kvitfjell speed events, continues to lead the overall World cup standings with 1,275 points. Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud, who was seventh Sunday, moved up to second overall with 871 points. Jansrud also leads the overall super G standings with 365 points.

QUOTES

Tommy Biesemeyer
It was tough for me today. I haven’t been able to race the downhills because of my shoulder and I’m having knee issues. Honestly, I had zero expectations for today. I had a mistake at the bottom that I think cost me a top 10, but all in all it was a good performance under the circumstances of where I’m at physically.   

BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (times EST)

Sunday, Feb. 26
7:00 p.m. – men’s super G – Universal HD

RESULTS
Men’s super G

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (Feb. 26, 2017) – Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) won her first career Audi FIS Ski World Cup alpine combined event Sunday, and increased her overall World Cup lead heading into final races of the season.

Racing once again under brilliant blue skies and on a soft track, Shiffrin laid down a solid first run of super G, and then attacked the second run slalom to take the victory over Italy’s Federica Brignone in second, and Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec in third.

“I was really psyched with my super G this morning,” Shiffrin said. “I took a really big step forward from yesterday and I was happy with that. Of course the slalom was great; I made a little mistake at the top, but I was attacking so I don’t think it cost me too much. I’m happy to go into the U.S. races with the overall lead.”

Mikaela Shiffrin finished seventh in the first run super G at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup alpine combined in Crans-Montana. (Getty Images/AFP-Fabrice Coffrini)

Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA) was the only other U.S. finisher in 23^rd. Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) was 14^th in the super G, but did not finish the slalom run.

With her victory, Shiffrin picked up 100 World Cup points and now leads Stuhec by 298 points with four World Cup races remaining before the World Cup Finals in Aspen, CO, March 13-19. Shiffrin also leads the overall World Cup slalom standings and is second in the giant slalom standings, 120 points behind Tessa Worley of France.

“As for my overall lead, I think Ilka is going to put up a really good fight, so I’m certainly not losing focus,” Shiffrin said.

Stuhec wrapped up the overall World Cup alpine combined title with her third-place finish Sunday. She also leads the World Cup downhill standings and is third in the World Cup super G standings - just 16 points behind Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein – heading into next weekend’s Olympic test event races in Jeongseon, South Korea.

Four World Cup events remain before the World Cup Finals, with downhill and super G events in Jeongseon, South Korea, March 3-5, followed by giant slalom and slalom races at Squaw Valley, California, March 10-11.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Mikaela Shiffrin won her first career World Cup alpine combined event Sunday in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
• Italy’s Federica Brignone finished second.
• Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec finished third – her third straight podium in three days - and wrapped up the overall World Cup alpine combined title.
• Road to Aspen: With her victory, Shiffrin (1,323 points) picked up 100 World Cup points, and now leads Stuhec (1,025) by 298 points with four World Cup races remaining before the World Cup Finals in Aspen, Colorado, March 13-19. Shiffrin also leads the overall World Cup slalom standings and is second in the giant slalom standings, 120 points behind Tessa Worley of France.

QUOTES
Mikaela Shiffrin
I was really psyched with my super G this morning. I took a really big step forward from yesterday and I was happy with that. Of course the slalom was great; I made a little mistake at the top, but I was attacking so I don’t think it cost me too much. I’m happy to go into the U.S. races with the overall lead.

As for my overall lead, I think Ilka is going to put up a really good fight, so I’m certainly not losing focus.

[On the spring conditions at Crans-Montana]
It’s soft, and it’s so warm. I actually love the spring weather - I love the sun, it just feels really nice. But sometimes it’s difficult to ski on, especially with the speed. But it’s probably good practice going into the last races of the season.

BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
Sunday, Feb. 26
5:30 p.m. – women’s alpine combined – Universal HD

RESULTS
Women’s alpine combined

SUN VALLEY, ID (Feb. 26, 2017) - For more than three decades, Ski Racing and its publisher Gary Black, Jr., have been an impactful voice for alpine ski racing worldwide. The U.S. Ski Team is mourning the passing of Black, 75, who died peacefully Saturday (Feb. 25) at his home in Sun Valley.

A native of Baltimore, Black had a lifelong love for newspaper publishing, adventure and skiing. He combined those passions in 1984 when he purchased Ski Racing Magazine, the journal of international ski racing that was started in 1968 by the late Bill Tanler. In his tenure as publisher he grew Ski Racing to become the global voice of alpine ski racing, evolving from a newspaper to a modern digital source of ski racing news today.

Black cut his teeth in the newsroom of his family's Baltimore Sun, working his way into leadership roles in sales and marketing. He left the publication in 1984 to pursue his real passion for ski racing, acquiring Ski Racing and moving to Vermont.

Over the years his reporters provided insightful coverage on the world of ski racing while Black set a tone as a watchdog for the future of the sport through his Black Diamonds column. He served for nearly 20 years on the International Ski Federation's PR and Mass Media Committee and, more recently, as a representative on the FIS Alpine World Cup Committee.

A lifetime skier and avid outdoorsman, Black served on the National Ski Patrol at Oregon Ridge, Wisp, Squaw Valley and Portillo. He was also a member of Ski Club Arlberg for more than 40 years. He played a key role as a trustee for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Foundation, as well as locally on the board of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, and was instrumental in the initiation of the Sun Valley Ski Academy.  

"The U.S. Ski Team has long appreciated the support shown by Gary Black - both as the publisher of Ski Racing and as a trustee," said USSA President and CEO Tiger Shaw. "He's been an amazingly impactful individual on our team and the sport worldwide. We will miss him dearly."

Black held a special place in his heart for athletes, who were quick to recognize the contribution he made to their sport.

"Gary was a very kind person and he did a lot for ski racing," said Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn. "I remember reading Ski Racing Magazine when I was a kid and that was how I kept track of my idols and competitors. This is a huge loss for many, especially those in the skiing community."

"I still remember meeting Gary for the first time in Solden, Austria," said Olympic and World Slalom Champion Mikaela Shiffrin. "It was my first time racing there and I was fairly overwhelmed by all of the chaos surrounding the season opening World Cup, so Gary invited my parents and me to dinner at the best restaurant in town. He proceeded to tell a million stories of his adventures through the ski racing world. He talked about the magazine, his family, how exciting ski racing is, and it became very clear how much passion he had for the sport. From then on out I started to see him as sort of a father figure for the sport of ski racing itself. He has done so much to help this sport grow and get the latest and greatest news in ski racing to fans, and he will be sorely missed."

Black received numerous awards for his achievements in journalism and contribution to sport. In 2008, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association honored him with the Julius Blegen Award, its highest honor for service to the sport. He also received the USSA’s John Clair Award in 2003 for his support of the U.S. Ski Team and the USSA Russell Wilder Award for contribution to youth in 2005. During the recent FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz, he was recognized by the Association of International Ski Journalists (AIJS) with a lifetime achievement award. He will be recognized this April by the International Skiing History Association with a similar lifetime achievement honor. He was also honored by the International Ski Federation with the FIS Journalist Award in 2007.

“Gary was an inspiration in many ways to me, and I hope to many others,” said U.S. Ski Team men’s head coach Sasha Rearick. “His love and passion for the sport, and for people, coaches, athletes, fans, people of the sport of ski racing, was remarkable. He lit the fire in many people in so many ways.”

He is survived by his wife, Heather, his three daughters, Amanda Rising Black, Serena Black Martin and Alexandra Kathleen Black, as well as three grandchildren, Alexander Byers Martin III, Adair Jackson Martin and Harrison Van Lear Black. He is also survived by a sister, Catharine Wilder Peterson.

In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to consider a donation in his honor to the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation or the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Foundation.

A memorial service will be held in the spring.

KVITFJELL, Norway (Feb. 25, 2017) – One “crazy fast” turn got Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) off on the wrong foot in Saturday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill won by Norway’s home-crowd favorite Kjetil Jansrud.

Running the full-length 1994 Olympic downhill course, Jansrud edged out Italy’s Peter Fill by just 0.08 seconds. Switzerland’s Beat Fuez was third. Ganong was 17^th, as Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, CA) was the only other American in the points, finishing 19^th.

“It was really fast, compared to the training runs starting at the top,” said Ganong, who finished eighth in Friday’s downhill run on the same track, but from a lower start position. “I knew the speeds would be faster going into the first turn, but they were way fast, like crazy fast, so I missed the timing completely on that first left-footed turn. I lost over eight-tenths to Jansrud in the first split, and I was only a second back at the finish, so just that one turn was my day.”

The rest of the Americans also struggled on the cold, hard track. Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) finished 41^st and Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT) did not finish following a scary crash after flying off a jump and into the safety netting. Goldberg was standing following the incident, but was taken off the mountain on a sled as a precautionary measure.

Up next, the men race super G Sunday in Kvitfjell. Watch it live on NBCSports.com at 6 a.m. EST.

“My coach (Alex Hoedlmoser) is setting, so we’ll see what happens (tomorrow),” Ganong added.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud, who finished third in Friday’s downhill, won Saturday in front of the home-country crowd.
• Italy’s Peter Fill was second, followed by Switzerland’s Beat Fuez in third.
• Travis Ganong was 17^th, as Bryce Bennett was the only other American in the points, finishing 19^th.
• Road to Aspen: Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, who did not race Saturday, continues to lead the overall World cup standings with 1,275 points. Jansrud is fourth overall with 835 points and leads the overall downhill standings with 407 points. Italy’s Peter Fill is second with 374 points.

QUOTES
Travis Ganong
It was really fast, compared to the training runs starting at the top. I knew the speeds would be faster going into the first turn, but they were way fast, like crazy fast, so I missed the timing completely on that first left-footed turn. I lost over eight-tenths to Jansrud in the first split, and I was only a second back at the finish, so just that one turn was my day.

My coach is setting, so we’ll see what happens (tomorrow).

BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
All events streaming at www.nbcsports.com/live

Saturday, Feb. 25
3:30 p.m. – men’s downhill – Universal HD

Sunday, Feb. 26
6:00 a.m. – men’s slalom, super G – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
7:00 p.m. – men’s super G – Universal HD

RESULTS
Men’s downhill

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (Feb. 25, 2017) – Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) scored valuable points toward the overall World Cup title Saturday, finishing 13^th at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup super G under brilliant blue skies and warm sunshine.

Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec won Saturday’s race by 0.50 seconds over Italy’s Elena Curtoni in second, and 1.09 seconds over Austria’s Stephanie Venier. With the victory Saturday and her second-place finish in the alpine combined Friday, Stuhec is only 258 points behind Shiffrin in the overall standings.

Once again Saturday, athletes faced soft snow surfaces as temperatures in Crans-Montana reached into the lower 40s.

“It’s still warm, so it’s a little bit soft, but there was a solid base and surface,” said Shiffrin, who did not start Friday’s alpine combined due to the soft snow conditions. “Definitely when I went number two the surface was smooth and fine. I just didn’t quite handle the peely snow as well as I could have, and I was a bit conservative in sections that I didn’t want to be. But I’m happy to get a run in on this hill.”

Lindsey Vonn crashed in Saturday’s super G race in Crans-Montana. (Getty Images/AFP-Fabrice Coffrini)

Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) and Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) weren’t quite as fortunate today. Ross, went wide on a right-footer, taking out a gate panel, while Vonn slipped out in the soft snow just a few seconds into her run, crashing through a course banner and into the B-net. However, both athletes were able to ski down the mountain.

Other American finishers included Alice McKennis (New Castle, CO) in 32^nd; Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) in 34^th and Anna Marno (Centennial, WY) in 37^th.

“I’m pretty bummed with my result,” Wiles said. “I think I left a lot out there today. I had great training coming in, a good warm up this morning and I was in the right mindset to really attack and have a good day, but I don’t know what went wrong.

“I’ll look at some video and see what went wrong today, and have another go at it tomorrow,” she added.

Shiffrin will also look at video and see where she can make up time in Sunday’s alpine combined.

“I’ll get the video and I’ll watch a lot and compare with Ilka (Stuhec), who has been skiing really well, and see the sections where I can charge a lot harder,” Shiffrin said. “I know there are a lot of sections where I need to attack more. So I’m excited for tomorrow.”

Just five World Cup events remain, including Sunday’s alpine combined in Crans-Montana, before the season concludes on home soil for World Cup Finals in Aspen, Colorado March 13-19.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec won Saturday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup super G.
• Italy’s Elena Curtoni was second, and Austria’s Stephanie Venier finished third.
• Mikaela Shiffrin finished 13^th while Lindsey Vonn and Laurenne Ross did not finish.
• Road to Aspen: With the victory Saturday, and her second-place finish in the alpine combined Friday, Stuhec is 258 points behind Shiffrin in the overall standings. Stuhec also leads the overall World Cup downhill standings and is third in the super G standings, just 16 points behind Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein.

QUOTES
Mikaela Shiffrin
It’s still warm, so it’s a little bit soft, but there was a solid base and surface. Definitely when I went number two the surface was smooth and fine.

I just didn’t quite handle the peely snow as well as I could have, and I was a bit conservative in sections that I didn’t want to be. But I’m happy to get a run in on this hill.

I feel really good on my skis. I didn’t feel like that run showed it. But I also felt like I had some reservations after seeing how it was (Friday) and I really wanted to ski the whole course and make it down and try to put a time in there. But I wasn’t totally sure how it was going to run. So having a run under my belt is really nice.

I’ll get the video and I’ll watch a lot and compare with Ilka, who has been skiing really well, and see the sections where I can charge a lot harder. I know there are a lot of sections where I need to attack more. So I’m excited for tomorrow.

A lot of it is about tactics and how comfortable they are sending a really tight line over terrain, over blind knolls and trusting their inspection. I feel like I have the instincts – I know where I’m supposed to be theoretically, but I’m not always able to actually get there. That’s part of learning and being able to ski super G at high speed, versus just inspecting it and kind of theorizing about what it’s supposed to feel like.

Jackie Wiles
I’m pretty bummed with my result. I think I left a lot out there today. I had great training coming in, a good warm up this morning, and I was in the right mindset to really attack and have a good day, but I don’t know what went wrong.

I’ll look at some video and see what went wrong today, and have another go at it tomorrow.

BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
All events streaming at www.nbcsports.com/live

Saturday, Feb. 25
2:00 p.m. – women’s super G – Universal HD

Sunday, Feb. 26
4:30 a.m. – women’s alpine combined – super G – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
7:30 a.m. – women’s alpine combined – slalom – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
5:30 p.m. – women’s alpine combined – Universal HD

RESULTS
Women’s super G