CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (Feb. 24, 2017) – The Audi FIS Ski World Cup resumed after the World Championships break with challenging conditions in Crans-Montana which saw the top U.S. racers withdrawing from the start. Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) maintained her overall Audi FIS Ski World Cup lead despite not starting Friday’s alpine combined event.

Italy’s Federica Brignone won the race, which was delayed due to fog and soft course conditions for the first run super G. It was Brignone’s fourth career World Cup victory. Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec was second, followed by Austria’s Michaela Kirchgasser in third. Shiffrin, Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) and Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) did not start the first run.

With Shiffrin on the sidelines, Stuhec took advantage of the opportunity to move 80 points closer to Shiffrin - but still 338 points back from the overall lead. Five speed and four tech events remain on the calendar, plus another alpine combined on Sunday. Switzerland's Lara Gut remains second, but is out for the season.

Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) finished 35^th in the first run super G, but did not start the second run slalom. Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) and Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA) did start the super G, but failed to finish.

“I said before coming into this series, knowing that the weather was supposed to be warm and maybe some snow and rain, that if it wasn’t good, I’m not going to race,” Shiffrin said.

Up next, the women race super G Saturday, followed by another alpine combined Sunday in Crans-Montana.

Lindsey Vonn did not participate in Friday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup race due to course safety concerns. (Crans-Montana-David Clivaz)

“The problem (with the course) right now is that it’s not cold enough to freeze, and it’s not warm enough for the salt to work,” Vonn said. “If we get a little cooperation with the weather and the salt works, I think it could potentially be OK (for racing Saturday and Sunday).”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Italy’s Federica Brignone won her fourth career World Cup race Friday, an alpine combined in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
• Road to Aspen: Mikaela Shiffrin maintained her overall World Cup lead with 1,203 points. Switzerland’s Lara Gut, who is out for the remainder of the season, is second with 1,023 points. Stuhec moved up to third overall with 865 points, picking up 80 points on Shiffrin but still 338 points back. Stuhec also leads the alpine combined overall standings with 180 points.

QUOTES
Lindsey Vonn
For me, it’s disappointing that we’re even starting this race. The athletes' safety should be the number one priority and it’s not. For me, it’s not safe enough to race. Of course, everyone has the decision to race if they want to, but I still think that the FIS is making the wrong decision right now.

Mikaela Shiffrin
I said before coming into this series, knowing that the weather was supposed to be warm and maybe some snow and rain, that if it wasn’t good, I’m not going to race.

I don’t have enough experience in speed, but to be honest, it’s just dangerous. It’s so soft at the bottom.

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

Friday, Feb. 24
8:00 p.m. – women’s alpine combined – Universal HD

Saturday, Feb. 25
4:30 a.m. – women’s super G – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
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 alpine combined

KVITFJELL, Norway (Feb. 24, 2017) – Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) felt all the good sensations of solid run in Friday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill, a make-up race from the canceled December event at Lake Louise, Canada, leading the U.S. in eighth place.

Slovenia’s Bostjan Kline took his first career World Cup victory Friday, nipping Austria’s Matthias Mayer by just 0.19 seconds and Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud by 0.20 in second and third respectively.

Seeing and feeling the course are the two critical components of good ski racing. So when one sensation goes wrong, the other sensation of a finely tuned athlete usually picks up the slack. For Ganong, he felt like he put down a great run Friday, and indeed he did, but the seeing part didn’t go so well.

“I skied really well and it easily could have been a winning run,” Ganong said. “But on the third gate, I hit the gate and got snow in my goggles somehow. So it was like I was skiing in a blizzard. Every time I would hit a bump, the snow would go up and down inside my goggles. It was just kind of distracting the whole way down. But it was still really good skiing.”

Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT) put down his second top-20 result of the season, finishing 14^th. Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, CA) and Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) also snuck into the points, finishing 27^th and 30^th respectively. Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City, UT) was 43^rd and Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY) was 49^th.

Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, who did not race Friday, continues to lead the overall World cup standings with 1,275 points. Jansrud overtook Italy’s Peter Fill in the overall World Cup downhill standings with his second-place finish. Jansrud (307 points) leads Fill (294), who finished 16th Friday, by 13 points.

Up next, the men race another downhill Saturday in Kvitfjell, followed by super G on Sunday.

“Tomorrow if I can avoid stuff like (snow in goggles) and have a solid top-to-bottom run, I think I can do really well,” Ganong said.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travis Ganong finished eighth in Friday’s downhill, a makeup from the canceled race event at Lake Louise, Canada.
• Slovenia’s Bostjan Kline took his first career World Cup victory Friday.
• Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT) put down his second top-20 result of the season, finishing 14^th.
• Bryce Bennett was 27^th; Andrew Weibrecht 30^th; Brennan Rubie 43^rd; and Tommy Biesemeyer 49^th.
• Road to Aspen: Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, who did not race Friday, continues to lead the overall World cup standings with 1,275 points. Kjetil Jansrud overtook Italy’s Peter Fill in the overall World Cup downhill standings with his second-place finish. Jansrud (307 points) leads Fill (294), who finished 16th Friday, by 13 points.

QUOTES
Travis Ganong
I skied really well and it easily could have been a winning run. But on the third gate, I hit the gate and got snow in my goggles somehow. So it was like I was skiing in a blizzard. Every time I would hit a bump, the snow would go up and down inside my goggles. It was just kind of distracting the whole way down. But it was still really good skiing.

Tomorrow if I can avoid stuff like (snow in goggles) and have a solid top-to-bottom run, I think I can do really well.

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

Friday, Feb. 24
6:00 p.m. – men’s downhill – Universal HD

Saturday, Feb. 25

6:00 a.m. – men’s downhill – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
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. 24, 2017) – U.S. Ski Team athletes slated to compete in an Audi FIS Ski World Cup women’s alpine combined Friday in Crans-Montana have withdrawn from the race over course safety concerns.

“Due to conditions, we weren't comfortable with the amount of risk our athletes had to take to push to be competitive,” said U.S. Ski Team Women’s Head Coach Paul Kristofic. “Our concern was the bottom pitch, where a number of girls went out, and we decided as a team we weren't willing to take that risk today."

The race was started with the first three athletes crashing. American Laurenne Ross was next to start when officials stopped the race and lowered the start. The race was restarted from the beginning, but three Americans did not compete. Among those scheduled to compete were World Cup leader Mikaela Shiffrin, as well as Lindsey Vonn and Ross.

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (Feb. 23, 2017) – With the St. Moritz World Championships in the books, the Audi FIS Ski World Cup circuit resumes this weekend at Crans-Montana, Switzerland for the women and Kvitfjell, Norway for the men.   

All eyes will be on the young Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO), who is fresh off a pair of World Championships medals – including a commanding 1.64-second win to grab the hat-trick slalom title. But that’s not even the biggest reason all eyes are on her.

Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates winning the women's slalom race at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St Moritz. (Getty Images/AFP-Fabrice Coffrini)

Shiffrin currently leads the race for the big globe, with 1,203 points to Swiss Lara Gut’s 1,023 points in the overall chase. Sadly, Gut’s season was cut short when she injured her knee in St. Moritz before the slalom portion of the alpine combined. That means Shiffrin’s closest competitor is Italy’s Sofia Goggia, with 789 points. Heading into the weekend, Shiffrin plans to compete in all three events, including Friday and Sunday’s alpine combined events – one rescheduled from Altenmarkt-Zauchensee – and Saturday’s super G. Additionally, she’s leading the slalom standings and is second in the giant slalom standings. It’ll be a race to the finish line, and it will culminate on home soil in Aspen, CO at World Cup Finals in March.  

But Shiffrin doesn't plan on taking it easy in her fight for the overall. "It’s a really, really big disappointment with Lara’s injury," Shiffrin said. "I’m wishing her the very best. The overall, it’s supposed to be a fight. Remember Anna Fenninger and Tina Maze fighting for it—that was so exciting and nerve-wracking for them, but for all of us, it was really fun to watch. There are some girls—Ilka (Stuhec), Sofia (Goggia), even Tessa (Worley)—are not far behind actually. There are plenty of races still that they can make up those points. I’m definitely not changing my focus at all and just trying to finish the season strong. But I was looking forward to a fight with Lara, for sure."

Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) is still finding her form in super G, but she’s looking forward to Crans-Montana. With a top five under her belt in the alpine combined at St. Moritz, she’s feeling confident with both her speed and slalom skills, despite little slalom training this season. Watch closely as Vonn looks for the podium once again in both disciplines.

Lindsey Vonn returns to World Cup action fresh off a bronze medal in the downhill and fifth-place finish in the alpine combined at the World Championships. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

The men traveled to Kvitfjell, Norway following speed week in St. Moritz for a training camp with the Attacking Vikings before tackling two downhills – one rescheduled from earlier this season in Lake Louise – and a super G on the 1994 Olympic track. The collaboration with the Norwegians has proven to be a solid one, as the American Downhillers have gotten some good miles at this venue with a spring training camp last April/May as well. Beyond that, it’s a favorite stop on the tour for the whole crew. It’s quiet, beautiful and provides some much-needed rest and relaxation after the grind of World Championships.

It’s not surprising that the Norwegians are dominant on home soil at Kvitfjell, where currently injured Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) scored one of his four consecutive podiums last season. Kjetil Jansrud has won a record-equaling five World Cup events on the track, alongside Herman Maier. Only one of these wins came in the downhill in 2014, while the other four were in super G (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016).

The extra time training on the track will undoubtedly be advantageous to the American Downhillers, led by Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) and Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY). Last year, Ganong finished 8^th and 14^th in the downhill and super G, respectively, while Weibrecht snagged a top five in the super G.

Fans can catch all of the weekend’s action on Universal HD, and can stream it live on NBCsports.com/Live.

CONFIRMED STARTERS
Crans-Montana, Switzerland – Women:
Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA)
Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID)
Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA)*
Anna Marno (Centennial, WY)
Alice McKennis (New Castle, CO)
Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR)
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO)
Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO)
Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR)
*TBD

Kvitfjell, Norway – Men: 
Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, CA)
Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY)
Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA)
Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT)
Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City, UT)
Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY)

QUOTES
Mikaela Shiffrin
It’s a really, really big disappointment with Lara’s injury. I’m wishing her the very best. The overall, it’s supposed to be a fight. Remember Anna Fenninger and Tina Maze fighting for it—that was so exciting and nerve-wracking for them, but for all of us, it was really fun to watch. There are some girls—Ilka (Stuhec), Sofia (Goggia), even Tessa (Worley)—are not far behind actually. There are plenty of races still that they can make up those points. I’m definitely not changing my focus at all and just trying to finish the season strong. But I was looking forward to a fight with Lara, for sure.

Andrew Weibrecht
The track looks pretty good considering all of the snow they got…they cleaned it up really nice. The snow is a little inconsistent – grippy to icy – but pretty nice.

Bryce Bennett
When we trained here it was a little bit sugary and soft, but they watered some sections and I think it will turn out OK tomorrow.

Travis Ganong
[On the conditions and today’s training run]
The track is OK. It snowed a lot the last two days and there weren’t many people working on the hill, so the conditions are not really great, but it’s OK. I didn’t train here last week; I took a break. My knee was bothering me, so I stayed in Innsbruck and relaxed and did physical therapy. My run was really good on the bottom. On the top, I was in the soft snow – there were piles of soft snow out of the track…it’ll be better tomorrow.

[On only having one training run before speed week]
I love just doing one training run. I’d much rather always do one training run…less time to think and more time to just focus on pushing and more racing.

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

Friday, Feb. 24
3:45 a.m. – women’s alpine combined – super G – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
5:15 a.m. – men’s downhill – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
8:30 a.m. – women’s alpine combined – slalom – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
6:00 p.m. – men’s downhill – Universal HD
8:00 p.m. – women’s alpine combined – Universal HD

Saturday, Feb. 25
4:30 a.m. – women’s super G – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
6:00 a.m. – men’s downhill – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
2:00 p.m. – women’s super G – Universal HD
3:30 p.m. – men’s downhill – Universal HD

Sunday, Feb. 26
4:30 a.m. – women’s alpine combined – super G – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
6:00 a.m. – men’s slalom, 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
7:00 p.m. – men’s super G – 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.

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (Feb. 19, 2017) – David Chodounsky was the leading American skier in the final day of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz, finishing 12th in the slalom. But it was the Austrians' day, who went 1-2 with Marcel Hirscher taking an easy win.

It was another beautiful, sunny day at St. Moritz with the track holding up nicely, despite warmer temperatures. While the first course was a classic rhythmic slalom, the second run was the opposite—full of rhythm changes and tough combinations. But Hirscher made it look simple, finishing .68 seconds ahead of his teammate Manny Feller. Felix Neureuther of Germany, who sat in 10th after a tough first run, put the hammer down in the second run to step onto the podium in third.

Marcel Hirscher stands atop the podium with teammate Manny Feller in second and Felix Neureuther in third. (Getty Images/AFP-Fabrice Coffrini)

It was Hirscher’s third medal—and second gold—of the World Championships. He won the giant slalom earlier in the week and was second in the alpine combined. And his slalom win was clutch—Austria’s medals broke the medal-count tie with Switzerland, leaving Austria in first overall with nine medals to the home country’s seven.

Chodounsky, who had his best-ever giant slalom finish on Friday, came into the race with confidence, but had a little mistake first run and struggled with the tricky second run. “I got to take the positives from today,” said Chodounsky, who had DNFed in the previous three World Championships he competed. “Best (World Champs) I’ve had for sure—I’ve had some pretty bad luck in World Champs previous years. It’s been a blast. I’ve skied well; I’ve learned a lot about myself. The confidence is coming back and I still have another race in Kranjska (Gora). Go there, hammer, qualify for Aspen—that’s my goal.”

David Chodounsky skis to 12th. (Getty Images/AFP-Fabrice Coffrini)

Rounding out the Americans, Mark Engel (Truckee, CA) took 34th with Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT) 39th. Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) did not finish first run. 

With the World Championships wrapped, the men’s speed team heads to Kvitfjell, Norway for two downhills and a super G, while the tech team prepares for Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, before the tour finishes at the World Cup Finals in Aspen, Colorado.

HIGHLIGHTS

• David Chodounsky was the top American in 12^th place.
• Marcel Hirscher of Austria won the slalom gold—his third medal of the Championships and his seventh career World Champs medal.
• It is Hirscher’s second World Championships slalom title. He also won in Schladming in 2013.
• Austria won the World Championships medal count with nine medals to Switzerland’s seven.
• The World Cup tour resumes next week in Kvitfjell, Norway for speed events.

QUOTES

David Chodounsky
My top was really good, I did exactly what I wanted, and then I kind of wussed out down bottom. I thought it was going to turn a little harder, but it didn’t; it ran easier than I thought it would. I backed off and skied a little slower than I like. But I made it down, pretty solid. After January, I had a struggle finishing. If I could get top 15 here, I’d consider that a success.

I like the rhythm changes (in the second run). The biggest thing is that I thought it was going to ski a little slower, a little tougher down bottom, but it didn’t—it was actually quite controlled and you could push down there. I could have skied faster.

I had two good runs—a little mistake first run. I’m in the points, which is huge, I needed that. I got to take the positives from today. Best (World Champs) I’ve had for sure—I’ve had some pretty bad luck in World Champs previous years. It’s been a blast. I’ve skied well; I’ve learned a lot about myself. The confidence is coming back and I still have another race in Kranjska (Gora). Go there, hammer, qualify for Aspen—that’s my goal.

RESULTS
Men’s slalom

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (Feb. 18, 2017) – Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) became the first female skier in 78 years to win three consecutive World Championship slalom titles at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Saturday.

In explosive fashion under a bright blue sky and skiing on a rock-hard course, Shiffrin matched Germany’s Christl Cranz (1937, 1938, 1939) as the only ski racers to win three slalom titles in a row.

Mikaela Shiffrin won Saturday’s FIS Alpine Ski World Championships slalom in St. Moritz, Switzerland (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

Winning the first run by 0.38 seconds over Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener, Shiffrin crushed the second run, on a course set by her coach Mike Day, to extend her margin of victory to 1.64 seconds over Holdener, who finished second, and 1.75 seconds over Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter in third. Resi Stiegler (Jackson, WY), competing in her eighth World Championships, finished 11^th. Megan McJames (Park City, UT) was 36^th.

“I heard the crowd screaming for Wendy and I knew she must have had a great run, and I just thought you know what, ‘today’s my day, not yours,’” said Shiffrin, who finished the second run with her characteristic explosive fashion, gaining more than a half second from the third split to the finish.

Shiffrin skis in the World Championships slalom. (Getty Images/AFP-Fabrice Coffrini)

Shiffrin, who just seems to have one extra gear at top speed over the rest of the field, skied a solid first run to shake out the nerves, before cutting loose on the second run.

“My nerves were higher the first run,” she said. “Second run I thought that I’m halfway there, but everything could disappear in one second, so just focus. I felt (my) confidence building and building, and when I got into the gate, I was ready.”

However, the time she spent at the start waiting for her second run after Holdener moved into the lead “felt like I was standing there forever,” she added. “So I just thought, ‘pretend they are cheering for you and go for it!”

Resi Stiegler finished 11^th in Saturday’s FIS Alpine Ski World Championships slalom in St. Moritz, Switzerland (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

The 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz concludes Sunday with men’s slalom. The World Cup circuit resumes for the women Feb. 24-26 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

Shiffrin reacts to her win. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Giovanni Auletta) 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Mikaela Shiffrin won her third consecutive World Championship slalom title Saturday at St. Moritz. She also won in 2015 at Beaver Creek and 2013 at Schladming, Austria.
• Shiffrin matched Germany’s Christel Cranz (1937, 1938, 1939) as the only ski racers to win three consecutive slalom titles.
• Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener was second and Sweden’s Frida Hansdotter was third.
• Stiegler, competing in her eighth World Championships, finished 11^th. Megan McJames (Park City, UT) was 36^th.
• With her slalom bronze medal, Hansdotter added to her silver medal from Beaver Creek and her bronze medal from Schladming.

QUOTES

Mikaela Shiffrin
I heard the crowd screaming for Wendy and I knew she must have had a great run, and I just thought, you know what, ‘today’s my day, not yours.’

Nerves were higher the first run, I’d have to say. Second run I thought that I’m halfway there, but everything could disappear in one second, so just focus. I kind of felt (my) confidence building and building, and when I got into the gate, I was ready.

[On her second run]
That run felt really good!

[On her confidence]
The biggest thing I was thinking about was “ski fast and see if you could win.’ The next biggest thing I was thinking about was ‘you’re going to ski out and screw it up on the first gate or something.’

[On competing at the World Championships]
It’s sort of fun with World Championships, because actually it doesn’t stop at 30. There is another 30 more racers to come, so it sort of doesn’t feel like its over after (my run).

Resi Stiegler
It wasn’t my day. I knew I’d have to give it my all and I tried.

I’m really thankful that there are a couple more races in the U.S. on two of my favorite hills (Squaw Valley and Aspen), so hopefully I’ll have some better success there.

BROADCAST + LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
Saturday, Feb. 18
1:00 p.m. – women’s slalom, run 2 – NBC

Sunday, Feb. 19 
3:45 a.m. – men’s slalom, run 1 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
7:00 a.m. – men’s slalom, run 2 – NBCSN – LIVE

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

SAALFELDEN, Austria (Feb. 16, 2017) – America’s fastest U16 alpine racers headed overseas to compete at the esteemed 7 Nations Cup this week at Saalfelden Hinterreit. Kellen Kinsella (Edwards, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) took two podiums—a win in giant slalom and second in slalom.

A different country in Europe hosts the 7 Nations Cup every year - one of the premiere events in the world for U16 racers. Held in Austria this year, the race featured a deep field with the Americans going against many of the best in the world.

Caroline Jones (Edwards, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) was the top American woman in the sun-soaked GS on Wednesday, finishing ninth. Allie Resnick (Vail CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) was 20th, Isabelle Jenne (Bridgewater Corners, VT; Killington Mountain School) 21st, Kaitlyn Harsch (Avon, CO; Ski and Snowboard Club Vail) 29th, G.G. Wattenmaker (Olympic Valley, CA; Sugar Bowl Academy) 34th and Berit Frischholz (Edwards, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) and Cleo Braun (Eagle, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) tied for 36th.

Behind Kinsella in the GS, Jackson Jewell (Waitsfield, VT; Green Mountain Valley School) was 15th, Patrick Coughlin (North Salem, NY; Burke Mountain Academy) 30th, Zane Worrell (Vail, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) 39th and Alex Abdow (Longmeadow, CA; Stratton Mountain School) 45th. Nicolas Richeda (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) did not finish.

The slalom took place on Thursday and it was another gorgeous day with perfect, hard snow. The courses were challenging, and the athletes were pushing hard, resulting in many DNFs. Kinsella again stepped on the podium, this time in second place, while Richeda was 11th and Coughlin 14th.

The women were also successful, packing three into the top 10. Resnick just missed the podium in fourth place, while Jones took sixth and Harsch 10th.

“We had a great team performance today with four top-10 results and a bunch of other athletes in contention,” said Alpine Development Director Chip Knight. “Everyone fed off Kellen’s win on Wednesday, realizing they could all compete here and elevated their skiing for the slalom day. It was a great reminder of why we need to bring our best athletes together and expose them to higher levels of competition. The results from the last two days show that our best athletes compete well against with their European peers in the U16 ranks.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• The USA’s best U16 racers competed at the highly competitive 7 Nations Cup in Austria.
• Kellen Kinsella won the men’s giant slalom and took second in the slalom.
• The American women took three spots in the top 10 in the slalom.
• Kinsella competed in the 2016 7 Nations Cup, where he took 42nd in giant slalom and 31st in slalom.

RESULTS
Men’s giant slalom
Women’s giant slalom
Men’s slalom
Women’s slalom

ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (Feb. 17, 2017) – David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) was the top American in Friday’s giant slalom at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz, taking 11th.

While Thursday was sunny and warm, the bright sun hid for most of Friday’s race—proving chillier with tough visibility. Many men struggled with the flat light and falling snow, but you couldn’t see that in Marcel Hirscher’s run, who, after finishing second to Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) in the last two World Championships giant slaloms, finally took his first GS gold. Behind him, his teammate Roland Leitinger was second and Leif Kristian Haugen of Norway third. It is Hirscher’s second medal in St. Moritz, after taking silver in the alpine combined.

Chodounsky skied a strong second run to take 11th. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

Known as a slalom specialist, David Chodounsky put down the third-fastest second run in the GS, skiing with smart tactics and holding a clean edge on a difficult surface. He came down in a fit of excitement, with this result bettering all of his World Cup GS finishes.

“I’m really happy with the run,” said Chodounsky. “I skied well. I consider slalom better for me, but I’m really happy with how my GS is, especially here right now. It would have been nice to be top 10—it was very close—but I’ll take it, I’m happy.”

Ryan Cochran-Siegle finished 25th in the GS. (Getty Images/AFP-Fabrice Coffrini)

Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) was the only other American finisher to make second run, taking 25th. Both Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) and Tim Jitloff (Park City, UT) did not finish first run.

The men have just one more event of the 2017 World Championships in St. Moritz: a slalom on Sunday. Chodounsky will be going for a top spot, fueled by his confidence in the giant slalom. Watch the first run streaming live on NBCsports.com/live and the NBC Sports app at 3:45 a.m. EST, and catch the second run on NBCSN at 7 a.m. EST.

HIGHLIGHTS

• David Chodounsky finished 11th in the World Championships giant slalom.
• It was Chodounsky’s best-ever finish in a World Champs.
• Ted Ligety was the reigning World Champion in GS for the past three World Championships, but missed the race in St. Moritz due to injury.
• Marcel Hirscher won gold—his second medal in St. Moritz and his sixth World Championships medal.
• Hirscher had finished second to Ligety in both Schladming and Vail/Beaver Creek World Championships GS races.
• The men’s slalom wraps up the World Champs on Sunday.

David Chodounsky. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

QUOTES

David Chodounsky
I really wanted to stay strong and carry all that speed onto the flats. I think that’s the key to this hill—make sure I’m on the right line coming off and push as hard as I could on the flats. I’m happy! It’s great. The light was flat for me first run, so I was used to it—it was better than first run for me. I just trusted myself and skied well.

I’m really happy with the run. I skied well. I consider slalom better for me, but I’m really happy with how my GS is, especially here right now. It would have been nice to be top 10—it was very close—but I’ll take it, I’m happy. I’ve been training a lot of slalom now too. It’s a nice break after January—January was very long and I was getting tired and beat up and had not so good results. I feel fresh now and I’m ready for the slalom.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle
I think I skied fine. I would actually say my first run the light was even worse. Running first was pretty fun second run. As a racer, you can always feel like you can give it a little more when you get to the bottom. I think I skied fine down here—you can let it run a little more and be a little more aggressive and just a little bit cleaner than how I skied. I think overall, I skied it alright.

BROADCAST + LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
Thursday, Feb. 16 
10:30 a.m. – women’s giant slalom, run 2 (encore) – NBCSN

Friday, Feb. 17
1:00 a.m. – women’s giant slalom, run 2 (encore) – NBCSN
3:45 a.m. – men’s giant slalom, run 1 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
7:00 a.m. – men’s giant slalom, run 2 – NBCSN – LIVE
10:30 a.m. – men’s giant slalom, run 2 (encore) – NBCSN

Saturday, Feb. 18
3:45 a.m. – women’s slalom, run 1 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
7:00 a.m. – women’s slalom, run 2 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
1:00 p.m. – women’s slalom, run 2 – NBC

Sunday, Feb. 19 
3:45 a.m. – men’s slalom, run 1 – nbcsports.com/live – LIVE STREAM
7:00 a.m. – men’s slalom, run 2 – NBCSN – LIVE

RESULTS
Men’s giant slalom

PARK CITY, UT (Feb. 15, 2017) – A strong and deep team of 15 rising stars – seven women and eight men – have been named to the FIS Alpine Junior World Championships Team. The team is led by defending Junior Worlds downhill champion Erik Arvidsson (Woodside, CA), who led the charge of four men in the top 10 last year – a feat that had never been before achieved. The team will represent the U.S. in re, Sweden in six events from March 8-14.

This year’s team boasts significant depth on both the men’s and women’s sides. Chosen athletes come from the U.S. Ski Team C, D and N-UNI teams, the USSA National Training Group, as well as top USSA club programs across the nation. Headlining the team and joining Arvidsson will be Sam Morse (Sugarloaf, ME) and Florian Szwebel (Avon, CO) who finished fourth and seventh, respectively, in last year’s World Juniors downhill in Sochi, Russia.

Joining this crew will be three-time 2016 Youth Olympic Games champion River Radamus (Edwards, CO), who is currently ranked first in NorAm Cup alpine combined standings, and a long list of top performers on the NorAm Cup circuit.

The USA will also bring a strong women’s team. Nina O’Brien (Edwards, CO) is currently ranked second in the NorAm Cup overall, slalom, super G and alpine combined standings, while U.S. Ski team teammate Alice Merryweather (Hingham, MA) is ranked first in the downhill standings and Patricia Mangan (Derby, NY) is ranked first in the super G standings.

The team will have a good chance at the prestigious Marc Hodler Trophy, awarded to the team with the best overall performance. Last year Austria took the honor, followed by Switzerland and then Canada. “The thing I’m probably most excited about is the depth of our team, across men and women, in all six events,” noted Arvidsson. “We’re going to have a super deep team with athletes starting in the top seed in every event, and I’m excited to see what we can do and make a push for the overall team nation’s trophy. It should be a good experience.”

Both men and women will get some solid time training together as one in Kvitfjell, Norway prior to hitting the slopes in re, which Arvidsson believes will be invaluable for the group. “We’re looking forward to having that week to build the atmosphere and build the team and then lead into trying to ski our best when it matters most,” Arvidsson said.

The 2017 Junior Worlds will include men’s and women’s downhill, super G, alpine combined, slalom, giant slalom and a mixed team event. Live timing will be provided by FIS.

2017 FIS ALPINE JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM
Name (Hometown; Team Affiliation; Club; Birthdate)

Men
Erik Arvidsson – Woodside, CA (U.S. Ski Team C Team; Squaw Valley Ski Team) 9/3/96
Garret Driller – Tahoe City, CA (U.S. Ski Team N-UNI Team; Montana State University Ski Team) 8/24/96
Andrew Miller – Park City, UT (National Training Group; Park City Ski Team) 12/18/98
Sam Morse – Sugarloaf, ME (U.S. Ski Team C Team; Carrabassett Valley Academy) 5/27/96
River Radamus – Edwards, CO (U.S. Ski Team D Team; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) 2/12/98
Jett Seymour – Steamboat Springs, CO (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) 11/5/98
George Steffey – Lyme, NH (U.S. Ski Team D Team; Stratton Mountain School) 8/18/97
Florian Szwebel – Avon, CO (U.S. Ski Team D Team; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) 9/4/96

Women
Keely Cashman – Strawberry, CA (U.S. Ski Team D Team; Squaw Valley Ski Team) 4/4/99
Rachael DesRochers – Mammoth Lakes, CA (Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) 1/4/97
Maureen Lebel – Truckee, CA (Mammoth Mountain Ski & Snowboard Club) 6/13/98
Patricia Mangan – Derby, NY (U.S. Ski Team C Team; Holimont Racing Club) 3/7/97
Alice Merryweather – Hingham, MA (U.S. Ski Team C Team; Attitash Race Team/Stratton Mountain School) 10/5/96
Nina O’Brien – Edwards, CO (U.S. Ski Team D Team; Burke Mountain Academy/Squaw Valley Ski Team) 11/29/97
Galena Wardle – Basalt, CO (U.S. Ski Team C Team; Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club) 4/24/98

HIGHLIGHTS

• A strong and deep team of 15 rising stars – seven women and eight men – will represent the U.S. at the 2017 FIS Alpine Junior World Championships in re, Sweden, March 8-14.
• Chosen athletes come from the U.S. Ski Team C, D and N-UNI teams, the USSA National Training Group, as well as top USSA club programs across the nation.
• Medals will be awarded in six events – downhill, super G, giant slalom, slalom, alpine combined, the team event – going towards the Marc Hodler trophy for overall team performance.
• Last year, Erik Arvidsson (Woodside, CA) was crowned World Juniors downhill champ, leading four athletes into the top 10.
• At last season’s Youth Olympic Games, held in Lillehammer, Norway, River Radamus (Edwards, CO) grabbed a hat trick of victories across super G, giant slalom and combined disciplines and became the first skier or snowboarder in history to win three individual gold medals.

QUOTES

Chip Knight, Alpine Development Director, USSA
The juniors representing the U.S. at the World Junior Championships have worked hard all year to get to this point. It’s particularly exciting to see club and NTG athletes joining N-UNI and U.S. Ski Team members for this event, which shows the increasing strength and connectivity of our pipeline between the regional and national levels. We’re working to achieve our goals of winning medals and finishing top five in the Marc Hodler overall team competition.

Erik Arvidsson
[On the depth of the World Juniors team this year]
I’m looking forward to defending my title at World Juniors in re, Sweden this year, and I couldn’t imagine a better place to be doing it – other than, obviously, in the U.S. The thing I’m probably most excited about is the depth of our team, across men and women, in all six events. We’re going to have a super deep team with athletes starting in the top seed in every event, and I’m excited to see what we can do and make a push for the overall team nation’s (Marc Hodler) trophy. It should be a good experience.

[On the importance of team dynamics]
We’re having a camp in Kvitfjell (Norway) the week leading up to it, and as we kind of learned last year, having a really strong team dynamic can pull you a long way, and it helps everyone bring out their best skiing. We’re looking forward to having that week to build the atmosphere and build the team and then lead into trying to ski our best when it matters most. It’s always a super fun challenge and we’re looking forward to it. We have a lot of younger guys and a lot of guys who are going to be making their World Juniors debut, so we have to show them the ropes and I think we’re going to have a really strong team dynamic.

[On why competing in Sweden is so special]
World Juniors in Sweden, for me, is a really big deal. I’m so excited. I’ve never been so excited for a race before. My dad was an Olympic gold medalist for swimming in Sweden, all of my family from my dad’s side lives there, my grandfather was born in a little town 45 minutes from re and I have a lot of family coming to watch. So, hopefully I can use that home field advantage feeling to stay relaxed and bring out my best skiing on race day.

I’m hoping to use this as a stepping stone to be on the big stage in two years (at World Championships in 2019).

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Mar. 8 – Men’s and women’s downhill
Mar. 9 – Men's and women’s super G
Mar. 10 – Women’s alpine combined
Mar. 11 – Men’s alpine combined
Mar. 12 – Women’s giant slalom and team event
Mar. 13 – Men’s giant slalom and women’s slalom
Mar. 14 – Men’s slalom

MORE INFORMATION
re 2017