GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Jan. 27, 2017)  - Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) brushed aside a 15-minute course hold to win his second Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill, leading five Americans into the top 30.

“I was able to push and stick to my plan and not be too fazed by all the crashes and everything,” Ganong said. “It was a tough day for sure. But I’m super happy to win today.”

Travis Ganong won his second career World Cup downhill victory Friday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alain Grosclaude)

Starting bib 12, Ganong endured a lengthy course hold as his teammate Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) was taken off course following a harrowing crash. Ganong nailed the bottom portion of the course, taking the victory by 0.38 seconds over Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud and Italy’s Peter Fill.

The numerous course holds made for a long day for Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT), who stared bib 52 and just wanted to make it across the finish line before dinner.

“We were up there for so long, it was getting to the point where I was like, well ‘screw it!’ I wasn’t expecting a whole lot, but I was just going to ski the best I could before dinnertime,” said Goldberg, who attacked the course and finished 12th, matching a career-best downhill result from Wengen in 2014.

Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY) also posted a career-best World Cup downhill result, finishing 15^th from the 47^th start position.

“I skied well,” Biesemeyer said. “It’s a long day, lot of crashes and a lot of (course) holds. A lot of time to think about it, and a lot of time to digest what you’ve seen. So today I kicked out of the start and my plan was to ski really hard, and then once I got off the flat, just stay balanced, stay over the outside ski, and try not to do anything special. Just be strong and be safe.”

Eleven of the 55 starters did not finish Friday’s race, which was a make-up event from the race canceled in Wengen, Switzerland two weeks ago, including Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and Canada’s Erik Guay, who took a nasty spill – getting thrown backwards as he caught an edge going into a jump.

“I think it was so difficult because we only had one training run, and during the training, it was really slow,” Ganong said. “The speeds were really, really slow and everything skied really easy and everyone kind of relaxed … and today, the speeds were way faster.

“They injected a section for the giant slalom race on Sunday, but they didn’t inject the whole course,” he continued. “So you would hit that little patch of ice on every turn and accelerate. And I think that was a big issue with today. Also, people were pushing really hard and turning off of jumps. It’s never a good thing to have your ski bend when you go off a jump. Maybe they can adjust some things for tomorrow, but I think it’s going to be tough again. You’ll just have to ski smart – it’s downhill!”

Up next, the men race downhill again Saturday on the Kandahar track at Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The race will stream live on NBCSports.com at 6:00 a.m. EST.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travis Ganong won his second career Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill Friday, a make-up race from the cancelled event in Wengen, Switzerland.
• Five Americans finished in the top 30, including Ganong, Jared Goldberg 12^th; Tommy Biesemeyer 15^th; Bryce Bennett 21^st; Andrew Weibrecht 26^th.
• Road to Aspen: Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, who did not race Friday, continues to lead the overall World Cup standings with 1,160 points. Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud leads the overall World Cup downhill standings with 202 points over Italy’s Peter Fill with 199 points.

QUOTES
Travis Ganong
Today was perfect. I was able to push and stick to my plan and not be too phased by all the crashes and everything. It was a tough day for sure. But I’m super happy to win today.

I have no expectations for tomorrow. Just show up and try to ski my best. If I ski my best. I know I can win. I’ll try not to think about it too much, and hopefully I’ll have another good day tomorrow.

I think it was so difficult because we only had one training run, and during the training, it was really slow. The speeds were really, really slow and everything skied really easy and everyone kind of relaxed … and today, the speeds were way faster. They injected a section for the giant slalom race on Sunday, but they didn’t inject the whole course. So you would hit that little patch of ice on every turn and accelerate. And I think that was a big issue with today. Also, people were pushing really hard and turning off of jumps. It’s never a good thing to have your ski bend when you go off a jump. Maybe they can adjust some things for tomorrow, but I think it’s going to be tough again. You’ll just have to ski smart – it’s downhill!

Tommy Biesemeyer
I skied well. It’s a long day, lot of crashes and a lot of (course) holds. So a lot of time to think about it and a lot of time to digest what you’ve seen, so today I kicked out of the start and my plan was to ski really hard, and then once I got off the flat, just stay balanced, stay over the outside ski, and try not to do anything special. Just be strong and be safe.

That was scary today. I inspected (the course) this morning and I was thinking how I was going to charge from top to bottom. But then after watching the top guys go, it kind of changed my plan, and for me, that was hard.

Jared Goldberg
We were up there for so long, it was getting to the point where I was like ‘screw it!’ I wasn’t expecting a whole lot, but I was just going to ski the best I could.

It definitely made me a little nervous seeing so many people crash, but I used it as a lesson learned. It’s helped us formulate a good report for running later and like where to bring our line so that we could be straight over the jumps, instead of arcing off it like some guys did.

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

Saturday, Jan 28
6:00 a.m. – Men's downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAMING
6:00 a.m. – Men's downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen – NBCSN
7:00 p.m. – Men's downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen – Universal HD

Sunday, Jan. 29
4:15 a.m. – Men's giant slalom, run 1, Garmisch-Partenkirchen – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAMING
7:00 a.m. – Men's giant slalom, run 2, Garmisch-Partenkirchen – NBCSN
7:15 a.m. – Men's giant slalom, run 2, Garmisch-Partenkirchen – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAMING

RESULTS
Men’s downhill

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (Jan. 26, 2017) – The Dolomites stage is set for Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), a.k.a. the “Speed Queen,” to prevail. She already has a record 11 Audi FIS Ski World Cup victories in Cortina d’Ampezzo in all disciplines, including the last four World Cup races held here.

The immediate future in Cortina certainly looks bright for Vonn, and it’s not just because the sun is shining and the snow is sparkling in this Dolomitic paradise. After winning her 77th career World Cup in Garmisch, Germany last week in just her second race back from injury, Vonn heads to one of her favorite tracks on the circuit for a downhill and super G. Add to that the fact that, in the first of two training runs, she grabbed the third-fastest time, just .22 seconds off Slovenian Ilka Stuhec’s pace. And, she knows where she can cut time.

“I feel good,” Vonn reflected. “I didn’t really ski very well on top, but I skied well on the more technical sections in the super G section. I feel confident—downhill is coming along nicely. Every run I’m getting more confident and I feel better, especially after the win in Garmisch.”

Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) was sixth, Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) 16^th, Alice McKennis (New Castle, CO) 22^nd and Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) 27^th. Another Olympic Champion, Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA), kicked out of the start gate for the first time since March of 2015 on Wednesday, after undergoing hip surgery. Coming through the finish with a big grin and a sigh of relief, she had fun and will look to make positive steps forward.

Julia Mancuso returns to the World Cup for the first time in almost two years in Thursday’s downhill training in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Christophe Pallot)

“It was really fun for me to be back out there,” Mancuso said in the finish. “It was definitely nerve-racking. It’s hard when you start in the middle of the season, because you never get an opportunity to train downhill, and I’ve only done two days of super G, so I really had to rely on my instincts. I’m really super happy to be out here and I am still reminding myself to take it one day at a time. Even though I’ve been doing this for a long time, it’s still hard to get used to going fast.”

Over on the men’s side, they’ll take on a pair of downhills beginning on Friday—one rescheduled from Wengen—and a giant slalom. In Wednesday’s training run, Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) posted the fourth-fastest time, leading the way for a strong American Downhiller contingent including Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) in 11^th, Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) in 12^th, Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY) tied for 24^th, and Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, CA) in 26^th.

Steven Nyman was fourth in Thursday’s downhill training at the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. (Getty Images/AFP-Christof Stache)

After a challenging, slick and bumpy ride down the Streif in Kitzbuehel, the American Downhillers are loving the grippy, Colorado-like snow on the Kandahar track in Garmisch. “They prepared the hill really well,” Nyman said after the first and only downhill training run. “There are some turns that are almost Beaver Creek-like snow, just really grippy and nice.”

As is an American speed team tradition—and highlight—in Garmisch, the men spent Wednesday evening at the Hausberg Lodge with U.S. military and their families, signing autographs, enjoying a taco buffet and hanging out. Hopefully the support will give the American men the push they need to succeed on the Kandahar. “I like the hill,” reflected Steven, “and we were told no American man has ever won here. So it’d be kind of cool to be the first.”

Fans can catch all of this weekend’s speed and giant slalom action on NBCSN and Universal HD, and via live stream at nbcsports.com/live.

World Championship Team
The races in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Cortina d'Ampezzo are the final qualifiers for the World Championship team, which will be named next week.

Road to Aspen Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals
Austria’s Marcel Hirscher takes a 368-point lead into the weekend with no sign of a strong challenger to his overall lead. The downhill title chase is all knotted up with Italy’s Dominik Paris leading a group of six athletes all within 20 points. Lara Gut cut Mikaela Shiffrin's margin to just 130 points with an opportunity to potentially move into the lead in Cortina. Ilka Stuhec holds a solid lead in the downhill standings while Gut is firmly in control of super G. The chase for crystal globes leads up to the World Cup Finals in Aspen.

CONFIRMED STARTERS
Cortina, Italy – Women:
Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA) – DH, SG
Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) – DH, SG
Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) – DH, SG*
Anna Marno (Centennial, WY) – SG
Alice McKennis (New Castle, CO) – DH, SG
Alice Merryweather (Hingham, MA) – SG
Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) – DH, SG
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) – SG
Leanne Smith (North Conway, NH) – DH, SG
Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) – DH, SG
Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) – DH, SG

*TBD

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany – Men: 
David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) – GS
Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, CA) – DH
Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY) – DH
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) – GS
Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) – GS
Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) – DH
Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT) – DH
Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) – GS
Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) – DH
Hig Roberts (Steamboat Springs, CO) – GS
Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City, UT) – GS
Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) – DH

QUOTES
Lindsey Vonn
I feel good. I didn’t really ski very well on top, but I skied well on the more technical sections in the super G section. I feel confident—downhill is coming along nicely. Every run I’m getting more confident and I feel better, especially after the win in Garmisch. I feel like I’m finally in a good place. Super G I need a bit more work, so hopefully some of this downhill training will find its way over to super G on Sunday, but yeah—I feel good.

Julia Mancuso
It was really fun for me to be back out there. It was definitely nerve-racking. It’s hard when you start in the middle of the season, because you never get an opportunity to train downhill, and I’ve only done two days of super G, so I really had to rely on my instincts. I’m really super happy to be out here and I am still reminding myself to take it one day at a time. Even though I’ve been doing this for a long time, it’s still hard to get used to going fast.

The best thing for me, though, is I remember when I was watching before I decided to get surgery - when I was trying to do injections and trying to get back out there—I was trying to figure out how I would ever be in the start again. I would watch the girls and think, ‘There’s no way…I’m so far from that physically, how am I going to get there?’ So, to be able to come up today and stand in the start, and have all of those doubts but just trust and know that my body and my doctors and my physical therapist and all the effort is real, because I don’t think that they’d let me be out here if I wasn’t strong enough. But, of course, there’s always the doubt just wondering what, and how, it’s going to feel when you do it.

Laurenne Ross
The course is super smooth and it’s fast, and it feels like a real downhill—there’s some air, and it’s in really great shape. I look forward to this weekend. I’m excited. I’m going to take it day by day and focus on the training run tomorrow and then hopefully go fast in the race.

Steven Nyman
They prepared the hill really well. There are some turns that are almost Beaver Creek-like snow, just really grippy and nice. Then there are some injected sessions. This hill is funny, because it starts in the sun and finishes in the sun, but the rest of the hill is just dark—black—and you have to be able to shift gears. You have to be able to start out in a high gear and be technical, dynamic and fluid, and then shift gears into a glidey mentality then back into a technical mentality and then back and so on. So I feel like a big name of the game is being able to shift back and forth.

Today I was good on the flats - which is a strength of mine - but as of late, my technical skiing has been really, really good. So hopefully I can put it all together and lay one down come tomorrow. I like the hill, and we were told no American man has ever won here. So it’d be kind of cool to be the first.

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

Friday, Jan. 27
7:05 a.m. - Men's downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen - nbcsports.com - LIVE STREAMING

Saturday, Jan 28
4:30 a.m. – Women’s downhill, Cortina d’Ampezzo – nbcsports.com – LIVE
6:00 a.m. – Men's downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAMING
6:00 a.m. – Men's downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen – NBCSN
7:30 a.m. – Women’s downhill, Cortina d’Ampezzo – NBCSN

Sunday, Jan. 29
4:15 a.m. – Men's giant slalom, run 1, Garmisch-Partenkirchen – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAMING
5:30 a.m. – Women’s super G, Cortina d’Ampezzo – nbcsports.com – LIVE
7:00 a.m. – Men's giant slalom, run 2, Garmisch-Partenkirchen – NBCSN
7:15 a.m. – Men's giant slalom, run 2, Garmisch-Partenkirchen – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAMING
5:30 p.m. – Women’s super G, Cortina d’Ampezzo – NBCSN

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
Men’s Downhill Training Run
Women’s Downhill Training Run 1

START LIST
Men's Downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Friday, Jan. 27

DENVER (Jan. 26, 2017) – One of the U.S. Ski Team's most progressive new equipment suppliers, Swiss ski manufacturer Stckli, has been honored by the Team and SnowSports Industries America (SIA). Stckli was presented with the Doc DesRoches Award at the SIA Snow Show Thursday (Jan. 26) for its promotion of the U.S. Ski Team and its athletes.

Stckli is the newest U.S. Alpine Ski Team ski supplier, joining in 2014 and supporting a half-dozen athletes including Olympic champion Julia Mancuso and World Cup veteran Stacey Cook.

The award is named in honor of Doc DesRoches, a long time industry leader who helped form SIA and led it for two decades. During that tenure he was instrumental in development of the U.S. Ski Team's fundraising efforts, including the formation of the New York Ski and Snowboard Ball.

In addition to its support of athletes, Stckli has deployed one of the most aggressive marketing plans of any Team supplier, with major national advertising in ski publications showcasing the U.S. Ski Team brand and its top athletes. One of its print campaigns, Quality is the Difference, introduces Stckli to the American market through full-page ads in Ski and Skiing Magazine featuring Mancuso.

"There’s such an opportunity to show America what great skis they are and the Swiss precision they put into every ski," said Mancuso from Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy where she is taking the next steps in her comeback from injury. "Having Stckli’s support and keeping me going through hard times was everything I needed to get back on snow."

The commitment by Stckli is being felt at all levels of ski racing throughout the USA in just a short time. "Stckli sees ski racing as growing aspect of the sport with youth in America," said Stckli North America General Manager George Couperthwait. "The ability to be able to have great athletes like Julia Mancuso and Stacey Cook endorse the performance of our products is a key aspect of our marketing efforts. It is an honor for Stckli to be recognized by the U.S. Ski Team, especially because our relationship is so new."  

U.S. Ski Team President and CEO Tiger Shaw presented the award to Stckli, along with SIA President and CEO Nick Sargent.

"Our suppliers, like Stckli, are vital to the athletic success of our U.S. Ski Team athletes," said Shaw. "But what really has set Stckli apart is its marketing support to showcase our athletes to fans across our nation."

HIGHLIGHTS

• Swiss ski manufacturer Stckli, one of the newest U.S. Ski Team suppliers, was honored with presentation of the Doc DesRoches Award from the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and SnowSports Industries America (SIA).
• SIA and the USSA have presented the award annually since 2004 to recognize a national team supplier for its work in marketing the Team and athletes.
• Stckli, which joined as a U.S. Ski Team supplier in 2014, supports a half-dozen athletes including Olympic champion Julia Mancuso and World Cup veteran Stacey Cook.
• The award is named in honor of Doc DesRoches, a long time industry leader who helped form SIA and led it for two decades. During that tenure he was instrumental in development of the U.S. Ski Team's fundraising efforts, including the formation of the New York Ski and Snowboard Ball.
• The award was presented at the Stckli trade show booth on January 26 at the SIA Snow Show in Denver.

QUOTES
Julia Mancuso, Olympic Champion
There’s such an opportunity to show America what great skis they are and the Swiss precision they put into every ski. Having Stckli’s support and keeping me going through hard times was everything I needed to get back on snow.

Stacey and I have skied together since we were little and have a great mutual respect for each other. We help each other with the skis and get as much time as possible on the hill. It’s nice to have a teammate within the team.

Stacey Cook
When I switched to Stckli I was really impressed with the skis they were making. I had watched a ton of video of Tina Maze and liked the way the skis tracked for her. From the very first day I fell in love with the skis but even more so the family feel of the company. As an older athlete you crave the interaction with the company and Stckli provided that from day one. You really feel like a team and that was so positive, as an athlete, to have that relationship and interaction.

Julia and I go way back to when we were seven years old and have taken this crazy journey together. Now to work with the same technician and the same skis, we've learned each other's skiing even better and being teammates in an entirely new way is really cool - I love it. We share a technician and there are so many positives to it that there are two of us in the USA and together we get the best out of the factory.

Tiger Shaw, President and CEO, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association
Our suppliers, like Stckli, are vital to the athletic success of our U.S. Ski Team athletes. But what really has set Stckli apart is its marketing support to showcase our athletes to fans across our nation.

Michael Jaquet, Chief Marketing Officer, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association
Stckli identified alpine ski racing in America as a key opportunity to bring new life to its brand and identity here in the USA. The commitment has not only been at the elite level with Julia and Stacey but also with our clubs at the grassroots level all the way up through our masters programs. That commitment helps us promote the sport more broadly and the understanding of that is very endemic to the Stckli brand in Switzerland but also through its American leadership under George Couperthwait.

George Couperthwait, General Manager, Stckli North America
Stckli sees ski racing as growing aspect of the sport with youth in America. The ability to be able to have great athletes like Julia Mancuso and Stacey Cook endorse the performance of our products is a key aspect of our marketing efforts. It is an honor for Stckli to be recognized by the U.S. Ski Team, especially because our relationship is so new.  

Nick Sargent, President, SnowSports Industries America
Doc DesRoches was a pioneer of our industry and a passionate supporter of the U.S. Ski Team. It's important for us to remember the contribution he made to skiing setting the platform for companies like Stckli who are an important part of our sport today.

Doc DesRoches Award Winners
2004 - Rossignol
2005 - Atomic
2006 - All U.S. Ski Team suppliers
2007- Spyder Active Sports
2008 - Volkl, Marker, Tecnica
2009 – SmartWool
2010 – Under Armour
2011 – Head Skis
2012 – High Sierra
2013 – POC Sports USA
2014 – The North Face
2015 – GoPro
2016 - Atomic
2017 – Stckli

Over the past decade, Lindsey Vonn has established herself as one of the world's most notable athletes. People on the street know Lindsey Vonn. They recognize her as an accomplished ski racer and cultural hero of her time - a glamorous woman whose image has graced every level of global media.

What they don't see is the Lindsey Vonn who spends six to eight hours in the gym every day - sweating and toiling to tone her 32-year-old body to accomplish things never before achieved in her sport. And with each painful injury, that work becomes harder.

It was no surprise that last weekend in the Bavarian village of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany she broke down in tears - letting her emotions loose in the finish area, hugging her father, doing a dance with the fans and looking back up at the imposing Kandahar run with a smile.

It was just a broken arm, some would say, that stole the first six weeks of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup season from her. But this wasn't just any broken arm. A downhill training crash at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain, Colorado in November shattered her humerus. She showcased the x-rays on Instagram, detailing the fragmented bones and the metal plate and screws surgeons in Vail used to put it back together again.

 

A photo posted by Lindsey Vonn (@lindseyvonn) on

Nov 11, 2016 at 11:53am PST

Next came the work. There was pain. There were tears. Then there were pull ups - maybe earlier than doctors would have liked. But she had a mission.

A week before Garmisch, after just a few on-snow days at Vail, Vonn crossed the Atlantic bound for the tiny Austrian mountain village of Zauchensee south of Salzburg, Austria. It was a very special place for her. A year ago, the legendary Austrian Annemarie Moeser Proell was in the finish to greet the American star when she matched the record of 36 downhill wins.

A win would have been a fairy tale. But it wasn't in the cards. After days of waiting for weather to break for downhill training, Vonn mustered a 13th on the twisty-turn track that rips its way from the towering peak of the Gamskogel to the charming village below.

She tucked away the experience in Zauchensee and traveled to Garmisch with hope and confidence. The Kandahar is one of those big downhills with broad shoulders and bold, sweeping high-speed turns. Six of Vonn's then 76 World Cup wins had come there (among them a slalom win in 2009) - including a big victory a year ago by 1.51 seconds. Still, she had such little time on snow - and almost nothing at speed - she thought she may need to scale back her expectations.

The Kandahar stands proudly in the shadow of the Zugspitze. The women's course starts high in the Troeglhang, arcing boldly through the Bavarian forest - big sweeping turns. But while the top may be bathed in sunshine, the winding track is dark and bumpy, making it terrifyingly difficult to visualize your line. This was a course you skied with intuition and feel.

Vonn kept her cards close in two training runs, running fifth fastest on her final try but failing to make one of the final gates. No worries. She knew she could adjust her line on race day.

With just one dowhill under her belt, Vonn attacked the Kandahar Course. (Lindesy Vonn Facebook)

Standing at the top, she knew what she had to do. German hero Veronika Rebensburg kicked it off with bib number one to take the lead. One by one, no one could match her time. Then came the matchup ski racing fans can expect to see in every speed race this season as Swiss star Lara Gut came into the gate. Gut knifed it down the Kandahar to take the lead. Soon it was Vonn's turn, in the familiar 17th start position.

She charged out onto the course, arcing her way onto the Kandahar and through the chicane turns of the Schussanger. The first intermediate time came up red, a slim gap to make up on Gut. Pointing her skis into the fall line, Vonn took on the look of a champion. This was not the same ski racer with the wide and shaky turns of a week earlier. She rocketed down through the Himmelreich and dropped over Waldeck - the steepest pitch on the course.

Suddenly the 2010 Olympic champion was up by .39 seconds over Gut.

Vonn continued to put down bold turns, skiing a courageous line - taking calculated risks, skiing on a mission. Now it was down to the final turns through the FIS Schneisse and into the Tauber Schuss - time ticking and ticking.

As she crossed the finish line, there was a moment of silence. Then there was the roar of the crowd. She saw the scoreboard and it was green. She hugged her hands into her chest, looking into the crowd for her father, before collapsing prone on the snow sobbing uncontrollably.

 

A photo posted by Lindsey Vonn (@lindseyvonn) on

Jan 22, 2017 at 8:41am PST

Sport fans see what takes place in the arena. But sometimes they get a look deeper inside. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Saturday, they saw into the heart of one of the world's greatest athletes. Even if you're Lindsey Vonn with 77 World Cup wins, they don't come automatically and they are never easy.

It's one thing to set a goal of winning, it's quite another to achieve it. Lindsey knows she can match Ingemar Stenmark's record of 86 World Cup wins. She knows she can race against the men. But she, and only she, bears the burden of achieving it.

"To be honest, I wasn’t sure what I was capable of," she said fighting back tears in the finish. "I tried to risk more and believe in myself. I know people don’t think about how much blood, sweat and tears it took to get here today.

"Words can't describe how happy I am right now. Hard work pays off in the end.

"I did it!!"

Jan. 24, 2017 (SCHLADMING, Austria) – Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT) was the top American finisher at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom—delighting the crowd by hiking to finish 27th, over 50 seconds off first place.

Over 60,000 wild fans showed up at the night race in Schladming—an annual tradition just two hours down the road from the weekend’s races at Kitzbuehel. Marcel Hirscher of Austria looked like he was going to take his second slalom victory in three days, putting down a blazing second run in front of the home crowd. But Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway, who won first run, was determined to beat Hirscher once again. Kristoffersen fell behind at the middle splits on his second run, exciting the roaring Austrian fans, before turning on the gas at the finish to steal the win. Alexander Khoroshilov of Russia was third—making it the same exact podium at last season’s Schladming slalom.

Kelley, who finished 25th first run, was skiing well on his second run, before falling just before the finish. But taught never to give up by his parents, the Vermont native hiked for almost a minute to complete the course. The crowd went nuts, cheering on the devoted American. “I’m tired—very tired—but it was worth it!” said Kelley. “It was a great feeling to cross the finish line here. This is the best race of the year. I would have liked to be 48 seconds faster than I was, so I’m a little disappointed.”

David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO), who was 11th at the Schladming World Cup last year, did not finish. “Mentally, I’m there,” said Chodounsky. “Something is going on—this is too many DNFs in a row, weird stuff going on that’s not by chance. We’ll fix whatever is going on and be ready for World Champs.”

Mark Engel (Truckee, CA) did not qualify for second run. Hig Roberts (Steamboat Springs, CO), AJ Ginnis (Vouliagmeni, Greece) and Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) did not finish first run.

Next up, the men head to Garmisch-Partenkirchen for two downhills—one a makeup race from Wengen—and a giant slalom.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Robby Kelley was the only American finisher, taking 27th. It was his second time scoring in a slalom this season.
• Henrik Kristoffersen has won five slalom of the eight races this season.
• ROAD TO ASPEN: Kristoffersen’s win ties Marcel Hirscher in the slalom standings, but Hirscher still holds the overall standings by a large margin with Kristoffersen in second.
• Watch the broadcast of the Schladming night slalom on NBCSN at 10:30 p.m. ET.

QUOTES

Robby Kelley
I’m tired—very tired—but it was worth it! It was a great feeling to cross the finish line here. This is the best race of the year. I would have liked to be 48 seconds faster than I was, so I’m a little disappointed.

I hope I would (hike and finish) everywhere, but the reaction here was so good. It was awesome. This is the best crowd in the world. It was nice that they appreciated my effort.

I was going for it. I was happy with my intensity of the bottom—I was really trying to make up some time down there. I had a good bottom split first run, but I couldn’t quite keep up with myself. I got jetted out and as I was sliding—I was thinking ‘please stop so I can hike before I cross the finish line!’ I did stop and was able to hike. I don’t know if I went to the right gate or not—I don’t know how far I slid. I’m happy with the reaction of the crowd. They appreciated what I did and I’m happy for that. It was a nice moment even though I’m pretty disappointed I went out so close to the finish.

I just want to cross the finish line every time I go. I basically always hike. It’s something I’ve always done. My parents told me to never give up, so I wanted to cross that finish line.  

David Chodounsky
Mentally, I’m there. I know I’m skiing well. Everything is working. But something is just a little off and we have to go back. We have time now to get a good training block and just tweak something. Fix whatever is happening. Something is going on—this is too many DNFs in a row, weird stuff going on that’s not by chance. We’ll fix whatever is going on and be ready for World Champs.

It’s pretty hard (to keep my head in the game). I usually have not done well in those situations. But I feel like I can actually move on right now and I know I’m skiing well. Race to race in January I’ve had good splits all along. Like I said, mentally it’s not an issue or confidence. I just gotta keep taking that and I know it’s there. One of these races, we’re going to fix whatever’s wrong. That bad luck snap is going to break.

BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (times EST)

Friday, Jan. 27
7:05 a.m. - men's downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen - nbcsports.com - LIVE STREAMING
7:00 p.m. - men's downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen - Universal HD

Saturday, Jan. 28
6:00 a.m. - men's downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen - nbcsports.com - LIVE STREAMING
6:00 a.m. - men's downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen - NBCSN

Sunday, Jan. 29
4:15 a.m. - men's giant slalom, run 1, Garmisch-Partenkirchen - nbcsports.com - LIVE STREAMING
7:15 a.m. - men's giant slalom, run 2, Garmisch-Partenkirchen - nbcsports.com - LIVE STREAMING
7:00 a.m. - men's giant slalom, run 2, Garmisch-Partenkirchen - NBCSN
 

Tuesday, Jan. 31
11:00 a.m. – City Event, Stockholm – nbcsports.com – LIVE
7:00 p.m. – City Event, Stockholm – Universal HD

KRONPLATZ, Italy (Jan. 24, 2017) – Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) rebounded from a disappointing first run to lay down a solid second run to finish fifth in Tuesday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom.

In front of the home-country crowd, Italy went 1-3 with Federica Brignone taking the victory and Marta Bassino in third. Tessa Worley of France was second. Brignone’s victory was only her second career World Cup giant slalom win, and her third career World Cup victory.  

Mikaela Shiffrin skied a solid second run to finish fifth in Tuesday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom. (Getty Images/AFP-Tiziana Fabi)

Shiffrin, starting third in the first run, just didn’t feel comfortable on her skis right out the gate. But she rebounded in second run, especially on the bottom, shadowed section of the course, which caused fits for numerous racers.

“Second run was definitely better than the first,” Shiffrin said. “I had a lot of struggle with my grip today and it was really, really bizarre because I have never had that kind of feeling where I wasn’t confident standing on my edges. We used the same set up and same tuning and everything that really works on this kind of snow, and for some reason today it was really off from the first gate.

“Second run was a bit better, a bit more trusting, but still a bit of a struggle,” she added. “So I’m happy with fifth place.”

Switzerland’s Lara Gut finished fourth and took five points out of Shiffrin’s overall World Cup lead. Worley leads the overall World Cup giant slalom standings by 120 points over Shiffrin and 22 points over Gut.

Up next, the women’s World Cup heads to Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy for downhill and super G races Saturday and Sunday. Stockholm, Sweden hosts a City Event slalom on Tuesday Jan. 31. All events will be streamed live on NBCSports.com.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Mikaela Shiffrin finished fifth in Tuesday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom in Kronplatz, Italy
• Italy went 1-3 in front of the home country crowd with Federica Brignone taking the victory and Marta Bassino in third, for her second career World Cup podium.
• Road to Aspen: Tessa Worley of France was second and maintained her World Cup giant slalom lead over Shiffrin by 120 points. Lara Gut, who was fourth Tuesday, took another five points out of Shiffrin’s overall World Cup lead. Shiffrin leads the overall standings with 1,053 points. Gut is second with 923 and Worley is third overall with 688 points.

QUOTES
Mikaela Shiffrin
Second run was definitely better than the first. I had a lot of struggle with my grip today and it was really, really bizarre because I have never had that kind of feeling where I wasn’t confident standing on my edges. We used the same set up and same tuning and everything that really works on this kind of snow, and for some reason today it was really off from the first gate.

Second run was a bit better, a bit more trusting, but still a bit of a struggle. So I’m happy with fifth place.

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

Tuesday, Jan. 24
6:00 p.m. – Women’s giant slalom, Kronplatz – Universal HD

Saturday, Jan 28
4:30 a.m. – Women’s downhill, Cortina d’Ampezzo – nbcsports.com – LIVE
7:30 a.m. – Women’s downhill, Cortina d’Ampezzo – NBCSN

Sunday, Jan. 29
5:30 a.m. – Women’s super G, Cortina d’Ampezzo – nbcsports.com – LIVE
5:30 p.m. – Women’s super G, Cortina d’Ampezzo – NBCSN

Tuesday, Jan. 31
11:00 a.m. – City Event, Stockholm – nbcsports.com – LIVE
7:00 p.m. – City Event, Stockholm – Universal HD

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Jan. 22, 2017) – In her first Audi FIS Ski World Cup super G race in almost a year, Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) took a step in the right direction to regaining her super G race form with a top-10 finish Sunday.

Swiss Lara Gut took the victory Sunday on a bumpy, icy Kandahar track ahead of Austria’s Stephanie Venier, who scored her first career World Cup podium in second and Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein in third. Vonn, who finished ninth, led five American’s into the top 30, including Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) in 15^th; Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) 27^th; Anna Marno (Centennial, WY) 28^th; and Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) in 30^th. Alice Merryweather (Hingham, MA) just missed the points in 32^nd.

“It was very bumpy and very icy,” Vonn said of the Kandahar track. “It’s very dark, so it was hard to get a good feeling on the snow, on this slope.

“I didn’t see Lara’s run. I’m sure she skied it very well. It really took some aggressive skiing today to win,” she added. “I didn’t have that today, but I congratulate all the top three finishers.”

Vonn, who won Saturday’s downhill in only her second race since returning from a pair of injuries, competed in her first super G race Sunday since February of 2016 when she won a super G during the alpine combined in Soldeu-El Tarter, Andorra. Now that she has one super G race in her legs, she’s ready to step it up next week at Cortina, Italy. 

“I think it’s a good first step,” Vonn said of Sunday’s race. “In the downhill in Zauchensee, it took me one race to really get into it, so I think today was positive. I didn’t ski my best, I had some trouble with the ice, but I will train some more before Cortina – I love Cortina – and I’m really looking forward to next week.”

Vonn has good reason to love Cortina. Two years ago, she broke the all-time World Cup victory record in Cortina. Last season she broke Annemarie Moser-Proell’s World Cup dowhill win record there. Cortina is also the site of her first-ever World Cup podium, third in downhill in 2004. 

With Sunday’s victory and a second place in Saturday’s downhill behind Vonn, Gut took 180 points out of Mikaela Shiffrin’s (Eagle-Vail, CO) overall World Cup lead. Shiffrin still holds a 135-point advantage heading into Tuesday’s World Cup giant slalom in Kronplatz, Italy.

Watch the Kronplatz giant slalom live on NBCSports.com at 3:15 a.m. EST (first run) and 6:15 a.m. EST (second run).

HIGHLIGHTS

• Lindsey Vonn finished ninth in her first super G race in almost a year Sunday on the Kandahar course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
• Swiss Lara Gut won her 11^th career World Cup super G race Sunday.
• Austria’s Stephanie Venier scored her first career World Cup podium, finishing second.
• Five Americans finished in the points Sunday, including Vonn, including Laurenne Ross in 15^th; Breezy Johnson 27^th; Anna Marno 28^th; and Jackie Wiles in 30th.
• Road to Aspen: Swiss Lara Gut took another 100 points out of Mikaela Shiffrin’s overall World Cup lead with her victory Saturday.  Following her second place finish in Saturday’s downhill, Gut now trails Shiffrin, who didn’t race Sunday, by 135 points heading into Tuesday’s giant slalom. Gut has also won all three super G races this season and leads the overall World Cup super G standings.

QUOTES
Lindsey Vonn
I think it’s a good first step. In the downhill in Zauchensee, it took me one race to really get into it, so I think today was positive. I didn’t ski my best, I had some trouble with the ice, but I will train some more before Cortina – I love Cortina – and I’m really looking forward to next week.

It was very bumpy and very icy.  It’s very dark, so it was hard to get a good feeling on the snow, on this slope.

I didn’t see Lara’s run. I’m sure she skied it very well. It really took some aggressive skiing today to win. I didn’t have that today, but I congratulate all the top three finishers.

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

Sunday, Jan. 22
6:30 p.m. – Women’s super G, Garmisch – Universal HD

Tuesday, Jan. 24
3:15 a.m. – Women’s giant slalom run 1, Kronplatz – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
6:15 a.m. – Women’s giant slalom run 2, Kronplatz – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
6:00 p.m. – Women’s giant slalom, Kronplatz – Universal HD

RESULTS
Women’s super G

KITZBUEHEL, Austria (Jan. 22, 2017) – In a tough day in Kitzbuehel, with no U.S. men finishing the battle at the Hahnenkamm Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom, a British man stepped onto a surprise podium.

David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO), who was feeling a bit under the weather, struggled with the bottom section of the course on both runs. He was 25th after first run and while he was making up time on second run, he fell before the finish. “I was skiing well,” said Chodounsky. “I just ran out of gas down bottom. I’ve been feeling a little sick. I had cold sweats all last night and I don’t think that helped me out today. You really needed all your strength today.”

David Chodounsky falls in the Kitzbuehel slalom. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alain Grosclaude)

But the story of the day was Dave Ryding. The Great Britain slalom sensation delighted British fans by winning the first run of slalom in the biggest ski weekend of the season in front of a crowd of more than 25,000 fans. However, Marcel Hirscher of Austria crushed his second run in front of the home crowd—skiing from ninth place to take the lead ahead of Ryding. Although Ryding could not beat last season’s overall World Cup champion, the 30-year-old Brit flung his poles in the air when he saw that he finished in second. He celebrated his first career World Cup podium, ecstatic to show off the British Ski Team to the world. His training partner Alexander Khoroshilov of Russia finished third.

The Americans had a hard time on the slick track with challenging terrain. Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT), Mark Engel (Truckee, CA), Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) did not qualify for second run. AJ Ginnis (Vouliagmeni, Greece) did not finish first run.

Next up is the famous Schladming, Austria night slalom on Tuesday.

HIGHLIGHTS

• No Americans finished the Kitzbuehel slalom.
• Marcel Hirscher of Austria won his 20^th World Cup slalom.
• Dave Ryding of Great Britain stepped on his first World Cup podium in second place after leading first run.
• The slalom wrapped the Kitzbuehel weekend, with the men now heading to Schladming for a night slalom on Tuesday.
• Road to Aspen: Hirscher added another 100 points to his overall World Cup lead and overtook the slalom title lead over Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway, who DNFed first run.

QUOTES

David Chodounsky
I felt great. I was skiing well. I just ran out of gas down bottom. I’ve been feeling a little sick. I had cold sweats all last night and I don’t think that helped me out today. You really needed all your strength today. Both times at the bottom, I just ran out of gas unfortunately. People are going for it and it’ll happen on the easiest hill too. It’s pretty difficult, but pretty classic Kitzbuehel slalom.

The skiing is there. I’m really happy with the way I’m skiing. I think I was skiing well up top. First run, I was top 10 until the mistake down bottom. Second run I think I was skiing well again. The skiing’s there but that’s the frustrating part. It’s just not falling in place yet. I just gotta keep plugging away.

AJ Ginnis
This course was so tough. The groove is pretty out there—pretty shelfed. I just went into the flush to make up some time, but instead my tip just caught. I didn’t really expect it to happen. You gotta learn to fight harder. This hill is challenging. I don’t think anyone feels good. I don’t think Dave Ryding’s first run felt good but you have to just keep going and I didn’t do a good job of doing that today.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle
It was a little holey, but you have to expect that running as far back as I did. The snow is actually hard which is nice—if you can ski it right, there’s still a little bit of a chance, but it’s pretty difficult to do that. I felt alright up top—I know my splits were slow, but the skiing was something to be proud of. But overall, it’s such a difficult conditions and course. There’s no huge mistake but little tiny things here and there that add up. You pretty much have to send it full pin and get pretty lucky with making it all the way down to get in there.

I think it’s cool to be able to start every World Cup event now after today and to be able to do it on such a challenging hill. Even making it on down to the finish is something to feel good about. It’s a pretty tough slalom hill, for sure.

BROADCAST & LIVE STREAMING (times EST)

Sunday, Jan. 22
4:00 p.m. – Men’s slalom, Kitzbuehel – NBCSN

Tuesday, Jan. 24
11:30 a.m. - Men's slalom, Schladming - first run - nbcsports.com/live - LIVE STREAM
2:30 p.m. - Men's slalom, Schladming - second run - nbcsports.com/live - LIVE STREAM
10:30 p.m. - Men's slalom, Schladming - NBCSN

RESULTS
Men’s slalom

KITZBUEHEL, Austria (Jan. 21, 2017) – On the world’s toughest downhill course, one small mistake is the difference between finishing on the podium and 10^th place. Just ask Steve Nyman (Sundance, UT), who finished 10^th in Saturday’s Hahnenkamm Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill where the top 10 were separated by just 0.84 seconds.

Italy’s Dominik Paris took the victory over two surprise Frenchmen, Valentin Giraud Moine in second and Johan Clarey in third. Nyman, who chose bib 1, soaked in the start festivities and was well on his way to a great run until the Hausberg section on the world’s most famous downhill course.

Steven Nyman ran bib No. 1 in Saturday’s Hahnenkamm Downhill in front of 70,000 fans. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

“It was really cool starting No. 1,” Nyman said. “They have the big gong going up there, the countdown, and everybody is psyched to see the first guy kick out of the gate. I definitely had some nerves, but I executed really well until the Hausberg. I landed off that round, and that’s a long side-hill traverse, and not carrying the speed across that cost me a lot of time.”

Nyman led four Americans into the top 30 Saturday, including Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY), who started bib 50 and posted a career-best 23^rd place finish - scoring his first World Cup downhill points - on his first race down the Hahnenkamm.

“I’m happy to walk away with 23^rd today,” Biesemeyer said. “It was my first time down Kitzbuehel. To get my first downhill points with a career-best downhill result here in Kitzbuehel is a day to remember.”

Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) was 19^th and Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) was 29^th. Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT) finished 40^th and Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, CA) finished in a three-way tie for 41^st.

Jared Goldberg was one of six Americans competing in the Hahnenkamm. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, who did not race Saturday, continues to lead the overall World Cup standings with 980 points. Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen is second with 692 points and France’s Alexis Pinturault is third with 655 points. All three will be in action in Sunday’s slalom. With Saturday’s victory, Paris moved atop the World Cup downhill standings by two points over the injured Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway.

Up next, the men race slalom Sunday in Kitzbuehel. Watch it live on NBCSports.com at 4:15 a.m. EST first run and 7:15 a.m. second run.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Italy’s Dominik Paris won Saturday’s Hahnenkamm Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill in Kitzbuehel, Austria.
• France’s Valentin Giraud Moine posted his second career World Cup downhill podium (second in Kvitfjell in 2016) in second.
• Johan Clarey of France finished third – his third World Cup downhill podium result.
• Tommy Biesemeyer scored his first World Cup downhill points, starting bib 50 and finishing a career-best 23^rd in his first race down the Hahnenkamm.
• Road to Aspen: Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, who did not race Saturday, continues to lead the overall World Cup standings with 980 points. Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen is second with 692 points and France’s Alexis Pinturault is third with 655 points. With Saturday’s victory, Paris moved atop the World Cup downhill standings by two points over the injured Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway.

QUOTES
Steve Nyman
It was really cool starting No. 1. They have the big gong going up there, the countdown, and everybody is psyched to see the first guy kick out of the gate. I definitely had some nerves, but I executed really well until the Hausberg. I landed off that round, and that’s a long side-hill traverse and not carrying the speed across that cost me a lot of time. But I was happy with the execution.

[On the course]
This year the piste is so icy and brutal. It was fun!

[On his choice to run bib 1]
For one, get it over with. Two, I think some of the chatter, some chunking in the snow could effect the cleanliness of my skiing. The only other doubt I had was the road, the track would not be as good.

I had high expectations. I really would love to be on the podium here; I’d love to win here. Having the first training run and leading the first training run obviously put some expectations on me. My understanding that I have gained of this hill the past three years has been greater and greater, and I feel like my ability to really push here is much better to where I can compete. Hopefully I can put a full run together here next year.

Tommy Biesemeyer
From the time I wake up to the time I’m actually in the start gate where I have to focus in and get it done, there are so many feelings – you’re scared; you’re hyped-up; you’re nervous; you can’t eat. But the moment I was in the gate I said to myself, ‘Stay to the front of the boot, look for the falline and fight to hold position the whole way down. I know it’s going to be rough and it’s not going to feel good. But let’s just see what happens.'

I’m happy to walk away with 23^rd today. It was my first time down Kitzbuehel and to get my first downhill points with a career-best downhill result here in Kitzbuehel is a day to remember.

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

Saturday, Jan. 21
4:30 p.m. – Men’s downhill, Kitzbuehel – NBCSN

Sunday, Jan. 22
4:15 a.m. – Men’s slalom run 1, Kitzbuehel – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
7:15 a.m. – Men’s slalom run 2, Kitzbuehel – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
4:00 p.m. – Men’s slalom, Kitzbuehel – NBCSN

RESULTS
Men’s downhill