GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Jan. 21, 2017) – Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) is back on top!

In only her second race since returning from a pair of injuries that sidelined her for almost a year, Vonn won Saturday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill on the Kandahar course for the third time in her career. Saturday’s win marked her 77^th career World Cup victory, moving her closer to the all-time mark of 86 wins set by the legendary Swede Ingemar Stenmark.

“I’m so happy that it only took me two races to get back on the top step,” Vonn said. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure after Zauchensee how long it would take me. I proved to myself today that all the work that I put in is really coming through.”

Starting bib 17, Vonn posted the fastest times at four of the five intermediate splits ahead of second-place finisher Lara Gut of Switzerland and third-place finisher Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany, both of whom looked on with surprising disbelief in the finish at what Vonn had just accomplished.

“I’ve worked really hard to come back and I feel like sometimes I come back so quickly that everyone forgets how much time and energy, blood, sweat and tears it takes to come back without any training and just jump in there,” said Vonn, who was 13^th in her first race back last weekend in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria.

Swiss Lara Gut (left) takes a selfie on the podium with Lindsey Vonn and Germany’s Viktoria Rebensburg. (Getty Images/Agency Zoom-Stanko Gruden)

Vonn’s victory led four Americans into the top 20, including Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) in 11^th; Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) and Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA) tied for 18^th.  Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR), who grabbed her first career World Cup podium in third last weekend in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, finished 26^th. Leanne Smith (North Conway, NH) was 37^th.

Johnson was well on her way to a career-best World Cup result until the second-to-last racer to start, Ricarda Haaser of Austria, wearing bib 53 came down and posted her best World Cup downhill finish in 10^th.

Breezy Johnson finished 11^th in Saturday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup. (Getty Images/Agency Zoom-Stanko Gruden)

With her second-place finish, Gut took 80 points out of Mikaela Shiffrin’s (Eagle-Vail, CO) overall World Cup lead. Shiffrin leads the overall standings with 1,008 points. Gut is second with 773 points. Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec finished seventh to maintain her overall World Cup downhill lead over Gut in second and Italy’s Sofia Goggia in third.

Up next, the women race super G Sunday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Vonn will be gunning for World Cup victory No. 78. Watch it live on NBCSports.com at 5:45 a.m. EST.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Lindsey Vonn won her 77^th career World Cup race Saturday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in only her second race back since recovering from a pair of injuries that sidelined her for almost a year.
• Vonn’s victory was her 39^th career World Cup downhill victory, and her third World Cup downhill victory (2017, 2016, 2012) on the Kandahar course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
• Breezy Johnson tied her career-best World Cup result in 11^th place. She also finished 11^th earlier this season in Lake Louise, Canada.
• Road to Aspen: Swiss Lara Gut took an 80-point chunk out of Mikaela Shiffrin’s overall World Cup lead with her second place finish Saturday. Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec finished seventh to maintain her overall World Cup downhill lead over Gut in second and Italy’s Sofia Goggia in third.

QUOTES
Lindsey Vonn

It feels amazing. I just got to the bottom and I cried. I’ve worked really hard to come back and I feel like sometimes I come back so quickly that everyone forgets how much time and energy, blood, sweat and tears it takes to come back without any training and just jump in there. I just had to trust myself, my team and my technician - we all did our best and today was just amazing.

I’m so happy that it only took me two races to get back on the top step. Honestly, I wasn’t sure after Zauchensee how long it would take me. I proved to myself today that all the work that I put in is really coming through.

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

Saturday, Jan. 21
3:00 p.m. – Women’s downhill, Garmisch – NBCSN
4:30 p.m. – Men’s downhill, Kitzbuehel – NBCSN

Sunday, Jan. 22
5:45 a.m. – Women’s super G, Garmisch – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
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

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

KITZBUEHEL, Austria (Jan. 20, 2017) – Austria’s Matthias Mayer kicked off ski racing’s Super Bowl weekend and whipped the home-country crowd into a celebratory frenzy with a victory in Friday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup super G. Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) paced three Americans into the top 20, finishing 11^th.

Travis Ganong finished 11^th in Friday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup super-G in Kitzbuehel, Austria. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alain Grosclaude)

Christof Innerhofer from Italy and Switzerland’s Beat Fuez rounded out the podium in second and third respectively. Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) was 18^th; Steve Nyman (Sundance, UT) was 19^th. A trio of Americans just missed the top 30 including Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY) in 33^rd, Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT) in 34^th and Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City, UT) in 35^th.

Friday’s super G served not only as a World Cup race, but a chance for the American’s to grab one more run to prep for Saturday’s main event - the Hahnenkamm Downhill.

“After (Thursday) it was good to get a full run down the course and build a little confidence for (Saturday) and test out the body,” said Ganong, who charged a bit too hard out of the gate in the final downhill training run.

“On a hill like this it’s so hard mentally to be able to push and be confident,” Ganong added. “After (Thursday’s run) I kind of lost some confidence. Before the run (Thursday), I watched Stephan Eberharter’s winning run from 2003 and he absolutely hammered. So I was inspired to try to push as hard as I’ve ever pushed before just to see what would happen and I got a little too excited – skied straight through the first gate. So I think it’s just good to get that run done today and realize that I just need to relax and keep it simple, and not push too hard and just find the flow and go.”

Andrew Weibrecht was 19^th in Friday’s super G. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

Nyman came out of the 51st start position to post his seventh career top-20 World Cup super G finish. He was was also the top finisher in Wednesday’s downhill training run.

“I haven’t had a great year in super G so far,” Nyman said. “Just messing with skis and stuff and I got back on this old ski and it felt really comfortable in training the other day to where it was OK today. Best result of the year in super G for me today and hopefully it qualifies me for World Champs.”

Austria’s Matthias Mayer celebrates his victory in Kitzbuehel on Friday. (Getty Images/AFP-Jure Makovec)

Austria’s Marcel Hirscher was 24^th in Friday’s super G and increased his overall World Cup lead to 288 points over Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen. Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud, winner of the last three three super G races, was ninth and maintained his overall World Cup super G lead with 329 points over Italy's Dominik Paris (192 points).

Up next, the men race the legendary Hahnenkamm downhill Saturday. Watch it live on NBCSports.com at 5:15 a.m. EST.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Austria’s Matthias Mayer won Friday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup super G, his fourth career World Cup victory.
• Travis Ganong was the top American in 11th.
• Steve Nyman came out of the 51^st start position to finish 19th.
• Road to Aspen: Austria’s Marcel Hirscher was 24^th in Friday’s super G and increased his overall World Cup lead to 288 points over Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, who did not race Friday. Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud, winner of the last three three super G races, was ninth and maintained his overall World Cup super G lead with 329 points over Italy's Dominik Paris (192 points).

QUOTES
Travis Ganong
The snow was so different that anything we’ve skied on all season. The injection they did last night after they set the course was really rough. I was expecting grippy ice and it was just super slick … and the skis were just going away. The top section I lost a lot of time because I was not expecting the skis to feel like that. Once I got my feet underneath me again, it was pretty good through the middle section and then the bottom was really easy – almost as fast as the downhill actually, pretty fun.

After (Thursday) it was good to get a full run down the course and build a little confidence for (Saturday) and test out the body. Things are feeling decent.

On a hill like this, it’s so hard mentally to be able to push and be confident. After (Thursday’s crash) I kind of lost some confidence. Before the run (Thursday), I watched Stephan Eberharter’s winning run from 2003 and he absolutely hammered. So I was inspired to try to push as hard as I’ve ever pushed before just to see what would happen and I got a little too excited – skied straight through the first gate. So I think it’s just good to get that run done today and realize that I just need to relax and keep it simple, and not push too hard and just find the flow and go.

Andrew Weibrecht
Just struggling a little bit to get used to this different surface. We’ve been on grippier, easier snow all year and this is just kind of a shock to the system.

I don’t feel my best right now. It’s nice to walk away from a crash like that (in training). I was happy to be able to race today and keep it rolling.

The snow is so icy and bumpy that you can never get settled on your skis.

Steve Nyman
The top 30 guys, they get the sun across the Hausberg, and for us the sun was gone. It’s actually nice because you’re not in and out of the light. But you still can’t see as much ... so you have to trust your line and send it.

I made a couple of mistakes up there, especially the top of the Hausberg. I kind of put my hand down and spun a little and that slowed me down.

I haven’t had a great year in super G so far. Just messing with skis and stuff and I got back on this old ski and it felt really comfortable in training the other day to where it was OK today. Best result of the year in super G for me today and hopefully it qualifies me for World Champs.

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

Friday, Jan. 20
2:30 p.m. – Men’s super G, Kitzbuehel – Universal HD

Saturday, Jan. 21
5:15 a.m. – Men’s downhill, Kitzbuehel – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
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 super G

KITZBUEHEL, Austria (Jan. 19, 2017) – The excitement in Tirol is so palpable, it’s like Christmas Eve. The famous “Flying Bulls” whiz by overhead in their beautiful bombers, black and white wispy smoke circles swirling in the air, leaving magic in their dust for all Kitzbuehel guests to marvel at with their mouths open. Even more jaw-dropping are the athletes hurling their bodies down the Streif at 130km/hr. This is Kitzbuehel: the Super Bowl of ski racing in Austria. And ski legends await their coronation.

What’s it like to fly? Ask the American Downhillers. Leave the start gate at the Hahnenkamm and you’re greeted with one of the gnarliest “hellos” you’ll ever receive: the Mausefalle, where you’ll experience 60-80 meters of flight, fueled by fear and adrenaline. That’s just the start of the excitement, though. It’s a rock-hard, bumpy 2.5k ride from there to the finish.

Leaving the start gate is an honor and crossing the finish line is a blessing in Kitzbuehel. Athletes cross the finish line and let out a sigh of relief, with good reason. This year, the Streif is quite the ominous beast of a competitor.

Every weekend is an away game for the American Downhillers. But, there are some legends in town amongst the 70,000-plus fans this weekend at the ski racing Mecca to make them feel like it’s a home game: Daron Rahlves. AJ Kitt. Chad Fleischer. Bode Miller. They’re all here to watch the biggest show on snow on Saturday, where Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) has said, “It’s a sea of black as you’re coming into the finish area…it’s like you’re skiing into a football stadium.”

Nyman heads into the weekend at Kitzbuehel having finished on the podium in five of his last six downhill races. This consistency has given Nyman confidence and he knows he can podium here. Last season Nyman had fast splits until he DNFed, but with a fifth two seasons ago and a clean, fast—the fastest—first downhill training run on Wednesday, Nyman is confident with his plan of attack.

Bryce Bennett competes during the third downhill run for Saturday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup at the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbuehel, Austria. (Gett Images/AFP-Joe Klamer)

“Yeah, I’m confident,” noted Nyman after his second training run Thursday. “Yesterday we had a lot of video analysis. I want to try a couple of new lines, and there are definitely some lines I know are faster that I’ll try to hit on race day. The way I am over my skis and how I’m feeling is good, so I’ll stick with that, stick to the basics, ski solid and hope for the best.”

The most unforgiving track on the Audi FIS Ski World Cup circuit, the Streif has claimed its fair share of downhillers. In the second and final training run today, the Streif was victorious in a battle against three top American Downhillers: Nyman, Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) and Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) – who took the risky, bad boy line in training, straddling after the Hausberg and crashing into the nets back-first. Thankfully, he emerged unscathed and will look to reset mentally heading into the weekend.

“It’s tough, but you just have to do it,” Weibrecht said. “You just have to get up and keep going at it. Sometimes a crash like this is almost helpful for your psyche, I think, because to take a crash like that and walk away – it kind of makes you feel a little bit more invincible and like you’re willing to take the risk because you think you’ll be fine.”

What goes through your mind in the start gate? It’s kind of a game day decision whether or not you’re going to commit to sending it, and putting it all out there on the line—calculated risk taking.

The American Downhiller: Episode 2 from Ski Racing on Vimeo.

“As much as I want to come here and just have the tenacity to give it all the way and put in a decent run, that was my fourth run ever down it, so it is just taking the steps to learn,” said Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, CA) following training Thursday. “Steven has been helping me out a bunch during inspection, helping me to look at different lines and figure out what it actually takes to win this thing. And then figuring out how to play with those different, straighter lines and what I need to do to eventually win this.”

The weekend’s festivities will include a super G on Friday, followed by the Hahnenkamm downhill on Saturday and topped off with slalom on Sunday, where David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) looks to put two solid runs together to lead a talented and promising group of slalom skiers, hungry for points.

The women's tour faces a weekend of challenging races with a downhill and super G in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany Saturday and Sunday. Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) was 10th fastest in Thursday's opening training run. The ladies will have one more look at the downhill track on Friday before the action kicks off on Saturday with downhill. They’ll look to carry their momentum from last weekend’s strong finish in Zauchensee, where Lindsey Vonn Foundation Ambassador Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) grabbed her career-first World Cup podium and led five Americans into the points.

Road to Aspen Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals
Austria’s Marcel Hirscher retains a 281-point lead over Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen for the overall lead going into a speed heavy weekend for the men. Look for fourth place Attacking Viking Kjetil Jansrud to creep up in the points with the downhill and super G in Kitzbuehel, but then a face-off between Hirscher and Kristoffersen in Sunday's slalom. With downhill leader Aksel Lund Svindal out for the season, watch for a battle between Jansrud and Austria's Max Franz for the lead this weekend. Jansrud will also put his perfect three-for-three super G record on the line Friday.

Mikaela Shiffrin still holds a 315-point lead over Swiss Lara Gut. Watch for Gut to whittle that back in the speed events where Shiffrin will not start. But the American will have another shot on Tuesday with a giant slalom in Kronplatz, Italy. And watch out for Slovenian Ilka Stuhec who has a large lead over Gut in the downhill. The battle for World Cup crystal globes will conclude in Aspen this March with the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals.

CONFIRMED STARTERS
Garmisch, Germany and Kronplatz, Italy  – Women:
Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA) – DH, SG
Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) – DH, SG
Anna Marno (Centennial, WY) – SG
Megan McJames (Park City, UT) – GS
Alice McKennis (New Castle, CO) – DH, SG
Alice Merryweather (Hingham, MA) – SG
Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) – DH, SG
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) – GS
Leanne Smith (North Conway, NH) – DH, SG
Resi Stiegler (Jackson, WY) – GS
Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) – DH, SG
Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) – DH, SG

Kitzbuehel and Schladming, Austria – Men: 
Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) – SL
David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) – SL
Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, CA) – SG, DH
Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY) – SG, DH
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) – SG, SL
Mark Engel (Truckee, CA) – SL
Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) – SG, DH
AJ Ginnis (Vouliagmeni, Greece) – SL
Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT) – SG, DH
Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT) – SL
Steve Nyman (Sundance, UT) – SG, DH
Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) – SG, DH

QUOTES
Steven Nyman
I’m confident. Yesterday we had a lot of video analysis. I want to try a couple of new lines, and there are definitely some lines I know are faster that I’ll try to hit on race day. The way I am over my skis and how I’m feeling is good, so I’ll stick with that, stick to the basics, ski solid and hope for the best.

Bryce Bennett
As much as I want to come here and just have the tenacity to give it all the way and put in a decent run, that was my fourth run ever down it, so it is just taking the steps to learn. Steven (Nyman) has been helping me out a bunch during inspection, helping me to look at different lines and figure out what it actually takes to win this thing. And then, you know, figuring out how to play with those different, straighter lines and what I need to do to eventually win this.

[On what has changed in the course this season]
They ran a Europa Cup two days before we came here, so the top of the course is actually pretty bumpy, and into the Steilhang is bumpy too. So, that part is hard, but after that they’ve done a really nice job. On the Hausberg, it’s bumpy but it isn’t too bad.

Andrew Weibrecht
To me, it feels icier and bumpier than it did the past years. Unless you’re super precise with your skiing, you’re going to bounce around and you’re not really able to run a clean ski. I think it’s super tough, and I’ve struggled to make the adjustment. Everyone’s gotta ski the same course, so it doesn’t really matter. It’s definitely tricky…super bumpy, and gnarly. I think they [make it tough] intentionally, and it’s at the expense of the athletes, but it makes for epic racing.

[On how you clear your mind after a crash]
It’s tough, but you just have to do it. You just have to get up and keep going at it. Sometimes a crash like this is almost helpful for your psyche because to take a crash like that and walk away – it kind of makes you feel a little bit more invincible and like you’re willing to take the risk because you think you’ll be fine.

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

Friday, Jan. 20
5:15 a.m. – Men’s super G, Kitzbuehel – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
2:30 p.m. – Men’s super G, Kitzbuehel – Universal HD

Saturday, Jan. 21
4:00 a.m. – Women’s downhill, Garmisch – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
5:15 a.m. – Men’s downhill, Kitzbuehel – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
3:00 p.m. – Women’s downhill, Garmisch – NBCSN
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
5:45 a.m. – Women’s super G, Garmisch – 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
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
11:20 a.m. – Men’s slalom run 1, Schladming – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
2:20 p.m. – Men’s slalom run 2, Schladming – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
6:00 p.m. – Women’s giant slalom, Kronplatz – Universal HD
10:30 p.m. – Men’s slalom, Schladming – 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.

PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 16, 2017) – Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) announced today that he will have surgery on his back, which will cause him to miss the rest of the 2016-17 season. The two-time Olympic gold medalist will focus on the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, intending to come back strong as a medal contender.  

 

One last powder day with my wife before going under the knife. Since Soelden, I have been dealing with severe nerve pain down my left leg that has not allowed me to ski at the level that I expect of myself. I have seen many doctors and therapists, undergone an array of treatments and therapies to no effect. Unfortunately surgery (microdiscectomy) means my season is over and a chance to defend my GS title again at World Champs. This has been tough to accept especially after last season, but on the plus side hopefully this surgery will alleviate the back issues I have dealt with over the last few years. I will be back strong and fast again. Thanks for your support. #illbeback

A photo posted by Ted Ligety (@ted_ligety) on

Jan 16, 2017 at 6:01pm PST

ALTENMARKT-ZAUCHENSEE, Austria (JAN. 15, 2017) – Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) skied to her first career Audi FIS Ski World Cup podium, finishing third, in Sunday’s much anticipated downhill.

After three days of weather delays, the women ran an early morning downhill training run Sunday, and then headed back to the start for the real deal. In Sunday’s race, four Americans stacked into the top 16 with Wiles leading the way in third. Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) was 12th, Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) 13th and Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) was 16th. Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA) was 29^th, Alice McKennis (New Castle, CO) was 34^th and Leanne Smith (North Conway, NH) was 38^th.

The track at Altenmarkt proved faster for the later starters as Austria’s Christine Scheyer took her first career World Cup win coming from the 25^th start position. Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein was second from the 17^th start position. Wiles, whose previous career-best World Cup downhill result was 15^th at Cortina d'Ampezzo in 2014, came from the 26^th start position. For Wiles though, Sunday’s podium came at just the right time ahead of three weeks of speed events leading into the World Championships next month in Switzerland.

“To come down in third is a dream come true,” said Wiles, who took some time off over the holidays to recharge. “I’ve had a tough start to the season and seen so many expectations falling flat, so I really needed this and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

“This is definitely going to help my confidence moving forward. Hopefully I’ll have some good skiing coming,” she added.

Jackie Wiles took her career-first World Cup podium Sunday in Austria. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Christophe Pallot)

Following two injuries and 322 days since her last race, Vonn was stoked not only to be to back racing, but for her teammate Wiles, who is sponsored by the Lindsey Vonn Foundation.

Lindsey Vonn returned to racing Sunday in Austria, finishing 12^th. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Christophe Pallot)

“I’m really happy for Jackie,” said Vonn. “I felt like I was skiing pretty well, just not quite on the limit yet. For me, it’s not really a matter of the results, I’m just happy to be racing again. Of course I have higher expectations for myself, but considering the condition and the fact that we had a training run and a race in the same day, I think it was pretty good.”

Lindsey Vonn stands with Wiles, who is sponsored by her foundation. (Getty Images/AFP-Robert Jaeger)

Switzerland’s Lara Gut finished fourth to cut into Mikaela Shiffrin’s overall World Cup lead. Shiffrin, who did not race Sunday, holds the lead with 1,008 points. Gut is second with 693, and Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec, who was fifth Sunday, is third overall with 584 points. Stuhec continues to lead the overall World Cup downhill standings with 345 points.

Up next, the women head to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany for downhill Saturday, Jan. 21 and super G Sunday, Jan. 22.

Wiles celebrates her win with her team. (Erich Spiess)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Jackie Wiles scored her first career World Cup podium, finishing third, in Sunday’s downhill.
• Wiles' previous best World Cup downhill result was 15^th in Cortina d'Ampezzo in 2014. Her previous best World Cup result was 10^th in super G at Lake Louise in December.
• Austria’s Christine Scheyer took her first career World Cup win Sunday.
• Lindsey Vonn finished 13th in her first race back on the World Cup circuit following 322 days away from racing.
• Five Americans finished in the top 30 Sunday.
• Road to Aspen: Switzerland’s Lara Gut finished fourth to cut into Mikaela Shiffrin’s overall World Cup lead. Shiffrin, who did not race Sunday, holds the lead with 1,008 points. Gut is second with 693, and Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec, who was fifth Sunday, is third overall with 584 points. Stuhec continues to lead the overall World Cup downhill standings with 345 points.

QUOTES
Jackie Wiles
I’m at a loss for words. To come down in third is a dream come true. I’ve had a tough start to the season and seen so many expectations falling flat, so I really needed this and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

It was definitely a unique day coming in not having run the course. But I just tried to stay positive and take each run as it is and try to attack hard for the race run.

This is definitely going to help my confidence moving forward. Hopefully I’ll have some good skiing coming.

Lindsey Vonn
I felt like I was skiing pretty well, just not quite on the limit yet. For me, it’s not really a matter of the results, I’m just happy to be racing again. Of course I have higher expectations for myself, but considering the condition and the fact that we had a training run and a race in the same day, I think it was pretty good.

I’m really happy for Jackie. It’s a really great weekend being back. Skiing fast makes me smile and that’s really all that matters.

BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
Sunday, Jan. 15
6:00 p.m. – Men's slalom and women's downhill, Wengen and Altenmarkt - Universal HD

RESULTS
Women’s Downhill

WENGEN, Switzerland (Jan. 15, 2017) – Battling a tough weekend of weather, Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT) was the top American in the classic Wengen slalom and scored his first slalom points, finishing 25th.

Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway was victorious in the Audi FIS Ski World Cup race over Marcel Hirscher of Austria in second. Felix Neureuther of Germany was third.

It was Kelley’s first slalom points in his career. “I was really happy with how I skied first run,” said Kelley, who finished 19th first run. “I was fourth on the pitch first run, so I was trying to get a little more going on the pitch second run, but I went too straight into it. Bummer. I didn’t have a great run but I had to get some points.”

After finishing eighth first run, hopes were high for David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO). He came out of the start with a vengeance, but straddled about halfway down the course and did not finish.

Next, the men head to Kitzbuehel for another classic World Cup race, where the men will race super G, downhill and slalom.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Robby Kelley finished 25th and scored slalom points – his third-career points score and first slalom points.
• After taking eighth first run, David Chodounsky did not finish second run.
• Hig Roberts (Steamboat Springs, CO) and Mark Engel (Truckee, CA) did not qualify for a second run. Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) and AJ Ginnis (Vouliagmeni, Greece) did not finish first run.
• Just the slalom and alpine combined were able to go off this weekend, as the downhill was canceled due to heavy snow.
• ROAD TO ASPEN: They came in tied for first in the World Cup slalom standings, but with the win, Henrik Kristoffersen grabbed the slalom lead by 20 points over Marcel Hirscher. Hirscher still holds the overall lead.

QUOTES

Robby Kelley
I was really happy with how I skied first run. I was fourth on the pitch first run, so I was trying to get a little more going on the pitch second run, but I went too straight into it. Bummer. I didn’t have a great run but I had to get some points.

I’m really happy with how I’m skiing. I just want to be a little more consistent with my fast skiing. I know my fast skiing is good, but it’s not always there.  So I want to figure that out and have some good ones at Kitzbuehel and Schladming.

BROADCAST & LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
Sunday, Jan. 15
6:00 p.m. – Men’s slalom, Wengen – Universal HD

RESULTS
Men’s slalom

WENGEN, Switzerland (Jan. 14, 2017) – Snow and wind wrecked havoc on Saturday’s scheduled Audi FIS Ski World Cup races, canceling both the men and women’s downhill races in Wengen, Switzerland and Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria.

The women were scheduled to have both a downhill training run and downhill race Saturday in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, but due to heavy snowfall both had to be canceled. Weather also canceled downhill training on Thursday and Friday. Downhill training has been scheduled for Sunday, followed by the downhill race at 12:15 CET (6:15 a.m. EST). The women's alpine combined originally schedued for Sunday has been cancelled.

For the men, heavy snowfall in Wengen forced the cancellation of the Lauberhorn downhill Saturday. More than a foot of new snow fell on the Swiss resort, and with more snow in the forecast throughout the day, there was no chance to clear the track. On Sunday, the men will stay with their original schedule with slalom – first run at 10:30 CET (4:30 a.m. EST) and second run at 13:30 CET (7:30 a.m. EST).

As of now, no announcement has been made on re-scheduling the men’s downhill.

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

Sunday, Jan. 15
4:30 a.m. – Men’s slalom run 1, Wengen - nbcsports.com - LIVE STREAMING
6:15 a.m. – Women’s downhill, Altenmarkt - nbcsports.com - LIVE STREAMING
7:30 a.m. – Men’s slalom, run 2, Wengen - nbcsports.com - LIVE STREAMING
6:00 p.m. – Men's slalom and women's downhill, Wengen and Altenmarkt - Universal HD

WENGEN, Switzerland (Jan. 13, 2017) – Friday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup alpine combined produced a surprise podium, and another top 10 World Cup result for Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, CA).

With upwards of six inches of new snow overnight, officials swapped the downhill and slalom events, running the slalom first and the downhill – which was moved to a lower start position – to later in the afternoon.

"Usually downhill (first) I’m more comfortable with… and then you can do the downhill and see where you stand and then go into the slalom.” said Bennett, who finished 10th in the morning slalom. “But with the slalom first, you definitely have to perform to get a better position for the downhill. It’s a little bit more pressure to perform in slalom.”

And Friday proved to be more about luck than position as Switzerland’s Niels Hintermann came out of the 51st start position to win his career-first World Cup event in only his 12th start on the World Cup circuit. And the surprises didn’t stop with Hintermann. France’s Maxence Muzaton scored a career-first World Cup podium in second, as did Austria’s Frederic Berthold, who finished third. In fact, all three had never posted a top 10 World Cup result in their young careers. Of the three, Muzaton had the previous highest placing World Cup result – 11th in the downhill at Kitzbuehel in 2015.

How did all this craziness unfold? It started with the new snow overnight and a rock-solid slalom track, followed by more snow.

Bryce Bennett finished 10^th in Friday’s World Cup alpine combined in Wengen. (Getty Image/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

“It snowed about 20cm this morning, so I went to go do some warm up runs – I haven’t skied slalom in a while – so there was a lot of soft snow so you couldn't really get a good feel.” said Bennett, who matched his bib in the slalom, finishing 18th. “Then I got into slalom there in the first three gates and I was like ‘oh, OK, this is World Cup slalom, wake up.’"

Meanwhile, Hintermann was 23rd in the slalom and started eighth in the downhill. After moving atop the leaderboard, snow started falling again, which significantly slowed the track for the remaining starters, including Bennett.

“It was definitely challenging conditions,” Bennet said of his downhill run as heavy snow fell. “It started snowing pretty hard after about 10 guys and it definitely made the race interesting.”

Switzerland's Niels Hintermann was the surprise winner in Friday alpine combined World Cup. (Getty Images/AFP-Fabrice Coffrini)

Up next, more snow is in the forecast – upwards of 20 inches - for Wengen and Saturday’s downhill. Start time is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. EST.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Bryce Bennett finished 10th in Friday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup alpine combined.
• Switzerland’s Niels Hintermann came out of the 51st start position to win his career-first World Cup.
• France’s Maxence Muzaton scored a career-first World Cup podium in second, as did Austria’s Frederic Berthold, who finished third.
• Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starkboro, VT), Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT) and Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) did not finish in the slalom portion of the combined.
• Road to Aspen: Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, who did not compete Friday, continues to lead the overall World Cup standings with 893 points. France’s Alexis Pinturault, who finished 20th Friday, is second overall with 605 points.

QUOTES
Bryce Bennett
It was definitely challenging conditions. It started snowing pretty hard after about 10 guys and it definitely made the race interesting.

Usually downhill (first) I’m more comfortable with… and then you can do the downhill and see where you stand and then go into the slalom. But with the slalom first, you definitely have to perform to get a better position for the downhill. It’s a little bit more pressure to perform in slalom.

It snowed about 20cm this morning, so I went to go do some warm up runs – I haven’t skied slalom in a while – so there was a lot of soft snow so you couldn't really get a good feel. Then I got into slalom there in the first three gates and I was like ‘oh, OK, this is World Cup slalom, wake up.’

BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
All events streaming at: www.nbcsports.com/live
Friday, Jan. 13
5:30 p.m. – Men's alpine combined TV: Universal HD

Saturday, Jan. 14
6:30 a.m. – Men’s downhill, Wengen
8:30 p.m. – Men’s downhill, Wengen, NBCSN

Sunday, Jan. 15
4:30 a.m. – Men’s slalom run 1, Wengen
7:30 a.m. – Men’s slalom, run 2, Wengen
6:30 a.m. – Men's slalom, Wengen: Universal HD

RESULTS
Men’s alpine combined

WENGEN, Switzerland (Jan. 12, 2017) – This weekend, Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria and Wengen, Switzerland welcome the first Audi FIS Ski World Cup speed series of the New Year for the women and the men. The biggest struggle will be with Mother Nature, with snow in the forecast in both locations.

The women will race a downhill and alpine combined this weekend in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, while the men will take on Wengen for alpine combined, downhill and slalom. Fans can catch all of the action on Universal HD and NBCSN, and via live stream on nbcsports.com.

Wengen is a classic, and one of the best of the best … but let’s be honest: all eyes will be on Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, where Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) and Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) will make their comebacks to World Cup action. Mancuso’s participation in Saturday’s downhill is still up in the air, but excitement abounds as both will click into their skis and out of the start gate for tomorrow’s first downhill training run.

“I have double and triple the amount of padding I normally have, and normally in downhill I don’t race with any padding on the arms,” said Vonn who is returning from her November injury. “It’s not going to be aerodynamic, but at least I’ll be protected somewhat. It’s a risk no matter how much padding I have on.”

Thursday’s downhill training run was canceled in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee when Mother Nature brought a ton of fresh powder. Of course, this meant that many of the American ladies – who love free skiing – enjoyed some powder skiing instead. Vonn participated in a press conference with her puppy, Lucy.

 

A photo posted by Laurenne Ross (@lalalaurenne) on

Jan 12, 2017 at 4:46am PST

On the men’s side, they’ll dive into mighty Lauberhorn – the longest downhill track on the World Cup circuit. The track boasts a length of 4.48 km (2.78 miles), which results in run times of two and a half minutes and speeds upwards of 100mph. The Austrians – Matthias Mayer and Max Franz – as well as the Swiss men Beat Feuz and Carlo Janka, and the Italian Peter Fill all put in super solid training runs on Tuesday and Wednesday.

For the American Downhillers, Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT), Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT) and Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) led the team in training, and look to carry this confidence into the weekend. David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO), who grabbed a season-best result at Adelboden with 12th, will look for some luck with the weather and lead an emerging group of American SLayers (get it?!) in Sunday’s slalom.

CONFIRMED STARTERS
Altenmarkt-Zauchensee - Women:
Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA) – DH
Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) – AC, DH
Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) – DH (TBD)
Alice McKennis (New Castle, CO) – DH
Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) – AC, DH
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) – AC
Leanne Smith (North Conway, NH) – DH
Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) – AC, DH
Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) – DH

Wengen, Switzerland – Men: 
Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) – SL
David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) – GS, SL
Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, CA) – AC, DH
Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY) – DH
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) – AC
Mark Engel (Truckee, CA) – SL
Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) – DH
AJ Ginnis (Vouliagmeni, Greece) – SL
Jared Goldberg (Holladay, UT) – AC, DH
Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT) – SL
Steve Nyman (Sundance, UT) – AC, DH
Hig Roberts (Steamboat Springs, CO) – SL
Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) – DH

QUOTES
Lindsay Vonn
I have double and triple the amount of padding I normally have, and normally in downhill I don’t race with any padding on the arms. It’s not going to be aerodynamic, but at least I’ll be protected somewhat. It’s a risk no matter how much padding I have on.

There are a number of reasons I came back so early. I came back because I want to race. I want to race as much as possible. And the more races I can get in before the World Championships is obviously the goal. I also think that the World Cup title is still a possibility in both downhill and super G.

[On Julia Mancuso returning to the World Cup circuit]
It’s nice to have the whole team back together again. Last year without her, it definitely felt a little bit like there was a hole in the team, so it’s nice to have her back.

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

Friday, Jan. 13
4:30 a.m. – Men’s combined slalom, Wengen – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
6:00 a.m. – Women's downhill training, Altenmarkt – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
8:00 a.m. – Men’s combined downhill, Wengen – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
5:30 p.m. – Men's alpine combined – Universal HD

Saturday, Jan. 14
4:30 a.m. – Women’s downhill, Altenmarkt – nbcsports.com - LIVE STREAM
6:30 a.m. – Men’s downhill, Wengen – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
6:30 a.m. – Men's downhill, Wengen – LIVE BROADCAST Universal HD
5:30 p.m. – Women's downhill, Altenmarkt – Universal HD
8:30 p.m. – Men’s downhill, Wengen – NBCSN

Sunday, Jan. 15
3:30 a.m. – Women’s combined super G, Altenmarkt – nbcsports.com - LIVE STREAM
4:30 a.m. – Men’s slalom run 1, Wengen – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
6:15 a.m. – Women’s combined slalom, Altenmarkt – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
7:30 a.m. – Men’s slalom, run 2, Wengen – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
6:30 a.m. – Men's slalom, Wengen – Universal HD
7:30 p.m. – Women’s alpine combined, Altenmarkt – 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.

From local ski hills to the PyeongChang Olympics, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) encompasses all athletes that share a passion for skiing and snowboarding. We explore what makes each skier and rider a champion with stories from the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing, next to kids winning a NASTAR medal, landing their first cork 7 or joining a club team. Alongside USSA’s mascot Champ, take a look at how all of these athletes strive to be Best in the World.

As we continue to explore what makes USSA athletes champions, we’re learning more than we ever expected. To be a champion is holistic – it goes beyond the medals and the titles. It’s someone with great character and an undying belief in themselves; it’s someone who loves their sport with an unmatched passion—whether they’re still actively pursuing it or not. We are honored to share these stories with you. In this installation, Alpine Press Officer Megan Harrod takes a bit of a different approach, sharing a story about a young girl who taught her – and the athletes – a thing or two about perseverance and #WhatMakesAChamp.

For U.S. Ski Team athletes, it was just like any other day at Copper Mountain, Colorado, training at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center: wake up, warm up, breakfast, super G session, NASTAR Pacesetting Trials, giant slalom session, lunch, dryland, video, autograph signings, dinner, bedtime. Repeat. But for Hedda, Saturday, November 19 was a day she’ll never forget.

For me—the alpine press officer—this job is a labor of love. For the athletes, coaches, physios and servicemen, the same is true. There’s not much money in ski racing, but we all make up for it in passion and a pure love for the sport. We work from the most stunning mountaintops across the world. We see sunrises and sunsets in beautiful villages. We laugh, we cry, we celebrate and we struggle. All in all, it’s a privilege to live this life, and for the athletes, it’s a platform to inspire. For Hedda, Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah), Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) and teammates did just this. They inspired. And left a lasting impression on this young girl.

I received the call from U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s CMO Mike Jaquet on the night of the 18th. “Hedda and her family are coming to Summit County for a ski camp for 10 days for her sister and brother, is there anything special you can do?” he asked. Without a doubt. We invited Hedda and her family to lunch with the team at Copper Station, where she was able to meet Nyman, Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY), Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR), Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA), Erik Arvidsson (Woodside, CA)…and Olympic champion Ligety.

I will never forget the sparkle in Hedda’s eyes when we looked over and saw Ted. He came over, chatted, signed her suit. When Ted walked away Hedda looked up at me, nearly breathless, and simply said, “That was so cool.” At that moment, she was just like any other wide-eyed girl who met one of her heroes. Star-struck. And so, so full of gratitude.

Hedda was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma, a malignant high-risk, cancerous tumor in her brain in the summer of 2015. She’s been fighting ever since. Hailing from the east, the Mecca for ski racing, she continued to ski through chemotherapy and radiation alongside her ski team at Skylands Ski Club, racing for Mountain Creek.

Hedda’s journey has been a poignant reminder of the importance of life off the hill. There’s a big ol’ world out there beyond the White Circus, and – at times – it’s easy to forget. Beyond the gold medals, finish area smiles and hugs, sparkly champagne for victory toasts, mind-blowing runs and breakthrough up-and-comer performances, sitting with Hedda on that sunny day in November taught us all about the true definition of perseverance. Without even knowing it, and in her own quiet and charming way, Hedda taught us what makes a champion.

Hedda loves to ski, and skiing has been one of the activities in her life that made a significant difference in lifting her spirits. It was only a matter of time before these two champions would unite…but what Hedda might not have realized is just how much she inspired her heroine Vonn. “Stay strong and never give up,” Vonn told Hedda in that first video. 

Vonn, who recently announced her return to Audi FIS Ski World Cup action this weekend in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, knows a thing or two about staying strong and never giving up. Just when Vonn was ready to return to action after fracturing her left tibial plateau while racing in Soldeu-El Tarter, Andorra last February, she then suffered a fracture in her upper right arm while training in November. Hedda’s visit to Summit County just happened to coincide with Vonn recovery period in Vail. 

Not even two weeks after her injury, Vonn asked for Hedda’s contact information and quietly connected with her mother, Camilla, to surprise Hedda. “When you meet an amazing girl who is bravely battling cancer, it makes the important things in life more clear. Hedda, you inspire me. Keep fighting girl. #thisiswhyidoit” Vonn wrote in a Facebook post just after Thanksgiving. 

Whip-smart with a big, bright smile and an insurmountable amount of gratitude, curiosity, strength, imagination and perseverance. That’s Hedda.  She may not have won an Olympic gold – yet – but she’s taught us what truly makes a champion, and has left a lasting impact on us all. On behalf of the entire U.S. Alpine Ski Team, we’re sending you continued strength and strong vibes. Keep on fighting, little warrior!

Press Officer Megan Harrod (second from left) smiles with Hedda and her family.

A note from the writer, Press Officer Megan Harrod:

Hedda told me her spirit animal is an owl, though dogs and kinkajous are, in fact, her favorite animals. Someday, she’ll replace me as Press Officer, so I’m already trying to figure out when she’ll tag along and shadow me. Since both of her parents are Swedish, we thought the Stockholm City Event would make sense. After not having heard from Hedda’s mother Camilla in over a month, I received this message when checking in the other day:

“It was an amazing trip to Colorado. Meeting you all was part of it and it made Hedda feel special and gave her so much strength. We came back energized and I was ready to throw a big party for her birthday, but things didn’t go that way. We and the doctors thought she had a concussion for about two weeks, but it turned out to be the cancer that had come back. A total shock for us all. She had a clean scan on November 14, so it just didn’t make sense. It has been extremely aggressive. She is going through treatment and radiation that seems to be working. She is also receiving chemo. She is a fighter, though, and has made it through and is so amazing. She thinks about everyone else and is pushing and working so hard. Much love.”

You can follow Hedda’s journey and cheer her on at  her Team Hedda Facebook page.