PARK CITY, UT (Dec. 15, 2016) – An announcement by NBCUniversal today holds the opportunity to bring even more ski and snowboarding content to fans. In a ground-breaking collaboration to connect fans to the Olympic movement all year round, the International Olympic Committee, the United States Olympic Committee and NBCUniversal have created a comprehensive Olympic Channel content and distribution partnership for the United States to launch in 2017 prior to the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.

USSA officials anticipate the new channel will be a vital outlet for coverage of skiing and snowboarding in America and a key part of the USSA’s efforts to raise the visibility of its sports.

"The Olympic Channel launch is yet another opportunity to provide more value to our fans by connecting them with a new media outlet to showcase our athletes who are striving to be best in the world in Olympic skiing and snowboarding,” said USSA Chief Marketing Officer Michael Jaquet. "We applaud NBCUniversal’s continued commitment to expanding the reach of ski and snowboard programming, and the partnership with both USOC and IOC."

According to NBCUniversal, the partnership will launch a new U.S. television network later in 2017 under the “Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA” brand that will offer fans year-round Olympic-sport programming from around the world, with an emphasis on their favorite American athletes and teams. The new partnership complements the global Olympic Channel, which launched as a worldwide digital platform following Rio 2016. 

Details on the deployment plan for the new channel will be announced later, but in a media teleconference Thursday NBC officials did indicate distribution plans were already in process with various cable and satellite companies including DirecTV.

The USSA is considered one of the leading national sports governing bodies in the world for production and distribution of content in its sport. The USSA has a long-term distribution relationship with NBCUniversal, as well as developing content for its own digital channels and serving as the U.S. rights holder for its World Championships in alpine and nordic skiing.

According to Jaquet, the new Olympic Channel will play a key role in the evolution of the USSA's mutual efforts with NBCUniversal, the USOC and the International Ski Federation's World Cup rightsholders, Infront and EBU, to expand distribution opportunities for skiing and snowboarding in America. 

"Access to our athletes as they compete around the globe has been one of the core goals of the USSA to grow the viability of our sport,” said USSA President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “This is an opportunity to grow awareness of our sports in America. Our hat is off to NBCU, USOC and the IOC for the collaboration to benefit sport in America."

Through the joint efforts of the USSA and NBCUniversal, U.S. fans this season will have over 53 hours of broadcast coverage of global ski and snowboard competition, along with hundreds of hours of live streaming.

Through the USSA’s domestic rights to the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz this February, fans will have live streaming of all events plus daily broadcast coverage. In addition, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships will also be streamed live.

Along with the new Olympic Channel, NBCUniversal also expects the partnership to bring additional coverage of Olympic sports programs that will appear exclusively on other NBCU platforms – including NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Digital outlets. The first such coverage begins this Saturday, December 17, with the Team USA Winter Champions Series including a big air snowboarding World Cup live from Copper Mountain in Colorado airing live at 2:30 p.m. EST.

HERSHEY, PA (December 15, 2016) –  Today the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) announced a three-year partnership with The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY). The Hershey Company will serve as an official sponsor and the Exclusive Confectionery Partner of the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing through the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang and beyond.

The Hershey Company, through its iconic brands, is working closely with the USSA to elevate the passion for the sports of skiing and snowboarding through special events, on-site activations, social media support and a digital content series. As an official partner, the company will have a presence at key events including the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, Toyota U.S. Revolution Tour and the Visa Freestyle International.

“Skiing and snowboarding are heart-stopping winter sports that provide an opportunity for The Hershey Company to amplify that passion by developing unique activations highlighting the number one mint brand in the U.S., Ice Breakers,” said David Palmer, director sponsorship marketing, The Hershey Company. “We’re honored to partner with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association to unite fans, consumers and athletes with the power of our brands and the power of this sport.”

The new partnership will primarily feature Hershey’s Ice Breakers product - the leading mint and gum brand. The first competition featuring the new sponsorship will be the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, CO Dec. 14-17. At each U.S. Grand Prix, one male and one female athlete will be recognized for their breakthrough performance by presenting them with the ‘Ice Breakers Break Through Award.'

The Ice Breakers brand recently launched its new “Break Through” campaign which features a majestic Unicorn reminding consumers of their potential - empowering them to turn their confidence into action and break through life’s obstacles. Presenting the ‘Ice Breakers Break Through Award’ at the U.S. Grand Prix events for superlative performances is a perfect match between the sport and brand – both representing unbridled confidence, potential and possibilities.

“Hershey represents another iconic company added to the roster of Olympic brands in the U.S. Grand Prix and across the entire USSA sponsor portfolio,” said USSA Chief Marketing Officer Michael Jaquet. “We take great pride in providing value to Olympic partners and look forward to helping the Ice Breakers brand activate its sponsorship to our very engaged fanbase of skiers and snowboarders.”

In addition to the USSA sponsorship, The Hershey Company is also a proud sponsor of the United States Olympic Committee and Team USA and will continue to support the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams through the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.


About USSA
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) is the national governing body of Olympic skiing and snowboarding. It provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, the USSA is committed to the progression of its sports and athlete success. Established in 1905, the USSA receives no direct government support, operating solely through private donations from individuals, corporations and foundations to fund athletic programs to assist athletes in reaching their dreams. The organization is based at the Center of Excellence, it’s high performance training facility, located in Park City, UT. For more information, visit www.ussa.org.

About The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company, headquartered in Hershey, Pa., is a global confectionery leader known for bringing goodness to the world through its chocolate, sweets, mints and other great-tasting snacks. Hershey has approximately 21,000 employees around the world who work every day to deliver delicious, quality products. The company has more than 80 brands around the world that drive more than $7.4 billion in annual revenues, including such iconic brand names as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers and Brookside. Building on its core business, Hershey is expanding its portfolio to include a broader range of delicious snacks. The company remains focused on growing its presence in key international markets while continuing to extend its competitive advantage in North America.

At Hershey, goodness has always been about more than delicious products. For more than 120 years, Hershey has been committed to operating fairly, ethically and sustainably. Hershey founder, Milton Hershey, created the Milton Hershey School in 1909 and since then the company has focused on giving underserved children the skills and support they need to be successful. Today, the company continues this social purpose through 'Nourishing Minds,' a global initiative that provides basic nutrition to help children learn and grow. From neighborhoods across the United States to the streets of Shanghai and Mumbai and villages of West Africa, our goal is to nourish one million minds by 2020.

Visit: www.thehersheycompany.com
 

The Giovanni Agnelli race course in Sestriere, Italy is steeped in history. Named for the founder of Fiat and developer of the resort in the 1930s, this was the piste that sent 21-year-olds Julia Mancuso and Ted Ligety on to Olympic gold in 2006.

It was here that the legendary Janica Kostelic of Croatia won three slaloms and is the site of one Kristina Koznick’s six wins.

But the Audi FIS Ski World Cup hadn’t visited Sestriere’s fabled slalom pitch in 13 seasons. Mikaela Shiffrin was just nine then.

Standing in the starting gate, history was not on Mikaela Shiffrin’s mind. Coming off a pressure-filled weekend at Killington, Vermont, and topped off with the stress of her first downhill events in Lake Louise, the travel to Sestriere had taken its toll.

Deep in her soul was a tiny thread of anger over the first run giant slalom lead she had lost 24 hours earlier, succumbing to the fatigue in the second run and finishing sixth. It was still enough to retain the World Cup overall lead over Swiss Lara Gut. But she had come here to win – not to give away a first run lead.

In Saturday’s giant slalom, Shiffrin had taken a slim hundredth of a second lead after the first run in a field that saw only 12 hundredths separating the top five – a lead of a whisker. In the second run, that narrow margin evaporated quickly on the heels of a picture-perfect winning run by France’s Tessa Worley.

Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates after winning the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup Women Slalom on December 11, 2016 in Sestriere. (Getty/AFP-Giuseppe Cacace)

But Sunday was a different day. Shiffrin started fresh – her first really good night’s sleep since the long flight from Calgary a few days earlier.

In the first run, she took the lead but she knew she had more. And she also knew the girls around her – Frida Hansdotter, Veronika Velez Zuzulova and others – were closing in. As she pushed out onto her second run, the Olympic champion initially lost ground. But after the first timing split, she found her groove. For every ounce of speed, she just wanted more. And it came!

There was a certain irony surrounding Shiffrin on Sunday. A distant 13 seasons earlier, a young Austrian stood in that same starting gate gazing down the Agnelli track. She would win her first World Cup that day defeating American Sarah Schleper. And she would go on to become the inspiration for the budding young Mikeala – Marlies Schild.

In her short but productive tenure, Mikaela Shiffrin has become known for many things, not the least of which is humility. To the frustration of the photographers, she’s not prone to celebrate her victories with wild gyrations and leaping into the stands. Maybe you get a smile. But mostly you get respect.

This day was different. She had come here to win – but it really wasn’t about that. As she crossed the finish, time stood still for a moment. Somehow she gained nearly six-tenths of a second in the final 20 gates. She looked to the scoreboard and knew. Then she broke into a big – really big – smile. Finally she pumped her fist in jubilation. It was a celebration of relief.

Suddenly, the pressure of winning in front of her family in Killington and the fear of exploring speed in Lake Louise were behind her. This was familiar territory. She had won again.

Most of all, she had found the fun in ski racing.

SESTRIERE, Italy (Dec. 11, 2016) – Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) crushed the second run to take her sixth-straight slalom win at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup in Sestriere by over a second.

After winning the first run by only .12, Shiffrin stated that she was feeling stiff and was a little bummed with her skiing. So she took that frustration and channeled it into her second run, building almost a full second onto her first run time to take the win by 1.09 seconds over Veronika Velez Zuzulova of Slovakia. Wendy Holdener of Switzerland finished third.  

Shiffrin slays second run to take the win. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Christophe Pallot)

“I was definitely stiff (first run) and felt much better about the second run,” said Shiffrin. “I kept saying skiing down the course, ‘It’s not enough. It’s not enough.’ You have to want more and more speed and it ended up working. I’m happy to have another run like that this year.”

Shiffrin, who has been racing speed this season, said she will not go to Val d’Isere this week for the alpine combined, downhill and super G, and instead will focus on the Courcheval giant slalom as her last race before the holidays. “All the overall winners in the past years all did the full speed circuit and the full tech circuit, or something close,” said Shiffrin. “It’s a lot! I have a lot of respect for the girls that can do all that. Now they’re going to Val d’Isere as well and I have to say stop. I don’t think I can compete well in slalom and GS if I keep going with so little training and fatigue, as well.”

Behind Shiffrin, Resi Stiegler (Jackson, WY) broke into the top 15 for the first time this season, taking 15th overall.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Mikaela Shiffrin won the Sestriere slalom - her sixth Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom win in a row since her injury and her third this season.
• Shiffrin’s coach Mike Day set the second run of the slalom.
• Resi Stiegler was 15th.
• Lila Lapanja (Alpine Village, NV) and Megan McJames (Park City, UT) did not qualify for second run.
• Road to Aspen: Shiffrin’s win kept her in first for the overall World Cup title, extending her lead over Lara Gut to over 100 points. Shiffrin also holds the lead in slalom.
• Watch the broadcast of the slalom on Universal HD at 3:00 p.m. EST.
• Next, the women’s speed team heads to Val d’Isere, while the tech team will go to Courchevel, France for a giant slalom.

QUOTES

Mikaela Shiffrin
After first run
Not perfect, that’s for sure. I was pretty stiff; I was a little bummed with my skiing. But I have another run, so we’ll see. I just tried to get as much rest as I could. I had a good night of sleep, so that was nice. This morning I’ve been trying to wake up my legs a little bit

After second run
Going from Killington to Lake Louise to here, there’s been a lot going on. It’s tough and part of the deal and it takes a really mature athlete to handle all that.

I was definitely stiff (first run) and felt much better about the second run. I kept saying skiing down the course, ‘It’s not enough. It’s not enough.’ You have to want more and more speed and it ended up working. But it’s the mindset I had last year: It’s never enough. I just wanted to go faster. I’m happy to have another run like that this year. Killington was the toughest slalom because of being in front of my home and having the expectations that I should win. That was tough. Every race in tough in its own way.

Today I was tight and was racing to win. Thinking that the pace I have was enough. Obviously, it was barely enough—the other girls were really close. I know they want to win races as well.

On not racing in Val d’Isere
It’s a heavy program. I wanted to go to Lake Louise because speed is really fun and I wanted to see what it felt like to do that. All the overall winners in the past years all did the full speed circuit and the full tech circuit, or something close. It’s tiring and I always knew that, but I never knew how to expect it. It’s a lot! I have a lot of respect for the girls that can do all that. Now they’re going to Val d’Isere as well and I have to say stop. I don’t think I can compete well in slalom and GS if I keep going with so little training and fatigue, as well.

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

TV SCHEDULE
BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (All times EST)

Sunday, Dec. 11
3:00 p.m. Women’s slalom – Universal HD

VAL D’ISERE, France (Dec. 11, 2016) – Some days you’re riding in the groove, other days you’re just trying to find the groove. Today was the latter for U.S. men’s slalom team at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom.

“The hill was prepared with injection – hard snow,” said Sasha Rearick, U.S. Ski Team men’s head coach. “A good course set, but tough in some ways. With the injected groove, you had to ski that groove cleanly. If you don’t make that groove with confidence, you’re going to bounce. And that was the challenge today.”

Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen won his 10^th career World Cup slalom race in dramatic fashion, charging hard on the second run to take a 0.75 advantage that forced first-run leader Alexis Pinturault of France to pull out all the stops in the second run. Unfortunately for Pinturault, winner of Saturday’s giant slalom, he bounced out of the groove just 15 seconds in the second run and did not finish. Austria’s Marcel Hirscher finished second to extend his overall World Cup lead, as Russia’s Alexander Khoroshilov was third.

The U.S. SKi Team Fan Club was out in full force in Val d'Isere. (USSA)

No Americans qualified for the second run. AJ Ginnis (Vouliagmeni, Greece) was the only American to finish the first run – 37^th.

“Our guys in the back, they didn’t charge out of the gate,” Rearick said. “There were sections where they skied well, but made too many mistakes, or had the brakes on in sections where there was really speed to be had.”

Up next, the U.S. team will compete in a series of Europa Cup events in Italy before returning to the World Cup circuit in Alta Badia, Italy with a parallel giant slalom race Dec. 19.

“We have three Europa Cups coming up here and it’s going to be a good spot for them to challenge themselves, and get that feeling going because a lot of the World Cup field is going to be competing in those Europa Cups,” Rearick added.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen won his 10^th career World Cup slalom race Sunday
• Austria’s Marcel Hirscher finished second and extended his overall World Cup lead with 440 points over France’s Alexis Pinturault, 284 points
• Through two races, Hirscher also leads the World Cup slalom standing with 180 points

QUOTES
Sasha Rearick – Men’s Team Head Coach
The hill was prepared with injection – hard snow. A good course set, but tough in some ways. With the injected groove, you had to ski that groove cleanly. If you don’t make that groove with confidence, you’re going to bounce. And that was the challenge today.

Our guys in the back, they didn’t charge out of the gate. There were sections where they skied well, but made too many mistakes, or had the brakes on in sections where there was really speed to be had.

To me it comes down to a confidence thing. Besides Chodounsky, this group is a young group with not a lot of World Cup experience in the sense of these kind of conditions on this kind of hill. They have to step their game up. They are doing well in training. I was please to see how balanced they were in training, and at least that have that platform now to build on. The key in the next week here is to bring that balance position into confidence into skiing clean in the fall line.

We have three Europa Cups coming up here and it’s going to be a good spot for them to challenge themselves, and get that feeling going because a lot of the World Cup field is going to be competing in those Europa Cups.

RESULTS
Men’s slalom

SESTRIERE, Italy (Dec. 10, 2016) – In a tight race, Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) grabbed her third top-10 giant slalom result in a row, taking sixth place at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom in Sestriere, Italy.

Tessa Worley of France was the day's winner, mirroring her teammate Alexis Pinturault who won the men's GS in Val d’Isere, France earlier in the day. Italian Sofia Goggia continued her attack on World Cup podiums in second and Lara Gut of Switzerland was third.

The ladies were skiing on the 2006 Olympic hill for the first time since 2008. “I love the hill,” said Shiffrin, who sat in first after first run. “It’s really nice and especially really nice for GS. There’s a fun course set as well, so it’s a good place for racing.”

With just .12 seconds separating Shiffrin in first place to Goggia in fifth after first run, Shiffrin acknowledged that the race was anyone’s game. “Second run is so tight—it’s going to be like a new race,” said Shiffrin. “I’m just trying to take the same mentality. I tried to ski aggressively first run so that’s really different for me and it was fun and it worked out.”

But in the tight second run, Shiffrin got caught in a terrain change and didn’t have enough space to make up the time up on the flats, leaving her in sixth place.

Resi Stiegler grabbed her first World Cup giant slalom points since 2012. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Christophe Pallot)

Resi Stiegler (Jackson, WY) made the flip and took 28th—the first time she has scored World Cup GS points in four years.

Shiffrin will look for the win on Sunday with the slalom in Sestriere.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Mikaela Shiffrin was sixth in the Sestriere GS.
• Shiffrin has finished in the top 10 in all GS races this season.
• Tessa Worley won the race. She also won the GS at Killington in November.
• Resi Stiegler scored her first GS points in four years, taking 28th place.
• Road to Aspen: Shiffrin maintains her lead in the overall World Cup by eight points over Lara Gut. With today’s win, Tessa Worley extended her lead in the giant slalom standings.
• Catch the giant slalom broadcast on Universal HD at 7 p.m. EST on Saturday.
• The women race slalom Sunday in Sestriere.

QUOTES

Mikaela Shiffrin
After first run
I love the hill. It’s really nice and especially really nice for GS. There’s a fun course set as well, so it’s a good place for racing. Second run is so tight—it’s going to be like a new race. I’m just trying to take the same mentality. I tried to ski aggressively that run so that’s really different for me and it was fun and it worked out.

Resi Stiegler
I’m so happy! I was so nervous after the first run—I didn’t think I was going to make it. But I did and I started thinking a little too much because I haven’t been in the top 30 since 2012. I think I got a little bit too loose and ungrounded, but I’m really happy with the day.

I think GS helps with my slalom a lot and it takes the pressure off to have another focus. I get really bored easily. If I think only slalom all the time, I put so much pressure on that. I like GS a lot and I think I’m pretty good at it at times. I didn’t want to lose that actual skiing ability. 

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

TV SCHEDULE
BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (All times EST)
Saturday, Dec. 10
7:00 p.m. Women’s giant slalom – Universal HD

Sunday, Dec. 11
4:30 a.m. Women’s slalom, first run – Sestriere – NBCsports.com - LIVE STREAM
7:30 a.m. Women’s slalom, second run – Sestriere – NBCsports.com - LIVE STREAM
3:00 p.m. Women’s slalom – Universal HD

VAL D’ISERE, France (Dec. 9, 2016) – On a course defined by shadows, hard snow and relentless terrain, David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) squeaked out an 18th-place finish in Saturday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom.

“I just barely squeaked in the first run,” said Chodounsky, who tied Italy’s Florian Eisath for 30th to qualify for the second run. “This hill is so tough. It’s steep and never lets you go. I felt like I was attacking, but made some mistakes (in the first run), but I opened it up a bit in the second run.”

Chodounsky, along with teammates Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) and Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) were the only Americans to make the top 30 first run cut. Both Ligety and Ford skied aggressively on the top portion of their second runs. However, they were not able to carry it to the line and both DNF'd.

Sunshine, shadows, a challenging track and thousands of French fans greeted racers at Saturday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alain Grosclaude)

“I was moving well,” said Ford, who posted the fastest first interval time on the second run and the third fastest second interval time. “But I got a little defensive in the dark.”

France’s Alexis Pinturault delighted the home-country crowd with his second giant slalom World Cup victory of the season. Austria’s Marcel Hirscher was second for third-straight World Cup giant slalom race, as Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen rounded out the podium in third.

Next up, the men compete in slalom Sunday at Val d’Isere. Two of Chodounsky’s best World Cup slalom results (fourth in 2015 and seventh in 2014) have come at Val d’Isere, and he is looking forward to Sunday’s race.

“Every day is a new race, so I’ll just go out and have fun and see what happens,” Chodounsky said.

HIGHLIGHTS

• David Chodounsky was the top U.S. finisher in 18th in Sunday’s World Cup giant slalom.
• France’s Alexis Pinturault took his second giant slalom World Cup victory of the season.
• Pinturault leads the World Cup giant slalom standings through three races with 260 points.
• Austria's Marcel Hirscher, who has finished second in all three World Cup giant slalom races this season, is second in the GS standings with 240 points.
• Road to Aspen: Hirscher maintained his overall World Cup lead with 360 total points, Pinturault is second with 284 points.
• Watch today's giant slalom on Universal HD at 5:30 p.m. EST.
• Live streaming of the men’s slalom Sunday at 3:30 and 6:30 a.m. EST. will be available on NBCsports.com/Live.

QUOTES
David Chodounsky
I just barely squeaked in the first run. This hill is so tough. It’s steep and it never lets you go. I just wanted a solid run. I really wanted to attack too. I felt like I was attacking, but made some mistakes (in the first run), but I opened it up a bit in the second run. 

I’m pretty happy actually. It’s a process and I’m progressing … getting to be where I want it to be, training fast, so it’s getting there.

Every day is a new race, so I’ll just go out and have fun and see what happens.

Tommy Ford
I skied well before that. I was moving well, let go … but I got a little defensive in the dark.

RESULTS
Men’s giant slalom

TV SCHEDULE
BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (All times EST)
Saturday, Dec. 10
5:30 p.m. Men’s giant slalom – Universal HD

Sunday, Dec. 11
3:30 a.m. Men’s slalom, first run – Val D’Isere  - NBCsports.com - LIVE STREAM
6:30 a.m. Men’s slalom, second run – Val D’Isere  - NBCsports.com - LIVE STREAM
1:30 p.m. Men’s slalom – Universal HD

VAL D’ISERE, France (Dec. 9, 2016) – It’s like Groundhog Day here in Val d’Isere, only we’re on the other side of Olympic Avenue this weekend, skiing on the relentless Stade Olympique de Bellevarde. Welcome to the real “Criterium de la Premiere Niege.” Last week was just a tease to the big event this weekend and the French are sure to once again put on a show for the home crowd.

After a record-setting five Americans scored points last Sunday, Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) will lead the team into the third giant slalom of the season on Saturday, followed by slalom on Sunday. Coming into the weekend, the men’s tech team had a solid block of training in Val d’Isere, while the slalom team had superb training in Zinal, Switzerland. David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) scored his career best result last season in the Val d'Isere slalom, finishing fourth. His previous best was seventh on the same track in 2013. It's safe to say he likes this track and will look to throw down another solid result.

Mikaela Shiffrin is back to giant slalom and slalom events following solid speed results last weekend in Canada and her slalom victory two weeks ago in Vermont. (Getty/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

On the women’s side, Audi FIS Ski World Cup overall leader Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) will highlight the action in Sestriere - site of the 2006 Olympics, where Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) won the gold medal in giant slalom.

The women’s tech team is excited for the weekend after a great training block in Zinal, highlighted by giant slalom training with the French men - some of the best skiers in the world. The snow was injected, and the women loved the challenging World Cup-like conditions.

“I’m looking forward to the weekend. The conditions are great,” said Shiffrin. “The surface is amazing and the hill looks great. Free skiing the hill today was super fun. I think it’s going to be demanding and I’m hoping that this weekend I can just get back to having fun skiing really well and not worrying so much about whether I win or lose or get the GS win.”

Head Coach Magnus Andersson, who works with Resi Stiegler (Jackson, WY) and Lila Lapanja (Incline Village, NV) added: “It's amazing snow - couldn’t be better. The girls had enough good training; now it’s just time to go!”

It's a long road to the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals in Aspen this March 15-19. After five men's races, Austria's Marcel Hirscher is off to an early lead. The women have seven races on the books with Mikaela Shiffrin holding a slim 20-point margin over Swiss Lara Gut. Keep an eye out for Gut to make a strong bid for the overall lead in Saturday's giant slalom.

For the men, coverage begins with giant slalom on Universal HD Saturday at 5:30 p.m. EST, with the slalom on Universal HD Sunday at 1:30 p.m. EST. For the women, the GS will air on Universal HD on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. EST, followed by the slalom on Universal HD Sunday at 3 p.m. EST.

CONFIRMED STARTERS

Val d’Isere - Men:
Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) – SL
David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) – GS, SL
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) – GS
Mark Engel (Truckee, CA) – SL
AJ Ginnis (Vouliagmeni, Greece) – SL
Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) – GS
Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) – GS
Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT) – SL
Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) – GS, SL
Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City, UT) – GS

Sestriere - Women:
Lila Lapanja (Incline Village, NV)  – SL
Megan McJames (Park City, UT) – GS & SL
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) – GS & SL
Resi Stiegler (Jackson, WY) – GS & SL

HIGHLIGHTS

• With five men's races in the books on the season, Austria's Marcel Hirscher is off to an early lead in the overall standings.
• After grabbing 11th last weekend and fifth in the Soelden giant slalom opener, Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) will look to climb the podium once again.
• Ligety has two podiums in Val d’Isere - a first place in 2010 and a third place in 2012.
• Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) will carry the momentum from their top-15 finishes last weekend.
• Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) hopes to build on his solid 18th place finish last weekend.
• David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) scored his career best result last season in the Val d'Isere slalom, finishing fourth. His previous best was seventh on the same track in 2013. 
• The women have seven races under their belts, with Mikaela Shiffrin holding a slim 20-point margin over Swiss Lara Gut in the overall standings.
• Resi Stiegler (Jackson, WY) finished 16th in Levi and 17th in Killington, and she’ll be hunting down the top 10 in Sestriere. In the 2006 Olympic Games in Sestriere, she finished 12th in the slalom.
• Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) won giant slalom gold on the Sestriere track in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
• Universal HD will cover both men’s and women’s giant slalom and slalom races. Live streaming of both races will be available on NBCsports.com/live.

TV SCHEDULE
BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (All times EST)
Saturday, Dec. 10
3:30 a.m. Men’s giant slalom, first run – Val d’Isere – NBCsports.com - LIVE STREAM
4:30 a.m. Women’s giant slalom, first run – Sestriere – NBCsports.com - LIVE STREAM
6:30 a.m. Men’s giant slalom, second run – Val d’Isere – NBCsports.com - LIVE STREAM
7:30 a.m. Women’s giant slalom, second run – Sestriere – NBCsports.com - LIVE STREAM
5:30 p.m. Men’s giant slalom – Universal HD
7:00 p.m. Women’s giant slalom – Universal HD

Sunday, Dec. 11
3:30 a.m. Men’s slalom, first run – Val D’Isere – NBCsports.com - LIVE STREAM
4:30 a.m. Women’s slalom, first run – Sestriere – NBCsports.com - LIVE STREAM
6:30 a.m. Men’s slalom, second run – Val D’Isere – NBCsports.com - LIVE STREAM
7:30 a.m. Women’s slalom, second run – Sestriere – NBCsports.com - LIVE STREAM
1:30 p.m. Men’s slalom – Universal HD
3:00 p.m. Women’s slalom – Universal HD

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

Gold comes in many forms. Last weekend on the icy pitch of the fabled O.K. course in Val d’Isere, France, a 15^th place World Cup super G result gleamed brighter than an Olympic medal for Vermont’s Ryan Cochran-Siegle.

It had been nearly four years since his last major international speed event in February 2013. On the third gate of the combined downhill at the 2013 World Championships in Schladming, Austria, he crashed, shredding his left knee. Multiple surgeries and hundreds of days in the gym later, he scored a career-best finish on a weekend that could define his pathway leading up to the PyeongChang Olympics in just 14 months.

The son of 1972 Olympic slalom champion Barbara Ann Cochran, Cochran-Siegle had a textbook career going. He won his first U.S. Championship medal at age 19 in 2011. That next December he scored his first World Cup points in the Birds of Prey super G with a proud mom in the finish. Two months later he captured double gold at 2012 World Junior Championships in Italy.

He was on his way, until that fateful day in February 2013.

Standing in the start gate for his return to World Cup speed, his mind was calm and focused. “Starting 61 was super nice because I had no expectations,” he said. “You really have to have a pretty incredible run. There was no pressure - it was a win-win in my eyes.” 

Cochran-Siegle’s long road to Val d’Isere went through Soelden, Austria at the opening giant slalom of the 2016 season. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom- Michel Cottin)

Few athletes could have survived what he had endured for nearly four years. At his side was a team of doctors, trainers, coaches and family. His gold medal attitude of patience and perseverance would serve him well.

He planted his poles at the top of the historic O.K. course that bears the initials of Val d’Isere’s most famous sons, Henri Oreiller and Jean-Claude Killy and did what he has always loved to do: he skied.

It was a long road to Val d’Isere. Much of his knee was destroyed from the accident. Initial rehab went well and he was back on snow. But it didn’t last. Another surgery. No go. One option remained – transplant surgery. While not that unusual, it was a procedure that wasn’t ideal for the levels of stress an athlete puts on the knee. But if there were ever a candidate, Ryan Cochran-Siegle was the one.

“We really blazed our own path on this one,” said the team’s medical coordinator Chris Antinori. “There was really no precedent to draw from looking at other college and professional sports for athletes having this procedure and returning to a high level of sport participation. But a lot of good things and good people came together to make this a positive outcome. RCS is the only elite skier and athlete that I am aware of to return and be successful at an elite level.”

He could have given up at any point in time. But he didn’t.

“Having had prior success, I didn’t want that to be my final race - I wasn’t ready to be done,” said Cochran-Siegle. “The amount of energy I put into my rehab - I wanted to do it right. That was the only way to make it out with what I wanted to still achieve.”

Bunkering down at the Center of Excellence and hitting the books at Westminster College, he waited for the call. Finally, it came – a donor had been found. In August, 2014 he underwent a third surgery at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail.

Then came the work. At first, he endured eight weeks non-weight bearing, but still working every day on his good leg. Then mundane, simple exercises to patiently bring him back to strength. Six months later on February 2, 2015 – when his teammates were parading into the World Championships at Vail/Beaver Creek – Cochran-Siegle was doing his first barbell squats. A milestone day, strength coach Tracy Fober at his side.

He was on snow that summer, carefully undertaking a prolonged return to snow process together with his teammates Tommy Biesemeyer and Resi Stiegler under the watchful eye of coach Bernd Brunner. Patience was his virtue. The 2016 season was a good one mixed with some NorAm podiums, a couple FIS race wins, a pair of medals at U.S. Championships in Sun Valley and a point-scoring finish in a World Cup at Kranjska Gora.

But he wanted to get back to speed.

There’s a certain protocol in a World Cup finish area as the race day wears on. While the winners are already doing their TV interviews, eyes remained glued to the scoreboard watching to see who might make an attack from the back. RCS didn’t win the race. But, boy, did he turn a lot of heads.

Up on the race course, team trainer Antinori felt a deep swelling in his heart. Back home at the Center of Excellence, his strength coach Fober, passionately watched the TV broadcast on her computer – ignoring the meeting she was attending and shouting out loud as he crossed the finish line. As a coach or trainer, it tugs at your heart and brings tears to your eye to see a hard working athlete achieve success.

“When I crossed the finish line it was a huge relief,” he said. “I didn’t know I had that good of a run. It felt like I was on the fine line of skiing well and going out. But when I saw I was 15th

I was surprised, a little overwhelmed and super happy - immediately super happy.”

Cochran-Siegle lives in Park City with his cousin Jess Kelley and her husband, former athlete and team coach Adam Cole. In Ryan’s room, Cole hung a 2002 poster of Norwegian star Lasse Kjus that says: ‘Three-Time Olympic Champion – Inspiration.’

Ryan Cochran-Siegle is an athlete to watch. On his Instagram channel he’s posted a saying: ‘It isn’t the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.’

The gold medal goes to Ryan Cochran-Siegle.

PARK CITY, UT (Dec. 7, 2016) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) has announced the addition of nine new partners to its pool of suppliers and licensees.

The USSA has partnerships with over 60 suppliers and licensees that support the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing as well as USSA’s member clubs. USSA members will also be able to take advantage of discounts and deals for these suppliers through the USSA Member Benefits portal.

New additions to USSA’s pool this season include:

Spilt Ink/Huge Sportswear
Giro
HWK Ski wax
OneWay Sports
Rollerblade®
Slingshot Sports
Soul Poles
XX2i

“We’ve had a great sales season for signing up new partners in both our licensing and supplier Pools,” said Michael Jaquet, USSA CMO. “Partners are buying into the strength of our brand, events, programs and, most of all, our athletes. In each case we’ve been able to seek the right brands to align with for our licensing program and we are excited about the additional co-branded product in the marketplace. The support we are getting from the industry is at an all-time high.”

For a complete list of USSA partners, suppliers and licensees, please visit www.usskiteam.com/partners.