On Friday’s first giant slalom of two, Stifel U.S. Ski Team members Paula Moltzan and Nina O’Brien landed sixth and eighth. AJ Hurt was not far behind in 12th. 

“I'm actually really happy with today's race,” said Moltzan. “The skiing is there and without the mistakes it'll be even better.”

It was a beautiful sunny day at the Italian resort for what would be the make-up giant slalom race from the previously canceled Mont Tremblant giant slalom series. There was an air of calmness around as the athletes returned to the regular World Cup schedule following a very busy World Championships event just one week earlier. The U.S. team was eager to get back to racing with quite a full start list. 

On the first run Moltzan started with bib one - her first time in the top seven seed and first time starting bib one. She took full advantage of the clean course and came out in third place on the first run. O’Brien and Hurt also skied strongly to place eighth and 11th on run one. 

“It is so cool to run with bin one, why can't I run bib one all the time? The snow is so awesome,” said Moltzan. 

It was notably the first giant slalom race back for Mikaela Shiffrin who had been sidelined the past few months due to a brutal injury she sustained in Killington. Shiffrin skied with courage knowing that each race back is a stepping stone to the next great result of her storied career. 

“The last days of training were pretty good but in the end, racing is different than training so it’s really positive to have this race,” said Shiffrin. “ It's kind of like the next step in the training.” “It's really nice to have Mikaela back on the start list with us. I know it wasn't her best day, but we're all super happy to have her with this again,” said O’Brien. 

On the second run, all of the women put it on the line. First up was youngster Elisabeth Bocock. Her second time getting a second run in the World Cup and she was pushing hard. Unfortunately she leaned in and did not finish the second run. Katie Hensien had a strong second run and was able to move up to 21st place. Then came Hurt and O’Brien. Both skiers pushed to the finish line. They would end up in eighth and 12th. 

“I feel really solid,” said O’Brien.  “There were some mistakes here and there on both runs, but overall I feel like I skied two pretty strong runs and it’s nice to be back in the top 10.” 

Finally it was time for Moltzan. At every interval in the green and only building her lead. Moltzan was on fire up until the final flats section where she made a large mistake losing all speed. She would end up in sixth place. Despite mistakes here and there the women’s team continues to show their dominance with five in the top 30 and six qualifying to the second run. 

“I'm so bummed for Elizabeth, because I know she's ripping, but I think it just shows what we're capable of,” said O’Brien. 

The winner of the race of Italian force Federica Brignone, in second was New Zealand’s Alice Robinson and in third Norwegian Thea Louise Stjernesund. 

The women feel fired up and will take this race as a stepping stone to the giant slalom race on Saturday. 

RESULTS 
women's giant slalom 

HOW TO WATCH 
5:00 a.m. - women’s giant slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
8:00 a.m. - women’s giant slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live

On Saturday’s, 2/15, World Championships slalom in Saalbach, Austria, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Paula Moltzan and Mikaela Shiffrin finished fourth and fifth to cap off an extraordinary run for the women’s team - where in every race but one, there was a U.S. athlete on the podium.

“To come across the line in the green light was a win for the day,” said Moltzan.  “I am very happy with fourth. It’s also my best slalom result of the season, so I feel good about it.” 

It was another great day in Austria, with the sun shining down and a slightly cooler temperature outside, which made way for a solid surface for the alpine racers. The first run was set by the Austrians and turned out to be quite tricky for the athletes. Several combinations and tight radius’s made way for a lot of women not making it across the finish line. When it came to the U.S. women to kick out of the gate, Shiffrin and Moltzan knew they had to put down their best skiing.
 

Shiffrin, off first, skied with her signature aggression and tactically and ended up third on the first run. Moltzan was not far behind, landing in fifth going into the second run. AJ Hurt also made the flip.

“Today was something that I can learn from and to fully recover well for the rest of the season,” said Shiffrin. “ It's been eight weeks since I had surgery and six weeks since I was laying in bed with a drainage tube so perspective is important.”

After a long waiting period due to a large field of athletes, including over 100 women, the top 30 locked back in for run two. The second run set was no easier than the first - with plenty of difficult combinations once again. Regardless, Hurt, Moltzan and Shiffrin dialed themselves back in, knowing that a World Championships slalom podium was on the line.

Hurt was skiing well up until the very last pitch where she made a sizable error - and ended up 19th. Next was Moltzan. Fresh off a bronze medal win in the giant slalom – her first individual World Championships medal – she knew she had to ski with tenacity to make it down the tricky and long slalom course. Boom! In the green one again for Moltzan.
 

Next all eyes were on Shiffrin. Shiffrin, who is coming off one “of the most important medals I’ve ever won”, the Team Combined gold with teammate Breezy Johnson, skied strongly, however, she fell short towards the end and landed right behind Moltzan in fifth. 

Moltzan has had an amazing run at the World Championships in Saalbach. A fourth in the team parallel followed up with a fourth in the team combined, bronze in giant slalom and fourth in slalom. 

“I was pretty low energy today so it was really important just to stick to my plan and execute as best I could,” said Moltzan. “I am so lucky to have the best teammates and staff behind me and to walk away with this fourth, my worst result of the week is just great.” 

The winner of the race was ultimately Swiss skier Camille Rast who has had an impeccable slalom season this year. In the silver position was fellow Swiss skier Wendy Holdener and in bronze Austrian Katharina Liensberger. AJ Hurt and Katie Hensien also raced in the slalom, Hurt ended up 19th and Hensien did not finish her first run. 

This slalom marked the end of the long two-week event that brought many successes to the women’s team, including a bronze in super-G, gold in downhill, gold in the team combined, and bronze in giant slalom. Overall the women’s team is on a roll and ready to close out the last month of races on a high. 

The final World Championships event will be the men’s slalom on Sunday. 

RESULTS 
women's slalom 

HOW TO WATCH
Sunday, Feb. 16
3:45 a.m. - men’s slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - men’s slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live
4:00 p.m. - women and men’s slalom - NBC (tape delay)

On Thursday’s women’s giant slalom in Saalbach, Austria, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Paula Moltzan took home the bronze medal at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships - her first career individual medal. 

“I feel happy, joyful. It's been kind of a roller coaster of a season with results and with emotions,” said Moltzan. “So for it to play out on a really big stage is really emotional.”

The day began overcast and warm, making for softer snow on the long giant slalom course set. The women’s best giant slalom skiers from around the world had an early inspection as all 110 racers would hit the track since the GS qualifier was canceled the day before. Nevertheless, the women on the U.S. team were hungry for results and came out firing. 

Moltzan ran first for the women’s squad and did not hold back, pushing all the way down the track to land in third, 1.24 seconds off of Italian phenom Federica Brignone. Next was Nina O’Brien, who was looking for her big moment, but fell short after some costly errors on a largely flat hill. Finally AJ Hurt and Katie Hensien took to the course. Both put down solid splits but struggled to generate speed out of the skis on a long and relatively flat giant slalom.

“I was talking with my husband Ryan, who's my serviceman, and he got a report from our coaches and I knew I just had to go as hard as I could,” said Moltzan. 

The women had a few hours to kill in between runs, which is a long time to fuel and focus. By the time the second run came around, the sun was hidden behind the clouds and the temperature dropped a few degrees, making it possible for the snow to firm up. Hensien, Hurt and O’Brien all dialed it in and were ready to send. Hensien landed 22nd, O’Brien 19th and Hurt made some good moves to climb to 13th place. 

“I knew that there was a big turn over that roll, so I was trying to bring direction and I got a little too late,” said Hurt. “It definitely wasn't perfect the whole way down, but I felt like I had better sections and was able to find that like energy and aggression.” 

Moltzan was ready to seek vengeance on her "wooden spoon" fourth place result from the team combined a few days earlier. Her fierce speed and determination could be seen in each turn she took on the second run. She started to lose time at the bottom, but brought it back to get the green and claim her first World Championships individual medal by only one-hundredth of a second. 

“It is so much motivation to go into the slalom race with a result like this. It feels good, plus I am finishing the season with a result like this. It's super motivating,” said Moltzan. 

To complete the extraordinary day for Moltzan, her family and friends were all in attendance to watch this historic moment in her career. Hugs, champagne showers and tears were shed for the immense team effort. It is Moltzan's second World Championship medal, having won the gold in the team event in 2023. 

The winner of the race was Brignone who skied two runs flawlessly to win by 0.90 seconds. New Zealand’s Alice Robinson was second. 

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team women have now claimed a medal in every women's specific event so far and will look to keep the momentum rolling into the final event of slalom on Saturday. It’s the first time in 40 years that three different U.S. women have won an individual medal at the World Champs. The men race GS on Friday.

RESULTS 
Women's giant slalom 

HOW TO WATCH

Friday, Feb. 14
3:45 a.m. - men’s giant slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - men’s giant slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live

Saturday, Feb. 15
3:45 a.m. - women’s slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - women’s slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live
3:00 p.m. - women and men’s GS and team combined - NBC (tape delay) 

Sunday, Feb. 16
3:45 a.m. - men’s slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - men’s slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live
4:00 p.m. - women and men’s slalom - NBC (tape delay)

On Wednesday’s men’s Team Combined at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Ben Ritchie just missed a medal in fourth place. The duo came from behind close to making a miracle happen and upsetting the Swiss-dominated podium. 

“I was telling Ryan that to ski my best I was trying to separate the runs and think about it as my race. I did what I wanted to do and it was a solid run," said Ritchie. “That was an impressive run and super fun to watch, Ben carried our team today and it was just super cool to see.” 

The Team Combined started off with the downhill just as it had the day prior when Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson won gold. However on Wednesday the conditions were a bit different - less sun and more fog and rain. This made for a difficult downhill with many holds and varying snow conditions. Despite running the track three times earlier in the week some elements of the course needed to be analyzed and dialed in. 

The team of Bryce Bennett and Jett Seymour ran first. Bennett came into the day extremely confident and ready to go. However once his run started he knew something was off. Bennett did not put down his best skiing due to his skis running too aggressively on the snow that was beginning to turn soft. This meant his teammate, Seymour would need to send in the slalom. 

“I am such a picky guy with how the skis feel and I could tell from the first turn it was not going to be good and I felt stuck,” said Bennett. “The only thing about this event is that now that mistake puts a damper on the whole day so I feel bad for Jett but it happens.” 

There was still one more downhiller for the U.S. and that was Cochran-Siegle. He had already nailed the course two times earlier in the week and knew what line would be fast. Cochran-Siegle went into 12th place for the downhill but not too far off the margin. He was 1.26 seconds back from the winning time giving his teammate Ben Ritchie a decent shot.

“It was a challenge. I was trying to correct things from the other day, I think the visibility had something to do with it. Hopefully the time stays close,” said Cochran-Siegle. 

The course quickly shifted to slalom and the men’s slalom teams descended on the mountain. Since Bennett landed further back in the downhill, Seymour was able to start earlier after they flipped the top 30 skiers. Seymour skied solidly on a very long and turny course. While he did not go into the lead, he did move the duo up to 15th. 

“It's warm out here today and the snow was breaking up so I was just trying to send it and make it down,” said Seymour. “I was just telling everyone this is a really fun event, and it is so cool to watch in the finish with all the other downhillers. I am bummed that I did not do my part today but Jett crushed it so we are excited to come back and do better,” said Bennett. 

Then comes Ritchie. The cameras turned to Cochran-Siegle, Bennett and Seymour as they all anxiously awaited his run. Green light after green light Ritchie stepped it up and delivered. It may have been his skiing or the power of the ‘rally cap’ mentality that Cochran-Siegle manifested in the finish, but the day for the U.S. was about to get very exciting. 

Skier after skier and no one was close to the combined time of Team USA 1. Then it was down to the three remaining Swiss teams. The U.S. ultimately ended up fourth place, just  .20 hundredths away from a bronze medal and a major upset to the event where the U.S. was seen as an underdog. Nevertheless the men walked away with a group hug, a new team camaraderie experience and fire as they head into tech events this week.  

The World Championships event is far from over with the two marquee technical events on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

RESULTS
men's team combined 

HOW TO WATCH 

Thursday, Feb. 13
3:45 a.m. - women’s giant slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - women’s giant slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live

Friday, Feb. 14
3:45 a.m. - men’s giant slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - men’s giant slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live

Saturday, Feb. 15
3:45 a.m. - women’s slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - women’s slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live
3:00 p.m. - women and men’s GS and team combined - NBC (tape delay) 

Sunday, Feb. 16
3:45 a.m. - men’s slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - men’s slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live
4:00 p.m. - women and men’s slalom - NBC (tape delay)

On Tuesday’s team combined event in Saalbach, Austria, Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin delivered the gold in the event's debut. This is Shiffrin's historic 15th World Championships medal and eighth gold medal - tying the record for most medals by a female skier. Johnson adds one more to her collection after winning gold in the downhill days earlier. 

“I did my best again today and that’s all I can ask myself,” said Johnson.

“I am inspired by this event which is something I was not anticipating," said Shiffrin. "The vibe around it is so special." 

The first ever team combined event brought camaraderie and team spirit to the sport of alpine ski racing. Each nation was allowed to have up to four teams entered. The Stifel U.S. Ski Team’s team combined pairs were split into four teams, comprised of Breezy Johnson and Mikaela Shiffrin, Lauren Macuga and Paula Moltzan, Lindsey Vonn and AJ Hurt, and Jackie Wiles with Katie Hensien. 

The day began with the women’s downhill. The track was the same as the downhill from earlier in the week, so the women knew what to do. The speed women sent it, knowing that earning another medal would be possible. Johnson went first for the U.S. women and landed in third for the run, while Macuga blazed down in first to lead by 0.23 hundredths ahead of the pack. Wiles sat her team in 15th and Vonn in 21st.

"Last run on this hill, and I knew I had to make it count," said Macuga. "In the start I was thinking about Paula and how I needed to put my best skiing out there." 

The downhill course was quickly torn down and turned into a slalom venue. The slalom women inspected and got ready to roll, while the downhill teammates streamed into the finish, dressed in Stifel U.S. Ski Team paraphernalia and glitter that said ‘USA’ in red and blue - a fun nod to their Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team teammates.

Each one of the slalom ladies skied with grit. First AJ Hurt popped it into the leaderboard chair - sharing her seat with her teammate Vonn.

“I am very satisfied!" said Hurt. "I have not finished a lot of slaloms this year so I am just happy to make it down well. This event is so cool and it's so fun to have a teammate and work together."

“AJ skied amazing and overall we had a great time," said Vonn. "We are on the same team but never get to ski as a team so that was different and fun.

Hensien skied a quick slalom tempo to also land in the leaderboard chair with her partner Jackie Wiles. Hensien’s spirit was felt miles away as she pumped the air with her fist when she skied into the green light. 

“I knew I had to put down a really good run. It's very rare we get to ski as a team and I had to do it for Jackie,” said Hensien.

“It is stressful!" added Wiles. "But Katie is such a good skier so it is fun to cheer on your teammate in something bigger than you.” 

Then it was time for Shiffrin. Shiffrin, in her second race back after being sidelined with an injury, knifing her run to find the top time. Johnson sprinted out into the finish to give her a hug, and then the waiting game began. 

Finally it all came down to Macuga and Moltzan. The team was silent, clutching their American flags and sending Moltzan all the positive energy. Moltzan skied well but held back a smidge and ended up just shy of a medal in fourth place. Despite the tough break of missing a medal, the whole team was still grateful for one another’s support and celebrated their teammates' gold medal in the new event.

Shiffrin and Johnson climbed atop the podium together, holding hands and singing the national anthem.

“It has not sunken in yet - I went out and wanted to ski my best," said Johnson. "I just wanted to do something to help Mikaela who has done so much for my career as well."

Shiffrin lauded her teammate, as well. “This last year and a half (Breezy) has had to take on a lot on her own, so to be at this level now and do it again today is so incredible,” said Shiffrin. 

Shiffrin notably won her 15th World Championships medal and eighth gold medal, making history once again by equaling Germany’s Christl Cranz's 15 total World Championship medals – the most by any female skier. Plus Breezy Johnson continued her incredible World Championships run with a second gold medal to her name. 

The women’s team is fired up, confident and emotional over a whirlwind of a week that has produced a medal in each event that has occurred so far: a bronze in super-G, gold in downhill and gold in the team combined. The next events for the women’s team will be the giant slalom and slalom, while the men race their team combined on Wednesday.

RESULTS
Women's team combined 

HOW TO WATCH 

All times EST
Check local listings, subject to change.

Wednesday, Feb. 12 
4:00 a.m. - men’s team combined, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - men’s team combined, run two -skiandsnowboard.live

Thursday, Feb. 13
3:45 a.m. - women’s giant slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - women’s giant slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live

Friday, Feb. 14 
3:45 a.m. - men’s giant slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - men’s giant slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live

Saturday, Feb. 15
3:45 a.m. - women’s slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - women’s slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live
3:00 p.m. - women and men’s GS and team combined - NBC (tape delay) 

Sunday, Feb. 16
3:45 a.m. - men’s slalom, run one - skiandsnowboard.live
7:15 a.m. - men’s slalom, run two - skiandsnowboard.live
4:00 p.m. - women and men’s slalom - NBC (tape delay)

Saalbach, Austria (Feb. 10, 2025) - The Stifel U.S. Ski Team has announced the 12 skiers who will compete in the brand new team combined event debuting at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships Feb. 11-12. 

The Stifel U.S. Ski Team has a data-driven selection criteria for the team combined, which includes matching the top downhill skier with the top slalom skier based off of season-best results, then moving down the list of athletes to create four potential teams.

Highlighting the team will be the newly crowned 2025 downhill world champion Breezy Johnson who will be paired with the most successful alpine skier in the modern era of World Championships, Mikaela Shiffrin. Shiffrin, who has 14 World Championships medals to her name, is returning from a brutal injury that left her sidelined from competition the past two months. Both Shiffrin and Johnson will look to add to their medal count this week. 

Headlining the men’s side will be super-G Olympic silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle and slalom specialist Ben Ritchie. Cochran-Siegle is a consistent force in the downhill discipline and Ritchie has shown consistency and speed in slalom this season. 

“I think it will be really cool to have this experience with another teammate,” said Cochran-Siegle. “Skiing is a very individual sport but we also spend so much time as a team working together, so being at the bottom and cheering on your teammate will be really unique.”

The event consists of two runs: a downhill and a slalom run. The fastest combined time from both the downhill and slalom wins the event. The rules outline that a maximum of four teams with two competitors can compete. The teams are formed by athletes of the same nation and same gender. No changes to the pairs can be made after the draw of the race is complete. The combined time results will dictate the winners of the event - the prize money will also be divided equally among the pair. 

“We are very excited about this new combined event,” said Chief of Sport Anouk Patty. “These pairs are an extremely talented group of skiers and together they will be unstoppable.”  

TEAM COMBINED PAIRS (name, discipline) 

Women’s Teams
USA Team 1: Breezy Johnson (downhill) & Mikaela Shiffrin (slalom)
USA Team 2: Lauren Macuga (downhill) & Paula Moltzan (slalom) 
USA Team 3: Lindsey Vonn (downhill) & AJ Hurt (slalom) 
USA Team 4: Jackie Wiles (downhill) & Katie Hensien (slalom) 

Men’s Teams 
USA Team 1: Ryan Cochran-Siegle (downhill) & Ben Ritchie (slalom)
USA Team 2: Bryce Bennett (downhill) & Jett Seymour (slalom)

HOW TO WATCH 

Tuesday, Feb. 11
4:00 a.m. ET - women’s World Championships team combined run 1, Saalbach, AUT - skiandsnowboard.live  7:15 a.m. ET - women’s World Championships team combined run 2,  Saalbach, AUT - skiandsnowboard.live

Wednesday, Feb. 12 
4:00 a.m. ET - men’s World Championships team combined run 1, Saalbach, AUT - skiandsnowboard.live  
7:15 a.m. ET - men’s World Championships team combined run 2,  Saalbach, AUT - skiandsnowboard.live

On Sunday’s World Championships men's downhill Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Bryce Bennett and Ryan Cochran-Siegle landed 10th and 13th to cap off the busy week of speed in Saalbach. 

It was an emotional roller coaster of a week for the U.S. team coming off the incredible performance by teammate Breezy Johnson the day prior, along with Cochran-Siegle’s stellar training runs. The pressure was on from the start with many eyes looking to the U.S. speed team. However, Cochran-Siegle could not find the same execution as he had done earlier in the week. He had to settle for a top-15 finish. 

“It was a mental battle today,” said Cochran-Siegle. “I feel like the opportunity was definitely there, and I knew that I really just tried to focus on skiing. It's obviously a high-pressure environment, and I tried to embrace it as best as possible but fell short.” 

Bennett was able to find speed in his run to at first ski into third. Bennett ultimately fell back to 10th but was overall pleased with his efforts - looking forward to the next few weeks of racing. 

“My mindset currently is shifting to winning and trying to win every single weekend,” said Bennett. “I haven't quite figured out exactly how to do that, and that's just gonna be a little bit of a process.” 

It was a big day for the Swiss as youngster Franjo Von Allmen in the golden position with Austrian veteran Vincent Kreichmayr with silver and Swiss Alexis Monney with the bronze. Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Jared Goldberg and Sam Morse also raced landing in 24th and 36th. 

The next event for the men will be the brand new event - Team Combined - on Wednesday. 

RESULTS
men's downhill

On Saturday’s World Championships downhill in Saalbach, Austria, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Breezy Johnson knifed her run to claim gold and become the 2025 downhill world champion. 

“It has not sunk in yet,” said Johnson. “I've just been trying to ski my best all weekend. I really tried to throw down today.”

It was another day of sun in Saalbach and once again the track proved invincible, even after three downhill training runs. Johnson had already set a solid pace in the training runs earlier in the week and knew what she needed to do to execute the plan and ski her best. To add to the narrative, Johnson ran wearing bib one, truly setting the pace for the rest of the skiers. She pushed hard from the start to come down with a final time that was a full second faster than her training runs. It was clear that this would be a tough one to beat. 

“I came to Cortina for my second World Championships. I hip checked and I won three splits, but that was not gonna work with a hip check so I didn't walk away with a medal,” said Johnson. “Then I came into Meribel with the green light and I fell, so it's been a long time coming. But if you keep trying then maybe one day you'll get it.” 

Skier after skier came down the course and could not hold a candle to Johnson. It was not until fellow teammate and super-G bronze medalist Lauren Macuga came blazing down with fast splits up top that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Macuga landed in fifth.

“I put forward my best skiing, and I couldn't be more excited,” said Macuga. “It's so cool to see our team thriving like this. We've been building it up and now we get to represent such a strong team.”

Finally the speed queen herself Lindsey Vonn landed in 15th place. After a fall a few days ago, Vonn skied impressively at the top for a good result. 

“For me it was important to be at the start and be clear minded and be able to execute under pressure. It is good preparation for next year for the Olympics,” said Vonn. “I'm so happy for Breezy and also Lauren in the super-G… Our team is really, really strong so it's going to be a fun season to prepare for with all these girls that are so fast.” 

Jackie Wiles also raced, but did not finish. She is OK. 

Ultimately it was a day to celebrate the newfound world champion Breezy Johnson. An emotional Johnson was overwhelmed with the celebrations and hugs that she broke down crying in the leaderboard chair in disbelief. The sweetest moment was when she called her parents on the phone and was overcome with excitement. 

Johnson has always been a force in women’s speed but never stood on top of a World Cup podium or World Championships podium until now. She is a two-time Olympian with seven World Cup podiums to her name and now a World Championships victory to her list of accolades. 

The women’s speed team has had a Cinderella story the past few days with a bronze medal by Macuga in the super-G and now a gold by Johnson. More women’s speed will still come with the team combined early next week. 

The men will now take on the track on Super Bowl Sunday with men’s downhill. 

RESULTS
Women's downhill

HOW TO WATCH 
Saturday, Feb. 8
3:00 p.m. ET - women’s World Championships downhill, Saalbach, AUT - NBC Tape Delay

Sunday, Feb. 9
5:30 a.m. ET - men’s World Championships downhill, Saalbach, AUT - skiandsnowboard.live 

On Friday’s World Championships super-G in Saalbach, Austria, Stifel U.S. Ski Team veteran speed skiers Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Bryce Bennett were the top U.S. finishers in seventh and 15th place. 

“It was a really fun set,” said Cochran-Siegle. “The snow is very nice and you can do whatever you want, so feeling that environment and the pressure to build on that energy was really fun.”

It was another beautiful winter day in Saalbach with cloudy skies and sun popping in and out. The first American to go was Jared Goldberg with bib two. Goldberg found it difficult to see where he was going in some blind spots and made a few errors - which ultimately led to a 25th place finish.

Next up was Ryan Cochran-Siegle with bib 18. Cochran-Siegle was poised to be the top American after two very fast downhill training runs. He went out of the gate firing, doing his best to generate speed. Cochran-Siegle was on par with the top skiers but a tiny mistake at the end may have cost him the podium. He landed seventh just 0.15 out from a bronze medal. 

“I am happy with the skiing I was able to do knowing that my best skiing is enough. I'm just trying to really just enjoy that,” said Cochran-Siegle.

Teammate Bryce Bennett also put on a strong super-G performance for a skier more known for his downhill abilities. He had some confident turns to land in 15th place. 

“To stand in the start gate knowing that if you've executed everything 100%, you could actually be on the podium was a good feeling,” said Bennett. “I haven't really had that feeling in super-G before.” 

However it was a golden day for Swiss skier Marco Odermatt who outpaced the field by a second. The results list following Odermatt were stacked with a half-second between the top 10 skier. The silver medal was awarded to Austrian Raphael Haaser with Norwegian Adrian Sejersted in bronze. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete River Radamus also raced and landed in 19th place. The World Championships event continues with the women’s downhill Saturday and men’s downhill on Super Bowl Sunday. 

RESULTS
Men's super-G

HOW TO WATCH 

Saturday, Feb. 8
5:30 a.m. ET - women’s World Championships downhill, Saalbach, AUT - skiandsnowboard.live  

In Thursday’s first World Championships speed race in Saalbach, Austria, 22-year-old Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Lauren Macuga won the bronze medal in the super-G. It was her first World Championships start and makes her the youngest skier to win a World Champs medal in a speed event in 12 years.

“It was all about that mentality and you can hear me talk to myself, like ‘come on, give it everything you got,’” said Macuga. “Coming down that course I knew there would be some big jumps and crucial parts, so I was just trusting the line and going for it.” 

It was a beautiful sunny day with a perfect race surface. The women had already skied the slope twice with two downhill training runs earlier in the week, and with their head coach setting the super-G, they were prepared for a big day. 

Macuga was the first U.S. skier for the team wearing bib 14 and she sent it from the top. She lost a little bit of time in the middle, but skied to the line to tie Norwegian Kajsa Lie for third. 

“Coming into this year, I was just hoping to make the team,” Macuga said. “It’s just cool to see that I’m figuring out how to do it more and more consistently.”

Macuga comes from an impressive family, with three daughters all on the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team. While her father and sister Alli are in Park City while Alli competes in moguls at the Intermountain Health Freestyle International presented by Stifel at Deer Valley and her sister Sam competes at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Lake Placid, mother Amy was in the finish in Saalbach. Lauren and her mother had an emotional moment in the finish after her run. 

“Oh my gosh to have my mom in the finish here - it's so fun and such a cool experience,” said Macuga. 

Macuga has become a consistent contender in the speed disciplines this season. She won her first World Cup in the St. Anton super-G in early January, which was also her first World Cup podium. In Beaver Creek at the Stifel Birds of Prey, she also claimed a personal best downhill result in fourth. Now she has earned her first World Championships medal in her first appearance at the biannual event. 

Austrian fans had an exciting day with Stephanie Venier claiming the top spot with a gold. Italy’s Federica Brignone claimed the silver medal position. Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Breezy Johnson and Keely Cashman also raced hard in the super-G. Johnson landed in 19th with Cashman in 24th. Teammate Lindsey Vonn had a few strong splits on her run until she hooked a gate with her arm and was thrown out. She did not finish but is OK. 

Next on the docket for the World Championships event is the men’s super-G on Friday. 

RESULTS
Women's super-G

HOW TO WATCH 
5:30 a.m. ET - men’s World Championships super-G, Saalbach, AUT - skiandsnowboard.live