Jessie Diggins finished fourth to lead four U.S. Ski Team athletes into the top 10 in the FIS Cross Country World Cup freestyle sprint in Lillehammer, Norway, on Saturday. Ben Ogden posted a career-best World Cup result, finishing seventh, and Julia Kern and JC Schoonmaker each finished eighth. 

“We had some awesome skis out there,” Diggins said, once again praising the effort of the U.S. service techs. “It was so cool seeing the U.S. Team as a whole having such a great day.”

Diggins posted the fifth-fastest qualifying time and advanced to the finals after finishing second in the opening quarterfinal heat. She then advanced as the Lucky Loser in the semifinal heat. 

Kern was 20th in qualifying and came out swinging when she skied away from the field to take the opening-round win in the fifth heat. In the semifinals, Kern was locked in on the second Lucky Loser position, only to watch it slip away when Norway’s Lotta Udnes Weng crashed in front of her in the closing 200 meters. 

“I was able to react pretty quickly and get around her,“ Kern said. “And I felt really strong coming into the finish, but that little blip and hiccup cost me. But that’s sprint racing.”

In the finals, Diggins was well-positioned on the first of two laps, but racing up the final climb into the finish, the Swedish duo of Emma Ribom and Maja Dahlquist put the hammer down and finished 1-2 with Norway’s Tiril Udnes Weng in third.

“I had the skis, I just didn’t have the gas and the sharp race form feeling in that final, but that’s OK. I’m really happy with the day and the performance,” Diggins said. 

In an impressive showing for the young U.S. men’s team, three qualified for the heats, including Ogden, Schoonmaker, and Luke Jager, who posted a career-best World Cup freestyle sprint result, finishing 25th.

“Ben and JC and Luke, they skied so well,” Diggins added. “I was really, really impressed. They were (so close) to getting into the final too. It was cool to feel that energy as a team out there today.”

Ogden and Schoonmaker, who qualified 20th and 24th respectively, each won their opening quarterfinal heats to advance. Racing in the second semifinal heat, both were in the mix heading in the final 200 meters but came up short with overall World Cup leader Paal Goldberg of Norway leading countryman Ansger Evensen across the line to finish 1-2. 

In the men’s finals, Norway’s Johannes Kleabo put on another sprint show, skiing to his 55th World Cup victory. Italy’s Frederico Pellegrino was second, and Norway’s Evan Northug was third.

World Cup racing wraps up Sunday in Lillehammer with a 20k classic mass start.

RESULTS
Women’s freestyle sprint
Men’s freestyle sprint

Jessie Diggins skied to her 13th individual World Cup win - tying her former teammate Kikkan Randall for the most U.S. World Cup Cross Country victories - in Friday's opening 10k individual start in Lillehammer, Norway.

"First and foremost, I want to say thanks to the wax techs and the team. I am really proud of their effort because my skis were so awesome out there," said Jessie Diggins in a post-race reflection. "I went into the race with the plan of trying to ski really smooth, pace it evenly, work the transitions and the corners and push hard into the downhills and maximize every second that I could." 

On a fast, 3.3k loop course lined by numerous American fans, fast skis, high tempo, and quick transitions made all the difference for Diggins. Germany's Katharina Hennig was sitting comfortably in the hot seat until Diggins skied through every time check with positive splits. Hennig held on for second, 3.8 seconds back, with Heidi Weng of Norway rounding out the podium in third. 

"My fitness and brain were in a really good place and today I felt like when I asked my body to go deep into the pain cave, it responded," said Diggins. 

Julia Kern and Sophia Laukli also posted top 30 results, finishing 25th and 29th respectively. Alayna Sonnesyn was 32nd, and Lauren Jortberg was 48th in her first World Cup distance race.

With the win, Diggins has racked up 250 World Cup starts, 41 podiums and 15 overall World Cup wins, including a U.S. Team Sprint win in Quebec in 2012, and a Mixed Team victory in Falun, Sweden, last season.

In the men's 10k, Zak Ketterson led the U.S. Ski Team, finishing 26th. Gus Schumacher was 32nd, Scott Patterson 40th, Hunter Wonders was 45th, and Ben Ogden was 56th.

"The fans were pretty fun," Ketterson said. "I actually noticed the cheering the most while I was skiing around the course on my warmup. Tons of American and Norwegian fans cheering for me and asking me silly questions. Can always rely on Norway to provide an awesome World Cup experience."

Racing continues in Lillehammer Saturday with a freestyle sprint, followed by a 20k classic mass start on Sunday. All events are streamed LIVE on skiandsnowboardlive.com.

RESULTS
Women's 10k freestyle individual start
Men's 10k freestyle individual start
 

In the men's Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup downhill at Lake Louise, Ryan Cochran-Siegle led the way in the men’s downhill race on Saturday, Nov., 26.

Cochran-Siegle posted the ninth fastest run on the hill, only 1.12 seconds back from the winner, Aleksander Kilde from Norway. 

"As a team we recognize today was a little bit of a letdown all said and done. I think we're definitely more capable than that," said Cochran-Siegle on the team's efforts. 

Other top American finishers included Travis Ganong in 13th place. 

“I'm feeling good about a solid 13th place today in the first downhill,” said Travis Ganong. “I just had fun with it today, I had really good sections and I felt really balanced and positive on my skis." 

The conditions were mostly solid with some soft snow in various places throughout the course. The race today (Nov., 26) was rescheduled from the canceled race the day previous when weather conditions were a challenge. Now, the men shift focus to the Super-G on Sunday, Nov., 27.

RESULTS

Men's Downhill

Super-G

In the first Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup super-G of the season, Marco Odermatt of Switzerland showed his dominance winning the race after a podium in the downhill the day prior. 

The Stifel U.S. Alpine speed men took to the course with Kyle Negomir landing in 23rd. This is also Negomir's first World Cup points in his career. Jared Goldberg was the next top finisher on the U.S. side, ending up in 32nd place. 

"That was the first time I've been in a World Cup in almost three years," said Negomir. "Definitely means a lot to be racing again. And to be back and be part of the team and healthy again. There are a lot of things I took for granted before that I can really appreciate now from a different perspective."

Organizers say that despite a snowy night, the slope was still great for racing. The course workers helped to prepare a solid race hill for the day. 

The speed men will now turn their attentions to the Xfinity Birds of Prey at Beaver Creek starting Dec. 2.

RESULTS

Men's Super-G

In the Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel, an Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup, the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team women’s tech team showed great depth, placing four in the top 30. Mikaela Shiffrin was the top finisher, finishing in 13th.

It was a sunny and windy day in Vermont, but that did not stop the women from giving it their all on the track. Katie Hensien scored her first World Cup GS points in her career, finishing 27th.

“It feels really good, especially here in Killington with a home crowd," said Hensien. "I gave it my all first run and pretty much shocked myself."

Paula Moltzan and Nina O’Brien also scored points, finishing 18th and 23rd, respectively. The crowds did not disappoint either with 21,000 in attendance on Saturday, making it one of the most attended races in the event's history.

AJ Hurt, Allie Resnick and Ava Sunshine also started the giant slalom, but did not qualify for a second run. 

The women will be back in action for a slalom race on Sunday to wrap up one of the best weekends on the World Cup circuit.

RESULTS
Women's Giant Slalom

HOW TO WATCH
 

Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022

10:15 a.m. ET, FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, Women’s Slalom (Run 1) - Killington, Vermont, streaming on Outside

1:15 p.m. ET, FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, Women’s Slalom (Run 2) - Killington, Vermont, streaming on Outside // broadcast LIVE on NBC

The U.S. Cross Country Ski Team is in Ruka, Finland for the first World Cup of the season, racing in three different races; classic sprint, 10k classic and 20k skate. Men and women all raced equal distance, which marks the first time equal distance has been implemented on the World Cup stage.

Classic Sprint

On Friday, Nov., 25, eleven athletes started the sprint race on the fast and quick course in Ruka. Julia Kern led the women's team with a personal record (PR) in a World Cup sprint, finishing in 11th place with teammate Jessie Diggins finishing top 30 in the stacked women's field. On the men's side, JC Schoonmaker had a stellar start to the season in 19th and Ben Ogden rounds out the top 30 finishing in 22nd. Norwegian star, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo started off the season with a sprint podium for the men and Emma Ribom from Sweden was atop the sprint podium for the women. 

"It was really great to get the processes back in action," says Diggins. "I didn't have any big expectations in terms of results, I just had big expectations in terms of my process, technique focus and mental game. I was focused on dialing in all the things I could control and I was happy with how it's going so far!"

Results

Women's Sprint

Men's Sprint

10k Classic

On Saturday, Nov., 26, Rosie Brennan had a great day finishing in seventh, only 29 seconds back from the leader in the 10k classic. A two-time Olympian, Brennan is off to a great start in the first World Cup of the season. For the men, summer training is looking like it paid off, as Ben Ogden skied very well into a top-30 finish in 28th place with several teammates close behind, including Zak Ketterson who had his best classic World Cup start finishing the day in 31st. With one more race of the weekend to go, both men's and women's teams are looking strong, healthy and excited for more. 

"I am very happy with today's race. It felt really good to be able to turn around after a disappointing day yesterday," says Brennan. "I was able to find a good rhythm and strong skiing today and that is all I can ask for in my first race weekend of the year. I am pleased with some of the technical improvements I have made over the summer and am hopeful to have stronger classic races this season. I am really looking forward to tomorrow. It feels like a big opportunity with a new distance and I am excited to see what happens!"

For the podium on the men's side, Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo snags another first place and Ebba Andersson from Sweden is the winner for the women's 10k classic. 

Results 

Women's 10k Classic

Men's 10k Classic

20k Skate Pursuit 

What a weekend in Ruka! Today was the 20k skate pursuit on the hard, technical and hilly course in Finland. Both men and women raced the same distance and the Americans had solid races all around on the six-lap course. 

Leading the charge for the women was Rosie Brennan, followed closely by Jessie Diggins. Brennan and Diggins stuck with the chaser pack for the majority of the race chasing down Frida Karlsson and Ebba Anderson from Sweden. Brennan pushed it right at the end and had a photo finish, ultimately landing in sixth place. Diggins was right there in top ten and crossed the line in tenth, which rounds out her personal best results in Ruka. Novie McCabe scored her first World Cup points of the season after finishing in 25th place and a trio of her teammates, Alayna Sonnesyn, Sophia Laukli and Julia Kern finished together, immediately embracing in a hug the second after crossing the finish line. 

For the men, Scott Patterson was first on the team and in the mix the entire race, finishing in 14th place - his best result in Ruka to date. A great start to the World Cup for Patterson, who has shown what it takes to be in the top! The pack was fast, as were the skis. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) won again, but the American men held their own and worked together with the various chaser packs and had great races all around. Hunter Wonders had another fast day and skied to a 30th place in the 20k pursuit, with many of his teammates close behind, including Zak Ketterson, Gus Schumacher and Ben Ogden. 

Results

Women's 20k Skate Pursuit

Men's 20k Skate Pursuit

The tech women are ready for this year’s Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel, an Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup.

The U.S. women had a strong showing in Levi with back-to-back wins by Mikaela Shiffrin, back-to-back point scoring from Ava Sunshine in 21st and 26th, and a great day for Katie Hensien placing 25th in Levi. Plus, Paula Moltzan had very fast intervals before she went out, proving she can be up there with the top slalom skiers in the world.  

Turning to the Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel, this weekend includes both slalom and a GS. 

Top skiers to watch for GS include Tessa Worley (FRA), Frederica Brignone (ITA), Sara Hector (SWE), Petra Vhlová (CZE) and more. Worley won the giant slalom World Cup in Killington in 2016, she is also last season’s GS crystal globe winner. Hector claimed three World Cup giant slalom wins last season. She also won Olympic gold in this discipline in Beijing. Vlhová has won six giant slalom World Cups and claimed 14 podium finishes. Marta Bassino (ITA) is also one to watch after she won the Killington giant slalom in 2019.

The action starts on Saturday, Nov., 26. 

HOW TO WATCH the Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel 

Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022

10:00 a.m. ET, FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, Women’s Giant Slalom (Run 1) - Killington, Vermont, streaming on Outside

1:00 p.m.  ET, FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, Women’s Giant Slalom (Run 2) - Killington, Vermont, streaming on Outside // broadcast LIVE on NBC

Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022

10:15 a.m. ET, FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, Women’s Slalom (Run 1) - Killington, Vermont, streaming on Outside

1:15 p.m. ET, FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup, Women’s Slalom (Run 2) - Killington, Vermont, streaming on Outside // broadcast LIVE on NBC

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

First-ever Heroic Panel and Heroic Coffee Hour at the 2022 Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel to celebrate U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s newly launched women’s initiative.

WHAT

U.S. Ski & Snowboard will host its first activation as part of its women’s initiative, titled Heroic, with a Heroic panel at the 2022 Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel on Saturday, Nov. 27 from 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. ET. Listen to some of the most powerful women in the ski and snowboard industry discuss the newly launched initiative and its impact goals within the overall women’s movement, along with the challenges women face, improvements that have been made and general advice for those entering the ski and snowboard industry.

On Sunday, Nov. 27 from 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. ET, U.S. Ski & Snowboard invites the public to the inaugural Heroic Coffee Hour. Fans will have the opportunity to mingle with women in the ski and snowboard industry and learn more about the Heroic initiative before day two of the Heroic Killington Cup presented by Stifel.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26

Heroic Panel

8:30 - 9:00 a.m. ET at Killington Ski Club / Media Center 

• Media credential required for admittance (ALL MEDIA MUST RSVP - Email Leann Bentley at leann.bentley@usskiandsnowboard.org)
• Live-streamed via the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Facebook page
• Heroic Panelists
  • Anouk Patty – Chief of Sport, U.S. Ski & Snowboard
  • Kelly Pawlak – President, National Ski Areas Association 
  • Julie Woodworth – Executive Director, Vermont Alpine Racing Association 
  • Diann Roffe – Junior Program Director, Burke Mountain Academy
  • Megan Fearnow - SVP, Marketing Services, POWDR 
• Moderator
  • Sophie Goldschmidt – President & CEO, U.S. Ski & Snowboard 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27

Heroic Coffee Hour

8:30 - 9:30 a.m. ET at Killington’s K1 Lodge, third floor 

• Open to public

Learn more about the Heroic Initiative here.

CONTACTS

Courtney Harkins - Director, Marketing and Communications, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, courtney.harkins@usskiandsnowboard.org

Leann Bentley -  Communications Coordinator, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Leann.Bentley@usskiandsnowboard.org

###

Mikaela Shiffrin snagged her 75th and 76th Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup victories in Levi, Finland over the debut World Cup weekend. On Saturday, not only did Shiffrin win, but she has now broken the record for the most podiums in a single discipline by any female skier. On Sunday, she steadily won the day and her teammates were close behind. 

Day One

Shiffrin was in third after the first run behind Lena Duerr (GER) and Anna Swenn Larsson (SWE). On the second run, Shiffrin skied clean and confident, enough to overtake the field and win by 0.26 ahead of Swenn Larsson. Also adding another reindeer to her pack. 

Another big result for the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team came from Ava Sunshine. Sunshine made her debut in the World Cup circuit at Levi, skiing into a solid 25th first run, and ending in 21st overall. Sunshine is a previous Junior World Champs speed medalist, making a very strong statement on the circuit with this result. 

“I am super excited about my first World Cup scoring points, it's so amazing and so incredible. Not as intense as I thought it would be. It is always a big deal down bottom but up top it's pretty chill, so it was good,” said Sunshine.

RESULTS
Women's Slalom

Day Two

Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athlete Katie Hensien skied well and is closing out the day in 26th place among the fast and strong women's tech field. Coming off a stellar weekend, Ava Sunshine had another amazing race on the technical slalom course. Sunshine ends her first World Cup weekend with two top-30 finishes and her first World Cup points. 

RESULTS
Women's Slalom

If you have raced with Masters over the last 18 years, just hearing the website skiracereg.com (SRR) gives you the warm winter fuzzies. It has been the primary pathway for getting signed up for masters ski races and associated masters fun and events. If you don’t already know his name, be sure the name Doug Briggs, Mr. SkiRaceReg, is one that will echo in Masters history. SRR which started in the Rocky Division to ease the race registration process quickly grew to support eight of the masters race series with registration, member management, email management, and many other finical management aspects of operating the race series as well regional, national, and FIS masters events. SRR streamlined our registration not just within divisions, but across divisions.

Doug provided seemingly boundless support for the racers and race series while not charging members for use of the platform. From 5-packs, to selling bibs, to managing teams, to year end reporting – there was no idea too big or too small – Doug was patient and supportive to update and improve SRR to help the series better serve and interact with the members. We have been truly lucky to have a dedicated registration platform made by a fellow racer. Though we will miss working with him on SRR we are delighted that he will still be around as a fellow competitor and friend! We are excited that retirement from SRR means he will have more time to travel, do more races, and continue coaching fellow racers at speed events. Doug, a former US Alpine Team Athlete supports several speed training camp days at Ski Cooper and has invaluable feedback whether you are new to the sport or have decades of experience. Doug is a repeat winner of the coveted Wolf Cup DH trophy at Ski Cooper.

We would like to thank Doug Briggs for maintaining and adapting SRR which has been a tremendous asset for our masters divisions for more than a decade. We are truly lucky to have him in our masters community. At the end of the 2022 DH Nationals at Ski Cooper, the divisions presented Doug with a new touring setup and gift card for more outdoor gear. “Cheers” Doug and see you out there for many more years - wax side down!

Administrative note: Many masters divisions now use masters.adminskiracing.com for race registration.

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Team spent an evening at Yama Sushi restaurant in Vail, Colo., on Nov. 16 along with Vail Valley fans and raised over $150,000 for the team. Hosted by Dr. Randy and Heather Viola and Charley and Ariane Viola, attendees were able to mingle with both the men's and women's speed athletes, like Tommy Ford, Breezy Johnson, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Isabella Wright, and more who were in town for the annual Copper Mountain speed camp. 

Thank you to the entire Yama Sushi staff, Dr. Randy and Heather Viola, and Charley and Ariane Viola.

Learn more about the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athletes here. Those interested in further supporting our athletes can do so here.