On December 29, 2011, Mikaela Shiffrin earned her first World Cup podium in Lienz, Austria. Fast forward eight years to the exact day—December 29, 2019—in Lienz, where Mikaela won her 64th victory and her 43rd slalom victory on Sunday.

Wow. Just WOW. 

Slovakia's Petra Vlhova skied two strong runs on Sunday, but despite giving it her all, she just couldn't best Mikaela—who was on a mission and skiing out of her mind, after a disappointing result in Courchevel, France a week ago. Switzerland's Michelle Gisin rounded out the podium in third with her first-career World Cup slalom podium. Michelle has been struggling of late, posting on Instagram after Saturday's race, "Going through kind of a rough time right now...but you know, this too shall pass." And pass it did.

Mikaela and Petra have a friendly rivalry, and in this rivalry both competitors push each other, learn from each other, and—as a result—elevate the sport of alpine ski racing together. “Petra has been one of the girls who has been able to beat me when I’ve been skiing really well,” Mikaela spoke of their rivalry. “Her skiing is super strong, and she’s motivated and she has this fire. I have a lot of respect for her and what her team does to be able to push her level, because that pushes my level too.”

The conditions on Sunday were great, and the surface was fast. Both courses were quick sets, and there were some tricky combinations the athletes don’t normally see. Mikaela was watching Petra from the start, “When I saw Petra go on the second run, I was watching from the start and I was thinking, ‘Oh no, I can’t ski it that fast, well...I guess all I can do is try.’ When I have that mindset just to go for it, and I can feel the good skiing, then it’s always really, really satisfying to come into the finish and see it worked out.”

Petra was building on her already over nine tenths lead throughout the entire course, crossing the finish line with a 1.11 lead over Michelle. All indications were pointing towards a victory with the run Petra laid down. But Mikaela had other plans. Skiing clean and strong to cross the finish line with a .61 margin of victory, Mikaela screamed and threw her hands up in celebration while Petra stood, seemingly stunned and confused, like a deer in the headlights. In the post-victory press conference, Petra said she thought after her run, “Wow, maybe today I could beat Miki.” 

After what Mikaela describes as a “heartbreaking” day in Courchevel, Mikaela came to Lienz rested and well-prepared with some solid giant slalom and slalom training under her belt. The realization that she “wasn’t really strong enough to go to Val d’Isere and race the way that I wanted to and I had to pull back,” was a tough pill for Mikaela to swallow.

Throughout the week, fans and media posted both words of encouragement as well doubt on social media. “Has she lost her touch?” “Maybe she won’t actually ever reach Stenmark’s record!” and “It’s lame that she skipped the races—ski racing is her job!” were just a few of the comments that were shared on social. Mikaela tried to maintain her focus during her training block, as well as spend some “soul-healing” time with family and her team over Christmas to drown out the noise. And then she did what Mikaela does when the noise gets loud...she skied faster. Not only did she win...she won in a BIG way.

Not only did Mikaela sweep the Lienz series, but she won all four runs—a level of dominance so rare in a sport that comes down to hundredths—and she won by a collective margin of almost two seconds. Again, a rarity in a sport where the winner and fourth place can be decided in the time span of a blink of the eye.

To say that Mikaela made a statement in Lienz, would be an understatement. Mikaela laid down some of the best skiing in the history of the sport, to walk away with back-to-back victories and prove to the world that, yes—ski racing is her job, and she does a better job at her job than anyone else. “I don’t really have words,” reflected Mikaela. “Last week the training was really good. I think that the work my team did—what we all did together—was really strong and I think it’s just special to come here and show that. Today was, again, a really special day and I knew that nothing less than 110% was going to be fast enough for this race and I know how strong Petra is skiing, so I was trying to keep myself focused and not get nervous.” But, as we know, Mikaela has learned to manage her nerves. 

Mikaela has extended her lead in the overall standings to 295 points over Italy’s Federica Brignone and sits first in the slalom standings, with 300 points—140 points ahead of Petra. Sunday’s Stats: Mikaela Shiffrin has won an all-time record 43 World Cup slalom races, tied with Lindsey Vonn (43 in downhill). Only Ingemar Stenmark (46 in giant slalom) has won more than 42 World Cup races in a single discipline. On 29 December 2011, Shiffrin claimed her first World Cup podium in any discipline as she finished third in the Lienz slalom at age 16.  

Sunday’s Stats: 

• 50 years ago, in the debut of the Lienz World Cup race on the Hochstein as Lienz, a little-known American by the name of Judy Nagel, now Judy Johnson, swept the Lienz World Cup tech series. Nagel remains the youngest American to win a World Cup (17 years, five months, 13 days) – about three months younger than Shiffrin when she won her first in Åre, Sweden in 2012.
• Mikaela Shiffrin has won an all-time record 43 World Cup slalom races, tied with Lindsey Vonn (43 in downhill) for most wins among women in a single discipline. Only Ingemar Stenmark (46 in giant slalom) has won more in a single discipline.  
• On 29 December 2011, Shiffrin claimed her first World Cup podium in any discipline as she finished third in the Lienz slalom at age 16.  
• Mikaela has won 64 World Cup races, in outright second place on the all-time women's list. Lindsey Vonn holds the women's record of 82 race wins. On the men's side, only Ingemar Stenmark (86) and Marcel Hirscher (67) have won more World Cup races.  
• The last 23 women's World Cup slalom races were either won by Mikaela (19) or Petra Vlhová (4), since retired Frida Hansdotter won in Flachau on 10 January 2017.  
• Mikaela has recorded a top-two finish in 22 of the last 23 women's World Cup slalom races, including in each of the last 14 since a 'DNF' in Lenzerheide on 28 January 2018.
• Mikaela became the first alpine skier, male or female, to record 14 successive slalom podiums in the World Cup, surpassing Erika Hess who had 13 (1980-1982).  
• Mikaela has claimed four World Cup podiums in the Lienz slalom. She won on 28 December 2017, finished second on 29 December 2013 and claimed third place on 29 December 2011, and now—eight years to the day after her first-ever podium—a victory on 29 December 2019.  
• Mikaela has now won 12 World Cup events in Austria, surpassing the women's record held by Renate Götschl, Annemarie MoserPröll, Marlies Schild and Lindsey Vonn.

Nina O'Brien also started for the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, but did not qualify for a second run, while Paula Moltzan returned to World Cup action, but leaned in a bit on the top section of the course and DNFed. 

Up next, the women will have a few days before they head to the always highly anticipated Snow Queen Trophy race on Jan. 4 in Zagreb, Croatia, where Mikaela has won the last two years and four of the last five races at the venue. With the coming new year, Mikaela says “I’m excited for the new challenges, in so many ways this season is so different than last season and I’m starting to accept that and look forward to the new challenges.”

AUDIO
Mikaela Victory Press Conference

RESULTS
Women’s Slalom

STANDINGS
Slalom
Overall

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Official event hashtag: #worldcuplienz

Why isn’t Lienz available on NBCSN or Olympic Channel?
The reason Lienz is available via Gold Pass rather than NBCSN or Olympic Channel is that World Cup events held in Austria are not part of the TV agreement that NBC Sports has with FIS. They are controlled and sold by a different rights holder and were purchased by NBC Sports Gold for exclusive use within “Snow Pass.” If you have any further questions, please reach out to NBC Sports Gold's help desk at support@nbcsports.com. 

Why doesn’t “Snow Pass” have commentary?
In order to provide 900+ hours of content at an affordable price, we rely on the world feed (a video feed provided by the rights holder), which often does not include English commentary. Commentary is available on all television coverage provided by NBC, NBCSN and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, and live streaming via authentication at NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

Rosie Brennan finished 20th to lead three Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team athletes into the top 30 in Saturday’s opening stage of the 14th Tour de Ski in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Jessie Diggins out-sprinted teammate Sadie Maubet Bjornsen for 29th in Saturday’s mass start 10k freestyle.

“Today was a bit of a mixed day,” Rosie said. “Having missed the last two weekends of racing, I wasn't quite sure where I was at, but I felt really good in the race and am really happy with my effort.”

Norway’s Therese Johaug took the opening stage victory by 12.3 seconds over countrywoman Heidi Weng. Sweden’s Ebba Andersson was third at 12.9 seconds back. Rosie was 59 seconds off the winning time, while Jessie and Sadie were 1 minute, 20 seconds off the pace.

Sophie and Jessie started on the front row and maintained their position throughout much of the first lap. “Unfortunately, it was a really rough day for our team with the wax,” Jessie said. “Not for lack of effort or work on our techs part, but sometimes that’s the way it goes in this sport.”

Julia Kern, Rosie, Katharine Ogden, and Sophie Caldwell got caught up in traffic on the opening climb and had to fight their way to maintain contact with the front group. Therese, along with countrywoman Ingvild Oestberg opened up a gap heading into the second lap, with Therese pulling away to open a 10-second advantage at the 5.6k mark.

Rosie put in a huge effort on the second lap to close the gap to Jessie and Sadie, moving ahead of her teammates at the 5.6k point of the race.

“We struggled a bit with our skis and I maybe wasted a bit too much energy trying to move up in places that didn't make sense with the skis I had on my feet,” Rosie said. “The good news is that it was overall a very tight race so, despite less than perfect skis, I didn't lose too much time in the overall and am still optimistic for the rest of the tour.”

In the men’s 15k mass start, David Norris was the top American finisher in 58th. Kevin Bolger was 64th and Logan Hanneman 69th.

Sunday’s second stage is a freestyle sprint in Lenzerheide. 

RESULTS
Stage 1 Tour de Ski
Women’s 10k mass start
Men’s 15k mass start

Tour de Ski Standings (Thought stage 1)
Women
Men

World Cup Standings
Women
Men

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST.

Sunday, Dec. 29
5:30 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men and women’s sprint, Lenzerheide, SUI - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

Reigning FIS Ski World Cup overall and giant slalom champion Mikaela Shiffrin certainly lets her skiing speak for itself, and today she spoke loudly— winning by a massive margin of 1.36 seconds. She earned her 63rd World Cup victory, surpassing Austrian Annemarie Moser-Pröll into fourth on the all-time win list behind Marcel Hirscher (67), Lindsey Vonn (82) and Ingemar Stenmark (86).

Italy’s Marta Bassino was second, 1.36 off Mikaela’s pace, while Austrian Katharina Liensberger put on a great show for the home crowd, grabbing her first World Cup giant slalom podium in the 50th edition of the Lienz World Cup on the Hochstein track, 1.82 seconds back. 

Mikaela put a challenging day in Courchevel, France in the rear-view mirror and out of her mind, showing the world that she is indeed one of the best giant slalom skiers in the world, with her 11th career giant slalom victory. Ever a practitioner of the sport, Mikaela was back on giant slalom skis the day after Courchevel. She hit the “reset” button and opted to sit out of the Val d’Isere, France downhill and alpine combined—proving to be a smart decision taking into consideration the weather—much to the chagrin of many naysayers (including media and fans). However, when Mikaela makes a decision, it’s always a calculated one, and in this case, it proved to work out in her favor. 

Instead, Mikaela got a great block of tech training under her belt at our European training base in Folgaria with our partner Alpe Cimbra, Trentino. Joined by her mother Eileen and father Jeff—who came over for the holidays and plan to go to both Lienz and the upcoming slalom at Zagreb, Croatia—Mikaela enjoyed the holiday. She spent Christmas where she feels most comfortable—in gates, on the mountain. Hard work pays off. And on Saturday it paid off in the form of a massive 1.36 margin win and some beautiful, connected skiing by the quickly emerging greatest of all time. Mikaela described her time with her family over the holidays as “soul-healing.” 

“The last week was actually great,” reflected Mikaela. “My mom and dad are here, and the training was amazing and I was so much more prepared for this weekend than I have been. I am really excited...really excited for today. Courchevel made me doubt a lot about what I’m able to do with my giant slalom skiing, so to be able to come back here today after a lot of training the last week and a little bit of rest too, is great. You go through these moments as an athlete where you have to look at your skiing and reflect and say ‘I’m not doing a good enough job.’”

“To me,” she continued, “that happens quite often when I’m trying to race in every event because there’s never enough time to train in every event, so then I have to take a step back. We skipped Val d’Isere because I felt like I wasn’t doing my job. It wasn’t because of the weather, we skipped it because I wasn’t skiing well and I had work to do. We did a lot of work—my team, my coaches—and that paid off in today, and that’s one really big step in the right direction.”

Coming through the finish line, Mikaela was stunned when she looked at the clock. With a look of disbelief, she crouched down similarly to the way she did in Andorra when she held her first career giant slalom globe and hung out there for a moment as she took it all in. You saw that correctly, Mikaela...1.36 seconds. She won both runs, and the second run, in particular, was something special. In the third split alone, Mikaela made up one second of time. ONE SECOND.

She expressed how hard it was to just let the Courchevel result go, and that she was heartbroken after Courchevel. “You can’t go into a race thinking you can deserve something or expect something at all, but it’s hard not to compare what’s going on this season with what went on last season,” she explained. “Everyone is thinking ‘what is she doing this season compared to what she did last season’ and that’s hard because I am thinking that too. I still can’t believe I won 17 races last year, and so I have to reset and think that might never happen again, and just focus on my skiing.”

Mikaela leads the overall standings by 215 points over Italy’s Federica Brignone and has moved back up in the giant slalom standings, from fourth to second, by a mere 21 points behind Federica, who has 275 points to Mikaela’s 254. 

Saturday's Stats: 

• Mikaela Shiffrin has won 63 World Cup races, in outright second place on the all-time women's list. Lindsey Vonn holds the women's record of 82 race wins. On the men's side, only Ingemar Stenmark (86) and Marcel Hirscher (67) have won more World Cup races. 

• Mikaela has more World Cup victories in all disciplines on Austrian soil (11) than in any other country (9, United States).  

• Mikaela is the fifth woman to claim a record 11 World Cup wins in Austria, after Renate Götschl, Annemarie Moser-Pröll, Marlies Schild and Lindsey Vonn. On the men's side, only Ingemar Stenmark and Hermann Maier (both 15) have won more than 10 World Cup races in Austria.  

• Prior to Saturday's victory, Mikaela finished on the podium in giant slalom World Cup races in Lienz on two occasions: third places on December 28, 2013, and December 29, 2017.

Nina O’Brien also started for the Americans, but she did not qualify for a second run. The rest of the women’s tech team is taking some time to focus on the NorAm circuit. 

Up next for the women is a slalom on Sunday—exactly eight years to the date Mikaela earned her first-career podium in 2011, where she was third and her childhood idols Marlies Schild (AUT) and Tina Maze (SLO) were first and second, respectively. Slalom specialist Paula Moltzan will return to action after a short break to focus on some nagging back pain, and Nina will start as well. 

AUDIO
Mikaela Victory Press Conference 

RESULTS
Women’s Giant Slalom

STANDINGS
Giant Slalom
Overall

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Official event hashtag: #worldcuplienz

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Sunday, Dec. 29
4:00 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1, Leinz, Austria - NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 2, Leinz, Austria - NBC Sports Gold
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow

Why isn’t Lienz available on NBCSN or Olympic Channel?
The reason Lienz is available via Gold Pass rather than NBCSN or Olympic Channel is that World Cup events held in Austria are not part of the TV agreement that NBC Sports has with FIS. They are controlled and sold by a different rights holder and were purchased by NBC Sports Gold for exclusive use within “Snow Pass.” If you have any further questions, please reach out to NBC Sports Gold's help desk at support@nbcsports.com. 

Why doesn’t “Snow Pass” have commentary?
In order to provide 900+ hours of content at an affordable price, we rely on the world feed (a video feed provided by the rights holder), which often does not include English commentary. Commentary is available on all television coverage provided by NBC, NBCSN and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, and live streaming via authentication at NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

It was a sunny downhill day at the Stelvio in Bormio, Italy, where Ryan Cochran-Siegle skied a solid and connected run to finish 11th, leading the way for three Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes in the top 30. 

Italy’s Dominik Paris is like the gingerbread man singing “Run, run, run as fast as you can. You'll never catch me, I'm the gingerbread man” as he runs away with yet another victory on the Stelvio—making it his fourth-straight downhill victory on the track. An unlikely face, in Swiss Urs Kryenbuehl, made his podium debut in second, just .08 off of Dominik’s pace, with fellow countryman Beat Feuz rounding out the podium in third, .26 seconds out. Prior to Saturday’s downhill, Urs had never even had a top-10 finish on the World Cup. 

For the second-straight day, Ryan grabbed 11th place, which is his third-straight top-11 downhill result this season. Ryan has scored in 10 of 11 races this season, across four disciplines—parallel giant slalom, giant slalom, super-G and downhill—featuring a career-best sixth in Beaver Creek, Colo. 

"I wanted to go into today skiing a little more aggressive in certain sections, especially coming off the top road," Ryan reflected after his run. "I think I did that, but I think I could be a touch cleaner with how the snow was. It definitely held up well, and I think the conditions are very fair for everyone. I think for the guys running later, the light got better, so it was almost advantageous to go later. I was a little dirty on the top of the turn in certain places, but definitely happy with my result. This is really solid skiing, and I feel like I have a pretty good feeling with this hill. I think when you can enjoy a run of downhill skiing, then you usually can ski with speed." 

For many, though, "enjoyable" is not a word they'd use. It was bumpy and rattly, and the conditions were tough. That didn't bother Ryan, though. "It's definitely a bit of a mental challenge," Ryan continued. "You have to constantly, in your head, be pushing it, just knowing that you're not at the finish yet. I feel very solid with my skiing right now. For me, this year, is just about trying to improve every race so that I can get myself into a competitive position. Racing a lot of events is advantageous when you're feeling good and feeling confident, and that's where I'm at right now. I enjoy kicking out of the start gate and I have fun with it, and I think that's one of the reasons I'm able to be consistent right now." 

Steven Nyman was 18th while Jared Goldberg moved from bib 42 to 22 on Saturday. Sam Morse, Bryce Bennett, Thomas Biesemeyer and Travis Ganong all started but did not finish in the top-30. Wiley Maple did not start on Saturday. 

Up next for the men is the first alpine combined of the season on Sunday. 

RESULTS
Men’s Downhill

STANDINGS
Men’s Downhill
Men’s Overall  

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
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Official event hashtags: #bormioskiworldcup

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Sunday, Dec. 29
4:30 a.m. - Men’s alpine combined super-G, Bormio, ITA - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Men’s alpine combined slalom, Bormio, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

frames.

On a dark, bumpy Stelvio downhill track in Bormio, Italy—the same track that he crashed on in Dec. 2017, sidelining him for the rest of the season and the PyeongChang Winter Olympics—Travis Ganong finished eighth on Friday to lead the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team. 

Home soil has proven to be good for Italian Dominik Paris, who has now has four downhill victories in Bormio—a new record. Friday’s win was Dominik’s third-straight downhill win at the venue. The battle continues between Dominik and Switzerland’s Beat Feuz, who was second by .39 seconds, while Austria’s Matthias Mayer was third, .42 seconds off Dominik’s pace. 

This is Travis’ best finish at the venue since 2012, when he was seventh. Last season, Travis opted to sit out the Bormio season after crashing in a downhill training run on a surface that was among the gnarliest the men have seen—truly a vertical ice rink. The Stelvio track is regarded as one of the most technically challenging downhill tracks on the entire FIS Ski World Cup circuit. Travis, though, excels when it’s dark and bumpy. Take, for instance, his two World Cup victories—one in Santa Caterina, Italy in Dec. 2014, and the other in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany in 2017. Neither of these downhills were smooth-sailing by any means. They were real-deal, gnarly downhills. 

"It's really nice to finally have another good result here in Bormio," Travis said. "This is where I had my first top-10, but also the two years ago I blew out my knee, and last year it was really bad luck with my ski popping off and I tore my LCL—it was just a grade two tear, so I was able to come back—but I hadn't had a finish here in two years. It had been a while, so it was amazing, today, to have some good feelings on the snow, have some confidence and just turn my brain off and ski."

The conditions at Bormio this year are much, well, tamer than last year. Or, as Travis said "very rippable this year, compared to last year." They watered the track pretty consistently all the way through, so it was an icier track than the men encountered in Val Gardena, Italy. There was a bit more cloud cover on Friday, which made visibility consistent and fair for the entire field. When the sun shines it will quite often cast shadows on certain sections of the course, making it difficult for the athletes to see and adjust. 

"This hill really rewards people who don't worry about line, or whatever—they just focus on solid skiing and pushing on the ski and looking for speed. A lot of the tracks on the World Cup are more gliding focused and it's kind of like a drag race, but with this one, there are a lot of places where you can gain time or lose time. It really favors strong and good skiing, so there's not a lot of luck involved here, you have to earn every inch of this hill. Really excited to have another race tomorrow...but then also looking forward to going home after this and having a little break in Tahoe before the second half of the season kicks off." 

Ryan Cochran-Siegle landed in 11th place, 1.65 seconds off the leader. With this top-15, he  continues his consistency streak, having scored points in nine out of the last 10 races, across four disciplines. Ryan, who scored a career-best sixth place at the last downhill in Birds of Prey in Beaver Creek, Colo., will look to bring what he learned from today into tomorrow’s downhill. In the first and only training run on Thursday, Ryan lost a ski, put it back on, and finished his run. That said, Friday’s rescheduled downhill from Val Gardena, was his first full-go at the Stelvio. 

"When I got down to the mid-section before [head coach] Randy [Pelkey] going into the traverse, I just came into a section a little hot and rather than trying to settle my speed, I went into it aggressively, hit some chop and eventually my ski popped off and I twisted around and went into the fence a little," Ryan reflected on Thursday's training run. "Overall, a pretty easy crash in terms of what it could be."

Ryan took what he learned on Thursday into Friday's downhill race. "I know there are certain sections I skied differently today than yesterday," he said. "Knowing that my ski came off in the training run, I was working to be in a better position. I can definitely ski better in certain sections and bring a little bit more of a race mentality, charging a little more, into tomorrow. The biggest thing to learn from today is to trust the skiing and also try to fight more to get the ski going early and skiing powerfully and clean through all the chop. This is my second-best downhill result, so I'm definitely thrilled with my solid skiing, but I know to continue to get better it's going to take aggressive approaches day in and day out on the World Cup, so trying to take that more intense mindset into the start." Needless to say, he's happy to with the result, and he's looking forward to tomorrow. 

Steven Nyman rounded out the American male finishers landing in the top-30, finishing 24th, 2.65 seconds out. The margin between the fastest guy and 30th place was a whopping 3.05 seconds—a rarity in speed events, especially men’s downhill. Thomas Biesemeyer, Bryce Bennett, Jared Goldberg and Wiley Maple also started, but did not finish in the points. Sam started but DNFed. 

Ryan also had props for his teammates, "The past two years Travis has had one minor and one major injury here. He skied really solid, so for him to come down and put that behind him, ski with a racer's mentality and end up with a top-10 is really impressive. Obviously Bryce [Bennett] and Steven want more, and I think if they go into the video room and figure out where to trim some time, they can. Last year Bryce was really competitive here, so we know he can turn things around. Jared, BZ [Tommy Biesemeyer], Moose [Sam Morse] and Wiley all have the ability to ski fast too." Now the men just need to adjust their approach for tomorrow in order to find that speed. 

Up next for the men is another downhill on Saturday, followed by the first alpine combined of the season on Sunday. 

RESULTS
Men’s Downhill

STANDINGS
Men’s Downhill
Men’s Overall  

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter

Official event hashtags: #bormioskiworldcup

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Saturday, Dec. 28
5:00 a.m. - Men’s downhill, Bormio, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, Dec. 29
4:30 a.m. - Men’s alpine combined super-G, Bormio, ITA - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Men’s alpine combined slalom, Bormio, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow

After a very quick break, the FIS Ski World Cup tour—a.k.a. the “White Circus”—chugs along to Bormio, Italy for the men for a pair of downhills and an alpine combined, and Lienz, Austria, for the women, for a giant slalom and slalom. 

Though the men’s speed team was bummed with the cancellation of one of their favorite downhills [the classic Saslong at Val Gardena, Italy], veteran and team leader Steven Nyman spoke highly of Bormio following the news. 

"Obviously a big bummer," said Steven Nyman after getting word about the cancellation at the venue where he's won all three of his FIS Ski World Cup victories. "It's a place where the Americans have traditionally done well. Bryce [Bennett] is super bummed, but that's ski racing and I am looking forward to Bormio [Italy]...That's a track I know I can do well on, so we just have to look ahead. That's part of the sport."

The cancelled Val Gardena downhill was rescheduled for Friday at Bormio, Italy. In the first and only downhill training run on Thursday, Travis Ganong posted the 12th-fastest time to lead the American men. As always, training runs are for dialing in strategy and tactics and ensuring the equipment set-up is ready for race day. Steven said after his training run on Thursday that he and Bryce both “pinched line and got squashed in compressions.”

“It’s grippier...but it’s still bumpy and dense...last year it was an ice skating rink, this year there are no sections where you’re thinking to yourself, ‘Will my edge bite?!’ It’s much better, but still—it’s dark and bumpy.”

Though there was just one training run, Steven feels like he got a good feel for the track on Thursday. “I pushed the line, and paid a lot,” he laughed. “There are some sections I went straight into that I shouldn’t have, but I ran bib 1 so I didn’t really get to see anybody or hear any reports. There were some sections I skied well and some sections that I just boned. But I’ve had some good [video] review and I know what I need to do, and I just need to do it.”

Keep an eye on Ryan Cochran-Siegle, too, whose ski came off in the training run, but was skiing “nice and balanced” according to Steven. Ryan was sixth to lead the downhillers in the last World Cup downhill at Beaver Creek, Colo. The men’s speed team continued their White Elephant gift-giving tradition with a Christmas party on Christmas night in Bormio, which Steven says was a success—and of course Steven says he purchased the best gift (a pair of wool slippers from a Christmas market). 

Bormio will host two downhills—one on Friday and one on Saturday, followed by the first alpine combined of the season on Sunday. 

On the women’s side, Mikaela Shiffrin returns to action to lead the women’s tech team in Lienz, Austria for a giant slalom on Saturday followed by a slalom on Sunday. Mikaela holds Lienz close to her heart, as it's the site of her first World Cup podium, on December 29, 2011—a podium shared with childhood ski idols Marlies Schild of Austria and Tina Maze of Slovenia. After a tough race in Courchevel, France, Mikaela had a successful tech training block in both Courchevel and at our European training base in Folgaria - Alpe Cimbra, Italy. The Christmas holiday didn’t stop Mikaela, and the conditions in Folgaria were excellent. 

Here’s the rundown of stats for the weekend:

• On December 29, 2011, Mikaela claimed her first World Cup podium in any discipline as she finished third in the Lienz slalom at 16-years-old.
• Mikaela Shiffrin has won 62 World Cup races, equal to Annemarie MoserPröll (62) in second place on the all-time women's list. Lindsey Vonn holds the women's record of 82 race wins. On the men's side, only Ingemar Stenmark (86) and Marcel Hirscher (67) have won more World Cup races. 
• Mikaela has more World Cup victories in all disciplines on Austrian soil (10) than in any other country (9, United States).  
• Mikaela could become the fifth woman to claim a record 11 World Cup wins in Austria, after Renate Götschl, Annemarie Moser-Pröll, Marlies Schild and Lindsey Vonn. On the men's side, only Ingemar Stenmark and Hermann Maier (both 15) have won more than 10 World Cup races in Austria.  
• Mikaela finished on the podium in giant slalom World Cup races in Lienz on two occasions: third places on December 28, 2013 and December 29, 2017.
• Mikaela has won an all-time record 42 World Cup slalom races. Only Ingemar Stenmark (46 in giant slalom) and Lindsey Vonn (43 in downhill) have won more than 42 World Cup races in a single discipline.  
• The last 22 women's World Cup slalom races were either won by Mikaela (18) or Petra Vlhová (4), since retired Frida Hansdotter won in Flachau on January 10 2017. 
• Mikaela has recorded a top-two finish in 21 of the last 22 women's World Cup slalom races, including in each of the last 13 since a 'DNF' in Lenzerheide on January 28, 2018.
• Mikaela can become the first alpine skier, male or female, to record 14 successive slalom podiums in the World Cup. She now shares the record of 13 with Erika Hess (1980-1982). 

Keep an eye on Paula Moltzan, who is excited to be returning to World Cup action after a short break due to some nagging back pain. Nina O’Brien will also start for the women. Nina has shown consistency this season, scoring giant slalom World Cup points in both Soelden, Austria and Killington, Vt., as well as her first parallel slalom points in St. Moritz, Switzerland. 

Check out all the details about who and how to watch below. 

MEN'S STARTERS
Bryce Bennett
Tommy Biesemeyer
Ryan Cochran-Siegle
Travis Ganong
Jared Goldberg
Wiley Maple
Sam Morse
Steven Nyman

WOMEN'S STARTERS
Paula Moltzan
Nina O'Brien
Mikaela Shiffrin

RESULTS
Men’s Downhill Training - Run 1

START LIST
Men’s Downhill

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Official event hashtags: #bormioskiworldcup/#worldcuplienz

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Friday, Dec. 27
5:30 a.m. - Men’s downhill, Bormio, ITA - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, Dec. 28
4:15 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1, Leinz, Austria - NBC Sports Gold
5:00 a.m. - Men’s downhill, Bormio, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2, Leinz, Austria - NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, Dec. 29
4:00 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1, Leinz, Austria - NBC Sports Gold
4:30 a.m. - Men’s alpine combined super-G, Bormio, ITA - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 2, Leinz, Austria - NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Men’s alpine combined slalom, Bormio, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow

Why isn’t Lienz available on NBCSN or Olympic Channel?
The reason Lienz is available via Gold Pass rather than NBCSN or Olympic Channel is that World Cup events held in Austria are not part of the TV agreement that NBC Sports has with FIS. They are controlled and sold by a different rights holder and were purchased by NBC Sports Gold for exclusive use within “Snow Pass.” If you have any further questions, please reach out to NBC Sports Gold's help desk at support@nbcsports.com. 

Why doesn’t “Snow Pass” have commentary?
In order to provide 900+ hours of content at an affordable price, we rely on the world feed (a video feed provided by the rights holder), which often does not include English commentary. Commentary is available on all television coverage provided by NBC, NBCSN and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, and live streaming via authentication at NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
 

Ten U.S. athletes are ready to kick off the 14th edition of the Tour de Ski, featuring seven stages over nine days, beginning Saturday with a mass start freestyle event for both men and women. With no Nordic World Ski Championships or Olympic Winter Games scheduled this season, the tour marks one of the highlights for the athletes and teams. 

Jessie Diggins leads the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team into Saturday’s opener in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. So far this season, Jessie has finished in the top three, three times in individual World Cup races, equal to Norway’s Heidi Weng. Only Norway’s Therese Johaug has claimed more podium finishes this season with four. So far this season, four U.S. women have scored podium results, including Jessie, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, Julia Kern and Sophie Caldwell. Jessie became the first U.S. woman to finish on the podium in the Tour de Ski when she finished third in 2018.

While the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team has posted numerous top results so far this season, pretty much every race has featured an athlete sitting out an event due to a health reason. “Our really big hope is that everyone arrives in Lenzerheide healthy,” noted U.S. Cross Country Team Head Coach Chris Grover. 

Following Saturday’s mass start event, the athletes will contest a freestyle sprint on Sunday, followed by a rest/travel day to Toblach, Italy, Monday. Tuesday’s race will feature a 10k freestyle for the women and a 15k freestyle for the men. Wednesday, Jan. 1, the women will compete in a 10k classic pursuit, which the men will race a 15k classic pursuit. New this year, the pursuit start times will be based on the results of Tuesday’s stage in Toblach, and not as in the past on the current Overall Tour de Ski standing.

Thursday is the second rest day before the final three stages in Val di Fiemme, Italy, which include a 10k women’s and 15k men’s mass start Friday, Jan. 3; Classic sprint Saturday, Jan. 4; and the final stage 10k freestyle climb on Sunday, Jan. 5. The Final Climb will be a mass start and not pursuit as in the past.

Bonus seconds will be awarded to the top finishers in mass start and sprint competitions. In addition, Intermediate Sprints Points will be offered throughout the stages. All seven stages will be broadcast live on The Olympic Channel - Home to Team USA, OlympicChannel.com and NBCSports Gold.

U.S. starters for the 14th Tour De Ski, Dec. 28 - Jan. 5:

• Jessie Diggins
• Sophie Caldwell
• Rosie Brennan
• Sadie Maubet Bjornsen
• Julia Kern
• Katharine Ogden 
• Simi Hamilton 
• Kevin Bolger
• David Norris
• Logan Hanneman 

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Saturday, Dec. 28
6:45 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Women’s 10k mass start, Lenzerheide, SUI - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
8:15 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men’s 15k mass start, Lenzerheide, SUI - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, Dec. 29
5:30 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men and women’s sprint, Lenzerheide, SUI - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Tuesday, Dec. 31
6:30 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men’s 15k, Toblach, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
9:00 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Women’s 10k, Toblach, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Wednesday, Jan. 1
5:40 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Women’s 10k pursuit, Toblach, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men’s 15k pursuit, Toblach, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Friday, Jan. 3
7:15 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Women’s 10k mass start, Val di Fiemme, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
9:15 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men’s 15k mass start, Val di Fiemme, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, Jan. 4
5:25 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men and women’s sprint, Val di Fiemme, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, Jan. 5
7:15 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Women’s 10k final climb, Val di Fiemme, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
9:15 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men’s 10k final climb, Val di Fiemme, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

Hannah Halvorsen is as strong as any athlete on the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. Her athletic potential is remarkable. But it’s not just her athleticism that shines. Her broad smile and outgoing personality are two infectious traits that make her a great teammate too. 

“Hannah is probably the best friend and teammate you could ask for,” said Hailey Swirbul. “Hannah was one of the first people to send me a congratulatory message after I scored my first World Cup point (in Davos, Switzerland), and it made both of us feel mixed emotions: stoke and sadness.”

Stoke, because Hailey, Hannah, and Julia Kern - three of the four members of the bronze medal winning relay team from the 2017 Junior World Championship - are the next generation of U.S. athletes looking to follow in the successful World Cup and Olympic footsteps of Jessie Diggins, Sophie Caldwell, Kikkan Randall and Sadie Maubet Bjornsen. Sadness, because that dream is on hold after a tragic accident on a downtown Anchorage street on Nov. 1.

“I was in downtown Anchorage, in a crosswalk, and I got hit by a car,” Hannah recalled. She spent five days in the hospital when the accident left her with numerous injuries, including a head injury and significant knee damage that required surgery. “I was with a friend when the car hit me. The car hit my knee, I landed on the hood, then flew off the hood into the road and hit my head.”

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of you know this but in November I was hit by a car while crossing the street. To summarize, I won’t be racing until next season because I have a skull fracture, bleeding and bruising in my brain, a tibia fracture, and my left MCL and PCL are torn completely and detached from the bone. Although I have experienced a fair share of sadness, frustration, and fear, I have also been overwhelmed with gratitude for life and love. Every day I have this realization that I am still alive and that I have no permanent injuries. Thank you everyone who has texted, called, sent me cards and art supplies, and let me stay in your home. I believe I can make it to the next Olympics and that’s because of you.

A post shared by Hannah Halvorsen (@hannah.g.halvorsen) on Dec 4, 2019 at 12:02pm PST

Initially, her recovery was challenging. As she was getting prepped for knee surgery in Vail, Colo., the doctor overseeing her head injury determined she wasn’t stable enough to undergo an operation. So back to the crutches, and California she went. A few weeks later, she returned to Vail’s Steadman Clinic on Dec. 5 and underwent a successful knee surgery performed by Dr. Hackett.

Hannah now faces a long road to recovery—a road that will go through Park City and the U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Center of Excellence (COE) in January where she will rehab with the Team’s medical staff. While her recovery will surely feature a few bumps along the route, it is a clear pathway and she is focused on the process and the end result—getting back on snow. “There is a road now. As long as there is a road, and path to get there, I’m happy. I can do that,” she said. “I’m going to jump through every hoop I can to keep moving forward, but I know I can’t rush it.”

Hannah will spend the rest of December at home in California, enjoying the holidays with family and friends, but waking up early on the weekends to watch and cheer her teammates competing in World Cup events in Europe, and at SuperTour events in North America—teammates that she pushed to their athletic limits this past fall.

“Hannah is one of the strongest people I know,” said Sadie Maubet Bjornsen. “This summer she really broke through and learned to recognize her strengths as a ski racer. This fall as she passed me in the final stretch of a sprint time trial in Park City, I knew this girl was going to wow the world! When Hannah turns on, there is nothing in her way.”

 

 

 

 

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Cool kids never look like they’re trying too hard...I’ve never been cool. PC: @sarahannbrunson

A post shared by Hannah Halvorsen (@hannah.g.halvorsen) on Oct 21, 2019 at 2:30pm PDT

“She made so much progress this summer and was pushing all of us to find more speed so it just breaks my heart that she won't be putting on a race bib this winter,” said Rosie Brennan. “But, I also know that she has already made a huge commitment to come back and I can't wait to watch her and help her along the journey. That is what being part of a team is all about, helping each other through these tough times and celebrating all the small victories on the road back.” 

It’s that strong team bond that motivates Hannah and her teammates. After all, cross country skiing is a team sport, so the energy that shines through one teammate, can make a difference for another. For Hannah, her strength and determination to get back on snow provides motivation for her teammates as well. 

“Hannah is one of the toughest people I know and the strength she has shown through all of this is truly inspiring,” Julia said. “I am always amazed by how Hannah always seems to find the positive side of things and I always seem to find her with a smile on her face, regardless of the situation. I don’t know anyone quite like Hannah, she is able to fight harder than anyone I know. She has an ability to focus and work hard when it is time, but otherwise keeps things really lighthearted and goofy, making her an amazing teammate and friend who pushes everyone around her but also is able to keep things really fun and loose. Her positivity and determination through all of this has inspired me to make the most of every day, seize every opportunity, be grateful to be a part of this supportive team and family, and to race extra hard for Hannah who is cheering us on back at home.”

“Hannah is such a ray of sunshine,” added Jessie. “She’s kind and hardworking but also has one of the funniest senses of humor I’ve ever seen. She’s a huge part of this team and I’m cheering so hard for her as she heals and begins her comeback!”

With the women’s team experiencing so much success already this season, the hardest part for Hannah and her teammates is not being able to share in the excitement together. 

“That girl has one of the strongest minds I’ve ever seen, and biggest hearts,” Hailey said. “Hannah is an amazing listener, communicator, and a leader not in the sense that she charges ahead and allows you to follow, but in a way that builds others up from the ground and guides them as they grow. I’ve been lucky to learn from Hannah for the past eight years of my life, and will for many years to come! She has inspired me to be a better person and teammate, and taught me how to do just that.”

Hannah’s goal is partial weight-bearing going into early January, then beginning the process of activating her muscles during her time at the COE. While competing at the Minneapolis World Cup on March 17, 2020, was one of her biggest goals this season, she has shifted her focus cheering on her teammates, hopefully in person. 

“It is something I’m considering because it was one of the biggest goals I had for the ski season,” she said. “I would definitely like to be there.”

In the meantime, she is counting her lucky stars and is 100-percent focused on rehabbing, getting back on snow and re-joining her teammates. 

“I think I’d be struggling more if I had falling roller skiing and gotten hurt,” Hannah said, “but half of me is so amazed that I’m alive, I was so close to something so much worse. I was a hair away from being paralyzed, blind or dead. So I’m very thankful. I’m going to be able to ski again.

“I feel more excited and sure about being a skier and making the Olympics,” she continued. “This (accident) has really simplified things for me and put my priorities in line. I’ve realized what matters, doing what you love, with people you love, and that is skiing.”
 

Sugar Bowl Academy Fundraiser

Being named to the U.S. Ski Team is the result of many years of hard work, dedication, and training. These athletes represent the best in their specific sport. Hannah Halvorsen, an SBA alumni from the class of 2016, is a member of the 2019 - 2020 U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. Hannah is attending college at Alaska Pacific University and trains at Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center. Being a member of the development team of the U.S. Ski Team can be costly and most athletes reach out to their communities and sponsors to raise money for training and travel costs.

SBSTA is excited to be hosting a fundraiser for Hannah on Saturday, December 28th at 4 p.m. at Village Hall. The fundraiser is free and open to everyone who wishes to meet Hannah and support her passion for being on the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. There will be a silent auction, raffle, and meet and greet. We are looking forward to supporting Hannah on her path to pursuing her cross country skiing dreams.

Come hear Hannah talk about the road to the U.S. Ski Team! Hannah will be providing light refreshments during the family-friendly event.

“After getting hit by a car and losing my ski season, my winter looks drastically different than I planned,” Hannah said. “However, my determination to be the best skier I can is stronger than ever and I still have expenses in order to get on my skis as soon as possible. I welcome everyone to my fundraiser to say hello, bid on my U.S. Ski Team swag and hear about my journey and dreams. If you can’t come to my Fundraiser but want to help support my Olympic goals here is my Paypal, mailing address, and Venmo link.”

PayPal:  https://paypal.me/HannahHalvorsen?locale.x=en_US
Venmo: https://venmo.com/Hannah-Halvorsen
Address:
Hannah Halvorsen
C/O Grace Norgard
12476 Stockholm Way
Truckee, CA 96161

Aerials skiers of the U.S. Ski Team competed in their first events of the season Dec. 20-21 at the Utah Olympic Park NorAm in Park City. Electing not to go to China for the first aerials FIS World Cup Events, the team opted for more on-snow training and the NorAm served as good early season competition experience. 

NorAms are the level of competition below World Cups and are the development pipeline for up and coming aerials athletes to prove themselves. Utah Olympic Park (UOP) provided a great site and the weather proved favorable - no wind for three days made for great jumps from the U.S. Team, U.S. clubs and the Canadian Development Team. “It was great to see lots of young aerialists from both countries doing new tricks and having fun!” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Aerials World Cup and Development Coach Eric Bergoust. 

On Friday Chris Lillis landed in first and Eric Loughran in second. Megan Nick scored the top spot for the women and Winter Vinecki came in second. On Saturday Eric came in first and Alex Bown landed the third spot. On the women’s side Kaila Kuhn came in first, Winter Vinecki earned second and Megan Nick came in third. 

The U.S. Team enters another prep period at the UOP where they will focus on higher degrees of difficulty in their jumps. Their first World Cup is set for January 25, 2020 in Moscow, Russia.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle led the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team in the parallel giant slalom in Alta Badia, Italy with a 12th place and young River Radamus placed 14th, his best World Cup result so far.

The parallel events are always some of the most entertaining races on the FIS Ski World Cup circuit and this one was no different. Monday’s race took place at night under the lights with a screaming crowd cheering for the .01-second wins and wild recoveries, and groaning at the crashes and upsets. Rasmus Windingstad of Norway grabbed the win over Stefan Luitz of Germany in the big final, while Roland Leitinger of Austria beat out Sunday’s giant slalom winner Henrik Kristoffersen in the small final to take his first World Cup podium in third.

On the U.S. side, Ryan, River and Tommy Ford all qualified for the PGS finals in the last race before Christmas. Tommy was eliminated in the first round by Zan Kranjec of Slovenia, finishing 23rd overall. River and Ryan both made it to the 1/8 final but were beaten out by eventual podium finishers Leitinger and Luitz, respectively.  

This was River’s second time scoring World Cup points, continuing to show that world that he’s one to keep an eye on through the season. “I felt like I’ve been knocking on the door all season and it feels great to get a little breakthrough here,” said River. “This is an awesome event, and I’m psyched to have put a few good runs together under the lights tonight. I’m hungry to keep the momentum rolling into the next races in January.”

Brian McLaughlin and Steven Nyman also started in today's qualifier, but did not qualify for the race. Cochran-Siegle showcased his consistency and speed, taking his eighth point-scoring result of the season out of nine starts so far. 

Next up, the men have a short Christmas break before heading to Bormio, Italy for two downhill races—including the downhill rescheduled from Val Gardena, Italy—and an alpine combined.

RESULTS
Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom

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