The momentum kept on moving for the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team in the second stage of the Tour de Ski with Jessie Diggins clinching the podium in third place in Toblach, Italy. Rosie Brennan was just off the podium in fourth place and Ben Ogden was ninth in the 10k classic.

It was Diggins' 52nd career podium and fifth individual podium of the 2023-24 season, and she now officially leads the Tour de Ski overall standings by seven seconds going into Monday's 20k skate pursuit. Right in the fight with Diggins was Brennan, who crossed the line in fourth place, adding another top-five result to her stellar 2023-24 resume.

For the men, Ogden led the team in ninth place after his podium finish on Saturday and now is the overall points leader for the Tour de Ski points standing - celebrated after the conclusion of the men's race with Ogden doing a backflip off the podium wearing the yellow bib. He is also third in the chase for the Tour de Ski overall. Off the start line, he was posting positive splits and never ventured out of the top 10, and is in a good place entering the third stage. Gus Schumacher also skied a strong race and finished in 15th, another strong result for the Alaskan. 

In stage two of seven, athletes attacked a fast, icy and challenging 10k classic. With 91 starters for the men and 66 for the women, the field was stacked in Toblach. With women out of the gate first on the two-lap course that featured steep uphills and fast downhills, each athlete pushed to end the year 2023 on a good note with top results. 

In the women's race, Novie McCabe was the first American out for the interval start format. Following McCabe was Sophia Laukli, Brennan, Sammy Smith, Diggins and Julia Kern. Through the splits, Brennan and Diggins were in the fighting position for podiums throughout the entire race, with Brennan leading at 2.1k, 3k, 5k, 8k time checks. Brennan's result adds to her stellar 2023-24 season, where she has only ventured out of the top-10 twice. 

"I wanted to ski with conviction today and go out and see what was possible, so I tried to set a good pace from the beginning and hold on," said Brennan, post race. "I did that relatively well, I lost some time at the end, but sometimes that the way it works! But I am really proud about how I was skiing today and am happy to have a stronger race than yesterday."

At the end, Diggins pushed into another gear to land on the podium, with Brennan just seconds out of the top three. 

"Today was really cool to get to share my day with my family. I heard them out on the course and that was amazing to have them there in person, as they don't get to see many races live," said Diggins. "Also, my skis were amazing again today. I mean, this is a team sport, not an individual sport; it's a team effort and you can't succeed in this sport without competitive skis and our techs are working so hard and our success today was in a big part because of them. I'm just really grateful and really proud about today!"

McCabe scored top-30 World Cup points in 29th. Laukli took 39th, Smith 52nd and Kern 59th. 

Rounding out the men, Scott Patterson was 40th, Zanden McMullen 50th and Kevin Bolger 72nd. 

On Monday, the journey in Toblach ends with the 20k pursuit skate race, with men kicking off the line at 4:00 a.m. ET and women at 6:30 a.m. ET. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

TOUR DE SKI OVERALL RESULTS
Women
Men

On the first stage of the 2023-24 Tour de Ski, under the sunset over the Dolomites mountain range, Ben Ogden went on to secure his first career podium in the Toblach skate sprint.

Alongside Ogden, Jessie Diggins finished in the top 10 in ninth place.

The Tour de Ski has officially started, with hundreds of athletes lining up at the start line to kick off the first stage with a skate sprint in the city of Toblach, Italy. As the Tour de Ski rules state, an athlete is eliminated from the Tour if they do not start a race, and in today's sprint, the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team showed up strong, with six Americans advancing to the sprint heats, a feat not easily done. 

Today was Ogden's day. Coming off a strong period one in Scandinavia, Ogden was restless to get the Tour started, starting off with his preferred race style - a sprint. In the qualification round, he was in a good position, crossing the line in eighth place. Alongside him going into the heats were teammates Kevin Bolger and Gus Schumacher. 

Into the rounds, Ogden kept the momentum going all the way through to the final. Towards the end of the heats, the snow was getting choppier and messier by the second, but that did not stop Ogden from pushing it around every corner, each downhill and up the steep uphills (even the one that goes over a building) to snag third place.

"This was really fun. I just feel like I was able to execute every heat and it worked well for me. I couldn't believe I was in that position at the finish line and I just thought to myself that I had what it takes to just land on the podium," Ogden said, seconds after spraying his celebratory champagne over his whole team. "This is a crazy feeling. A fantastic race to start the tour after a hard summer and a hectic start to the season. I'm really proud of myself for today."

Ogden's hard summer references his father John Ogden, who passed away after a decade-long battle with cancer. John Ogden was beloved in the cross country world, having coached for many years and passionately cheered on his children - Ben and former U.S. Cross Country Ski Team athlete Katharine - as they raced throughout their careers.

Ogden had shown his speed last season on the World Cup, securing six top-10 results and coming away from the season with the U23 green bib, distinguishing him as the fastest male athlete under the age of 23 on the circuit. This season, he was just off the podium in fourth place in Östersund, while his teammate JC Schoonmaker became the first American man to step on a World Cup podium since 2017. With Ogden's podium in Toblach, it marks the first time two different American men have been on the podium in the same season since 1983 (Tim Caldwell and Bill Koch).

Rounding out the men's race, Schumacher and Bolger did not punch their ticket to the final, but it was a highlight for Schumacher, who walked away with the best sprint result of his career in 18th. Bolger was 24th.

For the women, Diggins led the way, landing in the top 10 in ninth place, with teammate Julia Kern right behind in 11th. Rosie Brennan was 27th. In the qualifications, Diggins qualified second, Kern was sixth and Brennan 14th. The day came to a close for Brennan in the quarterfinals, but her focus is now on her favorite race, the 10k classic. For the World Cup overall leader Diggins, a top 10 is a race to celebrate and for Kern, an 11th is added to her impressive World Cup resume. 

Sammy Smith, Novie McCabe, Sophia Laukli, Zanden McMullen and Scott Patterson did not qualify through to the heats, and will now look to Sunday's race.

Tomorrow, the team is back in Toblach for the second stage of the Tour, the 10k classic. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live, with women starting at 6:15 a.m. ET and men at 9 a.m. ET. 

RESULTS
Women's sprint
Men's sprint

Four Stifel U.S. Ski Team men landed in the top 30 in the Bormio, Italy super-G Friday. Jared Goldberg finished 18th, Ryan Cochran-Siegle 19th, Sam Morse 26th and Kyle Negomir in 27th. 

It was another typical icy and tough super-G on the famously dark track making it difficult for racers of all talents. Goldberg ran with bib 22 but with a surface as icy as Bormio, start position did not matter and anyone had the opportunity to throw it into the top positions. He ultimately skied solid to an 18th position overall. 

“I had the Bormio downhill hangover today and yesterday was pretty tough after solid training runs,” said Goldberg. “Super-G has been building for me and I have been learning more about how to race it. Today you had to be really over it with the wavy snow and changing snow conditions and I did that well.”

The next best skier for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team squad was previous Bormio winner Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who ended his day in 19th place. Morse and Negomir were also in the top 30 in 26th and 27th. 

Marco Odermatt of Switzerland won the race, while Raphael Haaser of Austria was second and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway third. 

The speed men will now prepare for the classic, the Wengen World Cup in Switzerland Jan. 11-13. 

RESULTS
Men's super-G

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Mikaela Shiffrin scored her 93rd career World Cup victory with the slalom in Lienz, Austria on Friday. 

It was another beautiful day in Lienz for a women’s World Cup and the Austrian fans did not disappoint, packing the stands and cheering loudly for the top women slalom racers. The day started out with a bang for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. Paula Moltzan ran with bib four and outpaced the field, sitting in the leaderboard chair for some time. Then teammate Mikaela Shiffrin had an aggressive first run to take the lead by over a second, with Moltzan just behind in second place. 

“It’s always a good feeling when you see the green light and beat out some of the other top skiers in the field,” said Moltzan. 

On the second run, the surface was strong and the course set perfect for racers to give it their all on the hill. Moltzan ran 29th, so a slight groove was established on the snow - but Moltzan knew what she needed to do. She charged down the final pitch, just a mere tenth of a second off from the leader, but a slight bobble got her off balance and she did not finish the second run. 

“The way Paula skied the first run was so wonderful and it's bittersweet and disappointing for her today but it will come, I know it will,” said Shiffrin, who had shared the Lienz slalom podium with Moltzan in 2022.

Shiffrin ran last on run two. She skied calm, cool, collected and fast -- gaining time with each interval to win by a whopping 2.34 seconds above the second place German skier Lena Duerr and third place Swiss skier Michelle Gisin. 

“I felt really good today from the very beginning,” said Shiffrin. “I am so happy with how I felt and we did so much work for Christmas so it could not have paid off in a better way.” 

This win secured her 93rd career World Cup win and 56th career World Cup slalom win. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete AJ Hurt also raced but did not finish the first run. The tech women will now prepare for a giant slalom and slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia Jan. 6-7. 

RESULTS
Women's slalom

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Mikaela Shiffrin notched her 22nd career giant slalom win and 92nd career World Cup victory Thursday in Lienz, Austria. 

The Austrian crowds were in full force to cheer on their favorite women ski racers for the first of two races in the town. The snow surface was particularly firm making it a challenge for racers all around. But that didn't seem to deter Mikaela Shiffrin, who scored a dominant lead knifing every single turn to win the first run by 0.63 seconds over second place and more than a second above third place. 

“It was challenging today on a really good surface, but still challenging,” said Shiffrin. “I felt amazing on the first run but I knew I had to push still for the second run.” 

The sun came out to shine second run, but the surface and conditions remained the same. The time margins for top 10 were close with racers able to make big leaps on the second run. First up for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team crew was AJ Hurt, who was 16th after the first run. Hurt was clean and confident to fire herself into an 11th place finish, just a few places out of her career best she achieved earlier this season.

“I am really satisfied about today,” said Hurt. “I’m feeling good about my giant slalom skiing training with Paula and Mikaela. There isn't anyone better in the world to train with.”

Italian force Federica Brignone, fifth first run, blazed down the hill to win the second run and move up to second place overall. Sweden’s Sara Hector skied smoothly to land in third place. But they were no match for Shiffrin and her sizable lead from the first run. Shiffrin had a clean run to finish in first by 0.38 seconds. 

“My goal is to close the gap a little on the giant slalom standings. so I wanted to win it but I also did not want to mess it up. I am super happy,” said Shiffrin, who has now won four races in three different disciplines this season.  

Paula Moltzan also raced with a strong giant slalom, finishing just outside the top 15 in 16th place. 

The women will now focus on slalom for Friday’s race. 

RESULTS
Women's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH 

4:00 a.m. – Women’s slalom, Lienz, Austria, first run – Peacock
7:00 a.m. - Women’s slalom, Lienz, Austria, second run - Peacock

Reprinted with permission from the Park Record. You can follow Tom Kelly’s Ridgelines column every Wednesday in the Park Record.

Park City’s Steven Nyman led a group of friends off Passo Pardoi, making a beeline for the village of Arraba in the heart of Italy’s Dolomites. It was mid-day on their circumnavigation of the Sella Ronda massif. But they needed a break to watch the fabled Val Gardena downhill taking place a few ridgelines away. At the base of the piste, they clicked out of their skis and clomped down Via Boè to Bar Peter, a pizzeria in the heart of town.

For the better part of the last 16 Decembers, the Dolomites have been home for Nyman. A three-time champion on the grueling Saslong, he has celebrity status in the valley and a kinship that has beckoned him back year after year.

Today, things were a little different. When he rolled into town, gone were the bags of race skis and a duffel packed for months on the road. Retiring last season, Nyman had said addio to the Saslong. But he couldn’t imagine a December without spending time in the Dolomites for himself.

“This place is just stunning – awe-inspiring, everywhere you go,” said Nyman. “Everyone I’ve taken here is like ‘Wow, no matter where we are, whatever turn we make – it’s just blowing my mind.’”

The geological structure of the Dolomites is unique. Icy grey rock spires that glow like Moab redrock in the sunshine stand as a staging backdrop above quaint villages in the valleys. The rocks have created a mountaineering culture, while the broad, sweeping slopes of pasture land are quickly covered by early winter snowfall and dotted with mountain hotels and ristorantes.

Once the scenery captures your attention, the culture comes in and envelops you. One village speaks German, the next Italian. Tying it together is the unique local tongue of Ladin. And then there’s the food.

“It’s not the same old hamburger and fries you’re getting in the States,” said Nyman. “It’s the region’s food, and they’re proud to show it off.”

Like Rifugio Emilio Comici, which sits at 7,000 feet at the base of the towering Forcella Sassolungo near the race start, where freshly caught seafood is trekked in daily from the coast and served on fine china. No cafeterias here!

As one of the race’s honored champions, Nyman was a guest of the organizing committee. But he brought a handful of VIP friends to experience the Dolomites. Thursday was a ski day, riding two dozen lifts as they traversed groomed slopes from village to village on the Sella Ronda. Somehow, they needed to squeeze in screen time to watch American Bryce Bennett, the 2021 race champion, in the first of two downhills. 

The night before the race, Nyman texted Bennett. “You’re good. You’re fantastic. You’ve won here. You know what do to. Trust in yourself. You deserve to be on that podium.”

Starting 34th, Bennett used his lanky legs and BMX background to absorb the rough and tumble course, every ripple echoing through his body as he chased race leader Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. Down through the iconic Camel Humps and into the sweeping Ciaslat, Bennett was close – but not close enough. Coming down into the finish schuss to the village of Santa Cristina, he dug deep, pushing the afterburners on his Fischer skis and beating the favorite by a mere three hundredths.

When Bennett and Nyman connected in person later that afternoon, the two embraced. Bennett thanked him for the pre-race encouragement telling Nyman, “That’s what I wrote in my journal. I just needed that confirmation from you.”

Bennett and Nyman now have five downhill victories between them on the Saslong. The connecting thread comes from Leo Mussi, the Italian serviceman for Fischer Skis, who also worked with Kristian Ghedina, who has four wins there.

But the underlying story of Nyman and Bennett's success is more than scenic slopes and fast skis. It’s one of family.

For over a decade, Mussi has been like an Italian father figure to Nyman. And down in Selva di Val Gardena at the Hotel Alpino Plan, the Demetz family has been serving up bowls of pasta to hungry U.S. Ski Team athletes for years.

“They’re passionate; they love us,” said Nyman. “They just open their arms and are so proud. And it’s motivating. There’s so much history of success here from our team. It drives you. You want to perform. You want to live up to that level that’s been set.”

Was it tough being there and not racing?

“I took my career to the max, and I’m fine with that,” said Nyman. “It’s been a lot of fun just logging kilometers and carving up groomers. And I’m fine watching and cheering – trying to bring confidence to the boys however I can.”

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes wrapped up the first part of their season with a dual moguls event in Bakuriani, Georgia, landing two on the podium, with Jaelin Kauf and Nick Page both in third.

Continuing their strong start to the 2023-24 season, today’s competition was no different. Going into the finals, the moguls team sent all six women and two men to the finals, despite the challenging weather conditions.

For the first time this season, none of the U.S. women had to go head-to-head in the qualification rounds, giving the U.S. the best chance to make an impact in the finals, which they ultimately took advantage of. 

Kauf and Alli Macuga - coming off her first dual moguls podium and career best individual result in yesterday’s event - made it to the semi-finals for the U.S. women and Page advanced for the men. 

In the end, it was a battle for third place for Kauf and Macuga, with Macuga crossing the line first but Kauf taking home the third place finish. Just outside the semis was Olivia Giaccio, who finished fifth, followed by Hannah Soar in ninth, Tess Johnson in 11th and Elizabeth Lemley in 13th.

“I’m stoked to finish this part of the tour with a podium, and I’m very excited to be headed home for Christmas! I’m really happy with putting down some solid skiing throughout today, especially after last week's duals,” said Kauf. “Right now I’m focusing on getting home for Christmas and will reevaluate the plan for the second part of the tour, but will probably be focused on bringing in some more tricks.”

At the end of the day, Page once again showed his skill and consistency by putting down consistent run after consistent run, which led him to the podium. Outside the quarter-final was Cole McDonald, finishing 15th, along with Dylan Walczyk in 18th, Landon Wendler in 20th and Dylan Marcellini in 21st. 

“Today was a great day - it felt like I found a new level of consistent intensity that I was really happy with. The guys I skied against today are so good; the level of competition is so high, and every run took everything I had,” said Page. "I’m lucky to have them pushing me to the next level. It will be nice to have a moment to come up for air after a long two months on the road. I’m excited to get back to training before we pick it up again in Val St. Come.”

The team is returning to the United States for a break before heading to Val St. Come, Canada Jan. 19-20.

RESULTS
Women
Men

The U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team wrapped up their second World Cup of the season in Steinach am Brenner, Austria, gaining valuable experience against fierce competition and conditions. 

The team started the event on Wednesday with the first super-G race of the season. Despite challenging conditions and course sets, the team had a couple of solid finishes. The day featured two separate super-G races, with Andrew Kurka leading the team in the first race, finishing eighth in the men’s sitting event. Andrew Haraghey finished 11th in the standing event. 

During the second super-G of the day, Jesse Keefe improved upon his first finish, snagging ninth place in the standing event. Matthew Brewer was the only American to finish in the sitting event, finishing 10th. 

Next up for the team was the first giant slalom of the season. Andrew Kurka once again led the U.S. in the men’s sitting event, in sixth, while Jesse Keefe was eighth in the men’s standing event. On the women’s side, Allie Johnson finished sixth in her first World Cup appearance of the season. 

Unfortunately, Friday's second giant slalom race was canceled due to heavy winds. The team was preparing to head to La Molina, Spain for their next World Cup, but the races there have been canceled due to lack of snow and unfavorable weather forecasts, per FIS Para Snow Sports. One canceled downhill race is to be rescheduled for the World Cup in Cortina, Italy, while a super-G race will be rescheduled in Veysonnaz, Switzerland. 

The team now has an extended training break before their next World Cup stop in Veysonnaz, Switzerland, Jan. 22-25. 

RESULTS:
Men’s super-G 1
Men’s super-G 2
Men’s giant slalom
Women’s giant slalom

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes took on the bumps in Bakuriani, Georgia this morning for the first time since the 2023 Freestyle World Championships, with Hannah Soar landing on the podium in third. Seven finished in the top 10. 

It was overcast with light snowfall today, and the U.S. women started off the day strong, with all six competitors making it to finals. Alli Macuga had a slow start to the day qualifying last in 16th place, but turned things around in finals to qualify for her first career individual moguls super finals. Three made the finals for the men: Dylan Walczyk, Dylan Marcellini and Nick Page. 

In super finals, the U.S. women once again showed their consistency and depth across the board, with Soar earning her first podium of the season, finishing third, followed by Macuga in fourth, a moguls personal best, and Jaelin Kauf in sixth. Just outside the super finals was Elizabeth Lemley in eighth, followed by Tess Johnson in 10th and Olivia Giaccio in 12th. 

"Getting fourth today was another huge step for me in the right direction," said Macuga. "Qualifying 16th was hard for me to accept, but had to remember that the only way to go from there was up. I’ve been figuring out a lot about my skiing and was very proud of it, especially to get fourth place."

"It was great to get a podium at the end of these seven weeks on the road. It’s a Christmas miracle!" said Soar. 

Page finished in fourth place in a tight competition on the men's side, bouncing back from his results last week in Alpe d'Huez, France. Dylan Walczyk was just outside super finals in seventh overall. Dylan Marcellini landed in 13th, Landon Wendler in 21st and Cole McDonald finished 26th. 

“Today’s event was another step in the right direction that I was happy with. I liked how I was building through the training days and was able to stay on that trajectory for the contest," said Page. "With conditions getting more challenging this afternoon, it showed a few weaknesses that I am still working on in a way that’s kind of exciting. It’s giving me a framework and allowing me to have conversations on what I need to do to improve. There’s something really special about learning, growing and finding ways to get better every single day. I love that process and am excited to keep building to what’s next.”

Tomorrow, Dec. 23, the team takes on the dual moguls event in Bakuriani, Georgia before taking a break for the holiday. Watch live at 4:30 a.m. ET on skiandsnowboard.live 

RESULTS
Women
Men

On Thursday’s women’s night slalom World Cup in Courchevel, France, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete and the greatest skier of all time Mikaela Shiffrin took second place, her 145th World Cup podium. Teammate Paula Moltzan was close behind in fifth.

The conditions were variable with snow spraying and a light drizzle, but the weather did not stop Shiffrin from firing first run with bib number one. She blazed down into first place with Slovakian skier Petra Vlhova hot on her tail in second.

Moltzan ran bib three and had a strong run to maintain a fourth-place position. Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete AJ Hurt also skied fast from bib 45 to 22nd place first run.

On the second run, the snow was inconsistent, the fog settled in and rain and snow started to come down hard, affecting visibility. Racers had to show confidence and grit to make it down to the finish in a good position. Hurt ran first for the U.S. women, skiing without any mistakes to secure a top 30 position, and ultimately finish 25th. Moltzan ran next for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, but mistakes bumped her back to fifth place overall - a tremendous result given the bobbles. Shiffrin ran last and skied cleanly, but couldn't quite beat Vhlova's strong second run, finishing .24 seconds behind the Slovakian. Austrian Katharina Truppe in third.

"She (Vlhova) was stronger today, but I had some really good skiing," said Shiffrin. "These are days you learn so much and to come away with a podium still is really exciting. It keeps me fresh in a way. Petra is just an incredible slalom skier, an incredible skier. It's not possible to beat her unless I'm at 100%."

It is the 23rd time Vlhova and Shiffrin have finished 1-2 in a World Cup slalom race, with Vlhova having won 10 races and Shiffrin 13. Shiffrin still holds the overall World Cup lead, as well as the slalom lead.  

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes Zoe Zimmermann and Allie Resnick also raced but did not finish.

The women’s tech team picks back up with a series in Lienz, Austria Dec. 28-29. The Stifel U.S. Ski Team will race one more time before the holidays, with the men at the Madonna di Campiglio, Italy night slalom Dec. 22.

RESULTS
Women's slalom

HOW TO WATCH (all times in ET)
Dec. 22, 2023
11:45 a.m. - Madonna di Campiglio, men's slalom, run 1 - skiandsnowboard.live
2:45 p.m. - Madonna di Campiglio, men's slalom, run 2 - skiandsnowboard.live