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Diggins Wins, Takes Home 19th World Cup Victory; Three Americans in Top 10

By Leann Bentley - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 28 2024
jessie diggins
Jessie Diggins celebrates across the line in the 20k skate. (NordicFocus)

The Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team showcased an impressive performance in Goms, Switzerland, during the final race of the series. Jessie Diggins secured an incredible victory in the 20k skate, with Sophia Laukli and Rosie Brennan rounding out the top 10, finishing fifth and seventh, respectively.

As the picturesque scene unfolded on yet another sunny day in Switzerland, 58 women and 76 men set out on the crunchy cold snow and embarked on a fast-paced four-lap, 5k course from the mass start line.

Eli Brown, a wax technician for the U.S. team, captured the essence of the pre-race conditions, "we had a delightful ski in as the moon set and the sun rose. The mountains are simply beautiful; it's shaping up to be a fantastic day!"

In the women's race, Diggins dominated from the outset. Navigating the challenging course with steep uphills and winding downhills, she led the pack for the majority of the race, jumping from first to third with Germany's Victoria Carl and Sweden's Frida Karlsson; Brennan and Laukli were closely in tow.

Laukli, who was at the back of the pack at the start then faced more adversity after going down in an early crash, but quickly recovered and made her way to the front in seamless fashion, showcasing her ability to navigate a pack of skiers going top speed and to never give up. For Brennan, she maintained her position in the lead pack the entire race. 

"Today's race was hectic and stressful - this course is just so fast," said Brennan. "But, it was awesome to have three of us in the top 10, it really shows that we're coming back into form, and we just have a really strong skate squad, and it's exciting to carry this momentum as we go into the North American World Cups!"

As the athletes approached the final kilometer of the race, with the crowd's cheers echoing through Goms, Diggins put the hammer down in a thrilling neck-and-neck battle with Sweden's Karlsson. Looking back to her team sprint victory at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, Diggins once again was in the finishing stretch with a Swedish athlete, in a sprint finish that would decide who was first and second. In the last several hundred meters, "Here Comes Diggins" was ringing true, as Diggins outsprinted Karlsson and crossed the line, hands in the air, for her 19th World Cup victory.

Today, Diggins celebrated her 57th World Cup podium, alongside her teammates and support staff, who had a strong weekend of results across the board. 

"To be honest, I didn't have that much faith in my very top speed, so it was a cool surprise to be able to make my body work the way I wanted it to into the finish," said Diggins post race. "I was really happy to have been able to come out of that final corner, knowing that the last couple kilometers of that race, I had to go as hard as I could. I definitely had flooded legs, it was quite painful. But really, I am just really happy. This weekend was the first series of races since my crash in the Tour that my ribs haven't hurt. My energy was back and it was a relief! It's nice to not be in pain and I was just trying to enjoy it, ski smart and ski hard."

"This result really means a lot," said Laukli. "It’s hard to compare with the Tour de Ski stage win, but I would say this top five in a so-called “regular” World Cup race means more in my overall progression as a skier. It’s hugely motivating to know I can be so close to the top, especially in a mass start race like this. I’m certainly specializing more in skate, but today's race makes me very psyched to see what I can do in the rest of the distance races this year, so basically a huge confidence booster type of day!

In the men's race, it was a similar story, the course was fast, there was little room for movement and the pack stayed intact until the final lap. Leading for the Americans was Alaska's Gus Schumacher. Schumacher skied a tactical race, maintaining a good position within the lead pack and drafting behind the leaders. Notably, Schumacher was on the fourth lap, approaching the second bonus points, he made a move and found himself at the front of the pack, right behind the two leading Norwegians, sitting third. Into the final stretch of the course, Schumacher jumped around, comfortably navigating the technical course, and ultimately crossed the line in 14th, a solid result for the young American.

"My strategy was to try to relax in the pack as long as possible so I could have the energy to move up when it got hard," said Schumacher in post-race comments. "Also, I wanted to ski the downhills well to take places where it was a bit easier. Honestly, I struggled to maintain a good position in the first couple of laps, so that part didn’t go super well, but I had energy when it started to string out and made those said “money moves” into some bonus points on lap three. Right after that, the pace got real and I had to dig to keep skiing. Happy with it! Skis were good and my body was responsive for almost all the race and I’m stoked to be back in distance top 15."

Right alongside Schumacher was another Alaskan, Scott Patterson, who ended the day in 18th, after skiing a very similar race by sticking with the lead pack, making tactical and smart moves at the right times and never getting jostled up around the tight corners.

Now, the team will pack not only their bags, but their ski bags, and head straight to the airport to head back to North America for the North American World Cup tour, including a stop in Canmore and the highly-anticipated Stifel Loppet Cup in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

RESULTS 
Women
Men

Kauf, Giaccio Podium in Dual Moguls at Waterville Valley

By Courtney Harkins - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 27 2024
waterville podium
Jaelin Kauf and Olivia Giaccio take the podium at the United Airlines Waterville Freestyle Cup presented by ID One USA. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Dustin Satloff)

Jaelin Kauf and Olivia Giaccio stepped on the podium in dual moguls to wrap up the weekend at the United Airlines Waterville Freestyle Cup presented by ID One USA at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. Kauf was second and Giaccio third.

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team women stacked it into the finals again, showing their consistent dominance this season. Seven women headed into the quarterfinals, including Kauf, Giaccio, Tess Johnson, Alli Macuga, Hannah Soar and Kasey Hogg, and swept second place through seventh. Johnson finished fourth, Macuga fifth, Soar sixth and Hogg seventh.

Kauf scored her second podium in two days, knocking out opponent after opponent throughout the day. She just lost the finals matchup to Jakara Anthony of Australia by one point, who took her second win in two days and eighth win in a row.

The crowd showed up on Waterville's historic Lower Bobby’s Run, named after Robert F. Kennedy. Fans, friends and family were thrilled to see the best skiers from around the world, as the New Hampshire fans braved fog, snow and rain to watch the head-to-head races.

“I could hear the crowd and the announcer, which was really fun,” said Giaccio, who hails from Connecticut. “The east coast is always a huge community of bump skiers so it’s awesome to have some representation.”

Kauf echoed her teammate’s appreciation of the east coast fanbase. “It’s always been fun coming out here for U.S. nationals. They’ve put on such a great event in the past and really stepped it up for the World Cup too,” she said. “And here at the birthplace of freestyle skiing, they have that history and that’s really cool to be a part of and bring the World Cup back here. I’m stoked that we’re going to have it again next year and excited to come back.”

Rounding out the Americans, Lulu Shaffer was 22nd, Skylar Slettene 23rd, Olivia Maurais 24th and Kylie Kariotis 28th

On the men’s side, Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team development team athlete Landon Wendler was the top U.S. man in eighth—his second top 10 of the weekend. Cole McDonald was ninth and Nick Page 10th.

Mikael Kingsbury took the win, his 86 career victory, which tied him with alpine skier Ingemar Stenmark as the winningest male skier in history. Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Mikaela Shiffrin broke the record last season and is the winningest alpine skier in history. Ikuma Horishima of Japan was second and Walter Wallberg of Sweden was third.

The FIS freestyle World Cup tour heads next to Park City, Utah for the Intermountain Health Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

HOW TO WATCH (times in ET)
Jan. 28
2:00 p.m. - men's and women's dual moguls, Waterville Valley, NH - CNBC (next day delay)

Lemley Golden Again in Gangwon

By Ryan Odeja - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 27 2024
Gold medalist Elizabeth Lemley USA, silver medalist Lottie Lodge AUS and bronze medallist Abby Mclarnon USA celebrate during the Medal Ceremony of the Freestyle Skiing Women’s Dual Moguls. The Winter Youth Olympic Games, Gangwon, South Korea. (OIS/Thomas Lovelock)
Gold medalist Elizabeth Lemley (USA), silver medalist Lottie Lodge (AUS) and bronze medalist Abby Mclarnon (USA) celebrate during the Medal Ceremony of the Women’s Dual Moguls at the Winter Youth Olympic Games. (OIS/Thomas Lovelock.)

It was another bluebird day in Gangwon, South Korea at the Geongseon High 1 Ski Resort. It was the perfect conditions for Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athlete Elizabeth Lemley to clinch her second Youth Olympic Games gold medal in the same amount of days. Team USA dominated, with Lemley standing alongside Abby McLarnon of Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club with a bronze medal and Ski & Snowboard Club Vail's Porter Huff taking a silver.

Lemley wore bib one throughout the weekend and told an Olympics reporter, “I’ll bring home that I was bib one here and maintained my position, and I think I learned how to be at the top. I’m honored to have the first gold medals in dual moguls in the (Youth) Olympics. It’s a beautiful feeling.”

Lemley’s competitors understand the magnitude of her performances over the last two days. “I love Liz so much," said McLarnon. "She just knows how to do this. She is so good at finding the right things to do and when to do them."

McLarnon finished in third place, earning her second bronze medal of the weekend after winning in the small final against Manuela Passaretta of Italy. Huff, who took the top box alongside Lemley in yesterday’s team dual moguls, was on the podium again today, finishing in second place.

RESULTS
Women
Men

Schoonmaker Seventh in Goms Skate Sprint; Ogden and Diggins 11th

By Leann Bentley - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 27 2024
JC Schoonmaker
JC Schoonmaker skis in the skate sprint in Goms, Switzerland. (NordicFocus)

In one of the more demanding sprints on the 2023-24 World Cup circuit, three Americans landed in the top 15, led by JC Schoonmaker in seventh, achieving his career-best skate sprint in the process.

The rain stayed away and the sun was out for the late afternoon sprint in Goms, Switzerland. With hundreds of athletes on the start list, and thousands of fans corraled around the course, the sprint ahead was anything but easy.

Steep uphills, tight corners and fast downhills – this course featured all the challenging aspects of a tough sprint. Paired with fast conditions and high altitude, there was carnage in nearly every heat: broken poles, crashes and one broken ski.

Moving into qualifications, where only the top 30 for both men and women advance, the Stifel U.S. Ski Team sent eight athletes through, led by Jessie Diggins qualifying in ninth and Ben Ogden qualifying in third.

Women's Sprint Heats

Entering the heats, in the second quarterfinal heat, Rosie Brennan did not advance but was still proud of her effort, ultimately ending the day in 17th.

"I'm really happy that I used what I had and skied the way I wanted to," said Brennan post-race. "This course was challenging, it was a big long climb and then a fast and sketchy downhill, followed by that all again. There was full contact out there today because there was not much room to spread out, but I am happy with the way I skied and am looking forward to the challenge tomorrow!”

For Sammy Smith, one of the youngest competitors on the World Cup circuit, it was another day to gain valuable World Cup experience. Easily advancing into the heats, Smith lined up on the quarterfinal start line alongside some of the sport's leading sprinters. Off the start, she skied a smart race, choosing the inside line on the long uphill, setting herself up nicely for the long downhill. An unfortunate crash ended her day early, yet she still finished the day in 21st.

For Diggins, she easily advanced through to the semifinals, winning her quarterfinal heat. In the semis, taking an similar inside line to the long hills as her teammates, Diggins was battling for position, ultimately getting bumped from advancing to the finals due to an unfortunate fall in the last turn. Diggins, however, ended the day with another top 15, in 11th, and continues her lead in the overall World Cup standings.

In the end, the Swedish women swept the podium led by Linn Svahn in first, Maja Dahlqvist in second and Jonna Sundling in third. 

Men's Sprint Heats

For the men, Ogden, Schoonmaker and Gus Schumacher represented the red, white and blue in the heats; Zak Ketterson was right out of the top 30 bubble, finishing his qualifier race in 31st. 

In Schoonmaker's quarterfinal heat, he skied a clean race but had to turn on the gas in the final stretch alongside Sweden's Johan Haeggstroem to advance. Crossing the line in a photo finish - ultimately called in Schoonmaker's favor - Schoonmaker clocked in one one-hundredth of a second faster than Haeggstroem and secured his spot in the semifinal round.

In the last quarterfinal of the day, Ogden and Schumacher had to finish in the top two to advance or have the third-fastest time in the heat. With both Americans taking the inside line on the first big climb, they were jockeying for position into the tight downhills. Into the last horseshoe turn going into the stadium, Ogden shot into first, crossing the line in first, with Schumacher finishing fourth - only Ogden advanced to the semis

"I was really happy with my qualifier today," said Ogden. "I am happy with the heats played out, I crashed but that happens - I step on people, people step on me, it happens!"

In the semis, Ogden and Schoonmaker represented the U.S. men.

For Schoonmaker and Ogden, lining up on the semifinal start line was familiar, as they did together earlier this season in Östersund, Sweden, when Schoonmaker clinched his career-first sprint podium. With things getting a bit messy with the choppier snow and the tactical challenges of getting pushed around, Ogden had an untimely crash, leaving him out of contention, but teammate Schoonmaker gave it everything in the final stretch and made moves to finish the day in seventh, just outside making finals.

The day ended with Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo back on top in first, France's Lucas Chanavat in second and Haavard Solaas Taugboel of Norway in third. 

"My strategy for this course was trying to make all of my moves on the second half," said Schoonmaker. "It was a really tough first hill, so I tried to save my legs there so I could ski the downhills and corners with some energy.”

With Schoonmaker's seventh-place result, he now bests his previous eighth-place skate sprint career best and continues to make an impression. 

"Today's result feels solid," he said. "I’m happy with it but am always going to want more. To be close to the final is bittersweet, but I also think it’s cool to realize that I’m at a point where getting knocked out in the semis comes with a little disappointment. Overall I’m just happy to feel like I’m skiing well again after a challenging last few weeks.”

Now, the team resets for tomorrow's 20k skate mass start. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live at 3:30 a.m. ET for the women and 7:30 a.m. ET for the men. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

Cochran-Siegle Top 10 in Garmisch

By Sierra Ryder - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 27 2024
RCS
Ryan Cochran-Siegle snags another top 10 result. (Getty Images)

Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ryan Cochran-Siegle continues his strong season with another top 10 result in the Garmisch, Germany super-G. 

“I liked how I went out and skied today. You definitely need to push here,” said Cochran-Siegle. 

The weather conditions started with heavy fog, warm weather and a lot of salting facing the course workers. However, by 11 a.m. CET, the weather started to turn and the surface was manageable for the speed racers. 

Cochran-Siegle started with bib four and was in the green all the way down until the last interval when he punched the line initially just 0.09 hundredths off the pace. The favorites for the race, Marco Odermatt of Switzerland and Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin, surprisingly fell off the pace. Odermatt landed in fourth and Sarrazin 11th. 

Instead, the podium welcomed new faces. The French team, on fire this season, snagged another World Cup win with Nils Allegre. It was Allegre's his first World Cup win. Second place also went to a World Cup podium newcomer, Italian skier Guglielmo Bosca with Loic Meillard of Switzerland in third. 

“It’s one of those races where it's not that complex so you really have to give it your best and generate as much as possible with every turn,” said Cochran-Siegle. 

Stifel U.S. Ski Team skier River Radamus was just shy of his career best super-G result in 17th place. Wiley Maple also landed in the top 30 in 26th. 

Jared Goldberg, Bryce Bennett, Isaiah Nelson, Sam Morse and Kyle Negomir also raced and landed in 31st, 33rd, 45th, 50th and 52nd, respectively. Jack Smith was set to make his World Cup debut this weekend but due to a lingering injury will hold off until Chamonix next week.

Overall the men’s team is excited to build on Saturday and come firing into Sunday for a second super-G. 

“I think with colder weather overnight it could be a bit of a different style of race tomorrow so it should be fun,” said Cochran-Siegle. 

The action begins again at 5:45 a.m. ET on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Men's super-G

HOW TO WATCH 
5:45 a.m. - men’s super-G, Garmisch, Germany - LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live (on demand on Outside Watch on Monday)

Kim, Podmilsak Win Gold at X Games; X Games Day 1 Recap

By Sadie Texer - Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team
January, 27 2024
Chloe Kim
Chloe Kim poses with her gold medal at X Games Aspen (Getty Images - Jamie Squire)

The best snowboard and freeski athletes descended on the slopes of Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado for the first day of competition at the 2024 Winter X Games. Day one action included women’s snowboard slopestyle, men’s snowboard knuckle huck, men’s ski big air and men’s and women’s snowboard superpipe.

Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team’s Hailey Langland kicked the weekend off in the women’s slopestyle competition, replacing teammate Julia Marino, who was unfortunately ruled out of competition due to injury. Athletes had three runs to show off trick difficulty, variety, use of course and execution, and the stacked heat of eight women threw down. Despite finding out she was competing only a few hours before, Langland came out strong and put down her first and best run of the day, scoring a 70.6 and landing fifth overall. The top spot went to 17-year-old Mia Brookes of Great Britain, who threw a never-been-done 1440 on the last jump to earn her first X Games gold.

Attention turned to the women’s superpipe competition where nine-time X Games medalist and Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team rider Chloe Kim made her highly anticipated return to the event since her win in 2021. Back like she never left, Kim was dominant from the start and found herself sitting in the top spot after run one. After clinching the title, Kim put on a show in her victory lap to become the first woman to land a 1260 in halfpipe competition. She is now tied with snowboard legend Kelly Clark for most X Games superpipe victories, each with seven, and her perfect podium streak is still alive, with nine superpipe medals in nine starts.

Kim was joined in the pipe by two X Games rookies and her teammates Bea Kim and Kinsley White, who both showed poise under pressure and put down solid runs under the superpipe lights. White made her X Games debut after teammate and three-time X Games medalist Maddie Mastro was sidelined due to injuries sustained from last week’s Laax Open. Mastro sets her focus on recovery and hopes to be back to full health for next weekend’s Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Mammoth Mountain, the place she calls home.

The Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team was represented in the men’s knuckle huck by Luke Winkelmann and Jake Canter, who took on the likes of previous knuckle huck champion Zeb Powell in the 20-minute jam-style event that prioritizes creativity and style. With 2021 X Games gold medalist American Dusty Henriksen out with a back injury and three-time gold medalist Marcus Kleveland from Norway out with a concussion, Powell was the clear favorite, but it was the Canadian X Games rookie Liam Brearley who took the top spot on the podium, followed by Powell in second and fellow Canadian Darcy Sharpe in third. Winkelmann finished just off the podium in fourth and Canter took eighth.

Unlike previous years, the 2024 X Games big air competition featured three runs per rider, the first being a “style” trick that’s scored on a 1-10 scale and compromising only 10% of their total score. The remaining jumps were scored throughout a 30-minute jam format with only the best two counting toward their overall final score.

Reigning X Games big air champion and Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athlete Mac Forehand joined teammates Alex Hall and Troy Podmilsak to compete in the lone freeski event of the night. Hall, a nine-time X Games medalist, added another X Games silver to his resume, throwing a never-been-done switch 18 with a tail butter that was only bested by Podmilsak, who secured the gold by throwing a 2160, the same trick that won him a World Cup championship this past season. Forehand was the last to drop for the night and ended the night in a respectable fifth place.

It was back to the superpipe for the men’s snowboard competition at the end of the night, featuring a field of heavy hitters including Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team member and X Games bronze medalist Chase Josey, who ended the day in seventh place. X Games superpipe king, Australia’s Scotty James, secured his third X Games victory in a row. 2023 FIS halfpipe Crystal Globe winner Ruka Hurano took silver and Kaishu Hirano, the Guinness World Record holder for highest halfpipe air, took bronze to round out the podium.

The action continues Saturday with the men’s ski slopestyle, women’s ski and snowboard knuckle huck, men’s and women’s snowboard street, women’s ski superpipe, men’s and women’s ski big air, men’s snowboard big air and men’s ski knuckle huck.

STARTERS

Men’s ski slopestyle

  • Mac Forehand
  • Alex Hall
  • Colby Stevenson

Women’s ski knuckle huck

  • Rell Hardwood

Men’s and women’s snowboard street

  • Judd Henkes
  • Luke Winkelmann

Women’s ski superpipe

  • Svea Irving
  • Riley Jacobs

Women’s ski big air

  • Rell Harwood

Men’s snowboard big air

  • Chris Corning

Men’s ski knuckle huck

  • Alex Hall
  • Cody LaPlante
  • Colby Stevenson

HOW TO WATCH (times in ET)
12:30 p.m. - men’s ski slopestyle - live on ABC, live stream on xgames.com 
2:30 p.m. - women’s snowboard knuckle huck - live stream on xgames.com 
3:30 p.m. - women’s ski knuckle huck - live stream on xgames.com 
4:15 p.m. - men’s and women’s snowboard street - live stream on xgames.com 
7:00 p.m. - women’s ski superpipe - live stream on xgames.com 
8:30 p.m. - women’s ski big air - live stream on xgames.com 
10:00 p.m. - men’s snowboard big air - live on ESPN, live stream on xgames.com 
11:00 p.m. - men’s ski knuckle huck - live on ESPN, live stream on xgames.com 

Kauf, Soar Podium at Waterville Valley

By Courtney Harkins - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 26 2024
waterville
Jaelin Kauf and Hannah Soar stand on the podium at the United Airlines Waterville Freestyle Cup presented by ID One USA. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Dustin Satloff)

In front of a cheering hometown crowd at New Hampshire’s Waterville Valley, Jaelin Kauf and Hannah Soar scored podium spots at the United Airlines Waterville Freestyle Cup presented by ID One USA, finishing second and third, respectively. 

While the weather didn’t cooperate, seeing everything from snow to freezing rain throughout the day-long competition, the competition was fierce for the individual moguls competition on Friday.

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team women stacked seven into the 16-person finals, continuing their dominating season. Five athletes then qualified for the six-person super finals, guaranteeing at least two spots on the podium. Alli Macuga, Kasey Hogg and Olivia Giaccio all had trouble in the finals as course conditions worsened with the weather, but Kauf and Soar put down clean and fast runs to take second and third place, respectively. New Hampshire native Hogg finished just off the podium in fourth, a career best. Giaccio was fifth and Macuga sixth. Jakara Anthony won the event—her sixth World Cup in a row—and clinched the win of the overall single moguls Crystal Globe.

“The conditions were so tough, but the women’s success today shows how good of skiers we are and how much fight we have,” said Kauf. “No matter the conditions, no matter how tough and icy and challenging they were, the girls were able to put runs together and really showcase the strength of our skiing. Maybe Hannah is used to this east coast weather, but most of us are spoiled out west!”

Soar, a New England native from Connecticut who went to the Killington Mountain School, laughed about the conditions and was happy to land on the podium in front of family and friends. “Normally when I ski in the rain on the east coast—which is all the time—I’m wearing a rubber suit, I have my dish gloves on and I am prepared for it,” she laughed. “I’m a New Englander and I know how to prepare for it! But this is one of my first time competing in this kind of weather. In the super final when everyone was crashing in front of me, I just knew that there was one thing I know how to do and it’s skiing a top-to-bottom run in the rain.”

Behind the super finals, Tess Johnson was 11th and Park City Ski & Snowboard's Skylar Slettene was 14th. It was Slettene’s first World Cup and her first World Cup finals. Slettene also went to Vermont's Stratton Mountain School (SMS), just a few hours away from Waterville Valley.   

On the men’s side, five men sent it into the finals. Cole McDonald was the top American man, finishing fifth. Landon Wendler sent it to seventh place and Asher Michel was 11th, a career best. Nick Page and Dylan Marcellini had trouble putting down their runs in finals, finishing in 14th and 16th.

On the podium, Ikumu Horishima of Japan finished first, Cooper Woods of Australia was second and Mikael Kingsbury third.

The United Airlines Waterville Freestyle Cup presented by ID One USA was the first freestyle World Cup at Waterville Valley, which is known throughout the world as the birthplace of freestyle skiing. “Waterville has so much freestyle history,” said Kauf. “Wayne Wong is here. Donna Weinbrecht is commentating (on Outside). Hannah Kearney and Trace (Worthington) are commentating on NBC. It’s really cool to be a part of history and having the old freestyle community coming together for it. It’s really special. It really shows the family community that freestyle is.”

The weather looks to dry out at Waterville with dual moguls closing out the event on Saturday in front of a rowdy New England crowd.

RESULTS
Women
Men  

HOW TO WATCH (times in ET)
Jan. 27

2:00 p.m. - men's and women's dual moguls, Waterville Valley, NH - Outside Watch

Jan. 28
2:00 p.m. - men's and women's dual moguls, Waterville Valley, NH - CNBC (next day delay)

Lemley Wins Youth Olympic Games Gold in Dual Moguls 

By Ryan Odeja - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 26 2024
liz lemley
Liz Lemley of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and Porter Huff stand atop the Youth Olympic Games podium in Gangwon, South Korea. (OIC - Simon Bruty)

Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athlete Elizabeth Lemley led the United States to victory at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games in the team dual moguls competition in Gangwon, South Korea. 

On a picture-perfect day in Gangwon, Lemley took the top box alongside Porter Huff of Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, triumphing over the Republic of Korea’s Yun Shinee and Lee Yoon Seung in the big final. USA’s Abby McLarnon and Jiah Cohen also put on a dominant performance, taking home the bronze medal in the small final against Japan’s Hikaru Sakai and Takuto Nakamura. With today’s competition coming to a close, Team USA is not taking home one, but two, Youth Olympic Games medals to the U.S. 

“I had such confidence in Liz that she would always put down a good run and be up in the points. She’s one of a kind, a prodigy. I’m so happy to be teamed with her,” said Huff to an Olympics reporter

Throughout Lemley’s career, the young moguls star has already secured four World Cup podiums, most recently in Ruka, Finland where she was second. With today’s result, Lemley added another podium to her career, this time, from one of the biggest stages of the sport. 

RESULTS
Team dual moguls

Baumgartner Fifth, Gaskill Eighth in St. Moritz

By Sadie Texer - Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team
January, 26 2024
boardercross course st moritz
The St. Moritz snowboard cross course. (FIS)

It was another exciting day of racing in Switzerland for the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Cross Team at the St. Moritz World Cup. Nick Baumgartner led the way for the Americans, taking fifth and Stacy Gaskill was eighth. 

Stacy Gaskill headed into finals sitting in second overall after an impressive showing in Thursday’s round of qualifications. She was joined by teammate Bri Schnorrbusch, making her first appearance back on the World Cup circuit after taking seventh at the Youth Olympic Games earlier in the week. Gaskill advanced through the round of quarterfinals, but was taken out in the round of semifinals after a tricky roller section late in the course proved costly for the American and finished the day in eighth place. Schnorrbusch finished 13th. Lindsey Jacobellis did not qualify for finals. 

Nick Baumgartner was the top finisher on the men’s side, after a gutsy photo finish in the second quarterfinal earned him a spot in the semifinals. After falling to fourth in the round of semis, Baumgartner captured the top spot in the small final and finished the day fifth overall. He was joined in the day’s final rounds of racing by teammates Jake Vedder and Hagen Kearney, who both earned top-30 results. Vedder ended the day in 15th overall while Kearney took 26th in his first competition back from injury. Senna Leith, Boden Gerry, Nathan Pare, Tyler Hamel, Thoedore McLemore and Cody Winters did not qualify for finals. 

The Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Cross Team turns their attention towards the next World Cup in Gudauri, Georgia, starting February 2. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

Robinson and Shute Claim Silver in Ski Cross Team Event

By Sierra Ryder - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
January, 25 2024
ski cross silver
Walker Robinson and Morgan Shute Claim Silver in Youth Olympic Games.

In Gangwon, South Korea Team USA athletes Morgan Shute and Walker Robinson claimed the silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games for the Team Event in Ski Cross. 

The duo coming off a strong individual ski cross result for men and women the day prior hammered hard to come out with the silver. The group finished above Switzerland and below the Swedish ski cross team. 

One of the key moments in this battle for the medal was when Robinson was able to get back up and keep going after crashing hard in his semifinal heat. 

“I crashed in the semi final and went down pretty hard, worst pain I have ever felt,  but I knew I could not let the team down,” said Robinson. “I knew I needed to push through because we had a medal to win so I skied down the second run and thankfully Morgan was able to make it through.” 

This is the second silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games for Shute who claimed the silver in the women's ski cross event. 

RESULTS
Ski cross