Eight years after her first-career FIS Ski World Cup start in Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic Mikala Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) returned to where it all began and fought back in the second run in the penultimate giant slalom of the season to finish third Friday. 

On a balmy day with springlike conditions where the temperatures didn't quite reach freezing, the race organizers watered and salted the track in order to ensure the best possible conditions for the World Cup's return to Špindl. Shiffrin, coming off two weeks of rest and training following a grueling World Cup and World Championship schedule that has resulted in 16 combined victories this season, finished fourth in the first run, 1.33 seconds off first-run leader, Slovakia's Petra Vlhova. However, that deficit was too big of a mountain to climb in the second run on as Vlhova held on for the victory, her third giant slalom victory of the season (and her third-straight giant slalom victory, including World Championships and a tie for first with Shiffrin in Maribor). Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg was second, followed by Shiffrin in third.  

Shiffrin made some uncharacteristic mistakes in the first run to finish fourth, behind Vlhova, Rebensburg and Italy's Federica Brignone. "It's a bit frustrating because I only have myself to blame for my performance the first run," Shiffrin reflected in the finish after the race. "I was testing my equipment last week to be sure that in these spring conditions I'm trusting everything, and I felt really good with my equipment today. My serviceman Johann did a great job, my coaches have done a great job...everyone's been doing exactly what they need to do. And then I did the first run and I was like, 'Ugh!' It could also be worse, and I was in a position to fight for a podium; I didn't think I could do something big enough to win the race, but I thought, 'OK, see what you can do for the podium, and also just try to think like it's a separate race and do your best skiing!"

Shiffrin admits she was mad at herself after the first run, and watched video between runs to figure out what adjustment she needed to make the second run. Knowing that she needed to be leading by more than 100 points coming out of today's race in order to secure the giant slalom globe, Shiffrin skied smart and clean, and - though she didn't quite secure the globe yet - it paid off, as she won the second run by nearly four tenths. The difference in her skiing between first and second run was small, but she was much cleaner and she gave it her all. "It wasn't so much fighting and tightness," she noted. "It was smoother and that's really important for me to be able to ski fast. And I'm SO much happier with this skiing than what I did in the first run. So I think there's a lesson to learn today, but there's also things to be proud of. I just have to find that mentality for both runs of the race."

Crossing the finish line in the lead by 1.2 seconds, Shiffrin was emotional and felt assured that the feeling she had matched the time on the board. It'll be a fight to the end, as Shiffrin leads Vlhova in the standings by 97 points heading into World Cup Finals in Soldeu, Andorra. "Those three points are enough motivation for me," said Shiffrin. "It's not something to protect, but it's something to be really aware of, and again - like all season - take nothing for granted. Clearly, Petra is skiing well, but my second run was something to be proud of, so we'll see what happens."

As for tomorrow? Shiffrin knows it will be a fight. It's a "super cool slalom hill - a fun hill," though it is steep right out of the gate so she knows she'll have to be precise and aggressive from top to bottom. With the slalom globe already locked in, Shiffrin can ski freely and without pressure. With 14 World Cup victories under her belt this season, Shiffrin is currently tied with Vreni Schneider for most World Cup wins. Teammate Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, Wyo.) will also start in Saturday's slalom. 

RESULTS
Women's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast

Friday, March 8
4:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
12:00 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - NBCSN*

Saturday, March 9
3:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
4:30 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
6:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
6:00 p.m. - Women's slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - NBCSN*

Sunday, March 10
4:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 1 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 2 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold and OlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.

The competition kicked off in great fashion at the 2019 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain with Ryan Wachendorfer (Edwards, Colo.) qualifying first in men’s snowboard halfpipe and setting the tone for the week.

“It feels good to know I’m heading to finals,” said Wachendorfer. “The weather shaped up after the morning was a little questionable with the wind, but the pipe is riding way better than the first day of practice so it was a good day. It’s awesome to see some of the younger guys making it to finals. I think we are going to see some new faces competing on Saturday.”

Joining Wachendorfer in finals is Chase Josey (Hailey, Idaho), who qualified third in his heat with a spontaneous run.

“There’s been a lot of crazy weather, but today’s been nice and sunny after a windy morning,” said Josey. “I winged it on my first run and ended up putting it down and making finals. It’s really cool riding with some of the younger guys, they are really pushing the limits. I think the older riders feel them right on our heels and it actually pushes me to send it even more.”

Josey and Wachendorfer were referring to U.S Snowboard Rookie Team members Jason Wolle (Winter Park, Colo.), Lucas Foster (Telluride, Colo.) and pro team member Chase Blackwell (Longmont, Colo.), all who made the cut into finals. In addition, Taylor Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) made his first final since returning from surgery for two different injuries during the 2017-18 season. Also, American and U.S. Snowboard alumni Louie Vito (Sandy, Utah) qualified to finals finishing sixth in his heat.

For the women, Americans Summer Fenton (San Francisco, Calif.) and Zoe Kalapos (Vail, Colo.) each finished in a respectable fifth place, just missing the final round of competition.

Competition continued in the halfpipe at the U.S. Grand Prix with men’s and women’s freeski halfpipe qualifications. David Wise (Reno, Nev.) came out firing on all cylinders, landing his first run qualifying first in his heat.

“The weather has been challenging all week,” said Wise. “I think everyone was excited when the sun popped this morning. We were all able to get a couple laps through practice with the sun shining remembering the California good times. That’s what really set the vibe for me. I was able to land my first run, make it to finals, plus it just feels great to come out and compete again. I couldn’t say more about the Grand Prix crew maintaining the pipe and keeping it clean from all the fresh now. We as athletes are so appreciative of the maintenance crews hard work. I’m stoked to put on a show in finals tomorrow.”

Cassidy Jarrell (Aspen, Colo.) was the lone American that qualified into finals from heat one finishing third. In heat two, Wise qualified in first, Birk Irving (Winter Park, Colo.) second, Hunter Hess (Bend, Ore.) third, Cameron Brodrick (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) fifth, and Jaxin Hoerter (Breckenridge, Colo.) in sixth. U.S. Pro Team member Lyman Currier also competed and landed his second run capping off what was his first competition in three years after battling back from serious injury.

For the women, U.S. Freeski Pro Team member and Olympic bronze medalist Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.) qualified second in her heat and will compete in finals.

“I feel really good that I’ll be competing in finals,” said Sigourney. “It was definitely an aggressive competition with very limited training. I’m really happy I landed my run and basically got my first day of training for finals as well as qualifiers in today. The pipe was good and I’m really looking forward to finals tomorrow.”

Olympic gold medalist Maddie Bowman (S. Lake Tahoe) and U.S. Rookie Team member Abigale Hansen (June Lake, Calif.) skied well and both finished fifth in their heat just outside of finals contention.

The day concluded with men’s snowboard slopestyle competition. Unfortunately, the women were unable to compete due to increasing wind and snow slowing down the course creating an unfavorable environment for the ladies. For the men, Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.) qualified first in heat one.

"I was happy to qualify first in my heat yesterday," said Corning. "My strategy was to put a mellow run down and get myself into finals."

Also qualifying through in heat one was Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.) and Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, Alaska). In heat two, Judd Henkes (La Jolla, Calif.) qualified first and U.S. Snowboard Team alumnus Chas Guldemond qualified third.

"Im stoked to make finals here at the Grand Prix," said Henkes. "I had a tough contest last week so it was nice to rebound and make finals here."

Competition will continue at the U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth on Friday with men’s snowboard slopestyle finals, as well as men’s and women’s freeski halfpipe finals. Catch the action live and head out to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, or tune in on NBC.

RESULTS
Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe Qualifications
Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe Qualifications
Men’s Freeski Halfpipe Qualifications
Women’s Freeski Halfpipe Qualifications
Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Qualifications

START LISTS
Men’s snowboard slopestyle finals
Men’s freeski halfpipe finals
Women’s freeski halfpipe finals

SCHEDULE
All times PST (local time)

Saturday, March  9.
9:30 a.m. - Men’s snowboard slopestyle finals - Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
12:00 p.m. -  Men’s and women’s snowboard halfpipe finals - Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
2:30 p.m. - Men’s and women’s freeski halfpipe finals - Mammoth Mountain, Calif.

Sunday, March 10. 
7:30 a.m. -  Men’s and women’s freeski slopestyle qualifications & finals - Mammoth Mountain, Calif.

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast
***Delayed broadcast

FREESKIING
Saturday, March 9
5:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, March 10
4:45 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Thursday, March 14
12:30 a.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN***

SNOWBOARD
Saturday, March 9
12:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men's slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold
3:00 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Tuesday, March 12
10:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN***

Sunday, March 17
12:00 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBC***

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold and OlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.
 

Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) have been honored by the U.S. Olympic Committee as Team USA’s Best of February. Their strong performances at the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota, kicked off what was a fantastic 10 days of competition in Utah.

"It is a huge honor to receive this recognition from Team USA, said Dierdorff. "I am so humbled to be nominated amongst the other incredible athletes. The World Championships at Solitude were a dream come true for me and I am so thankful for all the support and congratulations I have received."

Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) earned his first-ever international competition victory, winning the snowboardcross title at the 2019 FIS World Championships at Solitude Mountain Resort. Dierdorff became the first American to win a snowboardcross world title in 14 years. He then teamed up with Jacobellis to take gold in the new mixed team snowboardcross event, which will make its Olympic debut in 2022.

Despite beginning her portion of the race in fourth place, Jacobellis roared past the field on the last leg of the course to victory. Dierdorff also finished first in the men’s race to secure the gold medal. It was the sixth world championship title of Jacobellis’ career and the second world title for Dierdorff in three days.

Dierdorff and Jacobellis continued their strong performances carrying momentum into March. Jacobellis landed her fourth individual FIS World Cup snowboardcross podium of the season in Baqueira Beret, Spain. She climbed from third to the top spot is the FIS Cup Standings tied with Czech Republic’s Eva Samkova. With only one World Cup left on the schedule, the race for the crystal globe is coming down to the wire. In addition, Dierdorff also performed well finishing fourth making it to the big final.

About the Team USA Awards
Each National Governing Body may nominate one female, one male and one team per discipline. An internal nominating committee selects five nominees from both the male and female categories, and three from the team category to advance to the voting round. Votes received from NGB representatives and select members of the media account for 50 percent of the final tally, with the other half determined by online fan voting via TeamUSA.org/Awards.
 

It’s the final weekend of the FIS Ski World Cup season with Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) leading the women’s U.S. Alpine Team back to where it all started in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic. Shiffrin made her first career World Cup start in Špindlerův Mlýn eight years ago, finishing 32nd in the slalom and 43rd in the giant slalom.

Shiffrin is shooting for World Cup victory number 58 in Friday’s giant slalom, and again in Saturday’s slalom. She is currently tied with Vreni Schneider’s World Cup season win record of 14, and could very likely surpass that record this weekend. Both races will be streamed live on OlympicChannel.com and NBC Sports Gold, and the Olympic Channel - Home of Team USA - will broadcast the second run both days. Also starting in the slalom at Špindlerův Mlýn is veteran Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, Wyo.).

 

 

 

 

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Ahoj! How do you correctly pronounce “Špindlerův Mlýn”?! Let’s try (Shhpindleroov Mleeeen) // How’d I do, @esterledecka?! Third time’s a charm?? 😂🙊🥴😊😅🤪Looking forward to Špindlerův Mlýn this weekend!! It was my very first @fisalpine World Cup in 2011, so it’s a special place for me with good memories. The Czech fans have always been wonderful and I can’t wait to go back to @skiworldcupspindl at @skiareal.cz. 🇨🇿 Check out the full video in my IGTV. Děkuji!! #weareskiing #sheskis

A post shared by Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷💨 (@mikaelashiffrin) on Mar 5, 2019 at 2:02am PST

On the men’s side, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, hosts giant slalom and slalom events Saturday and Sunday. Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.) and Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah) will be leading the charge along with newly crowned giant slalom Junior World Champion River Radamus (Edwards, Colo.) on Saturday. Other U.S. Starters in the giant slalom include Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.), Brian McLaughlin (Waitsfield, Vt.), Nick Krause (Northboro, Mass.). Sandy Vietze (Warren, Vt.) will make his World Cup debut in Sunday’s slalom.

The World Cup Finals are scheduled for Soldeu, Andorra, March 11-17.

More than 50 members of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard freeski and snowboard teams are at California’s Mammoth Mountain Ski Area for the final Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, which also serves as a FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Cup, this week. The current schedule has snowboard slopestyle and freeski halfpipe finals taking place Friday, snowboard halfpipe finals on Saturday and freeski slopestyle finals Sunday. However, another big storm rolling through central California this week and has already rearranged the qualifying schedule.

The networks of NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Gold, and NBCSN will provide live, and same-day coverage from Mammoth both Friday and Saturday.

Fresh off her fourth-place finish at the FIS World Nordic Championships 30k freestyle last week, Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) leads the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team into Oslo, Norway, as the FIS World Cup circuit resumes with a men’s 50k classic mass start Saturday, and a women’s 30k classic mass start on Sunday.

Other U.S. starters are: Kaitlynn Miller (Elmore, Vt.), Sadie Bjornsen (Anchorage, Alaska), Rosie Brennan (Park City, Utah), Rosie Frankowski (Minneapolis, Minn.), Kyle Bratrud (Eden Prairie, Min.), David Norris (Fairbanks, Alaska), Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska), Adam Martin (Wausau, wis.), Ben Lustgarten (Burlington, Vt.). Both races will be broadcast on the Olympic Channel and streamed live on OlympicChannel.com and NBC Sports Gold.

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

ALPINE
Friday, March 8
4:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
12:00 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - NBCSN*

Saturday, March 9
3:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
4:30 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
6:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
6:00 p.m. - Women's slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - NBCSN*

Sunday, March 10
4:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 1 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 2 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

FREESKIING
Friday, March 8
4:00 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, March 9
12:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, March 10
12:30 a.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN**

CROSS COUNTRY
Saturday, March 9
4:00 a.m. - Men’s 50k mass start - Oslo, NOR - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, March 10
6:45 a.m. - Women’s 30k mass start - Oslo, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
1:00 p.m. - Women’s 30k mass start - Oslo, NOR - Olympic Channel-TV*

SKI JUMPING
Friday, March 8
1:30 p.m. - Raw Air Tournament, men’s qualifying - Holmenkollen, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, March 9
8:30 a.m. - Raw Air Tournament, men’s team - Holmenkollen, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
3:00 p.m. - Raw Air Tournament, men’s team - Holmenkollen, NOR - Olympic Channel-TV*

Sunday, March 10
5:00 a.m. - Raw Air Tournament, women’s individual - Holmenkollen, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
9:30 a.m. - Raw Air Tournament, men’s individual - Holmenkollen, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
3:00 p.m. - Raw Air Tournament, women’s individual - Holmenkollen, NOR - Olympic Channel-TV*
4:30 p.m. - Raw Air Tournament, men’s individual - Holmenkollen, NOR - Olympic Channel-TV*

NORDIC COMBINED
Saturday, March 9
3:00 a.m. - Men’s HS134 - Oslo, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Men’s 10k - Oslo, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

SNOWBOARD
Friday, March 8
12:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, March 9
7:30 a.m. - Men and women’s parallel giant slalom - Scuol, SWI - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
4:00 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold
11:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN*

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold and OlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.

The Supergirl Snow Pro series comes to California’s Bear Mountain Resort for two days of the world’s only all-female snowboarding competition and lifestyle series event March 9-10.

The event is designed to not only showcase the best female snowboarders on the planet competing in snowboardcross and big air, but also to also serve as a developmental contest to help locate, nurture, mentor, and encourage the next generation of aspiring snowboarding pros.

The U.S. Snowboard Team’s own 10-time X Games gold medalist and six-time FIS World Champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) serves as the event host and inspirational leader.

"I started this event when I was inspired after attending the Supergirl Surf event,” said Jacobellis. “It was such an amazing event to be involved in and it had a huge support system for the growth of women in sports. After that weekend I told ASA Entertainment that I needed to bring this to snowboarding and more importantly to snowboardcross. I wanted to help the development of snowboardcross with the younger generation of girls coming up in the sport and create an environment that they could thrive in, while also making lifelong friendships with girls all over the world."

Rick Bratman, the CEO of ASA Entertainment and executive producer of the Supergirl Pro Series, also shared his excitement for the event.

“The Supergirl Snow Pro is one of the most gratifying events we are involved in given its long history of creating a strong platform for women and the unique format where pros and amateurs interact and compete together as teammates,” said Bratman. “Having the event rooted in mentorship and watching the top pros supporting the next generation of female riders is truly inspirational. Knowing that it's the only all-female snowboarding competition in the world adds another layer to its importance and aligns well with the Supergirl Pro Series’ mission of both empowering and providing opportunity for women in sports, entertainment, popular culture, media, education and business.”

The Supergirl Snow Pro is truly unique and offers opportunities for young women from all over the world to develop their skills, network and learn from some of the best riders in the world. The event has clearly left an impression with last year’s amatuer competitors.

“It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life,” said 2018 Amatuer champion Kayci Deitsch. “Being able to compete out of my country allowed me to meet new competition and create new friendships I never thought that I would in my lifetime. It’s incredible to be able to snowboard alongside my biggest role models in this sport. For the rest of my life I will be thankful for the opportunity that I had at my very first Supergirl Snow Pro. Also, It’s an honor to compete again at the competition in 2019. Coming back will be cool to see all the riders, whether  they are from the previous year or if they are new. I will approach this year with excitement and optimism. I am excited to share my experience with the new comers and just have fun.”

Although the Supergirl series is in it’s 13th year and Supergirl Pro Snow in it’s 9th, 2019 is setting up to be something special. The event’s Festival Village includes live concerts, female DJ’s, speakers, and other female-driven entertainment. The music lineup includes Samantha Ronson’s band Ocean Park Standoff and Disney star Meg Donnelly. If the entertainment isn’t enough, feast your eyes on the competitions to watch more than 30 female pros compete including U.S. Snowboard Team members and Olympians, as well as 60 top amateurs. Last but not least, it is all for a good cause as the event supports Boarding for Breast Cancer and the SoCal Mountains Foundation.The event is free to attend for all patrons so head up to Big Bear or tune in live to catch all the action.

For general event athlete information, visit http://Supergirlsnowpro.com. For pros or amateurs that wish to register to compete and be part of the mentorship program, they can register at https://supergirlsnowpro.com/events/2019-registration/.

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST

SNOWBOARD
Saturday, March 9.
7:00 a.m. - Women’s boardercross - Big Bear, Cali. - supergirlsnowpro.com

Sunday, March 10.
7:00 a.m. - Women’s big air - Big Bear, Cali. - supergirlsnowpro.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram and Twitter - @supergirlpro
Facebook - facebook.com/supergirlpro
 

David Norris (Fairbanks, Alaska) skied a personal best in the 50k freestyle on the final day of the 2019 FIS Nordic World Ski Championship in Seefeld, Austria. Norris skied the entire first lap of the six-lap race between third and fourth place, and was consistently in the main pack the entire race, eventually finishing 20th.

“I felt good and my skis were working really well,” said Norris. “It almost seemed easier to position myself in the top 15 as best as possible and just try to stay out of trouble. Then I came into 700 meters in medal contention but at that point I had no more juice left and just tried to survive.”

Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska) was 23rd on the day, Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Co.) was 34th with Adam Martin (Wausau, Wis.) in 45th.

“I was in for the hunt, but I felt like I wasn’t skiing the downhills well and I missed the move on that last lap,” Patterson said. “I was thinking I need to go, need to go, but it was too late. I felt like if I had made that split, I could have fought with guys.”

“David was in the mix from the beginning,” said U.S. Cross Country World Cup Coach Matt Whitcomb.  “On the last climb at 49.5k he was still charging with the Bronze within reach, and for him to be in that pack is just next level. He led a very strong performance for the team today with Scotty finishing 23rd and in the mix all the way for 98-percent of the race, super proud of all the guys today. It’s fun when coaches in the feed zones are saying hey, the American’s are having a good day today. We are proud and leaving Seefeld with our heads high.”

The U.S. Cross Country Team team now heads to Oslo, Norway, for a women’s 30k and men’s 50k March 9-10.

RESULTS

Men’s 50k freestyle

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast

Saturday, March 9
4:00 a.m. - Men’s 50k mass start - Oslo, NOR - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, March 10
6:45 a.m. - Women’s 30k mass start - Oslo, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
1:00 p.m. - Women’s 30k mass start - Oslo, NOR - Olympic Channel-TV*

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold and OlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.

Due to weather, the FIS Freestyle World Cup dual moguls scheduled for Sunday were canceled. The American athletes were able to train on schedule, but the fog never lifted, and the organizers, unfortunately, had to call the event.

The U.S. team will finish second overall for the Nations’ Cup and will also claim the second-ranked female moguls skier in the world: Jaelin Kauf (Alta, Wyo.).

“This has been my best season to date and the most consistent I’ve ever been,” said Kauf. “I said at the beginning of the year that I wanted to make every super final and I did. I’m so proud of myself for that. I know I made mistakes and have a lot to improve for next year, I can still clean up and improve both my jumps and my skiing. It’s been a competitive season and there’s been a lot of really impressive skiing. I am truly honored to finish second in the world among such a strong field of women.”

Although the U.S. did not earn the Nations’ Cup, the Americans did close the season with the number one women’s team. “Overall, I am very pleased with how the team performed this winter,” reflects U.S. Ski & Snowboard Head Moguls Coach Matt Gnoza. “Unfortunately, we came up just short of our team goal of winning the Nations’ Cup, but we did have the number one women’s team to finish the season.  I am extremely proud of all the athletes. Every one of them improved as we progressed through the season and we became a better team each week.”

Although Kazakhstan didn’t provide a second podium opportunity, the course was excellent on Saturday with blue skies and temperatures around 40 degrees Fahrenheit – perfect for March moguls skiing. “The Kazakhstanis were very supportive and helpful; the people here are very proud of their country and we're excited to share it with us,” said Gnoza. “We look forward to returning to Kazakhstan for future World Cups and hope that this becomes an annual stop on the tour. 

Even with no podiums this weekend, the Americans still managed to put on the wow factor. A definite highlight was Olivia Giaccio (Redding, Conn.) throwing the first cork-1080 in moguls competition for women. During the super final Giaccio had a hiccup in her first air, causing her to stop. Instead of earning a DNF, Giaccio gathered herself to finish out the run and threw the trick to wild excitement from the fans.

“I was pretty pumped up after the whole thing!” said Giaccio. “When I blew out after my full up top, I knew my run was over. But I wanted to use the rest of the run as an opportunity to try out the trick I had started working on this summer. I didn’t think — I went for it in more of a spur of the moment fashion, which was really fun. It was one of my goals this season to be the first woman to compete the trick, so going for that was pretty fun. It’s definitely in my plan to make it a part of my run, for sure!”

While their World Cup tour is over, the U.S. Moguls Team has one more competition this season: U.S. National Championships in Waterville Valley on March 16 & 17. Winning Nationals is always on every athlete’s bucket list of achievements, there is something special about being named U.S. National Champion. “The entire team is eager to get to Waterville and ski their best, we always have some great battles amongst team members as they vie for the title,” said Gnoza. “They are equally as excited to get back to the USA and ski with their friends from their home programs and regions in competing for a national championship.”

Looking forward to 2019-2020, Gnoza sees a bright future. “This past World Cup season we became a team. I look forward to watching this team grow into champions. Our outstanding and dedicated staff combined with the talent and passion of the athletes is the makings of something pretty special.”

The U.S. Aerials Ski Team closed out their 2019 Freestyle World Cup season with a double event on Sunday. The day began with a one-jump World Cup individual event in the morning and finished with a team event in the afternoon.

Ashley Caldwell (Ashburn, Va.) led the Americans and earned her second podium of the weekend, and the season, finishing second in the morning event. “It was really exciting to get back to back podiums here in China,” said Caldwell of her success this weekend. She added, “I have never competed in a World Cup before 9 a.m. in the morning.”

Caldwell shared the podium with China’s Xu Mengtao and Xu Sicun, in first and third respectively.

For the second day in a row, the women were up before the sun. Sunday’s event started with a 4:45 a.m. breakfast for a 5:15 hour-long bus ride to the jump site to be ready for speed checks by 7:25 a.m. Five American women placed in the top 10 in the morning event: Madison Varmette (Stafford, Va.) finished fourth, Morgan Northrop (Haymarket, Va.) finished sixth, Megan Nick (Shelburne, Vt.) finished seventh and Kaila Kuhn (Park City Ski & Snowboard) finished eighth.

“Despite waking up at four in the morning, our team did incredible on the women’s side,” said Caldwell. "We were laughing and having a good time even though we were tired. After the long World Cup season this was an incredible result and I’m really proud of all of our teammates.”

On the men’s side, Nicholas Novak (Stafford, Va.) was the top American, finishing sixth. “Nick was one of the great stories about today, to come back from his crash yesterday and be our top man,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Head Aerials Coach Todd Ossian. Eric Loughran (Pelham, N.H.) came in ninth and Justin Schoenefeld (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) finished 10th. China’s Jiaxu Sun took the win, Switzerland's Noe Roth finished second, and Belarus’s Anton Kushnir finished third.

Originally the U.S. was slated to put forth three teams for the afternoon team event; however, they ended up fielding two teams. USA 1 was represented by Jonathon Lillis (Pittsford, N.Y.), Christopher Lillis (Pittsford, N.Y.) and Caldwell. USA 2 was represented by Loughran, Schoenefeld and Winter Vinecki (Salem, Ore.). Schoenefeld, who’s making quite an impression on his first World Cup tour, stomped out a beautiful full-full-full (triple twisting, triple backflip) during the first round of competition, earning a score of 117. “He was deserving of every point of that score,” said Ossian. USA 2 was the top American team, finishing fourth overall, just missing the podium by less than two points.

At the close of the season, the U.S. Aerials Team finishes with four women and three men in the top 10 of the FIS Freestyle Grand Prix and finished second overall for the Nations’ Cup. For the first year of the new quad going into the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games, the Aerials Team is set up for success.

“We knew this was going to be a building season,” said U.S. World Cup Aerials Coach Emily Cook. “Going into next season people know what they need to work on and they have the foundation to do that. We’ve been super happy with the last couple of weeks. It’s good to have that foundation moving into the next quad.”

Chris Lillis, who ends this season ranked eighth in the world reflects, “I’m definitely happy that I finished ranked in the top ten in the world. That was a big goal of mine coming into the season. I see a lot of things I can improve on for next year, like coming home with more medals, but I had some really consistent results this year so really excited about that.”

RESULTS
Men’s aerials
Women’s aerials
Team aerials
 

It was a snowy day in Kvitfjell, Norway, but that didn't stop Travis Ganong (Squaw, Calif.) from grabbing the second best FIS Ski World Cup super-G result of his career, landing in fifth to lead three Americans into the points.

For the second-straight day, Italy’s Dominik Paris took the victory, piping the bottom section of the course, finishing with a time of 1:29.20 - .43 seconds ahead of Attacking Viking and hometown boy Kjetil Jansrud and .60 seconds ahead of Switzerland’s Beat Feuz. Paris moved from third in the super-G standings behind Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr and Matthias Mayer to lead the standings heading into World Cup Finals in Soldeu, Andorra, with 330 points - a 44-point advantage on Kriechmayr.

Ganong skied a clean and fast run to lead the Americans and snag his best result of the season, and second-best career super-G result (his best is a fourth place at Lake Louise, Canada in 2015. After sustaining a knee injury in Bormio, Italy that sidelined Ganong prior to the Olympics, he has been fighting to find his way back into the top group.

“I’m feeling better,” Ganong said after his run. “The whole season I’ve kind of been struggling mentally to find my race gear and to be comfortable pushing and taking risks. I’ve been really skiing within myself. These last two days - especially yesterday - I decided to push and take some risks, and it didn’t quite pan out yesterday in the downhill, but it was nice to get that monkey off my back and take some risks and not crash and have good splits. Obviously, in the downhill I had huge mistakes, but today - another chance - I pushed hard again, took some risks, and it worked.”

Ranked 16th in the standings, Ganong will take that confidence into the World Cup Finals and next season. “Just a really good stepping stone in my recovery and my comeback, and sets me up really well for next season,” he said. “I’m super happy to have a fifth place today.” Teammate Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.) - who is tied for 21st in the super-G standings with France’s Alexis Pinturault - will also represent the United States at World Cup Finals in the discipline.

Teammate Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) was skiing super fast in the middle section of the course, back by just .17 seconds at one split when he made a couple of costly errors that pushed him to 15th place. Nyman has been skiing the best super-G he’s skied in years, and is back in the 30, though he narrowly missed making it to World Cup Finals in the discipline - as he’s sitting in 26th by just one point. For the second-straight day, Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah) finished in the points. Today was the first time Goldberg has finished in the top 30 this season super-G. 

Other Americans to compete in Sunday’s super-G included Thomas Biesemeyer (Keene, N.Y.), in 33rd, Cochran-Siegle in 34th, Sam Morse (Sugarloaf, Maine) in 42nd, Sam Dupratt (Park City, Utah) in 48th and Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) in 49th.

Up next for the men is a giant slalom and slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia on March 9-10.

Women's Super-G Canceled in Sochi; Shiffrin With Super-G Lead into Finals

For the fifth-straight day, weather wiped out the women's FIS Ski World Cup in Sochi, Russia.

As a result of Sunday's cancelation, Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) will maintain her super-G standings lead heading into the final super-G race in Soldeu, Andorra at World Cup Finals on March 14. Shiffrin has won every super-G she’s participated in this season, including Lake Louise, Canada, St. Moritz, Switzerland, and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. She will go into World Cup Finals with 300 points, and a 32-point lead over the reigning super-G title holder,  Liechtenstein’s Tina Weirather, Up next for the women is a giant slalom and slalom in Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic. Shiffrin is the current leader in the giant slalom standings, with an 81-point lead over France’s Tessa Worley.

RESULTS
Men's super-G

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Sunday, March 3
4:00 p.m. - Men’s super-G  - Kvitfjell, NOR - NBCSN*

Friday, March 8
4:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
12:00 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - NBCSN*

Saturday, March 9
3:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
4:30 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
6:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
4:30 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, March 10
4:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 1 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 2 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold andOlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.

A field of six Olympians took to the halfpipe at Vail Mountain Resort in Colorado for the final day of the 37th Annual Burton U.S. Open with women's halfpipe finals. U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.) not only earned her first-ever U.S. Open victory and her first ever top-level international win but also made history landing the first ever double crippler in women’s halfpipe competition.

“I can't even express how happy I am,” said Mastro. “I am speechless and overwhelmed. I have been going to bed and dreaming about doing that trick. I didn’t do any in practice at all but decided if I could visualize it, its on. I was able to and I decided not to think, but to just do. I am fully overwhelmed and could not be any more filled with happiness. This is the first contest I have won and for it to be at the U.S. Open is an incredible feeling. I can’t put it into words to describe how good I feel right now. The double crippler has been a shadow just following me around so it’s really nice to show everyone what I got.”

The work Mastro has put in perfecting the double crippler in the spring and fall of 2018 paid off in a big way. After not practicing the trick at all throughout the week, Mastro’s mental toughness proved dividends as she put it down for the first time ever in competition. Also, her breakthrough performance disrupts the flawless season of Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.). Expect the battle for the top spot on the halfpipe podium to continue at the 2019 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area next week as both Mastro and Kim return to their home turf.

Kim would finish in second place behind Mastro and just ahead of Cai Xuetong of China in third. Kim’s highest scoring run contained a frontside 1080, cab 900 and a cab 1080, which is a different run than what she’s done previously this season. U.S. Pro Team member Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) also rode very well landing all three of her runs and increasing difficulty as the competition went on. Gold may have had the fan favorite hit boosting a huge frontside 1080 tail to start of her runs that lit up the crowd. She would finish in fourth just outside the podium. The top three riders all were in one point of each other illustrating the high level of riding for the women.

For the men, American Danny Davis (Truckee, Calif.) finished just outside the podium in fourth. Davis Kicked off the men’s competition with a massive amplitude which undeniably energized the rest of the field. U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member and Olympian Jake Pates (Eagle, Colo.) would have challenged the podium on his third and final run, but on his last hit, he slipped out in the flat bottom. Pates put on a great show for the Vail crowd, but could not reach the podium.

Australia's Scotty James added yet another win to his collection as he remains perfect and undefeated in the 2018/19 season. Japan’s Raibu Katayama finished in second-place and Yuto Totsuka in third. Katayama summarized the 2019 Burton Open best by simply stating, "we go higher and higher,“ highlighting the endless progression that took place in the halfpipe on Saturday.

U.S. Snowboard Team members will continue halfpipe and slopestyle competition at the 2019 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area March 6-9. Tune in on NBC To catch all the action.

RESULTS
Men and women’s halfpipe finals

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast

SNOWBOARD
Friday, March 8
12:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, March 9
4:00 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold
11:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN*

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold and OlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.