Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) skied a gritty race on Saturday to finish fourth in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championship 30k freestyle in Seefeld, Austria.  

Diggins was pushing the pace from the second position to pressure eventual winner Therese Johaug (Norway) to peel off the front during the second of four laps.

“That was really fun and we had some of the best skis out there,” said Diggins. “I went to the front to take the lead as I could see that the chase group was starting to make time. I started working there and was steadily pinning it at the max I could sustain. I was working with Ingvild which was fun, but she started to go, and my body said nope, as I was struggling a bit with cramping.”

Working together, second-place finisher Ingvild Flugstad Ostberg and third-place finisher 19-year-old Frida Karlsson of Norway pushed the pace late in the second lap.

“When Ingvild started to go, my body said nope, as I was struggling a bit with cramping, continued Diggins. “I was trying to ski as technically well as I could at about 2k to go and put all my energy into the snow. I was thinking I have got to make it to the finish line.  When I crossed the finish line it was such a good feeling because I know I couldn’t have given it anything else.”

“It was really exciting to see Jessie be so competitive and it was interesting at the beginning of the race as she was trying to cover Johaug’s move,” said U.S. Cross Country Head Coach Chris Grover. “Jessie was skiing in second for much of the race and never further back than that lead group until the split came. The wax techs made some incredible skis today allowed us to be really competitive all day”.

Grover continued, “Sadie and Rosie have been skiing rock solid and we’re in the mix today. All four or out starters executed the race really well, no missed feeds, no broken poles and made the smart choices about ski exchanges. That veteran experience goes into creating really good races.”

Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) finished 15th, Rosie Brennan (Park City, Utah) finished 16th and, Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury, Vt.) finished 34th.

“It was a day for toughness out there,” said Brennan. “We started out at a very fast clip and with some fatigue from a week of racing, I was not feeling like I could sustain that pace for 30k. I settled back and found a good group of girls to race with and things slowly turned around. We were able to pick up a few people that faded from the group in front and I was able to have a strong sprint finish. I am really proud of my finish, but wish I had it in me to stick with the group in front.”

The Championships continue Sunday with the final race of the event, the Men’s 50k freestyle.  Starters will be Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska), David Norris (Fairbanks Alaska), Adam Martin (Wausau, Wis.), and Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Co.).

RESULTS
Women’s 30k

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast

Sunday, March 3
5:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 50k - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) landed her fourth individual FIS World Cup snowboardcross podium of the season in Baqueira Beret, Spain on Saturday.

"I am very happy to have another podium, and I loved being in Spain again," said Jacobellis. "Right now I am focused on all things production for Supergirl Snow Pro. When I arrive back in Europe I can focus on the course and doing my best to hopefully win a globe. Every year this sport becomes more competitive, especially on the women’s side. I have enjoyed watching the sport develop and I am very happy that I am still winning after all of these years."

Jacobellis has 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. U.S. Snowboardcross Teammate Faye Gulini (Salt Lake City, Utah) also raced well finishing seventh overall, making it to the small final.

Eva Samkova of the Czech Republic took the victory and Chloe Trespeuch of France finished second.

For the men, 2019 double FIS World Champion Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) finished in fourth making it to the big final. U.S. Snowboardcross Teammate Jonathan Cheever (Saugus, Mass.) finished in eighth, Alex Deibold (Manchester, Vt.) 12th, Jake Vedder (Pickney, Mich.) 15th, Nick Baumgartner (Iron River, Mich.) 17th and Hagen Kearney (Norwood, Colo.) finished in 19th. Vedder is currently seventh is the Cup Standings and will need a strong performance in Veysonnaz to challenge standings leader Noel Martin from Germany.

Alessandro Haemmerle of Austria topped the podium in first-place followed up Adam Lambert of Austria in second, and Kevin Hill of Canada in third.

The last FIS World Cup snowboardcross of the season will take place on March 16 in Veysonnaz, Switzerland. Watch Jacobellis fight for the coveted FIS Crystal Globe overall title to cap off what has been a strong season for the U.S. Snowboardcross Team.

FIS CUP STANDINGS
Men’s snowboardcross
Women’s snowboardcross

RESULTS
Men’s snowboardcross
Women’s snowboardcross
 

For the third straight year, Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) has secured the FIS Ski World Cup overall title, and she secured it while taking time off from the World Cup circuit, to rest, recharge and train in both Italy and the Czech Republic - rather than traveling to Sochi, Russia, which has struggled with cancellations the last four days.

It’s been a historical year of record-breaking for Shiffrin, who - in an IGTV post on Saturday - called it a “pretty crazy” to secure the overall, as she sat on her bed in a hotel room in the Italy, not racing. “It’s strange because, I feel like right here right now, I didn’t do something this morning…” Shiffrin laughed. “...And I’m like ‘Oh, here you go - you woke up today, here’s an overall globe!’ But, at the same time, this entire season has been spectacular...a bit push. Every race has been a fight, but it’s been incredible.

Shiffrin won her first overall globe in Aspen on home soil in 2017, and followed that up - along with the slalom title and two Olympic medals, in the 2018 season to hoist up her second-straight overall globe in Åre, Sweden. The one big goal of Shiffrin’s has been the giant slalom title, and though it was within reach in 2018, she ended up third behind Germany’s Viktoria Rebensburg and France’s Tessa Worley. She was also fifth in the downhill standings in 2018. But this season...this season has been one for the books.

Shiffrin currently - and depending on what happens with Sunday’s super-G in Sochi, Russia - will likely enter her next World Cup competition (in Špindlerův Mlýn) with the overall and slalom titles secured, as well as lead in giant slalom and super-G. Last season, she finished with 1,773 points in the overall standings. This season, with at least four - if not five starts left for Shiffrin - she already has 1,794 points. Is she going for the overall points record? Nope. But, just like every record she’s broken or matched this season, she’ll probably get close. Her secret?! Not focusing on the result, but rather focusing on the process.

A combination of things led to Shiffrin securing the overall title as she actually took time away from the World Cup tour. With a 719-point advantage over Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova, Vlhova not traveling to Sochi as well, and Saturday’s super-G being canceled, it was clear that Shiffrin had clinched it. “Races are canceled, certain people are not at those races, so the points get all wound up in different ways, so all of a sudden - there ya have it,” she said.

“The overall globe has been one of the biggest dreams of mine since I was a little girl,” noted Shiffrin. “This year it’s even something, maybe even more special, because a fair portion of my wins have come in super-G...and I always felt like the overall globe can mean ‘Best in the World’ but I wanted to be able to earn it in all events. I’m still working on getting to the point where I can earn it in slalom, GS, super-G AND downhill...but I felt like this season was a really big step. It’s been a little grueling, but also insanely gratifying.”

Shiffrin has broken so many records this season, it’s getting hard to keep track. But, yes - I have kept track, of course. It is my job, after all.

So, here goes…

2018-19 Season Accolades

• First super-G win in Lake Louise, making ski racing history by becoming the first-ever athlete – male or female – to win in all six currently contested FIS Ski World Cup alpine disciplines.

• She’s won every super-G she’s entered this season – three World Cup victories (Lake Louise, St. Moritz and Cortina), and one World Championship victory (Are)

• First ski racer – male or female – to win 15 World Cup races in a calendar year (2018)

• Women's slalom World Cup win record (38 – second only to Ingemar Stenmark with 40 – and could match Stenmark, as she has two slalom starts left on the season)

• Fifth on the all-time World Cup win list (57 – Austrian great Annemarie Moser-Proell is fourth, with 62 victories)

• 14 World Cup victories on the season (so far) – tied with Vreni Schneider’s record for wins in a single season (she has at least four more chances this season)

• 2019 Super-G World Champion

• 2019 Slalom World Champion – first athlete – male or female – to win four successive world titles in a discipline (quite a heroic win, as she did it while she was ill with a chest infection)

• 2019 giant slalom bronze medalist

• Locked in the slalom title already for the season, with her last victory at the City Event in Stockholm - 2019 slalom title holder (sixth in seven years – only year missing was 2016, when she was injured - and she was still fourth in the standings)

• Current overall, super-G, and giant slalom standings leader

• This is something that’s pretty impressive…

• Worlds – Gold Medal Count

  • Norway 2

  • Switzerland 2

  • Mikaela 2

  • Austria 1

• This is Mikaela’s winning and podium percentage on the season:

  • 24 races, with 20 podiums (including 2019 World Champs giant slalom bronze), 16 of which were wins (including 2019 World Champs super-G and slalom victories). There’s an 83% chance Mikaela will podium a race she enters this season, and a 67% chance she’ll win. Across six disciplines: slalom, parallel slalom, giant slalom, alpine combined, super-G and downhill.

Shiffrin’s main goal has been conquering the challenging giant slalom discipline. In the seven World Cup giant slalom races she’s participated in this season (including World Championships), her worst finish has been fifth. She’s podiumed five times and won three times. She currently leads friend Worley by 81 points in the giant slalom standings, and Vlhova by 137 points. “The final goal of mine for this year was the giant slalom globe,” Shiffrin said on Saturday. “I guess we’ll see in the next couple of races how that goes…” Keep in mind, she’s leading the super-G standings and it’s not even on her radar at this point. What an amazing season Shiffrin has had!

“Most dominant” are words that have been thrown around by numerous notable journalists and publications, from the Washington Post to USA Today, as Shiffrin blazes her own path and has broken into mainstream media discussion this season. And yet still, she remains down to earth, congratulatory to her competitors and gracious both in victory and in defeat, and focused on the process - not the result.

While in Cortina after her second third super-G win of the season, she and I had a conversation about how her former teammate - and legend of the sport - Bode Miller approached his craft. If he won but did not ski his best, he was bummed. If he was second but he skied his best, he was happy. She identifies with that. So, for Shiffrin - who breaks records every time she hits the mountain - her focus will remain on skiing her best...and with this strategy and the way it’s been going so far, the success is bound to follow. What will she do to celebrate? A happy dance, perhaps?

"I could go jump around and do a little happy dance and that," she said. "I feel like nobody really needs to see that. It's just, it's pretty crazy." 

Under challenging conditions in China, the Americans stepped it up during the FIS Freestyle World Cup aerials and posted two third-place finishes. Eric Loughran (Pelham, N.H.) earned a career-first World Cup podium, and Ashley Caldwell (Ashburn, Va.) posted her first World Cup podium of the season. The Shimao Lotus Mountain event marks the first of two days of competition for the U.S. Aerials Team and is the final stop of their 2019 World Cup Tour.

“It feels so good right now to be on the podium, I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” said Loughran. “I struggled a little bit in the beginning of the season and it’s nice at the end of it to just really pull it together. It was a super tough day today, so I’m stoked to have pulled it off and feel pretty good about my performance. The first few jumps were a little iffy, I went a little bigger than I thought and then snuck on in there to put one down in super finals.”

Loughran shared the podium with China’s Sun Jiaxu and Wang Xindi, who came in first and second respectively. Caldwell finished behind Australia’s Laura Peel in first, and China’s Xu Sicun in second.

“I’ve had a lot of good results in China,” said Caldwell. “I had so much fun with my team despite the challenging conditions, everyone really crushed it out there. I’m excited to have gotten another podium here and looking forward to tomorrow’s team event and hopefully crushing it.”

The day proved challenging with varying course conditions due to dramatic temperature changes and changing winds. Temperatures fluctuated as much as 20 degrees, with the afternoon reaching highs of over 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The organizers did a great job of providing dry ice to keep the jumps set, inserting tubes of it in the kickers to help keep the kickers’ form and smashing it on the tables and in-run so athletes could still gain speed skiing down.

“Experience definitely counts on a day like today,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Aerials World Cup Coach Emily Cook. “Ashley and Eric were both using years of experience to hit the take-off right in these conditions.”

“Eric has a good feel for these things, he’s a great skier, which is sometimes underrated in our sport,” explained U.S. Ski & Snowboard Aerials World Cup Coach Eric Bergoust. “When you’re confident on skis you can feel and make adjustments from the bottom to the top of the jump.”

Even with a 5 a.m. wake up call for a 6 a.m. hour-long bus ride to the jump site, the U.S. team put five women and four men through to finals. Kaila Kuhn (Park City Ski & Snowboard) had a career-bests as well, making her first appearance in finals and finishing eighth overall.

The aerials athletes compete Sunday in two events: a one jump World Cup and the second Team event of the season. “Having the team events is important since it will be a new Olympic sport, but also we don’t want to be sacrificing singles for it,” said Cook about the double day. Sunday will provide the U.S. with two more podium opportunities and everyone is looking forward to closing out the season.

“This has been a challenging season for me,” reflects Caldwell. “I think I’ve used the word ‘challenging’ in every interview this year just because of this being both a post-Olympic and post-injury season. I feel really awesome about this team going forward in the next four years. We have a lot of talent and a lot of comradery that is going to be epic in the future.”

RESULTS
Men’s aerials
Women’s aerials

Sunday's Starters
USA 1: Jon Lillis, Chris Lillis and Ashley Caldwell
USA 2: Justin Schoenefeld, Eric Loughran and Winter Vinecki
USA 3: Madison Varmette, Megan Nick and Nick Novak

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast

Saturday, March 2
5:00 p.m. - Men and women's moguls - Shymbulak, KAZ - Olympic Channel-TV*

Sunday, March 3
12:30 a.m. - Men and women's team aerials - Shimao Lotus Mountain, CHN - Olympic Channel-TV,OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
2:30 a.m. - Men and women's dual moguls - Shymbulak, KAZ - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
1:00 p.m. - Men and women's dual moguls - Shymbulak, KAZ - 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.

On a near-perfect and fast track at a Norwegian venue that feels like home, Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) led three Americans into the top 15 and four into the top 24 at the FIS Ski World Cup downhill in Kvitfjell, Norway. 

When Swiss Beat Feuz came down, it didn't appear anyone could best his time of 1:45.99, but then Italian Dominik Paris skied blazing fast on the bottom portion of the course and proved otherwise, crossing the line in 1:45.74 - .25 seconds ahead of Feuz. Austria's Matthias Mayer rounded out the podium in third, .37 seconds off Paris' pace. Feuz currently leads the downhill standings over Paris by 80 points with just one race to go in Soldeu, Andorra at World Cup Finals. 

The downhillers have had a complicated last few weeks, with Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany canceled, and the World Championships downhill at Åre, Sweden shortened considerably due to weather. Though he has not skied much downhill since his crash in Wengen, veteran Nyman walked away happy with the team's overall result in Kvitfjell, which featured Jared Goldberg's (Holladay, Utah) best result of the season, and a tie on his career-best result in ninth (tying his ninth place in Val Gardena, Italy in 2017). Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) grabbed another career best venue result, with 12th, showing continued consistency and moving him up to sixth overall in the season's downhill standings. Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.) also put down a solid finish, with 24th place. 

"Happy with my day. It’s a big improvement from my training run (which was 35th place)," Nyman said. "I haven’t been on downhill skis much since my crash in Wengen, so to ski with conviction took a lot of focus and grit. My comfort level isn’t that high right now, so I’m proud of my performance all things considered. I’m also proud of Jared for pulling out a good performance; he really needed that! And, of course, Bryce - being in the top 15 once again proves his consistency." 

It's been a challenging season for Goldberg, who - prior to Kvitfjell - had not finished better than 28th (in Bormio, Italy) this season, and had only scored twice (including 30th place in Wengen, Switzerland). A trip home to Utah to rest and recharge, where he was able to get some laps in the freshies on his home mountain, Snowbird, and see his dog Melvin - as well as making some adjustments with his equipment - was just what Goldberg needed to turn things around. He was the ninth-fastest in Friday's one and only training run, and he was able to match that, 1.25 seconds out, in Saturday's race. 

"It's been a struggle of a season trying to find the right feeling to push hard and look for speed," reflected Goldberg. "After a long Europe trip and canceled races, I needed some time at home to recoup and reflect on what I do and why I do it, and it paid off." 

Other Americans to compete in Saturday's downhill included Sam Morse (Sugarloaf, Maine) in 45th, Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, Calif.) who took some big risks and made a large mistake but still finished in 49th, Wiley Maple (Aspen, Colo.) in 51st and Thomas Biesemeyer (Keene, N.Y.) who did not finish. 

Up next for the men's speed team is a super-G at Kvitfjell on Sunday. 

Women's Super-G Canceled in Sochi; Shiffrin Locks in Third-Straight Overall

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

The downhill that was originally scheduled for Saturday will not be rescheduled. The FIS Ski World Cup super-G in St. Anton, Austria, that was canceled, rescheduled in Sochi, and canceled again will not be rescheduled. The women are scheduled to compete in a super-G Sunday in Sochi. Due to today's cancelation, Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) has locked in her third-straight career overall title, along with her sixth slalom title, which she locked in after the Stockholm City Event. 

RESULTS
Men's downhill

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

Sunday, March 3
1:00 a.m. - Men’s downhill - Kvitfjell, NOR - NBCSN**
2:30 a.m. - Women’s super-G  - Sochi, RUS - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:00 a.m. - Men’s super-G - Kvitfjell, NOR - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
4:00 p.m. - Women’s super-G  - Sochi, RUS - 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 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.

Red Gerard (Silverthorne Colo.) won the 2019 U.S. Burton Open slopestyle finals on Friday at Vail Mountain Resort in Colorado. It was clear this victory really struck a chord with the modest 2018 PyeongChang Olympic gold medalist.

“I don’t know man, I feel insane, this is crazy,” said Gerard. “I never expected that I would even be in the finals at the open. To win at the here with an insane podium is incredible. I’m speechless.”

Julia Marino (Westport, Conn.) finished in second-place to collect her second consecutive Burton U.S. Open podium as she finished in third in 2018.

I was really happy to end up on the podium again this year," said Marino. "The conditions weren’t ideal but I’m super happy and impressed on how all of the girls pushed through it and threw down!"

The women dropped in first and put on a style clinic for the Vail crowd. Marino and Hailey Langland (San Clemente, Calif.) both came out of the gate on a mission putting together complete top to bottom runs with a high level of difficulty. Langland would earn a score of 77.5 with a technical rail line and a polished backside 540 of the transition jump. She would hold onto that score and finish fourth just outside the podium.

Marino landed a cab double underflip on run one and earned a score for 80.3 which would also be her top score of the day. Landing run one proved to be beneficial for Marino as winds increased and the course slowed down causing riders to struggle finding the sweet spot as the day went on.

New Zealand’s Zoi Sadowski-Synnott’s finished in first-place completing an unofficial triple crown in snowboarding as she recently just earned the gold medal at X Games Aspen and the FIS World Championships. Also, Miyabi Onitsuka of Japan closed out the podium in third.

For the men, it was unclear if the event was going to run due to wind and snow, but upon getting the green light, all of the riders did not hesitate. Gerard’s win was also a result of his first run. He came out with noticeably more speed than the rest of the pack putting down a technical combination in the upper rail section, starting off with a noseslide to frontside boardslide to fakie, into a half-Cab 50-50 on backside 360 melon out, into a boardslide 450 Indy underflip out, he sped into the jump section starting off with a switch backside 1260 Indy, into a frontside double cork 1080 Indy on the transition feature and finishing with a huge backside triple cork 1440 mute on the final hit to roaring cheers from the crowd. 

“I was pretty scared dropping in,” said Gerard. “Practice was crazy with the fresh snow and I’m just really happy I landed one. To keep my speed, I only changed one rail trick doing a 540 off instead of a 900.”

Gerard, the number one qualifier, would jump into first place and remain there for the rest of the competition. Four-time U.S. Open slopestyle champion Mark McMorris from Canada had a chance to challenge the top spot on his last run, but couldn’t land his back triple cork 1620 on the last jump. As the rest of the field completed their final runs and the reality of a victory lap set in for Gerard, he seemed to show a level of excitement that has yet to be seen from the 18-year-old. The true spirit of the U.S. Open came to light as the entire field of riders tackled Gerard in the finish corral in a celebratory fashion.

Gerard was no the only U.S. Snowboard Team member who had a good day on Friday. Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.) finished fourth and Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii) finished in fifth just outside the podium completing an amazing day for the U.S. Snowboard Team. Earlier in the week in an interview with the U.S. Open, Winkelmann said, “I’m just out here trying to lace,” and lace he did landing his second run as the rest of the field looked on in approval of the young rider.

In addition, Farrell had himself a day landing his first run stomping a backside 1260 and a cab 1260. Also, Brock Crouch (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), who broke his back in an avalanche in Whistler, Canada last April, rode his way into the finals and finished 10th. The fact that Crouch is back on snow riding with the best in the world is a victory in itself.

Sweden’s Sven Thorgren finished second and Canada’s Mark McMorris finished in third.

The final day of competition takes place tomorrow at the 2019 Burton U.S. Open with men’s and women’s halfpipe finals. Tune in live at BurtonUSOpen.com and Red Bull TV.

RESULTS
Men’s and women’s snowboard slopestyle

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
Live webcasts on BurtonUSOpen.com and Red Bull TV

Saturday, March 2
1:00 p.m. - Women’s halfpipe finals - Vail, Colo.
4:00 p.m. - Men’s halfpipe finals - Vail, Colo.
 

The time has come and athletes from across the globe have arrived at California’s Mammoth Mountain Ski Area for one of the final FIS Freeski and Snowboard World Cup events of the season. WIth numerous U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes at the top of the World Cup standings battling for the coveted Crystal Globe, it should make for an exciting week of slopestyle and halfpipe competition.

David Wise (Reno, Nev.) currently sits third in the FIS World Cup halfpipe standings, chasing New Zealand’s Nico Porteous for the freeski halfpipe title. Wise considers Mammoth familiar territory and is feeling positive going into the competition.

“I consider the Mammoth Grand Prix my “home turf” event,” said Wise. “I’ve been training and competing in Mammoth for months out of the year since I was 10 years old. It feels like home. Mammoth is only three hours from my hometown, so the Reno cheering crew will certainly be out in force. There is no greater way to wrap up the contest season than at home and to be able to do so while chasing the crystal globe is an added bonus.“

Brita Sigourney is also in the hunt for a Crystal Globe, but needs to surpass a strong list of Canadian freeskiers including World Cup leader Rachael Karker, and teammate Cassie Sharpe, who have both been on a tear since the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. Also, just ahead of Sigourney is China’s Kexin Zhang and Li Fanghui. Sigourney has the skills to take home the victory and has been skiing strong all year long. Look for her to make a run at the title.

“I’m so excited to go back to Mammoth this year, especially with their record-breaking snowfall over the last month,” said Sigourney, who has been ripping backcountry powder when she’s not training in the halfpipe. “It’s always a fun event, whether we are competing or being forced to ski pow due to weather. I’m looking forward to ending my competition season on a high note and hopefully grabbing another podium!”

For the snowboarders, the U.S. women’s halfpipe team has strong rankings in the cup standings. Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.) currently sits in third behind Cai Xuetong from China and Queralt Castellet of Spain. Unfortunately, Kim sustained an ankle injury that will keep her from competing this week. Also, in the top-10 of the World Cup standings is another Mammoth Mountain star in Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.). Mastro is coming off a historic win at the Burton U.S. Open where she not only earned her first-ever U.S. Open victory but also made history landing the first ever double crippler in women’s halfpipe competition. She is unlikely to compete as she's dealing with an injured foot, but both Mastro and Kim will still be supporting their teammates and saying hello to the local fan base at the Mammoth Grand Prix. 

“I’m really excited to head back to Mammoth,” said Mastro. “It’s my second home and my favorite place in the winter. I grew up there, so it’s always nice to have a contest on your home turf. Mammoth has the best park and pipe lap in my biased opinion, so I think it’s a great place to end the contest season."

U.S. Rookie Team member Tessa Maud (Carlsbad, Calif.) will compete for the women. For the men, U.S. Pro Team members Chase Josey (Hailey, Idaho), Ryan Wachendorfer (Edwards, Colo.), Taylor Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), Chase Blackwell (Longmont, Colo.) and Jake Pates (Eagle, Colo.) are set to ride. In addition, U.S. Rookie Team members Jason Wolle (Winter Park Colo.), and Lucas Foster (Telluride, Colo.) will challenge a strong international field.

In women’s snowboard slopestyle, U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team member Jade Thurgood (Salt Lake City, Utah) will compete. For the men, FIS Slopestyle World Cup leader, Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.), 2019 U.S. Open champion Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.), Judd Henkes (La Jolla, Calif.), Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, Alaska), Lyon Farrell (Haiku, Hawaii), Brock Crouch (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) and Chandler Hunt (Park City, Utah) will represent the U.S. Pro Team. In addition, U.S. Rookie Team members Luke Winkelmann (Blowing Rock, N.C.), Sean Fitzsimons (Hood River, Ore.) and Dusty Henricksen (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) are set to compete.

In women’s freeski halfpipe, the U.S. Pro Team will be represented by Sigourney, Olympic gold medalist Maddie Bowman (S. Lake Tahoe, Calif.) and Annalisa Drew (Andover, Mass.). U.S. Rookie Team athletes competing include Abigale Hansen (June Lake, Calif.) and Svea Irving (Winter Park, Colo.). For the men, U.S. Pro Team members Wise, 2019 World Champion Aaron Blunck (Crested Butte, Colo.), Lyman Currier (Boulder, Colo.) and Birk Irving (Winter Park, Colo.) will battle it out in the pipe. U.S. Rookie Team members dropping in include Jaxin Hoerter (Breckenridge, Colo.), Sammy Schuiling (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), Hunter Hess (Bend, Ore.) and Dylan Ladd (Lakewood, Colo.).

In women’s freeski slopestyle, Maggie Voisin (Whitefish, Mont.), Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.), Caroline Claire (Manchester Center, Vt.), and Devin Logan (West Dover, Vt.) will represent the U.S. Pro Team. Also, U.S. Rookie Team members Marin Hamill (Park City, Utah) and Rell Harwood (Park City, Utah) will make a run at their first Grand Prix podium. For the men, double-Olympic medalist Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.), Colby Stevenson (Park City, Utah) and Joss Christensen (Park City, Utah) will lay down their best runs in the Unbound Terrain Park. Also, Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.) will represent the U.S. Rookie Team.

With 18 U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes in the top-10 of freeski and snowboard slopestyle and halfpipe FIS Cup Standings and very few events left to go, there is a lot on the line at the 2019 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. Mammoth has a history of intense competition, record snowfall, world-class courses and a large collection of U.S. athletes that call the ski and snowboard Mecca home. Catch the action live and head out to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, or tune in on NBC.

ATHLETE QUOTES

Nick Goepper - “Mammoth is always a classic spot to go back to. So many fun memories and challenging ones also. The Mammoth Unbound Terrain Park is world class and I can’t wait for the Grand Prix.”

Gus Kenworthy - "Mammoth is always such a fun venue. They build a great slope course and I have had some of the best days in the pipe at this venue too. Looking forward to seeing all the fans and competing this coming weekend at the Toyota Grand Prix."

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard & Mammoth Mountain Ski Area

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Andrew Gauthier
Marketing and Communications Manager
U.S. Ski & Snowboard
+1.775.342.7056
andrew.gauthier@usskiandsnowboard.org

FOR ACCREDITED MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Lauren Burke
Communications Director
Mammoth Mountain Ski Area
+1.858.775.5803
lburke@mammothresorts.com

FIS CUP STANDINGS
FREESKI
Men’s halfpipe
Women’s halfpipe
Men’s slopestyle
Women’s slopestyle

SNOWBOARD
Men’s halfpipe
Women’s halfpipe
Men’s slopestyle
Women’s slopestyle

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.
 

PARK CITY, UTAH – U.S. Ski & Snowboard has confirmed today that Devin Logan, an athlete on the U.S. Freeski Team, has accepted a three-month sanction from USADA for an anti-doping rule violation regarding the use of a CBD product that contained higher than labeled levels of THC. The original sanction of six months was reduced to three months following Logan’s completion of a USADA anti-doping educational tutorial.

Logan’s three-month period of ineligibility began on December 7, 2018, the date she accepted a provisional suspension, and ends on March 6, 2019. Additionally, as the use of any illegal substance by U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes is expressly forbidden by the terms of the agreement U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes sign when they join the team, further corrective action was taken by U.S. Ski & Snowboard with Devin Logan as a result of the USADA tests.

“I made a serious mistake and I accept that completely,” said Logan. “I was using a CBD product that I felt was helping me, but I trusted that the product did not contain any more than the tiny trace elements of THC that it said on the packaging. After I was notified by USADA that I’d tested positive for THC we tested the product I was using and it was immediately clear that the levels of THC in the product were, in fact, much higher than labeled. However, I know this is not an excuse. I should not have trusted the product and I want this to be a serious lesson for anyone using CBD products. They may have benefits, but using CBD products comes with major risks and I am the proof of those risks. Whether you’re an athlete or anyone using CBD, be really careful, that’s what I want people to take from what I have been through. I certainly won’t be making that mistake again.”

“Devin has accepted full responsibility for the mistake she made, and this is an important lesson for anyone using CBD products,” said Tiger Shaw, President, and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Devin’s tests showed that she had ingested THC but she was unaware that the product she was using would lead to this sanction. That is not an excuse in any way, but it is an important point to note. Anybody using CBD products should be aware that they may contain THC, whatever the packaging says.”

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is a leading voice in the international fight against doping of all kinds, aiming to rid the world of the scourge of performance-enhancing drugs used by athletes to gain an unfair advantage, and the organization hopes that the lessons learned by Devin Logan will be taken on board by athletes worldwide.

The U.S. men’s relay team skied a gutsy race to finish ninth at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld, Austria, on Friday. The U.S. team had an early morning roster adjustment for anchor skier Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Co.), who woke up with a sore throat and was replaced with Kyle Bratrud (Eden Prairie, Minn.).

Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.) was the lead skier in the first of the classic legs, skiing brilliantly in fourth place before tagging off to Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska).

“Erik skied a really smart and gutsy race and is obviously skiing well,” said U.S. Cross Country Team World Cup Coach Matt Whitcomb. “We were starting 12th and there are only two tracks in the relay, so his challenge today was to be aggressive early and get into the break when it happens. Because of his tactics he was able to hand off to Scott just 4-seconds behind the leaders. Scott kept things very close for a long time before he got snapped off the group. Unfortunately, David Norris (Fairbanks, Alaska) and Bratrud had to ski in no man’s land out there by themselves.”

It was a dramatically different weather day with steady rain and cooler temperatures, a welcome break from the extreme warmth that has plagued the Championships so far.

“Erik handed off to me in fourth, right behind the leaders,” said Patterson. “It grouped up pretty well soon afterwards and I was skiing with the front teams. It was fun for a while until they picked up the pace on the hills and I popped kind of hard.  I was hoping to give David and Kyle a better group to ski with but ended up on my own.”

“We started bib 12th and ended ninth,” continued Whitcomb. “We are feeling really physed on the skis today and very excited for the 30k and 50k coming up.”

Team Norway took the gold - their 10th-consecutive team relay World Championship title - with Russia winning the silver, and France just edging Finland at the line to take the bronze.

The Championships continue Saturday with the women’s 30k freestyle. U.S. starters will be Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.), Rosie Brennan (Park City, Utah), Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.), and Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury, Vt.)

RESULTS
Men’s 4x10k relay

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

Saturday, March 2
6:15 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s 30k - Seefeld, AUT - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships women’s 30k - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV*

Sunday, March 3
5:30 a.m. - FIS World Cross Country Skiing Championships men’s 50k - Seefeld, AUT - 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.

Day two of the Burton U.S. Open on Thursday at Vail Mountain Resort in Colorado did not disappoint with the men’s and women’s halfpipe semi-finals, and four U.S. Snowboard Team athletes qualified through to the finals.

For the women, U.S. Snowboard Team members led the way with Chloe Kim (Torrance, Calif.), Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and Maddie Mastro (Wrightwood, Calif.) qualifying in the top three spots. All three athletes came out firing with consistent amplitude, style, and perfect landings throughout their runs. Battling an ankle injury, Kim still managed to claim the top spot with two completely different runs scoring in the 90s.

“It's so nice to come out here with perfect conditions. The pipe was perfect since the first day of practice which doesn't really happen very often. Everyone's really excited and I am really looking forward to Saturday.”
 - Chloe Kim

For the men, Jake Pates (Eagle, Colo.) was in finals contention after his first run, but went on to improve his standing with his second run and finished fifth overall. Chase Josey (Hailey, Idaho) put down two complete runs but was unable to break the bubble spot finishing 11th. American Danny Davis (Truckee, Calif.) also qualified through to finals in 10th.

Other notable performances from U.S. Snowboard Team members include rookie team athlete Tessa Maud (Carlsbad, Calif.) who put down a beautiful run proving she can hang with the world’s top halfpipe riders. In addition, Lucas Foster (Telluride, Colo.) also landed a strong run complete with a massive double crippler traveling down the pipe.

The halfpipe proved to be very friendly to the riders, accommodating high speeds, huge airs, and numerous complete top to bottom runs. After Thursday’s show and high level of riding across the board, it’s hard not to anticipate Kim trying her frontside double cork 1080 and Mastro her double crippler in finals, which they both have yet to land in a competitive environment. The Burton U.S. Open halfpipe finals are set up to be one of the most exciting and progressive halfpipe competitions of the 2018/19 season.

The competition will continue tomorrow with men’s and women’s slopestyle finals. Tune in live at BurtonUSOpen.com and Red Bull TV.

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
Live webcasts on BurtonUSOpen.com and Red Bull TV

SNOWBOARD
Friday, March 1
1:00 p.m. - Women’s slopestyle finals - Vail, Colo.
4:00 p.m. - Men’s slopestyle finals - Vail, Colo.