INNSBRUCK, Austria (Jan. 19) - Ski & Snowboard Club Vail alpine racer Alex Leever (Vail, CO) received a little extra inspriation Thursday as Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) met him at the finish following the first run of the  2012 Winter Youth Olympic Games giant slalom. Vonn spent Thursday in Innsbruck meeting and inspring members of the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics international delegation, including International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge.

LIENZ, Austria (Dec. 29) - Sixteen-year-old Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) won the second run to capture the first Audi FIS Alpine World Cup podium of her young career with third in the Lienz slalom. Shiffrin, who became the youngest U.S. champion in history last spring with a slalom victory at the Putnam Investments U.S. Alpine Championships, finished behind Marlies Schild of Austria and Slovenian Tina Maze. Schild has won every World Cup slalom this season.

HIGHLIGHTS

KITZBUEHEL, Austria (Jan. 25) – Victory at the famed Hahnenkamm downhill eluded Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) yet again as the Olympic champion finished third in Kitzbuehel. Miller, who won the only training run, skied a tactically tight line for every ounce of speed but made a drastic mistake going into a flat section to drop .34 behind race winner Hannes Reichelt of Austria. It was Miller’s career third podium on the legendary track after two previous second-place finishes.

ROSA KHUTOR, Russia (Feb. 15) – Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) led Team USA once again Saturday, posting the best American finish in eighth at a rough and unforgiving super G, the final women’s speed event of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. Another difficult course set plus temperatures in the 40s yielded DNFs in seven of the first eight racers, but Austrian Anna Fenninger dialed it in for gold on the inconsistent course. The event will be featured on NBC’s primetime Olympic coverage Saturday at 8:00 p.m.

FRANCONIA, NH (April 23) - The Eastern Ski Writers Association (ESWA) has awarded Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO; Burke Mountain Academy) and Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT; Cochran's/Mt. Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club) with the 2012 Don A. Metivier Golden Ski  Award. This is Shiffrin’s second and Cochran-Siegle's third consecutive win.

WINTER PARK, CO (April 1) - Robby Kelley (Starksboro, VT/Cochran's/Mt. Mansfield Ski and Snowboard Club) became the latest "Skiing Cochran" to claim a national title as he closed the sun soaked Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships with giant slalom gold. Norwegians Espen Lysdahl and Leif Kristian Haugen finished 2-3 as temps soared into the mid 60s for a spring break atmosphere in Winter Park.

CORTINA d'AMPEZZO, Italy (Jan. 19) - Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) climbed back on the top step of the podium Saturday winning the Cortina downhill with teammate Leanne Smith (N. Conway, NH) third - her second podium of the season. It was the 58th career Audi FIS Alpine World Cup win for Vonn - fifth of the season - and left four Americans in the top six in the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup downhill standings.

VAL d'ISERE, FRANCE (Dec. 14) - Leanne Smith parlayed an early start number into a career first Audi FIS Alpine World Cup podium, finishing second in the Val d'Isere downhill behind Swiss winner Lara Gut. Smith, who started third, led four Americans into the top 10 on a shortened course after high winds forced a move of the start. Lindsey Vonn crashed hard into the B-netting, but skied away with no major injuries.

LEVI, Finland (Nov. 17) - Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety (Park City, UT), who cracked open the 2014 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup season with a stunning victory in Soelden, Austria last month, finished a respectable 11th Sunday in the tour's first slalom. Sitting 24th after the opening lap, the 2013 triple World Champion used a light touch on the top of the Levi Black race hill and then hammered the short steep middle section to post the sixth fastest final run time.