VAL D’ISERE, France (Dec. 12, 2015) – In the past, Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) has said that Val d’Isere’s La Face de Bellvarde is “miserable to ski,” and Saturday’s race confirmed that, as Ligety made a big mistake in the giant slalom and did not qualify for second run.
The last time Ligety battled the track in 2013, he went down on his left hip. Although determined to find redemption, Ligety never seemed to find his usual groove and appeared to be fighting the hill and the set from the moment he pushed out of the starting gate. He ended up 2.83 seconds behind Hirscher and finished in 42nd place in the first run.
Marcel Hirscher continued his domination of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup, charging down the steep, technical slope in Val d’Isere, en route to his 16th career giant slalom victory and third in row at the venue. The victory was by a commanding margin, 1.29 seconds over Germany’s Felix Neureuther in second and France’s Victor Muffat-Jeandet in third, 1.58 seconds off the pace.
David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO), Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) and Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) rounded out the American men, but all failed to qualify for a second run. Head Men’s Coach Sasha Rearick summed up the day in a somber, yet optimistic, way following the first run.
“Very, very disappointing first run here in Val d’Isere. We over-skied and skied way too defensive,” Rearick explained. “Snow was amazing—good course set, easy, and we just gave this thing way too much respect. The key now is to learn from this, evaluate our travel over here, our setup coming into Val d’Isere, also what to expect on this hill now. We have to change our approach to what we do on this hill. On days like this you can actually do a lot of work and make a lot of progress and I look forward to meeting with the coaches, meeting with the athletes and putting forward a game-plan for the future in Val d’Isere GS, but also looking forward to tomorrow’s slalom.”
Sunday offers a shot at redemption with the slalom. First run is set to begin at 3:30 a.m. ET with streaming available on NBC Live Extra. The race will then air on Universal HD at 1:30 p.m. ET.
HIGHLIGHTS
None of the four Americans qualified for a second run in Saturday’s GS.
Val d’Isere is a special place for Hirscher—it’s the site of his first World Cup victory at the GS in 2009 and his first slalom win in 2010.
Hirscher has won the last three Val d’Isere World Cups in a row.
Hirscher’s win ties him with Annemarie Moser-Proell for most giant slalom victories ever for an Austrian.
It was Muffat-Jeandet’s second trip to the GS podium this season after a second place last week in Beaver Creek.
Watch the GS race on Universal HD on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET.
The slalom wraps Val d'Isere on Sunday. First run is set to begin at 3:30 a.m. ET with streaming available on NBC Live Extra and will air on Universal HD at 12 p.m. ET.
QUOTES Sasha Rearick, head men’s coach Very, very disappointing first run here in Val d’Isere. We over-skied and skied way too defensive. Snow was amazing—good course set, easy, and we just gave this thing way too much respect. The key now is to learn from this, evaluate our travel over here, our setup coming into Val d’Isere, also what to expect on this hill now. We have to change our approach to what we do on this hill. On days like this you can actually do a lot of work and make a lot of progress and I look forward to meeting with the coaches, meeting with the athletes and putting forward a game-plan for the future in Val d’Isere GS, but also looking forward to tomorrow’s slalom.
ARE, Sweden (Dec. 12, 2015) – Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) scored her 71st World Cup victory, and her first giant slalom victory since 2013, Saturday on a wind-shortened course. Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) did not start after sustaining a pre-race injury.
Shiffrin pulled out of the race with a possible right knee injury sustained during the morning warm up. As a precautionary measure, she is being evaluated further. She has actively engaged in talking about it on her social media.
A photo posted by Mikaela Shiffrin (@mikaelashiffrin) on
High winds forced race officials to push the start down to the reserve location – eliminating several gates from the course – as well as causing a 15-minute delay.
“I love racing here in Are under the lights,” Vonn said, who won the Are GS in 2012. “This is my second GS win here. It’s just been a great season so far, and congratulations to all the other racers as well – so happy.”
Behind Vonn, Austria’s Eva-Maria Bren was second and Italy’s Federica Brignone rounded out the podium in third at 0.35
HIGHLIGHTS
Saturday’s GS victory was Lindsey Vonn’s 71st overall World Cup win. It was her first World Cup GS victory sine March 2013 at Maribor
Mikaela Shiffrin sustained a possible right knee injury warming up prior to the race. She is being further evaluated.
Watch the women's GS on Universal HD at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Next up, the slalom is on Sunday with live streaming starting at 4:30 a.m. ET on NBC Live Extra. Universal HD will air the slalom at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday.
QUOTES Lindsey Vonn I am so happy. I love racing here in Are under the lights. This is my second GS win here. It’s just been a great season so far.
I tried to be smart on the bottom where it was turny and some of the girls had some trouble. I think I may have given away too much time there, but still I was attacking the whole time trying to arc and I was fast.
VAL D'ISERE, France (Dec. 12, 2015) – The stage is set on the infamous La Face de Bellevarde in Val D’Isere, France. Those of you who know a thing or two about this piste know that it is not forgiving. It’s steep, it’s bumpy, it’s dark, it’s slick and it’s technical. Tomorrow, it will be a two run battle to the finish.
The last time Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) battled La Face de Bellevarde in 2013, he lost the battle, sliding out on his left hip. That was the first time since 2009 Ligety had missed an Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom final. It was also the first time Ligety had not landed on a giant slalom podium since the 2012 season opening victory in Soelden, Austria. In 2010, Ted emerged victorious and in 2012 he came in third on La Face de Bellevarde. It’s not his favorite track – in fact he has called it “miserable to ski” previously – but Saturday GS course is set by Austria and is more open, less offset and flows more with the piste than we’ve seen it in the past. Tomorrow, will Ted find redemption?
Ted Ligety goes down on his hip at Val d'Isere in 2013. (Getty Images-Agence Zoom/Francis Bompard)
Over in re, Sweden, Mikaela Shiffrin and current World Cup leader Lindsey Vonn will be in the spotlight in a weekend of tech racing. It’s far too early to start talking overall World Cup standings, but Shiffrin’s sitting in the second position right now behind Vonn, by four points.
These ladies love re—it’s where Shiffrin grabbed her first Audi FIS Ski World Cup slalom win and the last time Vonn was here, she snagged a win of her own in March of 2012. Plus, of the four times Shiffrin has skied this track, she has won three times and was fourth in the fourth. Add to that the fierce comeback queen Resi Stiegler (Jackson, WY)—fresh off the best comeback results of her career with 15th and 10th place results in Aspen, and World Juniors slalom champion Paula Moltzan (Lakeville, MN), too. Safe to say this weekend bodes well for the ladies in re.
Lindsey Vonn celebrates after winning the GS at re in 2012. (Getty Images-Agence Zoom/Nisse Schmidt)
Val D’Isere Starters
Michael Ankeny – SL David Chodounsky – GS, SL Mark Engel – SL Tommy Ford – GS Tim Jitloff – GS Robby Kelley – SL Tim Kelley – SL Ted Ligety – GS, SL
Are Starters Paula Moltzan – SL Mikaela Shiffrin – GS, SL Resi Stiegler – SL Lindsey Vonn – GS
QUOTES Mikaela Shiffrin Racing my first World Cup super G race in Lake Louise was so much fun. I couldn’t believe how much fun I had even just skiing the super G, and getting 15th place in my first speed race and my first time on that hill was also really incredible. And, I even know where I could have been faster. It was really cool to have had that experience, and also for Lindsey to win all three races. I got to watch some comparison video and really see why she’s so fast compared to what I felt on the course, and that was a pretty cool perspective, versus just watching her in the speed races and trying to guess why she’s fast compared to the other girls.
Since Lake Louise, we drove immediately to the airport airport straight from the finish line of the super G race at Lake Louise, and flew to Sweden. We were training in a place called Vemdalen. We were training two hours away from re and we had two days of really, really good, hard surface. It’s been kind of warm here, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the surface was that good, and to get two days of really good training right off the plane was great.
We drove to re, and we’re here now getting ready for the first winter European GS race aside from Soelden…I’m excited to be back in re. It was my first World Cup win, so it’s definitely a special place for me, but I’ve also had some okay GS races here and some – kind of – tough races where I didn’t ski so well. So I’m really excited for tomorrow to see if I could put that good skiing and that courageous skiing that I’ve been working on out on the course. I hear that the surface is amazing, so I’m really excited to race GS. And obviously, I’m always excited to race slalom.
BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
Saturday, Dec. 12 3:30 a.m. - Men's GS1, Val d'Isere - NBC Live Extra - LIVE STREAM 4:30 a.m. - Women's GS1, Are - NBC Live Extra - LIVE STREAM 6:30 a.m. - Men's GS2, Val d'Isere - NBC Live Extra - LIVE STREAM 7:30 a.m. - Women's GS2, Are - NBC Live Extra - LIVE STREAM 3:00 p.m. - Men's GS, Val d'Isere, Universal HD 4:30 p.m. - Women's GS, Val d'Isere, Universal HD
Sunday, Dec. 13 3:30 a.m. - Men's SL1, Val d'Isere - NBC Live Extra - LIVE STREAM 4:30 a.m. - Women's SL1, Are - NBC Live Extra - LIVE STREAM 6:30 a.m. - Men's SL2, Val d'Isere - NBC Live Extra - LIVE STREAM 7:30 a.m. - Women's SL2, Are - NBC Live Extra - LIVE STREAM 3:00 p.m. - Men's SL, Val d'Isere, Universal HD 3:00 p.m. - Men's GS, Val d'Isere, Universal HD 4:30 p.m. - Women's GS, Val d'Isere, Universal HD
Mikaela Shiffrin
Three-time Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin began turning heads almost instantly when she finished top 15 in her first two NorAm Cup races.
Lindsey Vonn
Known as one of the world's most successful female ski racers, Lindsey Vonn is coming out of retirement to rejoin the Stifel U.S. Ski Team.
Second for Biesemeyer at Lake Louise NorAm
By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
December, 11 2015
LAKE LOUISE, Alberta (Dec. 11, 2015) – After new snowfall hampered the first of two scheduled NorAm downhills at Lake Louise, the initial day of racing action kicked off at the Alberta resort on Thursday. Continental Cup athletes traded in their powder skis for the downhill boards and a chance to run the track utilized over the last two weeks by the men’s and women’s World Cup circuits.
NYSEF athlete and current Eastern Regional Team skier Cecily Decker, just 17 years old, made her career-first NorAm podium a victory after she outpaced Slovenian World Cupper Vanja Brodnik by 0.38 seconds and Canadian national team member Valerie Grenier by just over a half second. U.S. Ski Team D Team athlete Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) was fourth. Anna Marno (Steamboat Springs, CO), Abby Ghent (Edwards, CO – Ski & Snowboard Club Vail), Alice Merryweather (Hingham, MA) and Francesca English (Squaw Valley Ski Team) all cracked the top 10, taking sixth, seventh, ninth and 10th, respectively.
In the men’s race, independent Canadian athlete Jeffrey Frisch claimed the win just 0.32 seconds ahead of the U.S. Ski Team’s Tommy Biesemeyer (Keene, NY), who took 11th in last weekend’s Birds of Prey World Cup super G. Finland’s Andreas Romar, who is returning from a knee injury sustained last February at the Saalbach World Cup which led to a premature end to his 2014-15 season, rounded out the podium in third. Kipling Weisel (San Francisco, CA) grabbed a top-10 spot in ninth. Florian Szwebel (Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) and Erik Arvidsson (Woodside, CA) were 11th and 12th, respectively. Rounding out the top 30, Drew Duffy (Warren, VT) and Sam DuPratt (Park City, UT) tied for 17th, Keith Moffat (Far West) 20th, Nick Krause (Northboro, MA) 24th, Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) 25th, Sam Morse (Carabassett Valley, ME) 28th and Patrick Kenney (Hingham, MA) 29th.
NorAm racing continues Friday at Lake Louise with a rescheduled downhill and super G for both the men and women.
HIGHLIGHTS
Tommy Biesemeyer led the U.S., taking second in the Lake Louise NorAm downhill.
It was Cecily Decker's third impresive downhill result this season, taking the win and her first NorAm podium. She is part of the Eastern Regional Training Group initiative.
Florian Szwebel led the the U.S. Juniors ahead of Erik Arvidsson.
NorAm racing continues on Friday at Lake Louise with a rescheduled downhill and super G for both the men and women.
QUOTES Tommy Biesemeyer I am having success early in the season, but it is how I have always envisioned my skiing. I think that is why I have been so focused on my recovery. My result in Beaver Creek was a perfect complement to my rehab. It may sound cliche, but who ever said, 'hard work pays off' was right and I feel that my start to the season is a product of that.
BEAVER CREEK, CO (Dec. 5, 2015) – Longtime ski racing journalist and broadcaster Steve Porino (Bend, OR) was honored during the annual Audi Birds of Prey World Cup with the FIS Journalist Award for his service in bringing ski racing to the public. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and the International Ski Federation present the award annually.
Porino, who competed on the FIS World Cup tour as a downhiller with the U.S. Ski Team for five years, now serves as a commentator for NBC Sports. His career as a journalist began with Ski Racing Magazine, then led to a host of broadcast stints leading up to his career with NBC.
“Steve has brought our sport to life as a journalist,” said USSA President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “His insights have helped grow the public awareness of alpine ski racing in America.”
“This is a great honor,” said Porino. “For me, though, it’s fun – ski racing is what I love.”
Porino retired from the U.S. Ski Team in 1992. He broke into journalism somewhat by accident, writing articles as a ski coach at Snowbird. He was then recruited to be an editor at Ski Racing Magazine from 1997-2004. He also began doing broadcast work, which has taken him to Outdoor Life Network, ESPN and others, before settling in as one of the key commentators for the Universal Sports Network and now NBC Sports.
He was presented with the award during the U.S. Ski Team’s annual alumni reunion in Beaver Creek on Saturday, Dec. 5.
HIGHLIGHTS
NBC’s Steve Porino was presented the FIS Journalist Award for his lifetime of coverage of the U.S. Ski Team athletes and events.
he award was presented by U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Tiger Shaw during the U.S. Ski Team Alumni reception during the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup in Beaver Creek.
The FIS Journalist Award is made by the sport's international governing body for career contributions to the sport. Selections are made by national ski associations on behalf of the FIS. Porino is now among a list of 16 journalists honored in America since the award began in 1996.
A former downhiller with the U.S. Ski Team, Porino has worked for Ski Racing Magazine, Outdoor Life Network, ESPN, Universal Sports Network and NBC Sports.
FIS JOURNALIST AWARD U.S. Recipients 2015 - Steve Porino, NBC 2014 - John Dakin, Vail Valley Foundation (presented in Feb. 2015) 2013 - John Meyer, Denver Post 2012 - Jonathan Selkowitz, Photographer 2011 - Tim Ryan, NBC 2010 - Hank McKee, Ski Racing 2010 - Paul Robbins, Freelance Journalist 2008 - Mike Clark, Associated Press 2007 - Gary Black, Ski Racing 2002 - Peter Diamond, NBC 2002 - Joe Jay Jalbert, Jalbert Productions 2001 - Anita Verschoth, Sports Illustrated 1999 - Charlie Meyers, Denver Post 1998 - John Fry, Ski Magazine 1997 - Bob Beattie, ABC/ESPN 1996 - William Oscar Johnson, Sports Illustrated
School is in Session for USSA Athletes
By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
December, 7 2015
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (Dec. 8, 2015) – Between World Cups, Grand Prix and national championships, 47 current athletes and alumni from the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing will be furthering their education at Westminster College this season. As the official education partner of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), Westminster has helped over 130 national team athletes combine competing and training with a college education. A total of 22 athletes have graduated from the program.
Last season, 22 Westminster athletes competed in FIS World Championships and the X Games, bringing home a total of eight medals. With a full schedule of competitions in the coming months, this year’s student athletes are already seeing success in the classroom, carrying an average GPA of 3.58.
"I continue to be amazed by our world-class student athletes' commitment and dedication—not only to their sport, but to their education," said Stephen Morgan, Westminster president. "Maintaining an average 3.58 GPA while competing around the globe is extremely impressive and our USSA students should be very proud. These athletes bring an elite level of focus and experience to our college, and we are committed to providing them with a first-class education."
The USSA’s Athlete Career and Education programs continue to be an important part of supporting athletic success while preparing athletes for their careers after skiing and snowboarding. Last year, the USSA renewed its partnership with Westminster for an additional four years, helping support athlete education leading into the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang and the 2019 FIS Freestyle, Freeskiing and Snowboarding World Championships in Park City, UT.
“Without Westminster's program, there’s a good chance I may not have been able to go to school and train,” said 2015 FIS Moguls World Cup Rookie of the Year Morgan Schild, who, due to a knee injury, is taking a full course load this semester. “The ability to take classes online and in person allows athletes to find what works best for them. I also really like the small class size. It gives the teachers a chance to really get to know us and work with our schedules.”
HIGHLIGHTS
Fourty-seven former and current athletes from the U.S. Ski Team, U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing will be furthering their education at Westminster College this season.
Westminster has helped over 130 national team athletes and alumni attend school during and after their athletic careers.
A total of 22 athletes have graduated from the program.
This year’s athletes currently maintain a 3.58 GPA.
Westminster had 23 students compete in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi - 10% of Team USA
2015-16 USSA National Team Athletes / Westminster Students
U.S. Alpine Ski Team Ryan Cochran-Siegle Sam Dupratt Tanner Farrow Jared Goldberg Wiley Maple Anna Marno Megan McJames Alice McKennis Brennan Rubie Marco Sullivan Jackie Wiles
U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Jessie Diggins Liz Stephen
U.S. Nordic Combined Ski Team Bryan Fletcher Taylor Fletcher
U.S. Ski Jumping Team Jessica Jerome
U.S. Freestyle Ski Team Alex Bowen Si Ning Chan Avery Driscoll Madison Gorelik Sho Kashima Hannah Kearney Kiley McKinnon Heather McPhie Morgan Northrup Eliza Outtrim Maddie Olsen Michael Rossi Morgan Schild
U.S. Snowboarding Eric Beauchemin Alex Deibold Arielle Gold Faye Gulini Jackie Hernandez Jessika Jenson Zoe Kalapos Ryan Wachendorfer
U.S. Freeskiing Maddie Bowman Jess Breda Joss Christensen Alex Ferreira Alex Hackel Devin Logan Alexi Micinski Darian Stevens Alex Schlopy Emilia Wint
About Westminster: Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. For more information, visit www.westminstercollege.edu or follow @WestminsterSLC on Twitter.
USSA SuperTour Period I Wraps
By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
December, 7 2015
SUN VALLEY, ID (Dec. 6, 2015) – Aggressive competition continued on day two of the USSA SuperTour races in Sun Valley. In the women’s 10k classic mass start on Sunday, Chelsea Holmes (Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center) had a 9.7 second lead over her teammate Becca Rorabaugh followed by Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) in third place.
Although there was a lack of snow in Sun Valley, the organizing committee and technical delegates did an excellent job putting on a high quality event and challenging race course. The distance race course was 2.2 km loop in length, which started on the sprint course and headed up the little biathlon hill before splitting off the sprint course and added the big biathlon hill, which was the longest hill on course. The course then descended after this long climb and joined the sprint course. The women did one lap of the sprint course and then four full laps of the 2.2 km loop. The men did one sprint lap and six full laps. This layout made for a challenging race course that was excellent for spectators.
“There was a head to head battle between Chelsea Holmes and Caitlin Patterson for much of the race until Chelsea broke away for a convincing win,” said U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Bryan Fish. “Becca Rorabaugh put in a strong last lap surge to finish second.”
The women's podium at the USSA SuperTour. (USSA-Bryan Fish)
In the men’s 15k classic mass start, Scott Patterson (Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center) had a significant 31.6 second lead over Mads Stroem (University of Colorado Ski Team) and teammate Eric Packer (Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center) who finished third.
“Scott Patterson had a convincing win today. Stroem pushed the pace early. APU teammates - Lex Treinen, David Norris, Eric Packer and Scott Patterson then pushed the pace with Mads and Kyle Bratrud of the CXC Team in tow,” recapped Fish. “Scott took the lead around 5 km to go and skied solo to the finish. Mads had an excellent surge to bridge to Eric Packer and double poled down the final stretch for second.”
The men race in Sun Valley. (USSA-Bryan Fish)
The races in Sun Valley wrap up Period I of the USSA SuperTour competitions. Period II begins January 3-9 with U.S. National Championships in Houghton, MI.
HIGHLIGHTS
In a women’s 10k classic mass start on Sunday, Chelsea Holmes (Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center) had a 9.7 second lead over her teammate Becca Rorabaugh, followed by Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) in third place (+16.3).
Becca Rorabaugh (Alaska Pacific University Nordic Center) and Caitlin Patterson (Crafsbury Green Racing Project), both had top three finishes the day before in a sprint race with a first and third place finish.
U.S Ski Team member Katharine Ogden (Landgrove, VT) finished seventh overall and first in the Junior Women competition while fellow U.S. Ski Team member Julia Kern (Waltham, MA), finished 29th overall and eighth in the Junior Women’s 10k classic.
In a men’s 15k classic mass start, Scott Patterson (Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center) had a significant 31.6 second lead over Mads Stroem (Colorado University Ski Team). Eric Packer (Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center) finished third (+33.9).
U.S Ski Team member Patrick Caldwell (Lyme, NH) finished 15th in the men’s 15k classic race.
The distance racecourse was a 2.2k loop due to a lack of snow in Sun Valley.
The races in Sun Valley, wrap up Period I of the USSA SuperTour competitions. Period II begins January 3-9 with U.S. National Championships in Houghton, MI.
QUOTES Bryan Fish, U.S. Ski Team Development Coach In the women’s race, there was a head to head battle between Chelsea Holmes and Caitlin Patterson for much of the race until Chelsea broke away for a convincing win. Becca Rorabaugh put in a strong last lap surge to finish second.
In the men’s race, Scott Patterson had a convincing win today. Mads Stroem pushed the pace early. APU teammates - Lex Treinen, David Norris, Eric Packer and Scott Patterson then pushed the pace with Mads and Kyle Bratrud in tow. Scott took the lead around 5km to go and skied solo to the finish. Mads had an excellent surge to bridge to Eric Packer and double poled down the final stretch for second.
BEAVER CREEK, CO (Dec. 6, 2015) – It was a heartbreaker for the American fans at Beaver Creek, as expected winner Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) fell on his first run and did not finish. However, Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) took a solid top-15 finish in 14th place and David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) skied from bib 51 to 16th place.
In a first run that had its fair share of crashes, Ligety—who had won the Beaver Creek GS five times in the previous five years—was skiing strong, leading at each interval until he uncharacteristically pinched off the line over Harrier Jump, booted out and slid out on his side, crashing through a gate and ending his day prematurely.
“The snow is super aggressive—more aggressive than yesterday. I wasn’t skiing good anywhere; I was trying to get a feeling for it,” said Ligety, who said his leg was sore after crashing. “A lot of guys are having trouble with how much the snow transformed overnight to being so aggressive because it was so cold and clear. That’s catching a lot of guys off guard and for sure caught me off guard. It’s a bummer.”
With Ligety and French aces Alexis Pinturault and Thomas Fanara out in the first run, it left room for Austrian Marcel Hirscher to redeem his World Championships GS second place to Ted Ligety’s gold at the same venue.
Hirscher crossed the line 0.98 seconds ahead of Frenchman Victor Muffat-Jeandet, with Norwegian wunderkind Henrik Kristoffersen rounding out the podium in third, 1.31 seconds behind.
It was the 15th time Hirscher stood atop a World Cup GS podium, surpassing Herman Maier and Benjamin Raich for the all-time GS win record for Austrian men. Hirscher now sits one victory shy of tying Annemarie Moser-Proell’s all-time Austrian record of 16 career GS wins.
When asked whether his approach changed at all after watching his two closest competitors in Ligety and Pinturault crash within sight of the finish, his Bode-esque answer offered insight into the competitive mindset of one of the most prolific technical skiers the sport has ever seen.
“You know me, I’m always skiing against the time, not against Ted, or Felix, or whoever else,” he said. “I’m always searching for the perfect turns, and maybe I can be faster than the best time or as close as possible to the best time. In general, I’m happy with my skiing so far and hopefully I can bring this momentum back to Europe.”
When speaking of his record-setting victory, Hirscher looked forward to climbing the all-time wins ladder, setting his sights towards the closest Austrian on the list, Benjamin Raich.
“Now we are getting closer to the records that are I think pretty heavy. It is great to be on top of both technical disciplines. It is really amazing and I’m looking forward to Benjamin Raich’s record (of 36 career World Cup wins to Hirscher’s 33). Hopefully I can catch that too in a couple of years.”
For the Americans, Tim Jitloff and David Chodounsky both made it into the points, finishing in 14th and 16th place, respectively.
“It’s nice to always be in the points, but I’m looking for a little more than 14th place,” Jitloff admitted. “I skied really good today, solid first run. I think I just could have cleaned it up a little on that first run. In the second run I felt like I skied really well … I was pushing it towards the bottom, had a mistake there on the final pitch. The snow was super, super aggressive. I’m a guy that likes to push hard on the ski, so that’s not necessarily my forte. I’ll do better at places like Alta Badia where it’s a little bit icy.”
Chodounsky, who is known more for his slalom skills, was excited to start his World Cup season with some hard-earned GS points. “It’s been a long fall, a long prep season, it just feels great to be racing again,” Chodounsky said. “To have it start this way, with a GS, I’m pretty psyched.”
Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) also skied out first run, while Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) and Michael Ankeny (Deephaven, MN) did not qualify for a second run.
The men’s tour now heads across the pond to Val d’Isere, France, for slalom and GS races Dec. 12-13.
HIGHLIGHTS
Ted Ligety fell on the first run and DNFed. Tim Jitloff was 14th and David Chodounsky was 16th.
Ted Ligety had won the last four GSs at Beaver Creek and five of the last six.
It is the 33rd career World Cup win for Marcel Hirscher and his 15th in GS.
It was Chodounsky’s best GS result, topping last season’s 17th place at Beaver Creek.
The men now head to Val d’Isere, France for slalom and GS races Dec. 12-13.
QUOTES Ted Ligety The snow is super aggressive—more aggressive than yesterday. I wasn’t skiing good anywhere; I was trying to get a feeling for it. A lot of guys are having trouble with how much the snow transformed overnight to being so aggressive because it was so cold and clear. That’s catching a lot of guys off guard and for sure caught me off guard. It’s a bummer.
Tim Jitloff It’s nice to always be in the points, but I’m looking for a little more than 14th place. I skied really good today, solid first run. I think I just could have cleaned it up a little on that first run. In the second run I felt like I skied really well, skied well on top. I was pushing it towards the bottom, had a mistake there on the final pitch. The snow was super, super aggressive. I’m a guy that likes to push hard on the ski, so that’s not necessarily my forte. I’ll do better at places like Alta Badia where it’s a little bit icy. That is what it is. You have to accept that and move on.
David Chodounsky It’s been a long prep season and it feels great to be racing again. To have it start this way in a GS, I’m pretty psyched. I did well here last year, obviously, but my GS didn’t get going again the rest of the year. It feels good to know that I have a good set up and I’m going into the season skiing GS well.
I was watching up top and these guys are going so fast—hammering. I knew I had to go fast. My top I felt like was pretty good. I scrubbed a little bit—I was a little cautious down here, which I’m kicking myself a little bit. I’m happy. It worked out well. Great way to start the season.
I love racing here. The hill is great; the snow is always perfect. The fans are awesome.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin began turning heads almost instantly when she finished top 15 in her first two NorAm Cup races.
Lindsey Vonn
Known as one of the world's most successful female ski racers, Lindsey Vonn is coming out of retirement to rejoin the Stifel U.S. Ski Team.
Vonn Sweeps Lake Louise
By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
December, 6 2015
LAKE LOUISE, Alberta (Dec. 6, 2015) – Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) took her 70th World Cup victory and third Lake Louise sweep on Sunday with a 1.32 second win over Austria’s Tamara Tippler.
The third World Cup win of the weekend for Lindsey Vonn didn’t matter quite as much to the speed queen as rounding off her career victory tally to a solid 70.
“My stepmom wrote me yesterday saying, ‘Sixty-nine is great, but I like round numbers so could you please just make it to 70?’ Last year I had 60 here, so it’s kind of nice,” said Vonn. “Seventy is a pretty big number.”
Vonn hushed any doubters who wondered if she could put an end to Swiss skier Lara Gut’s super G streak at Lake Louise, which had spanned the past two seasons, but there were more than a few bets on the line before she even pushed out of the starting gate.
“It was a big deal. I feel like there were some people that doubted whether I could win today, especially because Lara had won the last couple races here in super G. Also my technician made some bets with people, so I felt a little bit like I had to come through. It was my physio Lindsay’s last day with me traveling on the road, so I kind of wanted to end with a bang,” said Vonn.
With her smoothest of three runs all weekend, Vonn unseated race leader and practical unknown Tippler. Starting third, Tippler had capitalized on an early run down a pretty clean track and held a somewhat miraculous lead over the field, considering that her previous best super G finish was 21st in the 2014 Val d’Isere race and her career best had come yesterday with 16th in the downhill. Only Vonn was able to overtake the 39th-ranked super G skier on the day.
For all the spectacle of Vonn’s trifecta, Tippler’s teammate Conny Huetter also leaves Lake Louise with three podium results herself after finishing third in the super G. Before coming to Canada this year, Huetter had only stood on a World Cup podium once in her career.
Gut was looking for her third consecutive super G victory at the venue, but her run – 1.77 seconds off Vonn’s winning pace – proved only good enough for seventh place. She secured three top-10 results over the weekend but not a single top-five finish, and Vonn leapfrogged over both her and Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) to take the lead in the overall.
In the finish area, Gut shook her head and said through a chuckle, “Europe. I have to go back to Europe,” indicating that she is looking forward to stronger results on more familiar snow surfaces.
Although Shiffrin yielded her overall lead to Vonn, she emerged from the day with a solid performance in the debut World Cup speed race of her career. From bib 32, she made technical turns down the top of the course and crossed the finish line in a respectable 15th place.
“Mission accomplished. In the back of my head I was thinking, I’ll get points, but maybe a top 15. So by holding in 15th, that’s a really good day,” said Shiffrin. “There were some spots that I was probably a little bit too wide and maybe turning almost too much. But down the pitch, onto the flats, I felt like I carried some good speed. What I hear is that I was pretty good on the flats, and that’s probably a spot where everyone expected me to be slow. So I’m starting ahead of where I actually thought I would. I felt solid on the skis and it was really fun to be honest.”
Shiffrin will look to clean up some elements before taking on the combined in Val d’Isere, France, later this month, and she caught a bit of the speed bug after her first shot at the Lake Louise course.
“When it came down to it, I was totally comfortable (in the air). And (the jumps) weren’t very big, actually, it was like 20 meters, 25 maybe. I felt super comfortable, and both of them were left-footed turns into the jumps, so just flattening out the skis the timing was fine,” she noted. “I’m probably still a little harsh on my landings, so I’ll work on that, but otherwise the course was amazing. First time on that hill ever, and I don’t ever want to leave. I can see why Lindsey loves this place.”
Two other U.S. Ski Team athletes finished in the points – Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) was 12th, and Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA) 17th. Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) was 41st, Anna Marno (Steamboat Springs, CO) 42nd, Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, CO) 44th and Abby Ghent (Edwards, CO) 49th.
The women move on to race giant slalom and slalom in Are, Sweden, on Dec. 12-13.
HIGHLIGHTS
Lindsey Vonn won her third Lake Louise race in a row, bringing her Lake Louise sweep total to three.
It was Vonn’s 70th World Cup win.
Vonn has now won 25 super G races, moving her past Hermann Maier to become the all-time winningest super G skier in World Cup history.
Vonn has now won four Lake Louise super G races and 14 Lake Louise downhills.
Vonn won by 1.32 seconds, the largest super G margin since 1997 when Katja Seizinger beat Hilde Gerg by 1.59 seconds.
Both Laurenne Ross and Stacey Cook scored in the points, taking 12th and 17th respectively.
It was Mikaela Shiffrin’s first World Cup super G. She finished 15th.
Watch the Lake Louise super G on Universal HD on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Next up, the women head to Are, Sweden to race giant slalom and slalom in Are, Sweden on Dec. 12-13.
QUOTES Lindsey Vonn It was a big deal. I feel like there were some people that doubted whether I could win today, and especially because Lara (Gut) had won the last couple races here in super G. And also my technician made some bets with people, so I felt a little bit like I had to come through. It was my physio Lindsay’s last day with me traveling on the road, so I kind of wanted to end with a bang. I had a pretty good run. I’m pretty happy with it.”
I feel like (my run) was pretty good. I definitely got a little but late on the bottom coming around Claire’s Corner, got pushed a little bit, but I kept the speed going. So I would say it was a pretty decent run, but looking back you can always say you could do better.
This definitely gives me a big confidence boost going over to Europe. Whenever you win, period, let alone by over a second, it definitely gives you that little bit extra boost of confidence. I’m feeling great, and I know my super G is good, my downhill is pretty good, so I feel like I’m in a good place for the next couple races.
On hearing about Ted going out in Beaver Creek: I was bummed. I was so impressed by Ted’s skiing yesterday, and it was kind of like a little bit of extra motivation for me to step it up and be another American on the podium. But I felt like since Ted didn’t get on the podium like he normally does, I had to pull through and thankfully I was able to do that today.
On Mikaela: I watched her run and I thought she did really well. I mean, obviously, training is a little bit different than racing and I think sometimes the speed caught her off-guard. But in general she’s such a technically sound skier and she has such a great feel for the snow. It’s impressive – her first World Cup, to get 15th. I’m sure she’s going to be a strong competitor here in the next couple races.
Mikaela Shiffrin It felt really good. There were some spots that I was probably a little bit too wide and here and there maybe turning almost too much. But down the pitch, onto the flats, I felt like I carried some good speed. What I hear is that I was pretty good on the flats, and that’s probably a spot where everyone expected me to be slow. So I’m starting ahead of where I actually thought I would. I felt solid on the skis and it was really fun to be honest.
When it came down to it, I was totally comfortable (in the air). And (the jumps) weren’t very big, actually, it was like 20 meters, 25 maybe. I felt super comfortable, and both of them were left-footed turns into the jumps, so just flattening out the skis the timing was fine. I’m probably still a little harsh on my landings, so I’ll work on that, but otherwise the course was amazing. First time on that hill ever, and I don’t ever want to leave. I can see why Lindsey loves this place.
I got like thousands of course reports throughout the day, and Lindsey’s was really good. She was talking about some of the turns down here, you get a little bit pushed and it’s a quicker switch so you have to be supple but quick-switch on the flats which is a bit tricky. She does a good job with the surface reports as well, so that was awesome.
Mission accomplished. In the back of my head I was thinking, I’ll get points, but maybe a top 15. So by holding in 15th, that’s a really good day.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin began turning heads almost instantly when she finished top 15 in her first two NorAm Cup races.
Lindsey Vonn
Known as one of the world's most successful female ski racers, Lindsey Vonn is coming out of retirement to rejoin the Stifel U.S. Ski Team.
Vonn Wins Again in Lake Louise
By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
December, 5 2015
LAKE LOUISE, Alberta (Dec. 5, 2015) – Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) skied to her second win in as many days in the Lake Louise Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill, taking the victory by 1.05 seconds.
If Vonn gets more confident, she may leave her nearest competitors even further behind. After a mishap the day before still led to a 0.58-second margin of victory, Vonn planned to ski a less risky line and wound up over a second ahead of Switzerland’s Fabienne Suter, the runner-up on the day. Cornelia Huetter of Austria was third.
“Today I tried to limit my risk but at the same time my skis were so fast and the light was really flat and also it was a little more bumpy today, that I was kind of hanging on for dear life,” admitted Vonn. “I felt like I was trying to be aggressive and trying to still ski solidly but nothing was kind of going my way. I have to look at video and see how it actually was compared to what it felt like. I think Heinz (Hammerle) is doing an amazing job. My skis were really fast today.”
A rare three-way tie for eighth place between Lara Gut, Viktoria Rebensburg, and Nicole Schmidhofer bumped American Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA) into 11th. Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) proved her recent head sponsorship from the Lindsey Vonn Foundation was no fluke by producing her best result since Jan. 2014, finishing 17th. Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, CO) was 20th and Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) finished 21st. Young gun Breezy Johnson (Salt Lake City, UT), who was racing her second World Cup, just missed the points in 32nd. Anna Marno (Steamboat Springs, CO) finished 42nd.
The women’s speed week at Lake Louise concludes on Sunday with a super G race scheduled for 11 a.m. MST. Stream it live on NBC Sports Live Extra and watch on Universal HD at 8:30 p.m. EST.
HIGHLIGHTS
Lindsey Vonn won her second Lake Louise downhill in two days.
In the points: Stacey Cook was 11th, Jackie Wiles 17th, Alice McKennis 20th and Laurenne Ross 21st.
It was Lindsey Vonn’s 69th World Cup win and her 17th win at Lake Louise.
It is the second best career result for Jackie Wiles following a 15th in downhill at Cortina Jan. 24, 2014.
Next up, the women race the super G at Lake Louise at 11 a.m. MST.
Watch the super G LIVE on NBC Sports Live Extra or on Universal HD at 8:30 p.m. ET.
QUOTES Lindsey Vonn Today I tried to limit my risk, but at the same time my skis were so fast and the light was really flat and it was a little more bumpy today. I was kind of hanging on for dear life. I felt like I was trying to be aggressive and trying to still ski solidly but nothing was kind of going my way. I have to look at video and see how it actually was compared to what it felt like. I think Heinz (Hammerle) is doing an amazing job. My skis were really fast today.
That’s why I love what I do, because when you’re in the starting gate it’s you against the mountain and you can push yourself as hard as you want to. I still want to push as hard as I possibly can. That’s what I love. I love the adrenaline. I love the speed. I love the thrill of it, and when the light’s flat and it’s bumpy it’s that much more exciting for me. Just because I’m older doesn’t mean I’ve lost any desire to continue to win and to continue to ski fast.
