The U.S. Freestyle Ski Team finished out a strong weekend in Idre Fjäll, Sweden, with more Americans finding the podium on Sunday. Jaelin Kauf snagged second place and Brad Wilson third in a dual moguls event plagued by fog to close out the first segment of the 2020-21 FIS Freestyle World Cup Tour.

The fog led to long delays, but Jaelin didn’t let it bother her, securing her second podium of the season. “I’m really happy with it,” she said. “Especially with this fog and weather coming in, I’m just really happy the event actually went off and finished for the girls. I’m really happy with my skiing all weekend—just skiing really consistently and hitting the top air like I wanted to.”

Jaelin’s domination of dual moguls has been noticed on the World Cup, with Head Coach Matt Gnoza dubbing her “the queen of the duals.” Her speed is consistently impressive and her jumps are solid, which helped carry her to her 11th career duals podium.

Perrine Laffont of France took the win for the women with Anri Kawamura of Japan in third.

Tess Johnson finished just off the podium in fourth place and is proving that she’s a podium-caliber skier who is hungry for another top-three result. “This one has been coming for quite some time,” said Matt. “She’s one step closer to the podium that she’s bound to be getting in the very near future.”

Rounding out the U.S. women, Hannah Soar was seventh, Kai Owens was 12th—her best finish in a dual moguls World Cup so far—Olivia Giaccio 24th and Madison Hogg 27th.

The men’s event was a bit more complicated, as the fog refused to let up and visibility was at a zero, which resulted in the event organizers calling for the men’s big and small finals to be canceled. The big final skiers would tie for first and the small final skiers tied for third. This had never been done in a World Cup competition before and was a one-time ruling in order for the athletes to get results, especially during a pandemic-riddled season. While it was a disappointing conclusion, all four men skied down the course together and jumped the bottom air at the same time, which made for a nice show of sportsmanship.

Matt Graham of Australia and Ludvig Fjallstrom of Sweden tied for first with Jordan Kober of Canada and Brad Wilson taking third.

Brad was excited to secure his first podium of the season. “With this sport, we can ski through any weather except for fog—we haven’t figured out how to get through it,” he said. “As soon as I rolled in the gate it just came down—it was so socked in here—we thought maybe it was going to be a wash of an event. We’re stoked that they came up with something to get us the points that we deserved. I’m stoked!”

The course conditions in Idre Fjäll played well with Brad's ability to ski the fast line and competitive nature. “When there are dual moguls, there’s a different look in Brad Wilson’s eye and it was there from the start today,” said Matt.

Nick Page scooped up a top-10 result—his personal-best dual moguls finish—making it a stellar weekend for Saturday’s podiumer. “He’s going to enter our next World Cups with a really low bib number,” said Matt. “That was one of the goals for Nick to start the season and he’s right on top of that right now. Pretty exciting times for the mogul team!”

Dylan Walczyk finished 22nd, Alex Lewis 39th and Jesse Andringa 50th.

Next up, the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team heads back to the states for some much-needed time off and training after a six-week trip through Scandinavia. “I’m excited to see the sun and be home,” said Jaelin. “We’ve been in darkness for so long—and hopefully some powder skiing too!”

RESULTS
Women’s dual moguls
Men’s dual moguls

Saturday Rosie Brennan proved she was a sprinter. Sunday, she proved she is one of the best cross country skiers in the world after taking her second-straight FIS Cross Country World Cup victory and moving into the overall World Cup lead. 

“That is quite honestly something I'm not sure I've ever even dreamed of,” Rosie said of taking the overall World Cup lead, in addition to the overall World Cup sprint and distance leader bibs. “Obviously, we have only had a few races, but it's something I'm proud of nonetheless and while I'm not sure I expect to keep them all the whole season, I hope to do them proud while I have them and put up as good a fight as I can!”

So how do you make back-to-back victories even better? By sharing the podium with a teammate!  Hailey Swirbul landed on her first World Cup podium, finishing third in Sunday’s 10k freestyle, just 6.5 seconds back from second-place finisher Yulia Stupak from Russia.

“When I crossed the line, Hailey was keeping the leader’s chair warm for me and so I knew she must have had a good race too,” Rosie said. “Then when I finally sat down and saw she was going to get a podium, I was just beside myself. Sharing the podium with a teammate is something special. She's been the one pushing me all summer and keeping me on my toes and really forcing me to broaden my skills so I am just so excited to share this with her.”

"A really exciting and surprising day (for me at least, but I had a feeling Rosie would crush it!!)," Hailey said. "I had a split with about 2.5k to go that I was in the running for a podium, so I dug REALLY deep to fight for it. All I could do was give my best and I truly left it all out there. The techs and coaches have really helped set our team up for success this weekend and I am truly honored to be part of it."

Even without the teams from Norway, Sweden, and Finland competing in Davos, Switzerland, due to concerns from the COVID-19 virus, Rosie’s 34-second margin of victory was impressive as she is now the second U.S. woman to wear the overall World Cup Leader’s bib. Her teammate Sadie Maubet Bjornsen wore the overall leader’s bib last season in Ruka, Finland. However, the leader’s bib wasn’t the goal of the day - winning was.

“I set out as smooth and controlled as possible and quickly learned my pace was good enough for the win so I just kept chugging along and trying to stay focused on good strong skiing. With about 3k to go, I got a split that someone who started behind me was only 10 seconds back after 5k and that sounded a bit too close for comfort for me so I really doubled down and tried to just carry all the speed I could through the rolling last 2k. I had great skis all weekend and cannot thank the techs enough for all their effort to make the most of this weekend.”

Indeed, fitness and fast skis propelled five U.S. women into the points Sunday. In addition to Rosie and Hailey on the podium, Jessie Diggins was seventh; Katharine Ogden scored her first World Cup points of the season, finishing 22nd; and Caitlin Patterson also scored her first World Cup points of the season in 30th. Julia Kern finished 33rd.

In the men’s 15k freestyle, Scott Patterson continued to climb the results sheet, leading the American men in 16th place - his best result of the season so far. Kevin Bolger was 33rd; Gus Schumacher 35th; Simi Hamilton 38th; Adam Martin 44th; and Ian Torchia 49th.

"In four years of racing in Davos, this was the first time I really felt like I had something to give," Scott said. "I focused on lots of little items like skiing certain hills well and I think it served me well. I’m pretty psyched with today and looking forward to more fast racing after a little holiday break."

Russia swept the podium with Alexander Bolshunov taking a commanding 32.2-second victory over countryman Andrey Melnichenko in second, and Artem Maltsev in third. 

Up next, the FIS Cross Country World Cup moves to Dresden, Germany, Dec. 19-20 with an individual freestyle sprint, and team freestyle sprint. The athletes then enjoy a holiday break before kicking off the FIS Tour de Ski Jan. 1-10 in Switzerland and Italy.

RESULTS
Women’s 10k freestyle
Men’s 15k freestyle

STANDINGS
Women’s World Cup Overall
Men’s World Cup Overall

HOW TO WATCH
Sunday, Dec. 13
10:00 p.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Women's 10k - Same Day Broadcast, Davos, SUI, Broadcast Olympic Channel

Monday, Dec. 14
12:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Women's 10k - Same Day Broadcast, Davos, SUI, Broadcast NBCSN

Saturday, Dec. 19
8:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Men and Women’s Sprint - LIVE, Dresden, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel

Sunday, Dec. 20
11:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Men and Women’s Sprint - Same-day delayed broadcast, Dresden, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel
7:00 p.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Men and Women’s Sprint - Same-day delayed broadcast, Dresden, GER, Broadcast NBCSN

Ryan Cochran-Siegle led three Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes into the top 25 in a tight and wild Val d'Isere downhill on Sunday, finishing in 13th, .81 off the pace, set by the surprising Slovenian Martin Cater—who snagged his first World Cup victory (and podium) from bib 41. 

It was a tight race, and when the sun came out on the top of the course, the track appeared to get faster as the race went on—particularly at the top. For a while, it appeared that the Norwegian Aleksander Kilde had the victory in the bag, but the opportunity was there for the higher bibs to send it, and Martin Cater took advantage of that, landing on the top of the podium. Austria's Otmar Streidinger came down bib 26, to finish second on the day, and Switzerland's Urs Kryenbuehl rounded out the podium in third.

Ryan, one of the few athletes on the FIS Ski World Cup circuit that competes in five disciplines (parallel, giant slalom, alpine combined, super-G, and downhill), has struggled to find his groove in the first few races, but Sunday was a good step forward for him. In Saturday's super-G, Ryan went down on his hip. He scored his first World Cup points of the 2020-21 season last weekend in Santa Caterina, Italy, in the second of two giant slalom races. 

"I feel good...I think where my skiing has been and where my racing has been, there's been a pretty big deficit between the two, and I feel like today I was able to bring those two closer together," he said after the race. He'll bring that momentum into the next races, including a speed series in Val Gardena, Italy, and a giant slalom in Alta Badia, Italy. "Today I had a good feeling on the skis, which is all I can really ask for right now—try to build the confidence from that," he continued. "Hopefully, I continue to stay in there and stay competitive. Obviously, you always want more as a ski racer, but I think today was a good step forward, and I'll take that."

The race featured some unexpected bibbos, razor-thin margins in the top 10 (.62 seconds between first and tenth), and pretty big crashes. Travis Ganong, who was fourth in Saturday's super-G opener, ended up a solid 23rd, and teammate Bryce Bennett tied for 24th. 

It's definitely a cool race, where, there was a lot of opportunities still there even after the top 20 guys, and there were guys that committed and were able to ski well," reflected Ryan. "Obviously, when you start earlier, you don't really want to see that, but, as a ski racer, I think it's good for ski racing...getting an equal opportunity and those young guys or guys who are trying to work their way up are able to get there. The whole podium deserved it today."

Rounding out the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, Jared Goldberg was 43rd, Sam Morse 45th, and 2016 World Junior downhill champ and Middlebury College athlete Erik Arvidsson 54th in his World Cup debut. 

Up next for the men is a super-G and downhill in Val Gardena, Italy—a venue that has treated the Americans well in the past, including Steven Nyman, who is known as the "King of the Saslong" and has won all three of his World Cup victories at the venue. The men, including Bryce and Travis, are stoked to be heading there next. 

RESULTS
Men’s downhill

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

Monday, Dec. 14
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Giant Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Courchevel, FRA, Streaming Peacock
7:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Giant Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Courchevel, FRA, Streaming Peacock + Broadcast Olympic Channel

Due to the inconsistency of the surface on the race slope at Courchevel, France, Sunday's FIS Ski World Cup women's giant slalom race has been postponed until Monday. 

After significant snowfall before, during, and after Saturday's first of two giant slalom races at Courchevel, France, the International Ski Federation (FIS) together with the local organizing committee, decided to push off the snow, then water the surface, and groom it—ultimately compromising the surface and rendering it unsafe for athletes due to the inconsistency. 

Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin and Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team teammates Nina O'Brien, Paula Moltzan, AJ Hurt, and Keely Cashman will take on the second of two giant slalom races at the rescheduled time on Monday, Dec. 14. The first run will take place at 10 a.m. CET, with the second run at 13:00. The revised TV broadcast schedule will be forthcoming. 

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

Sunday, Dec. 13
4:00 a.m. FIS Europa Cup Women’s Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Ahrntal, Italy, Streaming, U.S. Ski & Snowboard
4:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Downhill - LIVE, Val d'Isere, FRA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
4:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Downhill - LIVE, Val d'Isere, FRA, Streaming Peacock
7:00 a.m. FIS Europa Cup Women’s Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Ahrntal, Italy, Streaming, U.S. Ski & Snowboard

Monday, Dec. 14
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Giant Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Courchevel, FRA, Streaming Peacock
7:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Giant Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Courchevel, FRA, Streaming Peacock + Broadcast Olympic Channel

Hannah Soar and Nick Page both earned their first Moguls FIS World Cup podiums in Idre Fjäll, Sweden, Saturday, with a pair of third-place finishes. This marks moguls’ second event of their 2020-21 season and brings the team full circle to where their 2019-20 season fell apart in the wake of forced COVID-19 shutdowns. After an uncertain prep period and limited days on snow, laying it down in Sweden feels especially sweet. “It’s good to see the hard work pay off,” commented Head Coach Matt Gnoza. 

Qualifications ran Friday due to limited daylight in Scandinavia this time of year and six Americans qualified for Saturday’s finals. The PowHERHouse women of the moguls team had a strong showing with four women in the finals and two, Hannah and Jaelin Kauf, skiing in the super final round. The day was Hannah’s for the Americans and her back tuck to cork 7 super finals run landed her on the podium in third. 

“The day started with Matt telling me I needed to get my stuff together and ski fast,” Hannah reflected.  “Sometimes I struggle with pushing myself to that next step of maybe shaving a second off, maybe going a couple of feet higher on each air, you know, skiing more direct in the middle. These are the things that make a podium and pulls a run together to make it special. I knew if I wanted a podium I needed to rise up and do it.”

France’s Perrine Laffont won the event and Japan’s Anri Kawamura took second. 

Kai Owens continues to prove herself against a strong field of women and finished the day in 12th. Tess Johnson improved from last week with a ninth-place finish and will look to keep climbing the rankings as the season progresses. Jaelin Kauf made a solid super finals appearance and ended with a fifth-place finish. 

On the men’s side, Nick Page led the Americans with his first-ever World Cup podium in third place. It was also the 18-year-old’s first super finals appearance. “Today was awesome,” Nick said. “It was a whole weekend of firsts: first podium, first super finals, first time getting to ski in the top six. It was really fun being up there with all of the guys and it was just such a productive group. Everyone wanted everyone to ski their best and see where the pieces fell. I was just running through my three cues in my head: getting a flawless top air, ripping the middle, and pinning the bottom... and looks like I did it.”

“I watched Nick’s runs before my super final and it inspired me to do something special out there,” commented Hannah.

France’s Benjamin Cavet came in first and Australia’s Brodie Summers took second.

Brad Wilson had a strong showing, skiing fast and strong through the middle section to land him in fifth place. “That classic Brad Wilson speed through the middle section was absolutely unbelievable,” said Matt. 

Olivia Giaccio made an impressive return to competition almost a year to date since sustaining a 2019-20 season injury coming in 21st. “The course was super fun and I feel like I managed it well and was able to adjust and put my stuff down [during official training],” she said. “I felt ready, mentally, and physically ready, and so I made the decision to step into the gate. I had a really really fun day and I was proud of my skiing and my jumping. I skied a bit slow but other than that it was an awesome experience to be back in the gate. I definitely did not expect to be back this early but I'm really glad to get another World Cup start under my belt. I’m really looking forward to continuing my trend upwards.”

The FIS Freestyle tour continues in Idre Fjäll with Dual Moguls. The men began dueling Saturday afternoon to cut the field down to 16 to account for limited daylight for Sunday. Both Nick and Brad will ski in Sunday’s event. 

The moguls crew loves a Dual Day and the team is amped to go head-to-head with the world’s best. “What a better way to end [this] trip than some Duala action, which really always seems to get the most out of our athletes,” said Matt. “They love that head-to-head, beat-the-skier next to you approach. It should be fun.”

RESULTS
Women’s Moguls
Men’s Moguls

HOW TO WATCH
Sunday, Dec. 13
5 a.m. EST – Men’s and Women’s Dual Moguls, Idrefjäll, SWE – Live, Streaming Peacock Premium

Rosie Brennan not only surprised herself in winning her first FIS Cross Country World Cup race of her career but she led an impressive day for the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team Saturday in Davos, Switzerland.

“It’s wild,” Rosie said after winning the freestyle sprint, and leading five U.S. women into the points. “I have never considered myself a sprinter, so to find myself on the podium in a sprint is something I honestly didn’t even dream of. I was thinking about (tomorrow’s 10k freestyle), so this is just incredible.”

To say the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team had a great day in Saturday’s sprint is an understatement. Ten Americans scored World Cup Points, including Logan Hanneman, who posted a career-best World Cup result in ninth; Kevin Bolger in 13th; Simi Hamilton in 14th; JC Schoonmaker, who posted the fifth-fastest qualifying time, finishing a career-best 18th; and Gus Schumacher with a career-best sprint result in 25th. 

In addition to Rosie’s win, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton also advanced to the finals and finished fifth; Julia Kern was 11th; Jessie Diggins 13th; and Hailey Swirbul was 19th. Hannah Halvorsen finished 38th in her return to World Cup racing.

“Today was definitely a step in the right direction for me personally and an incredible day for the team as a whole,” Sophie said. “It was amazing to watch Rosie get her first World Cup win, have Hannah back racing, and have ten men and women qualify for the heats.”

After posting the fastest qualifying time, Rosie finished second in her opening quarterfinal heat. In the semi-final round Rosie, Sophie, and Julia were all seeded in the first heat, which turned out to be the fastest of the two semi-final heats as Rosie and Sophie finished third and fourth, but advanced to the finals as Lucky Losers. In the final, Rosie attacked the second lap climb and turned on her sprint to the finish for the victory, letting out a joyous scream as she crossed the line. Slovenia’s Anamarija Lampic was second, and Russia’s Natalia Nepryaeva was third.

With her victory, Rosie moved into the lead in the World Cup sprint standings, and up to third in the overall World Cup standings. Up next, the women compete in a 10k individual start freestyle, and the men compete in a 15k individual start freestyle. 

RESULTS
Women’s freestyle sprint
Men’s freestyle sprint

STANDINGS
Women’s World Cup Overall
Men’s World Cup Overall

HOW TO WATCH
Saturday, Dec. 12
11:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Men and Women's Sprint - Same Day Delayed Broadcast, Davos SUI, Broadcast Olympic Channel

Sunday, Dec. 13
4:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Women's 10k - LIVE, Davos, SUI, Streaming Peacock
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Men's 15k - LIVE, Davos, SUI, Streaming Peacock 

Monday, Dec. 14
12:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Women's 10k - Same Day Broadcast, Davos, SUI, Broadcast NBCSN

Mikaela Shiffrin battled through fresh snow and fog in Courchevel, France to finish just off the podium in fourth place in her first giant slalom FIS World Cup of the 2020-21 season.

Marta Bassino of Italy made it two for two, taking her second GS victory of the season after winning the opening giant slalom in Soelden in October. Sara Hector of Sweden was second—her first podium in six years—and podium mainstay Petra Vlhova of Slovakia finished third.

Mikaela sat in third place after first run, but hit a bump and threw her skis sideways on the pitch, which caused her to lose valuable time. But she acknowledged that the line she chose was a risk and the ever-positive skier was still happy about her showing and her future in giant slalom racing this season.

“I felt pretty good. I’m pretty excited,” she said. “My first run, I was more surviving. Some good turns—a good starting point—with a pretty big mistake in the second run. I was trying to go more aggressive, but I knew it would be bumpier with the snow and running later.”

Mikaela was also quick to shine a light on Sara Hector, who she’s long admired as a ski racer and has had a long return to snow after a major injury six years ago in Are—the same weekend Mikaela was injured. “She’s had a really difficult comeback,” said Mikaela. “She’s a fighter and she wants to be fast all the time and I’m always wondering if she would approve of how hard I’m trying because she's always the one who tries the hardest and is willing to put in the most effort into every single turn in order to make speed!”

Overall, Mikaela was excited about the progress she’s making, given her lack of training and over 300 days out of a World Cup giant slalom start gate. She had skipped the Soelden GS in October due to a back injury. “All in all, it was a pretty incredible day and not quite so stressful as Levi,” she said. “I felt like I could do some good skiing and the rest of it is just stuff I still need to pick up on—learn how to find the cleaner line and push through the bumps like the way some of these girls are doing. I know I can do it and it’s just a matter of getting to that point again.”

Nina O’Brien was another shining star for the Americans, snagging 19th place in Courchevel after finishing 15th in the first giant slalom this season. On top of that, Nina was skiing with a brace on her left hand after breaking her thumb in 15 places in a crash in training prior to the World Cup in Lech Zuers, Austria. Her skiing is one to keep an eye on this season as she continues to climb the ranks and score more World Cup points.

Paula Moltzan, Keely Cashman, and AJ Hurt also started for the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team but did not qualify for a second run.

The women get another chance at giant slalom on Sunday in Courchevel with the American women hungry for results.

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

Sunday, Dec. 13
3:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Giant Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Courchevel, FRA, Streaming Peacock
4:00 a.m. FIS Europa Cup Women’s Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Ahrntal, Italy, Streaming, U.S. Ski & Snowboard
4:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Downhill - LIVE, Val d'Isere, FRA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
4:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Downhill - LIVE, Val d'Isere, FRA, Streaming Peacock
6:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Giant Slalom - LIVE, Courchevel, FRA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
6:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Giant Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Courchevel, FRA, Streaming Peacock
7:00 a.m. FIS Europa Cup Women’s Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Ahrntal, Italy, Streaming, U.S. Ski & Snowboard
10:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Giant Slalom - Same Day Delayed Broadcast, Courchevel, FRA, Broadcast NBCSN

Travis Ganong showed that he’s still someone to fear on the FIS World Cup circuit this season, crushing the Val d’Isere super-G and matching his career-best in the discipline to take fourth place, just .22 seconds off the podium. 

Snow fell heavily throughout the race with Mario Caviezel from Switzerland taking his first World Cup win. Adrian Smiseth Sejersted of Norway was second and Austrian Christian Walder third—both of them also nailing their first World Cup podiums.

This was Travis’ 10th top-five result in his career, who is 32 years old and has been a mainstay on the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team for 15 years. But he’s not letting his veteran status get in the way of speed—he packed in seven top-10s in the shortened 2020 season and with another top-five in his first race back on the World Cup circuit, he showed that he’s still someone to keep an eye on this season. Saturday's fourth-place finish matches his career-best in the discipline of super-G. His previous best in super-G was fourth in November of 2015. 

“I’m really happy,” said Travis. “We haven’t raced in so long—we’ve been training a ton and I just kinda forgot what racing is all about. It’s so much more fun to race than train. Being in the start gate and knowing that you have one shot to put it all out on the line and take some risk and see what happens—it’s awesome.”

Travis, who hails from California’s Lake Tahoe, factored in the heavy snowfall to his result. “It feels like I’m back home in California where it snows a lot,” he said. “It’s a very similar vibe and snow. There was no warmup slope so I just skied some powder on the way to the start and it seemed like it was good for me.”

Rounding out the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, Bryce Bennett was the next U.S. man to finish and took 33rd. Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who went down on his hip on the upper section of the course, was 47th and Jared Goldberg 49th. Sam DuPratt did not finish.  

The men race downhill in Val d’Isere on Sunday to wrap up the men's first speed weekend of the year.

RESULTS
Men’s super-G

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

Sunday, Dec. 13
3:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Giant Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Courchevel, FRA, Streaming Peacock
4:00 a.m. FIS Europa Cup Women’s Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Ahrntal, Italy, Streaming, U.S. Ski & Snowboard
4:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Downhill - LIVE, Val d'Isere, FRA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
4:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Downhill - LIVE, Val d'Isere, FRA, Streaming Peacock
6:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Giant Slalom - LIVE, Courchevel, FRA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
6:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Giant Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Courchevel, FRA, Streaming Peacock
7:00 a.m. FIS Europa Cup Women’s Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Ahrntal, Italy, Streaming, U.S. Ski & Snowboard
10:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Giant Slalom - Same Day Delayed Broadcast, Courchevel, FRA, Broadcast NBCSN

Back-to-back FIS Freeski Halfpipe World Champion and U.S. Freeski Team member Aaron Blunck recently caught up with Team USA's David Seigerman to discuss his renewed perspective on life after a bone-crushing crash during training camp this past October in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. 

 

 

 

 

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Aaron discussed his new appreciation of the little wins in life and relived his thought process following the devasting impact. Aaron also shared his experience at the 2020 Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Calif., where he was seemingly unstoppable according to the judges and his fellow athletes.

"There was no one watching on this tentative October morning, no gallery of awestruck fans lining the halfpipe, no television analysts rendered agog by some cutting-edge aerial display. There were no flips, no twists, no corkscrews, none of the graceful acrobatics associated with Aaron Blunck, two-time defending world champion freestyle skier. For an athlete-artist whose canvas is mid-air, this one move on this solitary morning was decidedly pedestrian. But for Blunck, it was glorious." 

Read Full Story at TeamUSA.org

Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete, 2018 Olympian, and 2017 World Juniors Downhill Champion Alice Merryweather announced on Wednesday that she has been struggling with an eating disorder and will be taking a break from FIS Ski World Cup competition. 

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Alice formally announced she will take the time she needs to focus on health and happiness while pursuing intensive treatment. "Over the past few months, I have been struggling with an eating disorder," she stated. "It has beaten me down, broken my heart, drained me, and quite nearly destroyed my passion for the sport I love so dearly. Luckily, I am surrounded by some of the best people in the world who helped me come to terms with my disorder and encouraged me to seek help."

Alice, who has been focusing on the speed disciplines of super-G and downhill, as well as alpine combined, in recent years on the World Cup, attended prep period camps in September with the Team, and she said during the camp at Saas-Fee, Switzerland she had felt like she had "lost all of my life for the sport of ski racing." While training at Official Training Site in Copper Mountain, Colo., Alice made the decision to go to treatment, hence her absence at the U.S. Alpine Championships at Copper Mountain. 

While the the rest of her team traveled to Europe for the World Cup kickoff in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Alice remained stateside and in treatment. She said, "I’m not sure how long this journey will take, but I’m putting my health and happiness first and taking things one step at a time. I’m optimistic that by putting in the work in treatment right now, I’ll be back stronger than ever when the time comes."

By sharing her story, Alice hopes to help dispel the stigma associated with mental health and eating disorders. "I want to encourage anyone who is struggling with their mental health or an eating disorder to reach out, and remind you that you’re not alone," she wrote. 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Alice Merryweather (@aliweather_)

Notes of encouragement came through from teammates and friends on social media and beyond, including two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin, who has very publicly dealt with her own struggles this year following the tragic passing of her father, Jeff. Mikaela shared, "Pain shows up in many different forms, and it's not always clear how to tend to the wounds or easy to make the decision *to* tend to them. Just remember that you are not alone, and showing vulnerability is not weakness, it is strength."

Alice, thank you for your courage, honesty, and transparency. We know your story will encourage others to be open and seek help if they are feeling the same way. Sending all of our love.