Rosie Brennan hit the gas on the second of two 5k laps to finish eighth and lead the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team in the second race Saturday at the Ruka Triple three-day FIS Cross Country World Cup in Ruka, Finland.

“I tried to start comfortably and work my way into the race today,” Rosie said after moving up to 11th overall following Saturday’s 10k classic. “This strategy worked quite well and I was able to pick things up a bit the second time around. I felt like I was skiing strong, but still, I feel like I have one more gear to find racing.”

Norway’s Therese Johaug took the victory, followed by Sweden’s Frida Karlsson in second and Ebba Andersson in third. Jessie Diggins finished 22nd and moved up to 21st in the overall standings. Hailey Swirbul was 40th, followed by Caitlin Patterson in 50th, Katharine Ogden 56th, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton in 58th, and Julia Kern in 62nd.

In the men’s 15k classic, Junior World Champion Gus Schumacher posted a career-best World Cup result, finishing 39th while mixing it up among some of the best skiers in the world. He also posted the third-fastest U23 time. Scott Patterson proved his form is starting to return, finishing 53rd. Simi Hamilton was 55th, followed by Kevin Bolger in 62nd, Logan Hanneman in 66th, and JC Schoonmaker in 75th.

"I felt alright and paced it pretty well, which was my main focus," Gus said. "Definitely not in my best race shape, but it’s going in the right direction. It was fun to have a little bit of time skiing with a few of the top guys out there."

Norway’s Johannes Klaebo took the victory, followed by Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov in second, and Emil Iversen or Norway in third. With the victory, Klaebo moved into the overall lead heading onto Sunday’s final stage, a 15k freestyle pursuit.

Heading into Sunday’s 10k freestyle pursuit, Rosie sits just outside the top-10 overall and she will be looking for that next gear to move up on the overall standings. “The times were tight (Saturday), so tomorrow should be a good battle for the overall,” she said. “I'm looking forward to putting my skating to the test!”

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

Ruka Mini-Tour Standings (Through two of three stages)
Women
Men

The Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team kicked off the 2020-21 FIS Cross Country World Cup season, qualifying three athletes to the finals of Friday’s classic sprint in the first race of the three-day Ruka Mini-Tour, with Rosie Brennan leading the way in 17th.

"It felt pretty surreal to be racing today," Rosie said. "I honestly didn't know when I would again after the season was called short last year. Knowing that, I want to be ready to take advantage of every opportunity I get to race this year, I tried hard to be ready to go when the time came."

Hailey Swirbul posted a career-best World Cup classic sprint result, finishing 18th, followed by Jessie Diggins in 24th. “I was really excited to make the heats today and focus on simply skiing my best,” Hailey said. “It was my first heat where I felt like I was truly in the mix and fighting to the end, though I definitely need to work on my double-pole finish!”

Rosie was the top qualifier in 13th, with Hailey qualifying 16th, and Jessie Diggins in 17th. However, they each finished fourth in their respective quarterfinal heats and did not advance to the semifinals. "I had fantastic skis and felt strong," Rosie said. "I am disappointed that I wasn't able to maneuver around people better in my heat, but have to be satisfied with the feelings and hope I can continue to work on sprint tactics. I am really looking forward to some distance races (Saturday and Sunday) now."

“Super impressed by my teammates for giving a good fight and checking the first race off the list,” Hailey added. “Now we remember what it feels like and can look ahead to tomorrow.”

Overall, it was a solid start to the season with all three scoring World Cup points. For Hailey, she improved on her previous career-best 25th place result from last season in Falun, Sweden. But, she is the first to admit that it takes more than fast skiing to move up the ranks. “I give a lot of credit to our techs today,” Hailey said. “They made some amazing skis with great kick up that last climb, which is exactly what I needed.”

Linn Svahn took her fourth career individual World Cup victory and led a Swedish podium sweep with teammates Maja Dahlqvist in second, and Jonna Sundling in third. Sophie Caldwell Hamilton finished 33rd in qualifying, just 0.23 seconds outside the top 30. Julia Kern was 40th, followed by Katharine Ogden in 66th, and Caitlin Patterson 71st.

JC Schoonmaker led the U.S. men in qualifying, finishing 35th, and just missed the top 30 by 1.31 seconds. “I felt like I gave it a good effort out there but I was a little too frantic and needed to just calm down and ski more relaxed,” JC said. “It feels good to get that first race of the season out of the way and hopefully get rid of some of the nerves for the rest of the weekend.”

Gus Schumacher was 43rd, followed by Logan Hanneman in 46th, Simi Hamilton in 50th, Kevin Bolger 58th, and Scott Patterson 78th.

“It was a solid start (to the season),” Gus said. “Everything went pretty well, no big mistakes. I think I just need to race some more and sharpen my engine. Taking away that, I’m in a good spot to improve through the winter if I focus on the little things that I can tune.”

In the men’s final, Norway took four of the top five spots and swept the podium with Erik Valnes taking his first individual World Cup victory. Teammates Johannes Klaebo and Emil Iversen were second and third respectively.

The Ruka Mini-Tour continues Saturday with a 10k classic individual start for the women, and a 15k classic individual start for the men. Sunday, the men race a 15k freestyle pursuit, and the women a 10k freestyle pursuit, with start times based upon the overall standings.

RESULTS
Women’s classic sprint
Men’s classic sprint

Ruka Mini-Tour Standings
Women
Men

Under the lights at Lech Zuers in Austria, 2017 NCAA Slalom Champion (University of Vermont-Catamounts) and current Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Paula Moltzan grabbed her first career World Cup podium, with a second-place in the first and only FIS Ski World Cup parallel event of the season. Slovakia's Petra Vlhova won, while Swiss Lara Gut rounded out the podium in third. 

Coming into the parallel event, Paula didn't have expectations. Having traveled from Levi, Finland, where she was 23rd in the second of two World Cup slalom races on Sunday, she was just hoping for a top-30 and some points. She walked away with her first podium, and what a sweet Thanksgiving gift it was. 

Paula came out of the morning's qualifier round ranked fifth, and an unexpected favorite heading into the final round on Thursday evening. With the new parallel format, the top 30 from the qualifying round receive World Cup points, but only the top 16 advance to the final head-to-head elimination round.

The conditions were amazing at Lech Zeurs. "It was really good, the snow conditions were unbelievable," said Paula. "The snow held up for every round, so that was a really nice thing to experience as well as the lights were awesome. Obviously, we were missing the crowd, but I had a great group of teammates cheering me on in the finish."

What does Paula want to do first to celebrate her first podium on Thanksgiving? Call her mom, of course. "I'm kind of overwhelmed, but I'm really lucky and really excited to have a great team to share it with, so I'm excited to see all of them and get the hugs...and I can't wait to talk to my mom," she said with a big smile.

You could say Paula's path to the World Cup podium was unconventional. She grew up skiing at Buck Hill, Minnesota under the legendary Erich Sailer. She spoke about her humble beginnings after the race, "I started skiing because my parents were ski instructors at this tiny little hill in Minnesota [Buck Hill]," she continued, "and in the winter instead of going to daycare while they taught skiing, I'd just go join the lessons with them. I was the youngest of three, so I was just trying to keep up with my two siblings."

She was on the U.S. Ski Team, but when she didn't make criteria in 2017, she opted to go to University of Vermont to ski for the Cats and continue her career. There, she not only was crowned NCAA Slalom Champion in 2017, but also found the joy of skiing again. Straddling both NCAA and the World Cup during the 2018-19 season, Paula found success once again at the World Cup level and achieved criteria for the U.S. Ski Team again in 2019-20. After a tough 2019-20 season, she worked tirelessly in the offseason, often doing two-a-day workouts...and all of that hard work has more than paid off. 

AJ Hurt scored her first World Cup points, landing in 25th, while both Nina O'Brien and Allie Resnick—who was starting in her first World Cup—showed off some fast skiing but DNFed. They are both OK. 

After the race, clearly psyched for her teammate, AJ said, "It feels great to finally get in the points and even better to get them the same day as my other teammate's first World Cup podium. It's a great way to start the ski season for the whole team!" 

Katie Hensien and Lila Lapanja also started for the U.S., finishing 47th and 57th, respectively. 

Up next? Paula and the crew will take some time off and celebrate Nina's birthday on the 29th. From there, they'll start prepping for the World Cup in Courchevel, France. Tommy Ford, Bridger Gile, River Radamus, and George Steffey will compete for the men in Friday's parallel. 

RESULTS
Women's Parallel Semifinal
Women's Parallel Final

HOW TO WATCH
Friday, Nov. 27
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Parallel Slalom qualifying - LIVE, Lech/Zuers, AUT, Streaming Peacock
11:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Parallel Slalom finals - LIVE, Lech/Zuers, AUT, Streaming Peacock

Saturday, Nov. 28
3:00 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, Levi, FIN, Broadcast NBC

Sunday, Nov. 29
2:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, Levi, FIN, Broadcast NBC

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Aspiring podcaster and current Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Teamer Jimmy Krupka will welcome fans to "Arc City," coming soon to a podcast provider near you. The podcast will be brought to you by longtime U.S. Ski Team sponsor, Spyder Active Sports.

Jimmy says, "Here, we talk with anyone and everyone who has a love of ski racing’s ‘arc.’ From gold-medalists to career-coaches, this podcast will tell their high-acceleration stories: the successes, the failures, the gritty details, and the humor of it all."

In his first episode back in the booth, Jimmy talks with Olympian extraordinaire Julia Mancuso. They touch on everything from Julia’s early years in Tahoe to the relationship between surfing and skiing. They discuss Julia’s incredible talent for winning medals and go in-depth on the mental and emotional side of competition. Jimmy and Julia talk retirement, what Julia’s up to now, and finally get a good explanation of her and Lindsey Vonn’s complicated, but strong, friendship. Jimmy also rolls out a couple of new segments, including a Skiing History segment.

When asked if he has anything to share about his excitement for re-launching his podcast, Jimmy wants the world to know, "I guess I would just say that we’re back and live!! I love ski racing and I love talking to ski racers and I love making podcasts for people who love ski racing. It’s a win-win-win."

The podcast will officially go live for your listening pleasure on Wednesday, Nov. 25 at midnight MST on Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Apple Podcasts. You may be wondering who Arc City's mayor is? Jimmy says, "Constantly changing. I would never proclaim myself mayor." Follow along to find out. 

Subscribe to the Arc City Podcast

More than eight months since the abrupt end of last season’s FIS Cross Country World Cup season, 13 members of the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team are more than ready to get back on snow and kick off the 2020-21 World Cup tour in Ruka, Finland. Friday’s classic sprint will mark the first event of the season, and open the three-day Ruka Mini Tour, which includes classic distance races Saturday, and a freestyle pursuit Sunday.

“I'm just feeling really lucky that we still have an opportunity to race,” said Katharine Ogden, who returns to the team this season after racing for Dartmouth College on the NCAA circuit the past two seasons. “I think that's amazing, and I know how much work has gone into it.”

Indeed, everything from social distancing, to face masks, multiple COVID-19 tests, and tips for safe international travel have all played a part in not only keeping the athletes and staff safe, but keeping events on the FIS World Cup schedule for the upcoming season. 

 

 

 

 

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“All smooth,” noted U.S. Ski & Snowboard Cross Country Program Director Chris Grover on the team’s trip to Finland. “All athletes and staff had a negative COVID test before getting on the plane, a negative test upon arrival, and here in Ruka we’re staying isolated from the public, from other teams, and even from each other.”

After enduring a 30-hour travel day to get to Finland, including multiple flights, the team is really happy to finally be on snow and put their summer training to the test against the best in the world.

“The Alaskans of course have been on snow for a few weeks, so they are likely more prepared for this weekend’s races than those coming from the East or Midwest who haven’t been on snow since last spring,” Grover added. “I anticipate that some athletes are ready to compete, while the others will be better prepared by the time we get to the World Cups in Davos, Switzerland (Dec. 12-13).”

 

 

 

 

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Gus Schumacher is one of those Alaskans who was able to jump on snow before departing last week for Finland. Gus made his World Cup debut in Quebec at the end of the 2018-19 season, and after storming through last season, including winning the first gold medal for an American male at the Junior World Championships, and anchoring the gold-medal-winning men’s Junior World Championships relay team for the second-consecutive season, he is stoked to start in what feels like the ‘regular season’ World Cup.

“I'm definitely a little nervous, mostly because of my expectations for myself (top 30, maybe better), but I'm trying to manage that by just focusing on the process,” he said. 

Like the rest of the team, Gus stayed close to home this past summer after all U.S. Ski & Snowboard Davis Cross Country Team on-snow and dryland camps were cancelled. But, sometimes something different is a good thing!

“My summer and fall training had a lot of positives; a lack of travel made it easy to follow a really strong, structured plan, and I've been able to be on great snow at home, and for that, I'm very thankful,” he said. 

“I like traveling and I love racing, but when it comes down to it, I'm kind of a homebody,” added Katharine, who trained alongside her Stratton Mountain School Elite Team teammates, which included Davis U.S. Cross Country members Julia Kern, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton, Simi Hamilton, and Jessie Diggins. “Just being in Vermont all summer and training consistently with my teammates has just been a blessing. We've done some simulated camps, and some team bonding camps, and it was a really great summer.”

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Katharine Ogden (@katharineogden)

“The absence of travel this summer has given me the gift of consistency,” added Jessie. “My training has been so dialed in...same time trials, same roads, and I get to see my coach every single day. Plus, we have a great group of athletes, Sophie, Simi, Julia, Katharine to train with.”

Jessie and her East Coast teammates did enjoy an early-season taste of winter prior to departing for Europe. “It snowed in Stratton and I got to crush some hard intervals on the snow,” Jessie said. “I was so happy...and it really made me realize I was built for this sport. That feel of the skis sliding under your feet, it is amazing!”

With the entire World Cup remaining in Europe this season - with the exception of the World Cup finals in Beijing in March - the big challenge for the team will be staying healthy throughout the five-month season. “We are in good hands with a carefully thought out, flexible plan, that will mitigate risks,” Jessie said. “We know the routine, but the key for us will be our ability to remain  flexible throughout the season.” That flexibility has already been put to the test as the second event of the season scheduled for Lillehammer, Norway, has been cancelled. So the team will enjoy a rare off-race week prior to the Davos events.

Of the 13 American’s set to start on Friday, Jessie, Simi, Sophie, Rosie Brennan, Scott Patterson and Caitlin Patterson are the most experienced with numerous World Cup seasons to their credit. Julia, Katharine, Hailey Switbul, Gus, Kevin Bolger, Logan Hanneman, and JC Schoonmaker, will all be looking up to their veteran teammates for advice and guidance as they kick off a very different World Cup season for the first time.

 

 

 

 

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One teammate who will be missed at Ruka is Sadie Maubet Bjornsen - the Queen of Ruka - who became the first American to lead the overall World Cup standings last year following a third-place finish in the classic sprint, and a fourth-place result in the 10k classic. Sadie is taking a different approach to this season and looks forward to joining her teammates in Europe later this season.

The U.S. Moguls Freestyle Ski Team is back in action after wrapping up competition at the FIS Open in IdreFjäll, Sweden, Nov. 21-22. It’s been eight months since American mogul skiers have been able to get back into a full course due to travel restrictions from COVID-19, and the team brought it full circle beginning their season in Sweden, where it abruptly ended in March earlier this year. These athletes usually clock about 30 days on a moguls course before the start of a season, but this year have only had eight, including the two days of competition.

“[Saturday] was the first day back out in the cold, standing and looking up at the hill since March and, wow,” reported Head Moguls Coach Matt Gnoza. “It felt like a minor miracle. [I woke up on Saturday] and could see the horizon and it was kind of cloudy but blue, and I thought, ‘Wow this is really going to happen.’ I reflected back on all of our COVD challenges, and it makes it more unreal. That we would have that limited amount of prep and this team would return to where all ended to get it started again - crazy absolutely crazy. Getting here was no easy task.”

Competing at the FIS Open provides a preseason opportunity to dust the cobwebs off before getting in the gates at the World Cup level. After being thwarted by Mother Nature the past couple of years, it was a relief for everyone to have the event go off, and the cherry on top in the results accomplished. 

Tess Johnson led the Americans both days, podiuming in second on Saturday and first on Sunday. Saturday’s performance marked a pivotal moment in the 20-year-old’s career as she debuted a brand-new run, including a flip on the top air with a backflip iron cross and a never-been-done bottom air - a backflip venom grab.

“It’s been kind of weird the past eight months not skiing,” said Tess after Saturday’s event. “I felt a little displaced. So to get back in the start gate was a mix of nerves and excitement and a lot of fun. All of the training and work that I put in over the summer in water ramps was the reason I performed so well today.”

“The backflip venom grab, no other woman and no other mogul skier has done that before. It’s an opportunity to bring something new and the judges really liked it. I have competed a 360 to backflip since I was 13 years old. For seven years, the majority of my career, I competed that run. Today was the first day that I didn't compete a 360, and a lot of other women made that step as well. It speaks to how women's moguls skiing is progressing. I was impressed with courage and creativity and am happy to be a part of that.”

 

 

 

 

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Tess shared the podium with France’s Perrine Laffont in first and Japan’s Yuki Kajiwara in third. Jaelin Kauf came in fourth, Sabrina Cass in sixth, Hannah Soar in ninth, Kasey Hogg in 10th and Avital Carrol in 15th. 

“I’m very thankful that with everything going on, the U.S. Ski Team was able to provide us with sufficient training to be successful for this upcoming season,” reflected Sabrina. “We spent a ton of time ramping that definitely helped me improve my jumps, which has been my main goal. Since we’ve been on-snow, I’ve been working on different drills to continue to better my skiing. I’m super excited that I was able to put down two solid top-to-bottoms today and to be back on snow and competing!”

France claimed the top two spots for the men on Saturday, with Martin Suire in first and Ben Cavet in second. Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Reikherd rounded out the podium in third. Nick Page had a strong showing in 12th, Jesse Andringa placed 15th and Landon Wendler, in his first event as a U.S. Ski Team member, came in 16th. 

Sunday’s event brought blue skies and prime conditions for the second day of competition. The women of the U.S. Moguls Team came out strong and showed us a preview of what they hope to accomplish on the World Cup level - a podium sweep. Tess Johnson earned the top spot, Jaelin Kauf came in second and Hannah Soar in third. 

"I went into today aiming to improve upon the mistakes I made yesterday with the same aggressive, performance-oriented mentality," said Tess about Sunday's event. "This weekend’s results gives me tremendous confidence going into the first World Cups in December. My skiing and training all week is where my confidence is actually coming from, and I’m stoked to continue building on what I’ve learned here!"

“I think people took Saturday as either a positive note or learning experience and some made adjustments from Day One to Day Two, which was our design to this whole approach,” said Matt.  “[Saturday wasn’t what each athlete necessarily hoped for] but it wasn't because of the skills they didn’t have, or tricks they needed to learn. They just needed to believe and perform. We had a bunch of athletes make some mental adjustments between Day One and Day Two and that made a huge difference.”

"I’m really stoked to get a result under my belt before the World Cup season starts and really great to do it with my teammates!!" said Jaelin on the sweep. "I’m happy to have another trick going, it needs more time and work on snow but it’s a start... we’ve had a very short time to prepare on snow and so this event was really just more numbers and training for my jumps. Still some time to get things where I want them before Ruka!"

"The podium was a nice start but I still have more to do before I’m back to 100%," explained Hannah. "It’s been a bit of a struggle to get back into skiing again, but it’s coming together. I’ve struggled with getting back to a good mental mindset but each day I’m getting closer! Moving forward I will use each training opportunity to be better, push myself to go bigger, and ski faster. Each day is another opportunity to improve."

The rest of the American women had another strong day with Kasey in sixth, Sabrina in seventh, Avital Carroll in 10th and Madison Hogg in 13th. 

On the men’s side Sweden’s Ludvig Fjallstorm claimed first, Japan’s Taketo Nishizwaw came in second, and Switzerland's Marco Tade came in third. Alex Lewis led the American men with a fifth place, Nick Page came in 10th and Jesse Andringa came in 13th. 

"I’m feeling happy about this result," said Alex. "It was a nice step forward from yesterday’s performance. The biggest difference was my mental attitude from Day One to Day Two. It was a more aggressive mindset and I know I have more to offer with some more difficult tricks to bring to competition."

Moguls kicks off their official season with the FIS World Cup Opener on Dec. 5. “Everything is charging forward, our plan is unfolding,” explained Matt. “The grass was green and the temperatures hadn’t dropped below freezing when we got here. Every day feels more and more like winter. We’re building into our season as the season is building, that’s our theme here. By the time December 5 comes around I expect it will be full on winter here in Scandinavia, and we will be rocking and rolling.”

“All of us are really grateful to get back in the gate and test things out before the real deal with Ruka with the World Cup Opener,” said Tess. “It was really nice for us to have the opportunity. 
 

RESULTS
Nov. 21 Women’s Moguls
Nov. 21 Men’s Moguls
Nov. 22 Women’s Moguls
Nov. 22 Men’s Moguls

To support the U.S. Moguls Ski Team, please click here for more information. 

After her triumphant return to the podium in Saturday’s slalom, Mikaela Shiffrin put together another stellar result in Sunday's slalom, skiing into fifth place in Levi, Finland.

The race was held under the lights in the dark Finnish Lapland and a light fog settled in throughout the day. Petra Vlhova continued her dominance, taking her fifth slalom victory in a row and second of the weekend. Michelle Gisin of Switzerland was second and Katharina Liensberger, who was third on Saturday, finished third again.  

Mikaela admitted she was tired after Saturday’s emotional result and jet-lagged from the overseas travel but still put together two solid runs. She sat in fourth place after the first run and while she didn’t make any major mistakes, had trouble finding the next gear to land her on the podium again. But she wasn’t disappointed with a fifth-place finish. “It’s incredible to be here,” said Mikaela. “I had two really solid races and it was an incredible weekend. I feel really grateful that I’m able to do these races and I was able to participate again.” Sometimes, the simple act of stepping into the start gate can be a victory. In that sense, she was also victorious today. 

She also took a moment to thank her mom, as she did on social media. "My entire career I wouldn’t be here without her—especially right now and this year," said Mikaela. "She’s just the strongest person that I know and the kindest and most caring and smartest. She’s my best friend and my mom and my favorite coach—and I have a lot of really great coaches!"

Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Paula Moltzan, who started the season strong with a career-best 10th place finish in Soelden, continued her points-scoring trend, taking 23rd place—even with a major mistake. Expect to keep seeing this woman in the points all season long; she’s skiing fast!

Lila Lapanja was also thrilled to put down a strong race to start the season, finishing 25th—her first slalom points since 2016. “I had a lot of fun skiing that course today," Lila said after the race. "My equipment felt great, and body felt strong, especially on the top flats. Levi did an incredible job with the slope preparation. I think these conditions were the best I’ve ever experienced in a World Cup. I feel like I came full-circle with Levi in so many ways. It’s been over four years since I scored my first World Cup points in Flachau so the result tonight is extra special for me. This step back into the Top 30 was a huge win for my team and their belief in what I am doing. This one was for them as much as for me.”

Nina O'Brien was having a solid first run before she straddled and DNFed, while Resi Stiegler did not qualify for the second run.

Next up, the women take a charter flight back to Europe for some training before the men and the women head to Lech, Austria for parallel races November 26-27.

RESULTS
Women's slalom

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After 300 days away from the World Cup circuit, Mikaela Shiffrin barely missed a beat, stepping back on the podium in second place at the FIS Ski World Cup slalom in Levi, Finland.

The weather was chilly in the Finnish Lapland, with the second run taking place under the lights to make up for the lack of sunlight 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle in December. Conditions were ideal for Mikaela, who finished just .18 seconds behind Slovakian rival Petra Vlhova. Katharina Liensberger of Austria was third. (Fun fact: The last 27 World Cup slaloms have been won by Mikaela or Petra. Frida Hansdotter was the last female to win a World Cup slalom apart from the pair…in 2017!)

Saturday’s slalom in Levi was the much-anticipated return of Mikaela, who had not had a World Cup start since her last win in Bankso, Bulgaria on January 26, 2020. Shortly after, her father died unexpectedly and she took a leave of absence from the World Cup to be with her family. By the time Mikaela decided to race again, COVID-19 was taking hold and ultimately canceled the rest of the FIS season. And while she had looked forward to racing the opening giant slalom in Soelden, she tweaked her back and sat out the weekend.

Mikaela kept expectations low of Saturday's race, warning reporters to not anticipate much of her skiing, but those caveats proved unnecessary, as Mikaela set down two aggressive runs to take her seventh podium in Levi.

As important as a result, Mikaela said she found the joy in ski racing again. “It felt like my first victory,” she said. “It’s a really special day.”

“I think a good thing was that a lot of the feeling today was similar to what I felt in the past,” Mikaela continued. “Maybe that means I didn’t lose it all—my ability to ski fast or to try to be strong and come back and be hungry and competitive. One of the big reasons I wanted to come back and race was to see if this was something I could still do. And we’re here and it was okay. I still enjoyed it. That’s good.”

While she’s looking forward to seeing what else she can do, Mikaela did acknowledge that her mindset is different after her father’s death.

“When I was nervous, I would think what’s the worst that could happen when I don’t win,” she mused. “The media or my friends and family are disappointed? Or they’re happy because they’re cheering for someone else? Those aren’t bad things. I know that now. I’d like to get back to the point where I care enough to be really fired up when I’m second by .18, but I’m pretty happy right now and pretty proud.”

Lila Lapanja, Resi Stiegler and Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes Paula Moltzan and Nina O’Brien all started first run, but finished just out of the top 30 and did not make second run.

The women get another go on the same track in Levi on Sunday with a second slalom race.

RESULTS
Women's slalom

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Sunday, Nov. 22
12:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom - Same Day Delayed Broadcast, Levi, FIN, Broadcast, NBCSN
4:15 am - FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom first run - LIVE, Levi, FIN, Streaming Peacock
7:00 a.m. - FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom - LIVE, Levi, FIN, Broadcast Olympic Channel
7:15 a.m. - FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom second run - LIVE, Levi, FIN, Streaming Peacock

Check out the full alpine streaming and broadcast schedule.

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The U.S. Freeski Team came out strong at the first FIS Freeski Slopestyle World Cup of the season in Stubai, Austria. Under a blue sky and with fresh snow blanketing the surrounding peaks, two-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper led the way for the U.S. finishing just off the podium in fourth place. 

“Competing with all the skiers again felt great, even though we were six feet apart," said Nick. "It’s hard times for a lot of people right now, but the first World Cup of the season went off gracefully. Hopefully we keep this momentum going and have a safe and successful rest of the season!” 

Consistency was the name of the game for the U.S. athletes in the season opener with Nick, Colby Stevenson, and Willie Borm all putting together two complete runs. U.S. Freeski Slopestyle Pro Team Head Coach Skogen Sprang believes the competition should serve as a great building block moving into the heart of the 2020-21 season. 

“I’m stoked on the landed runs and healthy bodies that came out of today’s competition,” said Skogen. ”They stuck with their runs through mistakes and improvised really well. I didn’t expect too much here with the lack of skiing throughout the spring, summer, and fall. All the athletes had great attitudes and we will continue to build on their performances.”

Defending, and three-time FIS Slopestyle Crystal Globe, winner Andri Ragettli from Switzerland took top honors for the men. Norway’s Christian Nummedal and Ferdinand Dahl finished in second and third respectively.

For the women, France’s Tess Ledeux topped the podium, Norway’s Johanne Killi finished second, and China’s Eileen Gu rounded out the podium in third. U.S. Freeski Team veteran Darian Stevens qualified for the finals but was unable to compete due to a fall during training the previous day.

The U.S. Freeski Team will resume the FIS Freeski World Cup season in Kreischberg, Austria, Jan. 7-8 with big air competition followed by the second slopestyle competition of the season in Font Romeu, France Jan. 14-18.

RESULTS
Men’s Freeski Slopestyle
Women’s Freeski Slopestyle 

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The 2020-21 FIS Freeski and Snowboard World Cup events scheduled for Copper Mountain, Colo. Dec. 17-19 have been cancelled given the current, dynamic situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic in Colorado. 

Copper Mountain’s priority is to provide guests the opportunity to safely enjoy skiing and riding this winter starting Nov. 30. Copper Mountain is focused on working through season readiness, risk mitigation, as well as executing an adaptable plan they can scale based on local and state health regulations. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is working closely with the International Ski Federation (FIS) and other domestic resort partners to secure replacement venues for the first stop of the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix as well as the Visa Big Air that were scheduled for Copper Mountain. 

“While it’s unfortunate that we are unable to host World Cups at Copper Mountain this season, we understand that the resort must prioritize regular ski and ride operations throughout the ever changing COVID-19 landscape,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “U.S. Ski & Snowboard would like to express gratitude to everyone at Copper Mountain for their dedication, planning, and collaboration throughout the planning process for these events. We remain hopeful and confident in our ability to work with our resort partners for the remaining domestic World Cups planned for this season.”

Decisions for all other domestic FIS World Cup events, including the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare Freestyle International at Deer Valley Resort, Utah, planned for Feb. 4-6 and the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Calif., planned for Feb. 3-6, will be made independently and based on an assessment of each unique set of circumstances that include the risks and travel requirements related to every event, host county, and host state. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard recognizes that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has impacted areas of the country in different ways, and therefore specific event information will be forthcoming as each local organizing committee works through its specific protocols with local and state health officials. All events are contingent on local and state health department approvals based on existing and future COVID-19 rules and regulations. FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, local organizing committees, and host venues are taking a unified approach consistent with guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities.

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About U.S. Ski & Snowboard

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2020, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org.