After missing more than a month of competition due to the tragic passing of her father, Olympic and World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin made the decision on March 5th to return to Europe for the final FIS Ski World Cup races of the season.

On the morning of March 11th, she announced she would be stepping into the start gate in Åre, Sweden—in what would be the final three races of the 2019-20 season. Later that day, FIS announced that the Åre, Sweden race series had been cancelled, therefore ending the season. At that point, Mikaela was still in the running for the overall, giant slalom, and slalom globes...though it would have been a challenge to win all three, it was possible. But, it wasn't about globes. Or winning. For Mikaela, just getting on a plane and heading over to Europe was a victory after all she had been through. 

Originally, the New York Times had planned to travel to Åre to cover Mikaela's quest for her fourth-straight overall title, but when reporter Karen Crouse boarded her flight to head to Europe, she had different goals. Her plan would be to cover Mikaela's potential return to the start gate, and the recent coronavirus outbreak. As it turns out, the coronavirus outbreak would lead to the abrupt end to the season, but Karen felt strongly about her message: that Mikaela had already won, without even stepping into the start gate. In her piece, entitled "For Mikaela Shiffrin, a Week Without Races Is a Resounding Success," Karen focused on what that return was like for Mikaela.  

Without stepping in the start gate, Shiffrin had accomplished what she had traveled more than 4,000 miles to do. So she accepted with equanimity the news, on Wednesday — less than 22 hours before the start of Thursday’s parallel slalom — that the competition had been canceled in the cascading fallout from the deadly spread of the coronavirus.

As Mikaela said in the article, 

If nothing else, I’m grateful that we came this far, even with the races canceled. So I got to get out there for that training session with full intentions of preparing for a race and skied with that intensity. I accomplished that, and that was all I had set out to do. It was maybe in the long term even better that I didn’t step into the start gate and have to deal with the mental challenges of knowing that the overall title was still in the cards, because the competitor in me probably would have come out and said, ‘I care about the results,’ even though that was never my focus.

One of the hardest steps in mourning is the "first one that takes you out of the house and out to face the world again. So whatever Shiffrin lost by not being able to race three times this week, she recognized that she gained infinitely more," wrote Karen. 

Mikaela's 2019-20 Season In Numbers
Though many—including Mikaela herself—believed this season to be disappointing compared to last year, it was what most athletes would consider a dream season. Nothing can live up to the historic 2018-19 season Mikaela had, with 17 World Cup victories, three World Championship medals, and record-smashing performances week in and week out. Vreni Schneider's 14 victories in a season was a record that stood for 30 years. Mikaela's 17 victories in a season will be hard for anyone to break...ever. Again, not impossible. But it will be extremely difficult. 

This season, Mikaela won six World cup races across four disciplines. She podiumed in 13 of 19 races. In Levi, she became the winningest slalom skier of all time, surpassing Ingemar Stenmark (40 victories) with 41 slalom victories. She finished the season with two more victories, bringing her career-win total to 43 slalom victories—tied for most discipline wins among women (Lindsey Vonn has 43 downhill victories, while Swede Ingemar Stenmark leads for the men with 46 giant slalom victories).  

With her massive 1.36-second margin giant slalom win in Lienz, Austria on December 28, 2019, Mikaela made history yet again as she earned 63rd World Cup victory, surpassing Austrian Annemarie Moser-Pröll into fourth on the all-time win list behind Marcel Hirscher (67), Lindsey Vonn (82) and Ingemar Stenmark (86). Across men and women, she tied Slovakia's Petra Vlhova and France's Alexis Pinturault for most World Cup victories, with six wins. 

In a near-perfect weekend in late January, with her mother and father there to witness her brilliance, Mikaela was first, fourth and first in two downhills and a super-G on a speed track she had never been down before, in Bansko, Bulgaria - amassing 250 points on the weekend. Her win tally? Career victory number 66, just one shy of Marcel Hirscher's 67 victories. Despite missing nine races due to her father's passing, Mikaela ended up second in the overall standings, second in the slalom standings (by just 20 points), third in the giant slalom standings, fifth in the downhill standings, and seventh in super-G standings. For the fourth-straight season, (again, despite missing nine races), Mikaela was the top earner in prize money on the World Cup circuit, among the men and women.

Buckle up and get excited, the 2020-21 season will be one for the ages. 

Read the full article on nytimes.com. 

Team USA is returning from 2020 World Junior/ U23 Championships with 10 sparkling medals in tow and our first-ever individual Junior World Champion to boot. Absolutely insane and impressive, no doubt!! These successful results have been a dream for the US to achieve since I was just beginning skiing. But I’m worried, honestly, that our ski nation will see these medals and set increasingly high standards, and that the little victories will get overlooked.

I began my World Junior Championships racing career in 2015 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. I got 41st or 40th or something like that in my races and I left that trip feeling STOKEDDD! But as I’m looking back, I wasn’t all that motivated by results that trip. Of course, I hoped to ski well and earn a good finishing place…But when I think about that trip, I think about putting glitter on Bryan Fish’s face before the relay; I think about the lady I came across on a jog who was literally taking a poo on the sidewalk; I think about whether or not I consumed horse meat unknowingly at the hotel buffet. Those moments and memories fueled me through the next summer of training as I longed to experience more of this new lifestyle. What I didn’t fully recognize was that having low pressure for results allowed me to enjoy the trip beyond the race trails and genuinely have fun.

The following year went differently for me. I found myself worrying about qualifying for the World Juniors trip months in advance. I had new expectations and internal pressure to continue my upward trend and improve my results upon the previous year and qualify for the trip in a higher ranked position. But I didn’t even qualify. And I was devastated—embarrassed, even. I couldn’t believe I had to stand as the second alternate in front of hundreds of people who had seen me qualify for this event the year before.

Read the Full Story at NationalNordicFoundayion.org

Olympic champions Mikaela Shiffrin and Jessie Diggins have joined forces with professional tennis player Madison Keys to give back to their local communities in the face of the coronavirus outbreak with the "Kindness Wins #KindnessInCrisis" Initiative. 

Kindness Wins, a nonprofit that rallies athletes and acts as a collaborative engine for kindness, is organizing an online auction for professional athletes to support relief needs in their community. The initiative matches athletes who want to help those most in need of relief during this challenging and uncertain time, with 100% of the proceeds of the auction going to the organization(s) of the athletes' choice. 

Following their Instagram Live last week, Mikaela asked Jessie to get involved with the auction, in which Mikaela has decided to donate the proceeds to the Colorado Covid Relief Fund and Food Bank of the Rockies. Funds raised for the Colorado Covid Relief Fund will be used to support the needs of communities impacted by COVID-19 in both response and recovery. The fund will support work in three categories: prevention, impact, and recovery efforts. Funds raised for the Food Bank of the Rockies will be used to support anyone experiencing food insecurity due to COVID-19. The fund will support families thrive by efficiently procuring and distributing food and essentials to the hungry through our programs and partner agencies. Every $1 you give helps provide four meals.

 

 

 

 

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Hey hey! I’m auctioning off some really cool autographed gear for #KindnessInCrisis (*including 2 of my @adidas x @barilla custom podium hats, a pair of my signature @oakley goggles, and the race suit I used to race in Lienz this past season!) 100% of the proceeds go to COVID-19 relief organizations. The proceeds for my items will go to 2 specific organizations— the CO Covid Relief Fund and Food Bank of the Rockies. You can help me, help those who are really in need. The link is in my bio and stories❤️ #KindnessWins! @KindnessWinsFoundation (PS there are some pretty sweet items from other athletes like @jessiediggins and @madisonkeys as well!)

A post shared by Mikaela Shiffrin ⛷💨 (@mikaelashiffrin) on Mar 23, 2020 at 10:08am PDT

Jessie will donate all proceeds of her auctioned items to The Sheridan Story. Funds raised will directly support the increase in food inventory and provide meals to hundreds of thousands of children increasingly facing food insecurity in the Twin Cities area and beyond. Every $100 makes it possible for 25 children to receive meals.

 

 

 

 

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In times of crisis...spread a little extra kindness! I’m joining @mikaelashiffrin and @madisonkeys in donating items to the #KindnessInCrisis auction. Check out the link in my bio to bid on items signed by me (including a training jacket, pullover, signed copy of #BraveEnough and signed World Cup race bib) to help people in need. 100% of the proceeds go towards COVID-19 relief organizations, and my items specifically go towards the Sheridan Story Minnesota based food program to feed kids when school lunches aren’t available. #KindnessWins! Thank you for your help ❤️ @kindnesswinsfoundation

A post shared by Jessie Diggins (@jessiediggins) on Mar 23, 2020 at 11:45am PDT

Stay tuned throughout the next 14 days, as current athletes add more auction items, and more athletes join the mix. 

Check out the auction and bid now!

There would have been no sense in letting a beautiful day go to waste. Though Tuesday’s World Cup cross-country ski races were canceled last week, Jessie Diggins showed up at Theodore Wirth Park anyway, with silver glitter on her cheeks and a smile on her face.

Were it not for the coronavirus pandemic, the Olympic gold medalist from Afton would have been facing her global rivals in a freestyle sprint. As many as 20,000 spectators were expected to line the course, clanging cowbells to welcome World Cup cross-country racing back to America after a 19-year absence. Instead, Diggins zipped around the snowy loop with a group of high school girls, to a soundtrack of clanks and bangs as workers disassembled the grandstand.

It wasn’t how she envisioned a day she had worked toward for two years. But it wasn’t a total loss, either.

Read the Full Story at StarTribune.com.

After four weeks on the road competing back-to-back World Cups the U.S. Aerial Ski Team capped off their season at Bristol Mountain, N.Y. at the 2020 U.S. Freestyle Aerials National Championships. 

Several athletes on the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team got their start at Bristol Mountain, including Jon and Chris Lillis. The Lillis family was instrumental in creating Mikey’s Jump, the newest American aerials site, in honor of their late youngest brother, Mikey. The event was a special homecoming for the Lillis brothers and a meaningful way to end the Team’s season. 

An unseasonably warm East Coast winter made it impossible to build the triple kicker. But event organizers were still able to provide elite-level competition using just the double and single kickers. Bristol will also be the site of the 2021 Aerials Championships and the mountain looks forward to another chance to showcase its venue. 

Coming off of her first podium of the World Cup season at the last aerials’ stop, Ashley Caldwell earned her fourth U.S. Nationals Championship title. “It’s really nice to come back to the States after a long season,” she said. “And this is a nice cherry on top of a medium, good season [for me]. It’s kind of tiring and exhausting to be on the road for that long, especially the places that we go. But this mountain was so excited to host this event and despite some of the odds we were facing, they hosted a good event and I'm excited to come back next year.” Ashley shared the podium with Kaila Kuhn, who came in second with her first U.S. Ski Team podium, and Megan Nick, in third. 

On the men’s side Eric Loughran took the win, his first U.S. Nationals title. “It feels really good to earn this title at the end of the season,” he said. “And it’s pretty sweet to have done it on the East Coast where I’m originally from, my mom was here and that was super special. We had some warm conditions, it was a little tricky. But the resort crushed it, and I’m super excited to come back next year.” Quinn Dehlinger claimed second, his first podium appearance of his U.S. Ski Team career, and Jon Lillis came in third. 

Athletes of the U.S. Aerials Team look forward to some much earned R&R and getting back to training. After all, there is no true off season in elite sports and as Ashley knows, “It’s game on until the Olympics.”

RESULTS
Women’s aerials
Men’s aerials

In support of efforts to minimize the transmission of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), U.S. Ski & Snowboard in conjunction with the local organizing committee at the Auburn Ski Club Training Center and Division Team Leaders, have made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of the 2020 U.S. Junior National Cross Country Ski Championships.

In keeping with updated information from the State of California Department of Health and the recent recommendations from the Governor of California that non-essential gatherings of more than 250 people should be postponed, we are prioritizing the health and safety of our athletes, coaches, staff, volunteers, and spectators involved in these events. We are devastated to announce this cancelation, however, COVID-19 is a fast-evolving situation globally and we know this decision is in the best interest of our broader sport community with regards to handling the situation we are all facing.

We are grateful to the significant amount of work invested by the Organizing Committee – a volunteer group assembled with the Auburn Ski Club Training Center – who were excited to host a full week of events to the nation’s best skiers.

Due to the recently enacted European travel restrictions, and ongoing concerns in the United States and Canada regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), U.S. Ski & Snowboard is cancelling all remaining U.S. domestic events, and working to return all U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes back to the United States. In addition, Alpine Canada, and Nordiq Canada have cancelled events to coincide with U.S. Ski & Snowboard.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is also cancelling all sanctioned and scheduled events beginning Monday, March 16. This includes all club-level events for all disciplines and any unnecessary gatherings, including banquets, awards and end of season presentations, etc. Expect further updates on future events, including U.S. Ski & Snowboard Congress.

At this time, U.S. Ski & Snowboard sanctioned events through Monday, March 16, will continue as scheduled, or as determined by local organizing committees, or local health and government officials that such events should be cancelled.

Individual participants of each event will be contacted by either the local organizing committees, clubs, or U.S. Ski & Snowboard regarding refunds of event entry fees.

The following major U.S. and Canadian events have been cancelled:

• Coop FIS Cross Country World Cup, Minneapolis, Minn.; March 17

• Moguls U.S. Freestyle National Championships, Squaw Valley, Calif.; March 19-22 

• Alpine Masters National Championships, Steamboat Springs, Colo.; March 17-20

• NASTAR National Championships, Snowmass, Colo.; March 24-28

• U.S. Alpine Tech Championships, Aspen Highlands, Colo.;  Mar. 28-31

• SuperTour Finals, at Sovereign Lake Nordic Ski Club in Vernon, B.C.; March 25-April 2

• NorAm Alpine Finals, Panorama, B.C.; March 17-24

In addition, the following events are currently taking place, and will continue as scheduled pending local health and government officials:

• U.S. Junior Moguls Nationals, Winter Park, Colo.; March 11-16

• U.S. Freestyle Aerial Championships, Bristol Mountain, NY; March 14

• U.S. Junior Cross Country Championships, Auburn, Calif.; through March 14

The health and safety of athletes and staff is the primary concern of U.S. Ski & Snowboard and we are monitoring the current outbreak COVID-19 closely. We remain in close contact with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as well as our local health authorities here in Utah for guidance and instruction.

For the latest updates, please CLICK HERE, this page will be updated as new information becomes available.

Due to ongoing and evolving concerns surrounding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Alpine Canada and U.S. Ski & Snowboard have cancelled the 2020 Alpine NorAm Finals scheduled for March 17-24 at Panorama Mountain Resort in British Columbia, Canada. The Canadian Championships, planned for March 25-28 at Panorama are also cancelled. 

In keeping with recommendations from the Government of Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and after consulting with medical advisors, we are prioritizing the health and safety of our community, fans, athletes, staff, and volunteers involved in these events.

“We would like to thank Panorama Resort and Management, the Race Organizing Committee and volunteers for all of their hard work preparing for the races,” said Vania Grandi, President and CEO of Alpine Canada. “The health and safety of our athletes, volunteers and community is of utmost importance and we applaud all those involved for making this difficult, but necessary decision.”

“We are sad to announce this cancellation, which includes our U.S. Alpine National Speed Championships (including DH, SG, and AC)” said Tiger Shaw, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “Thank you to the local organizing committees, staff and volunteers who worked to get this event off the ground. The health and safety of our athletes and staff is our primary concern and we look forward to returning to NorAm alpine competition next season.”

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About Alpine Canada
Alpine Canada is the governing body for alpine, para-alpine and ski cross racing in Canada, as well as for Canadian ski coaches, providing education, certification, insurance and compliance with the coaching code of conduct. With the support of valued corporate partners and donors, along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Coaching Association of Canada, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship and World Cup athletes to stimulate visibility, inspiration and growth in the ski community. In 2020, Alpine Canada celebrates 100 years of rich tradition in competitive skiing in Canada.

Follow Alpine Canada on social media to get the latest about our athletes and more: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, www.alpinecanada.org

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 2019, 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.

Due to ongoing and evolving concerns surrounding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the International Ski Federation (FIS), U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the Loppet Foundation have cancelled the Fastenal Parallel 45 Festival, the Coop FIS Cross Country World Cup, and all associated events scheduled for March 14-17, 2020 in Minneapolis. 

“We are devastated to announce this cancellation,” said Executive Director of the Loppet Foundation John Munger. "In keeping with updated information from the Minnesota Department of Health and after consulting with medical advisors, we are prioritizing the health and safety of our community, fans, athletes, staff and volunteers involved in these events.”

“This would have been the first time in 19 years that the World Cup has returned to the United States,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Tiger Shaw. “We thank the local organizing committee, the Loppet Foundation, FIS and all of the staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to get this event off of the ground. However, we will look forward to another opportunity to bring the FIS World Cup cross country back to the U.S.”

Due to the recently enacted European travel restrictions, and ongoing concerns in the United States regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), U.S. Ski & Snowboard is working to bring athletes and staff currently in Europe back to the United States over the course of the next several days.

Worldwide, there remain a handful of events that are currently scheduled, however, U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and staff who have not yet traveled, will remain in the U.S.

All athletes and staff traveling back to the U.S. will be screened upon arrival and abide by all CDC guidelines. U.S. Ski & Snowboard continues to educate athletes and staff on the importance of reporting symptoms. Standard medical protocols will be followed for any athlete or staff member who reports symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

The health and safety of athletes and staff is the primary concern of U.S. Ski & Snowboard and we are monitoring the current outbreak COVID-19 closely. We remain in close contact with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as well as our local health authorities here in Utah for guidance and instruction.