FIS Ski World Cup action continues at the revered Hahnenkamm in its 80th anniversary in the scenic mountain town of Kitzbühel, Austria, for the men, while the women head eastward to Bansko, Bulgaria, for a speed series. 

The men will take on the Streif: arguably the most famously challenging super-G and downhill, along with a slalom on Sunday. Austrian fans come out in droves to watch their sport gods, and those who emerge victorious on the Streif in Saturday’s downhill, specifically, become etched in history—both figuratively, and literally on the sides of the gondolas on the Hahnenkammbahn. Soon enough, the magical Kitzbühel fairies will be hard at work cleaning the streets up after the 70,000 glühwein and beer-imbibing Austrian superfans have overtaken the town. Speaking of legends of the Streif, Italy’s Dominik Paris has done won four times on this track (three times in downhill, and once in super-G), though he, unfortunately, was injured in a training session prior to the downhill training runs this week. That makes Switzerland’s Beat Feuz a clear favorite...but don’t count the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team boys out...they’ve been skiing fast and committed in downhill training runs. 

After laying down the fourth-fastest time in Thursday’s second and final downhill training, veteran Steven Nyman—whose best Hahnenkamm finish was fifth in 2015—felt positive going into the race weekend. “The snow is super positive coming into carousel turn, I kind of relaxed—but there’s no point on this course where you can just relax...on the Steilhang or in the carousel, or off the Mausefalle or any of the technical parts,” he explained. “You have to just continually drive and I got that reminder right in the beginning. I can make up a lot of time up there. I felt comfortable...wasn’t fully committed down here through the Hausberg, but I have a plan and I executed that little thing that I’m trying—don’t want to reveal too much. I feel a lot more comfortable on my skis...willing to drive, willing to commit to turns better...so I’m happy. It’s a work in progress, and with that feeling and that confidence I’ll start pushing more and be willing to charge more on race day.”

Bryce Bennett, who had a career-best venue result of 14th in last year’s downhill, is feeling like the experience he’s gained with age is allowing him to fully commit to it. “It was fun,” he said, “Everyone is skiing pretty well. The five guys we have in the top 30 now are solid...I think we’re all just skiing well and it’s clicking.” Travis Ganong echoed sentiments that teammate Bryce had said in the finish...that the course was really “fun” this year. The snow is probably the most consistent and “easiest it’s been in three years,” he added. It’s smooth all the way down. 

Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who has had the best and most consistent season of his career, laid down two solid training runs and is feeling good about the weekend. “There is a nice flow to the hill, so having fun with it is important,” he said. “You get into the start gate and it’s intimidating, and you don’t really know how it’s going to go...you think it’s just going to be kind of chaos and there’s a little bit of chaos, but I think also within yourself and a controlled ability. So, trusting that going into the races, is important. I feel like the track is a little more on the fun side and a little less on the fear side. It is a challenging downhill and there’s a lot going on, so you have to respect the mountain and respect the challenges that it throws at you.”

Jared Goldberg has been struggling with a bit of the flu, but after some good rest and Netflix time, he was able to bounce back and ski the second-fastest training run on day one, just four hundredths behind Attacking Viking Kjetil Jansrud. 

On “Slalom Sunday” all eyes will be on the young Luke Winters...because, well, #WintersIsComing after all. Luke has scored consistently and has had flashes of brilliance all season. The guys have had some great training in Folgaria - Alpe Cimbra at our European training base in the Trentino region of Italy, and they’ll be ready to take on both Kitzbühel and Schladming. 

The women return to Bansko, Bulgaria, for two downhills and super-G, including a rescheduled downhill from Val d’Isere, France. Bansko’s track is a bit more technical, which will play to the favor of skiers like current World Cup overall and slalom leader Mikaela Shiffrin, who was the third-fastest in Thursday’s first and only downhill training run, and Italy’s Federica Brignone, who was the second-fastest. Though Thursday was the first time Mikaela put on downhill skis since Lake Louise, she felt positive coming out of the downhill training run. “I like this track a lot. It’s definitely one of the more technical tracks on the speed circuit, which plays into my favor a little bit more because I obviously do a lot more technical skiing than speed skiing. So I was really excited coming here, and was looking forward to this first training run and getting on the track.”

Mikaela knows what she needs to do in order to find the speed podium, and she and teammates—including Alice McKennis, Breezy Johnson and Jackie Wiles, will get three chances to show what they’ve got. “I had some trouble in a couple of spots, like dragging my turn long enough and making long enough turns, but it's super fun,” she commented. “The surface is a little rattly and bumpy in some spots, but just rock solid and it’s such a good surface to push on the ski and really lay the ski over, so it was really fun to ski today. It’s also a new-ish track, some of the girls have been here before, but there haven’t been many races here, so everybody is sort of learning it, and in that sense, we’re all in the same boat learning a new track. I had so much fun today, and I feel like there are some spots I can clean up a little bit and, for sure, will be better just knowing how it feels to ski down and how it feels to be back on my downhill skis, and how the speeds feel in the course, too, so all in all - it’s awesome.” 

Mikaela will head into the weekend with a 249-point lead in the overall standings over Slovakian rival Petra Vlhova, and a 260-point lead over Federica, who sits in third in the standings. 

Check out how and who to watch below. 

MEN’S STARTERS
Bryce Bennett
Ryan Cochran-Siegle
Sam Dupratt
Travis Ganong
Jared Goldberg
AJ Ginnis
Sam Morse
Kyle Negomir
Steven Nyman
Ben Ritchie
Luke Winters

WOMEN’S STARTERS
Alice McKennis
Alice Merryweather
Mikaela Shiffrin
Jackie Wiles
Alix Wilkinson
Isabella Wright

RESULTS
Women’s Downhill Training Run
Men’s Downhill Training Run 1
Men’s Downhill Training Run 2

START LISTS
Women’s Downhill
Men’s Super-G

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Friday, Jan. 24
3:30 a.m. - Women’s downhill, Bansko, BUL - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
5:30 a.m. - Men’s super-G, Kitzbühel, AUT - NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, Jan. 25
3:30 a.m. - Women’s downhill, Bansko, BUL - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
5:30 a.m. - Men’s downhill, Kitzbühel, AUT - NBC Sports Gold
9:00 a.m. - Women’s downhill, Bansko, BUL - NBCSN*

Sunday, Jan. 26
3:15 a.m. - Women’s super-G, Bansko, BUL - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
3:30 a.m. - Women’s super-G, Bansko, BUL - Olympic Channel*
4:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 1, Kitzbühel, AUT - NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 2, Kitzbühel, AUT - NBC Sports Gold
12:30 p.m. - Women’s super-G, Bansko, BUL - NBCSN*

Monday, Jan. 27
1:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill & super-G, Kitzbühel, AUT - NBCSN**
3:00 p.m. - Men’s slalom, Kitzbühel, AUT - NBCSN**

*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app. 

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow. 

Why isn’t Kitzbühel available live on NBCSN or Olympic Channel?
The reason Kitzbühel is available via Gold Pass rather than NBCSN or Olympic Channel is that World Cup events held in Austria are not part of the TV agreement that NBC Sports has with FIS. They are controlled and sold by a different rights holder and were purchased by NBC Sports Gold for exclusive use within “Snow Pass.” If you have any further questions, please reach out to NBC Sports Gold's help desk at support@nbcsports.com. 

Why doesn’t “Snow Pass” have commentary?
In order to provide 900+ hours of content at an affordable price, we rely on the world feed (a video feed provided by the rights holder), which often does not include English commentary. Commentary is available on all television coverage provided by NBC, NBCSN and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, and live streaming via authentication at NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

The FIS Cross Country World Cup season continues this weekend in Oberstdorf, Germany - site of the 2021 FIS World Nordic Championships - with 13 U.S. athletes participating in skiathlon Saturday, and a classic sprint Sunday.

Starting for the Davis U.S. Cross Cross Country Ski Team is Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, Rosie Brennan and Caitlin Patterson in both the skiathlon and classic sprint. Sophie Caldwell, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, Simi Hamilton and Noel Keeffe - making his World Cup debut - will also start in Sunday’s classic sprint. Sophie won her first World Cup race, a classic sprint in Oberstdorf in 2016, which was a stage of the Tour de Ski.

In addition to the Davis U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team athletes, a number of U.S. athletes who have qualified for World Cup starts will participate this weekend, including SuperTour leader’s Ian Torchia (distance leader) and Alayna Sonnesyn (women’s overall leader).

“I’m trying to go into this weekend with no expectations,” said Ian, who made his World Cup debut last weekend in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. “But the goal is always a top 30. But overall I’d like to have better races than I did in Nove Mesto last weekend where I didn’t have the “bop!” My college roommates call it that because when I’m feeling good I “bop” around. I’m feeling good, and I’m excited to race this weekend.”

Ian will be competing in Saturday’s 30k skiathlon, which combines 15k of classic technique, followed by a quick transition to skate skis for the second 15k leg. He’ll be joined by David Norris, who has posted two top-30 World Cup results this season, including a 27th-place result in the 15k freestyle in Nove Mesto last weekend.

Alayna, who scored three podium results at the L.L.Bean U.S. Cross Country Championship earlier this month, will start both the Skiathlon and the classic sprint. Four-time Olympian and three-time World Cup sprint podium finisher Andy Newell will be participating in his first World Cup of the season in Sunday’s classic sprint. Joining him will be 2018 Olympion Tyler Kornfield, who will also be starting his first World Cup of the season Sunday.

U.S. Starters for Oberstdorf, Germany
Skiathlon
Jessie Diggins
Rosie Brennan
Julia Kern
Caitlin Patterson
Alayna Sonnesyn
David Norris
Ian Torchia

Classic sprint
Jessie Diggins
Sophie Caldwell
Sadie Maubet Bjornsen
Rosie Brennan
Julia Kern
Caitlin Patterson
Alayna Sonnesyn
Simi Hamilton
Andy Newell
Noel Keeffe
Tyler Kornfield

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Saturday, Jan. 25
4:00 a.m. - Women’s skiathlon, Oberstdorf, GER  - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
6:00 a.m. - Men’s skiathlon, Oberstdorf, GER  - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
11:00 a.m. - Women’s skiathlon, Oberstdorf, GER  - Olympic Channel*

Sunday, Jan. 26
5:30 a.m. - Men and women’s classic sprint, Oberstdorf, GER - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

*Same-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.

U.S. Freeski Pro Team member Kiernan Fagan earned his second medal of the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 with a silver medal in big air. 

"It definitely was an awesome day," said Kiernan. "I'm really stoked to back up my slopestyle gold with another medal in big air! I was super hyped to throw down one of my biggest tricks (triple cork 1440 mute). The energy was really high today and it was amazing to see everyone send it."

Kiernan landed two very technical tricks including a switch double cork 1440 blunt and triple cork 1440 mute. Teammate Hunter Henderson, who joined Kiernan on the podium in slopestyle, just missed the podium, finishing fourth overall. Matej Svancer of the Czech Republic won the event and Orest Kovalenko of Ukraine earned the bronze.

For the women, American Jenna Riccomini, who was selected as Team USA’s flag bearer for the Closing Ceremony, finished in a respectable fifth place ahead of teammate Riley Jacobs in eighth. Chinese freeskier Eileen Gu Ailing edged ahead of Kirst Muir of Great Britain for the gold and Sweden’s Jennie-Lee Burmansson finished in third place.

In snowboard big air, Americans earned three top-ten finishes. U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team members Dusty Henricksen and Ty Schnorrbusch landed in fourth and fifth place respectively. In addition, American Will Healy finished in sixth-place. 

For the men, Japanese riders Kimata Ryoma and teammate Kawakami Aoto won gold and silver respectively. The bronze went to Canada’s Liam Brearley, his third medal of the Games. For the women, Japanese rider Hinari Asanuma won the event, Annika Morgan of Germany earned the silver medal, and Melissa Peperkamp of the Netherlands completed the podium with the bronze. 

Combined, U.S. Freeski and Snowboard Team athletes earned a total of six medals in slopestyle, halfpipe, and big air competition at the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020. See a complete list of podium results below. 

RESULTS
Men’s freeski big air
Women’s freeski big air
Men’s snowboard big air
Women’s snowboard big air

FREESKI & SNOWBOARD MEDALS
Kiernan Fagan: Men’s freeski slopestyle - Gold | Men’s freeski big air - Silver
Hunter Henderson - Men’s freeski slopestyle - Bronze
Hanna Faulhaber - Women’s freeski halfpipe - Bronze
Hunter Carey - Men’s freeski halfpipe - Silver
Dusty Henricksen - Men’s snowboard slopestyle - Gold
 

Fourteen American riders are headed to Big White, Canada, for the third of five FIS Snowboardcross World Cups of the season. The U.S. Snowboardcross Team is still searching for their first podium of the season, but athletes and coaches have high hopes coming out of a very successful training camp in the Canadian Rockies at Sunshine Village in Banff, Alberta.

Our training camp at Sunshine was amazing,” said Snowboardcross Head Coach Peter Foley. “Dave Riley, the COO, has been a long-time, consistent supporter of the U.S. Snowboard Team and he put together a World Cup level course for us to train on. We partnered with the Canadian Team and invited some of the other best teams in the world to come train with us, including the Austrians and the Swiss. We were able to put together practice races and train at a great intensity in preparation for the World Cup at Big White.”

Lindsey Jacobellis, U.S. Snowboardross veteran and the most decorated athlete in snowboardcross history, shared Peter’s thoughts on Sunshine Village Camp. 

“Sunshine camp was a blast,” said Lindsey. “The course was world-class and so were all of the employees that supported the camp. I’m excited to go back next year. We are in good shape and prepared going into the Big White World Cup.”

Joining Lindsey in Big White are U.S. Snowboardcross Pro Team riders Faye Gulini and Rosie Mancari as well as development group riders Stacy Gaskill and Livia Molodyh. For the men, U.S. Snowboardcross Pro Team riders Nick Baumgartner, Alex Deibold, Hagen Kearney, Senna Lieth, Jake Vedder and 2019 double FIS World Champion Mick Dierdorff. In addition, Americans Jonathan Cheever, Cole Johnson, and Paul Kimisky are set to compete. 

Although U.S. riders have yet to find the podium this season, they have been riding very well. Hagen, Jake, and Nick are all ranked in the top-20 of the FIS Cup Standings and Faye and Lindsey are both in the top-10. 

CUP STANDINGS
Men’s snowboardcross
Women’s snowboardcross

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST

SNOWBOARD
Saturday, Jan. 25
3:00 p.m. - FIS Snowboardcross World Cup - Big White, British Columbia, Canada - Olympic Channel-TV and NBC Sports Gold.

Sunday, Jan. 26
2:30 pm. - FIS Snowboardcross World Cup - Big White, British Columbia, Canada - Olympic Channel-TV and NBC Sports Gold.

All streams will be available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Gold and OlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports and Olympic Channel app are available on the Apple App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.
 

A deep roster of U.S. Freeski and Snowboard athletes have started to arrive in Aspen, Colo. for the American edition of the 2020 Winter X Games Jan. 23-26 at Buttermilk Mountain. 

With four returning medalists from 2019, the U.S. Freeski Team moves into the season’s apex event with high expectations. Defending slopestyle gold medalist Alex Hall will lead the way coming off what has already been a very successful season. Alex has not only won the last three big air events he’s entered, including 2019 X Games Norway in Oslo, but he’s also secured the FIS Freeski Big Air Crystal Globe. For the women, last year’s slopestyle bronze medalist Maggie Voisin is making her competition debut back from a long injury recovery process. 

“X Games is the pinnacle of action sports and it’s always an honor to be apart of,” said Maggie. “When I decided in April to get my left ACL repaired, I had one goal in mind and it was to make it back in time to compete for X Games. My doctor reassured me that there was no reason why I couldn’t be back this year to compete and I let that be one of my core motivations in rehab. It’s crazy to think that nine months have already gone by since I was in the operating room and I’m extremely grateful to be back in Aspen competing for the first time this season. I’ve only been skiing park for about two months now, but with that being said, I’ve been skiing well. I’ve got a new fire inside me and I’m looking forward to my comeback!”

Joining Maggie and Alex from the U.S. Freeski Slopestyle and Big Air Team are teammates Colby Stevenson, two-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper, and American Quinn Wolfermann. 

In halfpipe, returning 2019 gold medalist Alex Ferreira will see if he can defend his title in front of his hometown crowd. Joining Alex is last year’s silver medalist and double Olympic gold medalist David Wise, Lyman Currier, Hunter Hess, Jaxin Hoerter, Birk Irving, Taylor Seaton, Brita Sigourney, and two-time defending FIS World Champion Aaron Blunck. Also competing from the U.S. Freeski Team is Torin Yater-Wallace, back from a devastating injury at last year’s Dew Tour. However, you won’t find Torin in the pipe or on the slope course, but rather participating in the first-ever freeski knuckle huck event. Snowboard knuckle huck’s debut in 2019 quickly became a crowd favorite, so expect Torin and the freeskiers to carry on with this new display of style and creativity. 

On the snowboard side, U.S. Snowboard Pro Team member and double Olympic slopestyle gold medalist Jamie Anderson will lead the way for the U.S. With 16 X Games medals (5 gold, 7 silver, 2 bronze in Slopestyle, and 2 bronze in Big Air), she owns the most snowboard medals (16) of any woman in X Games history and sits at number three for most medals among all snowboarders, behind Shaun White (18) and Mark McMorris (17). 

Joining Jamie from the U.S. Snowboard Slopestyle and Big Air Team is returning 2019 slopestyle silver medalist Hailey Langland, Julia Marino, Lyon Farrell, Red Gerard, Chris Corning, Judd Henkes, Luke Winkelmann, Kyle Mack, and American and U.S. Snowboard Alumnus Brandon Davis. 

“To be here at X Games is such an honor,” said Kyle. “It’s such a fun time of the year and to be able to see everyone in such a cool environment is always great. Not to mention, coming to the biggest contest of the season is always something special.”

In halfpipe, U.S. Snowboard Team members Chase Blackwell, Chase Josey, Toby Miller, Jake Pates, Ryan Wachendorfer, Lucas Foster, Jake Canter, Taylor Gold, as well as Americans Danny Davis, Ben Ferguson, and Josh Bowman are set to compete for the men. Taylor is coming hot off a third-place finish at the 2020 Laax Open where he landed the first-ever Double Michaelchuck 1080 in snowboard halfpipe competition. 

Olympic bronze medalist and Taylor’s sister, Arielle Gold, will be dropping into the pipe with teammate Maddie Mastro. The pristine pipe at Aspen’s Buttermilk Mountain will likely be an important element to Maddie attempting to put down her signature double crippler which won her the 2019 Burton U.S. Open. Although she has not yet landed it in competition this season, expect her to be looking to put this groundbreaking trick to her feet at X Games. 

"I'm really excited to be back under the lights competing at X Games," said Maddie. "I can't wait to see what I'm able to do out there."

You will not want to miss what is considered the premier freeski and snowboard event of the winter at the 2020 Winter X Games Aspen. Tune into ESPN, ABC, and ESPN2 for more than 15 hours of live coverage. 

For more details on the athletes, schedule and more visit www.xgames.com.

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
@XGames - Streaming via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages.
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

FREESKI
Thursday, Jan. 23
1:00 p.m. - Men’s Ski Big Air Elimination - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
9:30 p.m. - Ski Knuckle Huck - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
10:00 p.m. - Ski Knuckle Huck - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

Friday, Jan. 24
2:00 p.m. - Men’s Ski Slopestyle Elimination - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
7:00 p.m. - Women’s Ski Big Air Finals- Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
7:00 p.m. - Men’s Ski SuperPipe Elimination - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
10:35 p.m. - Men’s Ski Big Air Finals- Aspen, Colo. - ESPN
10:35 p.m. - Women’s Ski Big Air Finals - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

Saturday, Jan. 25
1:00 p.m. - Men’s Ski Slopestyle Finals - Aspen, Colo. - ABC
8:30 p.m. - Women’s Ski SuperPipe Finals - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
10:00 p.m. - Women’s Ski SuperPipe Finals - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

Sunday, Jan. 26
2:00 p.m. - Women’s Ski Slopestyle Finals - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN2
8:30 p.m. - Men’s Ski Superpipe Finals - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

SNOWBOARD
Wednesday, Jan. 22
9:00 p.m. - Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe Elimination - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames

Thursday, Jan. 23
1:00 p.m. - Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Elimination - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
10:00 p.m. - Men’s Snowboard SuperPipe Finals - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN
10:00 p.m. - Women’s Snowboard Big Air Finals - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

Friday, Jan. 24
2:00 p.m. - Men’s Snowboard Big Air Elimination - Aspen, Colo. - @XGames
10:35 p.m. - Snowboard SuperPipe Session - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

Saturday, Jan. 25
1:00 p.m. - Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Finals - Aspen, Colo. - ABC
1:00 p.m. - Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Finals - Aspen, Colo. - ABC
10:00 p.m. - Men’s Snowboard Big Air Finals - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN
10:00 p.m. - Women’s Snowboard SuperPipe Finals - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN

Sunday, Jan. 26
2:00 p.m. - Snowboard Rail Jam - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN2
8:30 p.m. - Snowboard Knuckle Huck - Aspen, Colo. - ESPN
 

Coming off a strong finish at the FIS World cup in Laax, Switzerland, U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team member Dusty Henricksen proved he’s on a roll and took home the gold in snowboard slopestyle at Leysin Park & Pipe during the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020. Dusty took a commanding lead with a score of 96.33, 11 points ahead of Canada’s Liam Brearley, who earned silver. Switzerland’s Nick Puenter rounded out the podium with the bronze.

“I’m at a loss for words,” said Dusty. “It’s been such a crazy experience since I arrived in Lausanne and I’m super stoked to be representing Team USA. I’m super grateful to have this once in a lifetime experience competing out here and hyped to walk away with the gold. I honestly couldn’t ask for more.”

Teammate Jack Coyne had a solid top-ten finish landing in eighth place.

In women’s slopestyle Ty Schnorrbush led Team USA into sixth place followed by teammate Courtney Rummel in seventh. Belgium’s Evy Poppe took the gold followed by Netherland’s Melissa Peperkemp with silver and Switzerland’s Bianca Gisler earned the bronze.

U.S. Snowboard Rookie Team member Tessa Maud finished just shy of the podium during Monday’s halfpipe competition. She earned fourth place behind Switzerland’s Bernice Wicki in third, Manon Kaji in second and Mitsuki Ono in first for Japan. For the men, Jack, who was pulling double duty in slopestyle and halfpipe, earned another top-ten result with a solid fifth-place finish. 

Snowboard competition will continue in Lausanne, Switzerland, with men's and women's big air finals on Wednesday. 

RESULTS
Men's snowboard slopestyle
Women's snowboard slopestyle
Men's snowboard halfpipe
Women's snowboard halfpipe
 

It was a successful few days for the freeskiers of Team USA at Leysin Park & Pipe during the Winter Youth Olympic Games Lausanne 2020 with U.S. Freeski Pro Team member Kiernan Fagan earning slopestyle gold and teammate Hunter Henderson snagging the bronze. Sweden’s Melvin Moren skied his way to the silver medal. Kiernan had a strong run right out of the gate earning first with a score of 87.33 in his first run of finals. That confidence carried over into his second run where he nailed a clean line and secured the top spot.

“To walk away with a gold medal at an event we won’t have another shot at was one of the greatest moments,” said Kiernan. “To have my mom out here and friends supporting me definitely played a part in me winning the gold. Having my teammate Hunter Henderson right behind me in third place was one of the coolest things.”

Sharing the podium was a special moment for both Kiernan and Hunter who have been skiing together and pushing each other since childhood. After a rough first run, Hunter was able to bounce back into third place with a score of 88.66 on his second run.

“Representing Team USA in an Olympic event has been a dream of mine ever since I was in grade school,” said Hunter. “Coming out to Youth Olympic Games and walking away with a medal is the best feeling in the world."

That winning momentum carried into the next day’s halfpipe competition for Team USA with U.S. Freeski Rookie Team member Hanna Faulhaber taking bronze behind China’s Fanghui Li earning silver and Eileen Gu Ailing taking the top spot with the gold.

“I tried to treat it like every other competition, but I definitely was a little nervous,” said Hanna. “I quickly realized the scope of the event and how big the Youth Olympics Games really is when I arrived. It’s a much different atmosphere than a World Cup and it’s really special to compete with athletes from all over the world who are representing their nation. I’m extremely happy with my results and hope to carry momentum into the Mammoth Grand Prix and the rest of my competition season.”

Meanwhile, on the men’s side, U.S. Freeski Rookie Team member Hunter Carey took the silver behind Canada’s Andrew Longino and ahead of New Zealand’s Luca Harrington in third.

"The last Youth Olympic Games was four years ago, and my friend from Winter Park, Birk Irving, was in it," said Hunter. "He got first place, which was insane. Everyone was hyped in Winter Park. To come back four years later and take a medal home to Winter Park is super cool. Going into finals, I was going to do a more mellow run [for the first run] just to get points on the board, but I figured points don't matter unless it's 'go big or go home'. I threw down one of my hardest runs first, landed really well, got a decent score so I was feeling confident. I went back up, did the same run - but did it better - so that went really well. I was going to try to step it up on the last run to hopefully take over the top, but it just didn't go to plan, but I'm still stoked. It honestly feels amazing. Since I was a little kid, I always wanted to be on the U.S. team. Coming here and getting second place for the U.S. is really nice."

Freeski competition will continue in Lausanne, Switzerland with men's and women's big air finals on Wednesday. 

RESULTS
Men's freeski slopestyle
Women's freeski slopestyle
Men's freeski halfpipe
Women's freeski halfpipe
 

Kendall Kramer and Will Koch led Team USA, each skiing to Youth Olympic Winter Games bronze medals in their respective classic events Tuesday in Lausanne, Switzerland. 

"Winning a medal feels absolutely amazing, particularly after getting fourth place earlier in the week," Will said. "My dad was out on the hardest part of the course cheering me on and giving me splits, so I knew for the entire race that I would need to fight for each second if I wanted to get onto the podium."

In the women’s 5k classic, Kendall skied to the biggest accomplishment of her young career, finishing 20-seconds off the gold-medal time set by Sweden’s Maerta Rosenberg (14:15), and 12 seconds back from the silver-medal time of Siri Wigger (14:28). Sydney Palmer-Leger just missed the medals by a few seconds, finishing fourth. Nina Seemann was 35th.

In the 10k classic men’s race, Koch took the bronze with a time of 27 minutes, 29 seconds. Russia’s Lliya Tregubov won the gold with a time of 26:40, and Elias Keck grabbed the silver medal with a time of 27:25. Brian Bushey was 13th, and Kai Mittelsteadt was 48th.

"I was in a podium position for nearly the entire race,"  Will said. "But then, with one kilometer left, I moved into fourth place. In the last couple of minutes, I skied harder than I have ever skied in my life and secured the bronze by three seconds."

Up next, the Youth Olympic Winter Games wrap up for cross country, ski jumping and nordic combined with a mixed team Nordic event on Wednesday.

RESULTS
Women’s 5k classic
Men’s 10k classic
 

Maddie Bowman, a seven-year member of the U.S. Freeski Team, announced her retirement from competitive halfpipe freeskiing today. The South Lake Tahoe local is one of the most decorated athletes in her sport and leaves behind a lasting legacy of triumph, perseverance, and progression. 

“I have decided to step away from halfpipe skiing for a simple reason,” said Maddie. “I have given everything I have to progress the sport and now I know the women after me will do an amazing job. I would not have been able to be so successful or give the sport so much without the support of my sponsors and U.S. Ski and Snowboard. I also wouldn't have been so prepared to make this huge decision without them. The team and the halfpipe community has raised me into a woman with a voice, with passions both inside and outside of sport, and who knows when it's time to walk away. However, I will be a skier for the rest of my life. Skiing is my passion and I will be following it this season to Chamonix, France, where I will explore the backcountry and the big mountain side of things. Thank you all so much for your support as a halfpipe skier and into my lifetime career of being a skier and educator.”

Maddie’s accolades in halfpipe skiing are countless, and a few stand-out moments will be cemented in the history books. Maddie won the first Olympic gold medal in the history of women’s halfpipe freeskiing at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games. With the world watching, she put a beautiful representation of her sport on display. In 2018, Maddie made her second and final Olympic Team and finished 11th. However, she showed her true colors as she watched her teammate and friend Brita Sigourney step onto the podium to receive the bronze medal. Although Maddie would have loved to have been on the podium herself, being the fierce competitor and friend she is, she was one of the first people to greet Brita with tears of congratulations. This was one of many moments throughout her career that Maddie’s role as a supportive teammate and leader became clear. It was always about the sport and not the individual to Maddie. 

On the FIS World Cup circuit, Maddie continued to prove she was at the top of her sport earning nine podiums, five of which were victories. At X Games, Maddie was the second skier ever to win four-straight gold medals in Aspen, Colo. She’s collected a whopping nine total X Games medals throughout her career (five gold, two silver, and two bronze). She is also a three-time (2013, 2014, and 2016) Association of Freeskiing Professionals (AFP) halfpipe champion. Maddie has always focused on pushing the sport including landing back-to-back 900’s and the switch 900 at the highest level of competition. Throughout her career, her determination and discipline have allowed her to overcome season-ending injuries and come back stronger than ever.

“Maddie has had such a huge impact on the sport and the U.S. Freeski program overall,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Freeski and Snowboard Director Jeremy Forster. “Her competitive results stand on their own. Although, Maddie has done as much away from competition as a teammate, mentor, role model, and representative of the sport to establish her legacy. We look forward to working with Maddie as she takes this next step.” 

Maddie’s status as a role model is unquestionable. She has focused on increasing women’s participation in sport, combatting climate change, pursuing a college education, and even pushing her own limits stepping into the backcountry. Due to her undeniable success, she’s also been at the center of criticism as it relates to the pace of progression in women’s freeskiing. Her reaction and grace throughout these difficult times may actually be her most impressive career accomplishment. She never responded with malice, but rather through her actions, continuing to advance the boundaries of the sport. She even created her own event called “Recess”, where she provided a fun, stress-free environment for women to ski and progress.

Moving forward, Maddie will continue to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in biology at Sierra Nevada College with the ultimate goal of becoming a high school science teacher. Maddie plans to carry on with public speaking, telling her story and sharing her experiences to inspire others. Also, Maddie looks forward to enjoying the outdoors, whether it’s mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, or venturing more into the world of backcountry skiing.  

“Maddie has been a huge influence, not only to me, but to the entire sport of women’s halfpipe skiing,” said 2018 Olympic halfpipe bronze medalist Brita Sigourney. “She led us to where we are now with her constant progression of technical tricks years ahead of the rest of the game. She was a fierce competitor and always fun to watch, even when she was beating me at every contest and dominating the scene for so many years in a row. But Maddie has always been more than just my competition. She is my ‘little sister’, my powder-skiing-sidekick, my travel buddy, and my loyal friend. I know she will go on to accomplish even bigger things.”

Maddie has come a long way since her parents started her on skis on her second birthday on a small slope behind Sierra-At-Tahoe’s lodge, the mountain she still represents today. The journey isn’t over for Maddie and we look forward to her new adventures. If the past is any representation, Maddie will move forward to thrive with the same spirit that’s brought her so much success and made her the freeskiing icon she is today. 

For all media and public speaking engagements, please contact Maddie via her agent Tom Yaps (tom@emmllc.com) with Evolution Management.
 

The men finished out the weekend in Wengen, Switzerland with a slalom on one of the trickiest tracks on the FIS Ski World Cup circuit. The Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team men had a tough day, with no Americans qualifying for a second run.

Clement Noel of France started first and never gave up the lead, taking another win on the track where he had his first World Cup victory last season. Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway finished second—his third World Cup slalom second-place result in a row—and Alexander Khoroshilov of Russia was back on the podium in third.

Starting bib 44, the light turned green in the first split for Luke Winters, showing an early lead for the young skier who has had a number of impressive moments so far this season. But he struggled over the pitch—getting low on his line before straddling and DNFing.

“I was happy with how I went out of the gate,” said Luke. “Especially with my second run at Adelboden—not really pushing like I needed to—I thought I did that today. But I didn’t change gears coming over the pitch and lost it from there down. That said, I’m happy with it. It’s my first time on the hill—there’s a lot to learn here.”

Wengen is a difficult track with all kinds of terrain changes including steep pitches, rolls, side hills, and flats, making it difficult to find a rhythm. The fact that Luke was leading at the first split on his first attempt on the hill is a promising threat of future success. “I know I’m fast. I know I can ski well and keep up with those guys,” said Luke. “I just have to find that gear. There are things I learned today—like coming over that pitch: You gotta change gears. You’re not going to win it on the pitch because it’s so steep… I tried to bring the intensity on the pitch and didn’t need to.”

Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team slalom coach Ryan Wilson agreed with Luke. “Green light again and then Luke went out, but we are happy with his fast skiing and setup,” Ryan commented. “We are in great spirits, as he was fast as heck before he went out.”

Ben Ritchie finished the first run, but had a few mistakes and did not qualify for a second. Kyle Negomir and River Radamus did not finish their first runs.

The men’s slalom team is heading to the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team's official training base in Folgaria, Italy for a few days of training before attacking the two wildest slaloms on the tour: Kitzbuehel and Schladming. And these young guys are excited to see the culture at the two storied races.

“I’m looking forward to the scene,” said Luke of Kitzbuehel. “I think it’s going to be crazier than anything I’ve done so far in my ski racing career, so that’s going to be exciting. But also the track—it’s so crazy and so many rolls. My family is coming and there’s going to be a lot of people there supporting me and watching me.”

The men’s speed team starts downhill training at Kitzbuehel on Tuesday with a super-G kicking off the races on Friday. The slalom takes place on Sunday.

RESULTS
Men’s Slalom

STANDINGS
Overall
Slalom

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HOW TO WATCH
All Times EST

Sunday, Jan. 19
5:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill, Wengen, SUI - NBC**
9:00 p.m. - Men’s slalom, Wengen, SUI - NBCSN*

*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app. 

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.