While the women are kicking off a big weekend at the HomeLight Killington Cup on home turf, let's not forget about the men up in Lake Louise, Canada. Even though it's frigid up in our neighbor to the north, it's heating up for the downhillers, as Ryan Cochran-Siegle finished fourth in Thursday's downhill training run and Travis Ganong finished second in Friday's second and final training run. 

The Swiss commonly referred to as "Iceman" - Carlo Janka - clocked the fastest time in both downhill training runs with Austrian Matthias Meyer setting the pace for whole slew of Austrians including Vincent Kriechmayr and Max Franz. Don't be fooled, though, as Italian stallion Dominik Paris and Swiss Beat Feuz are not to be counted out, despite not being in the top five in either downhill training run. After all, tomorrow's the real - and the real show is where it matters most! All of that said, training runs are for figuring out the equipment set-up and dialing in the fast line, and the Americans were in the mix and sending it. 

Ryan had the fourth-fastest training run on Thursday, while Travis was second in Friday's training run. With two training runs under their belts, they've become familiar with the terrain and the snow. "The jumps kick, but they're not actually built up that big, really, so it's kind of interesting to play with," commented Ryan." A lot of the terrain is pretty minor. Skiing-wise, it seems like it flows a little easier, which will make the race quite a bit more challenging to be fast, because it'll add up with little mistakes here and there. Today I wanted to run an aggressive line...you learn a lot by sticking to tighter lines and seeing where you can build time, where it's going to push you off. I just have to execute when it comes to race day."

"It's really cold and grippy and not that fast," said Travis, who echoed Ryan's sentiments about the mellow terrain on this year's track. "A lot of the terrain is really mellowed out, so you can really attack the course. It's pretty mellow, pretty easy, and for me the first training run I had some pretty bad feelings - the snow is so different from Colorado - but then I adjusted my set-up a bit, and today's run was really good, so I'm feeling pretty confident going into tomorrow's race. Trying not to have any real expectations, just have fun."

"Track's great, the snow is super easy," reflected veteran Steven Nyman. "It's cold, so the snow is slow right now, but as the week progresses it will definitely get faster and faster. It's always nerve-wracking. You have training all summer, but you never really know until you get to the races where you're standing. There are definitely some errors I could clean up, but for the most part, everything was really good and I'm pleased with how I feel right now. So now it just comes down to execution and that progression to race day mode."

What does it take to win on a track like Lake Louise? "Lake Louise is a tricky race, because there aren't a lot of places you can get back up to speed," Nyman continued, "so if you can be mistake free top-to-bottom and continually gain speed, that's how you really perform and win here." 

Let's go boys! Time to bring the heat! 

MEN’S STARTERS
Bryce Bennett
Tommy Biesemeyer 
Ryan Cochran-Siegle
Sam Dupratt 
Travis Ganong 
Jared Goldberg
Sam Morse
Wiley Maple
Kyle Negomir
Steven Nyman

START LIST

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HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

ALPINE
Saturday, Nov. 30
9:40 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1, Killington, Vt. - Olympic Channel & Olympic Channel.com
12:30 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1, Killington, Vt. - NBCSN & NBCSports.com
2:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill, Lake Louise, Alberta - Olympic Channel & Olympic Channel.com
3:30 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom, Killington, Vt. - NBC*
9:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill, Lake Louise, Alberta - NBCSN*

Sunday, Dec. 1
9:40 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1, Killington, Vt. - Olympic Channel & Olympic Channel.com
12:30 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1, Killington, Vt. - NBC
2:00 p.m. - Men’s super-G, Lake Louise, Alberta - NBC

*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.

Sadie Maubet Bjornsen kicked off the 2019-20 FIS Cross Country World Cup with a third-place photo-finish in the classic sprint opener Friday in Ruka, Finland.

“It has been an interesting fall battling through some frustrating tendinitis in my feet that didn't allow me to run or ski a whole lot for three months, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect coming into this season,” Sadie said. “I knew I had strengthened my brain, but it is hard to know what to expect when you are doing less than ideal training to try to survive. I also have a  new wax technician, so I was excited to see what we could put together in our short 10 days of working together. But all the stars aligned, and I had an incredible day!”

“The first World Cup podium of the season for the team is a very special feeling," said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Head Women's Cross Country Coach Matt Whitcomb. "While a podium is something to celebrate, how she got there is what made it so enjoyable. Sadie got tangled on the corner that historically causes trouble, as the hard left at the top of a four-tracked climb causes a rush for the inside. We’ve been on the bottom of the pile-up before, and while today was more of a traffic jam, it was enough for the leaders to getaway. The fight required of Sadie, to ski her way back to the podium, is really the gift she has as a racer. She was locked in on that last climb—determined not to let that tangle define her day—and that made the difference. Sadie doesn’t quit.”

Sadie led four Davis U.S. Cross Country National Team Program athletes into the heats, qualifying second. Sophie Caldwell qualified fourth, followed by Jessie Diggins in 12th and Rosie Brennan in 29th.

“I had a great qualifier, which gave me some confidence going into the heats,” Sadie said. “I also was just having a ton of fun out there. I love this course and love that it is absolute work from the halfway point back. I think that suits my strength, so I was ready to believe in that.”

In the quarterfinals, Sadie took the win in the opening heat, as Sophie finished second in the second heat. In the fourth heat, Jessie and Rosie were fourth and fifth respectively, with Jessie just missing the Lucky Loser slot by 0.11 seconds. In the semifinal round, Sadie charged late in the race on the final climb and finished second to advance to the finals. Sophie finished sixth.

In the finals, Sadie looked comfortable in the pack. However, she got caught up near the top of the second climb and dropped back to fifth. But she clawed her way back up to fourth and down the finish stretch, she nipped Norway’s Ane Appelkvist Stenseth for the final podium spot. Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla took the victory, as Sweden’s Jonna Sundling was second.

“I'm not sure if my ski or my pole was stuck under someone...but I tried to just be patient and let them get off without breaking any equipment,” she said. “When I finally got to go, I was ready to fight with every bit! Rounding the final corner, I was still in fourth place, but confident I could find one more gear right at the end... and that is what I did. As I lunged, I knew I had given it all. In a perfect world, I would have loved to fight for the win without the tangle, but the season is very young, and there a tons more races to come!”

Overall, it was a great start to the season for the U.S. women with four athletes making it into the heats. But most importantly, the team synergy with the athletes, coaches and wax techs is kicking on all cylinders. 

“Enormous shout out to our team, and my new wax tech, Per Erik Bjornstad, for some amazing skis,” Sadie added. “I couldn't have run up that hill the way I did today without those! And also impressive to see my teammates fighting today as well. There is a fun season ahead!”

“I am very satisfied with the race today,” noted Rosie, who added that due to some illness and challenging weather conditions this fall in Alaska, she was unable to get any sprint time trials or simulations this year, so she really had no expectations for today's race. “I was particularly happy with how I was skiing and felt my fitness was good. My speed was not quite there, but I believe that will come in time...I was really happy with the process and skis that our staff put together today. I'm looking forward to getting a few more races under my belt this weekend.”

On the men’s side, Kevin Bolger was the top-placed U.S. Cross Country Team athlete in 32nd. Up next, the women compete in a classic 10k, and the men in a classic 15k Saturday, in Ruka.

RESULTS
Women’s classic sprint
Men’s classic sprint

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

CROSS COUNTRY

Saturday, Nov. 30
3:35 a.m. - Women’s 10k, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:20 a.m. - Men’s 15k, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
11:00 a.m. - Women’s 10k, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel*
10:00 p.m. - Women’s 10k, Ruka, FIN - NBCSN*

Sunday, Dec. 1
4:00 a.m. - Women’s 10k pursuit, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:15 a.m. - Men’s 15k pursuit, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:30 a.m. - Women’s 10k pursuit, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel*

*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.

All eyes will be on the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team this weekend as they kick off the 2019-20 FIS Alpine World Cup season in earnest at the HomeLight Killington Cup for the women and the Lake Louise Alpine World Cup in Alberta for the men.

Not one to focus on the records, Mikaela Shiffrin won’t be thinking about the fact that she’s on the cusp of tying Austrian alpine skier Annemarie Moser-Pröll on the all-time victory list. Fresh off her historical 41st World Cup slalom victory in Levi, Finland, Mikaela currently sits at 61 World Cup victories, in fifth behind Moser-Pröll (62), Marcel Hirscher (67), Lindsey Vonn (82) and Ingemar Stenmark (86). She leads the U.S. Team in both Saturday’s giant slalom and Sunday’s slalom in front of an estimated 40,000 fans at the fourth annual Killington Cup.

“I’m always thankful that we have a slalom race before Killington, because I know that’s where people are more excited to see me skiing,” Shiffrin said after her win in Levi, Finland. “Sometimes, that can add pressure. Having the race [in Finland] and to know that my good skiing is fast, that doesn’t take pressure off, but I’m on track.”

Mikaela will also be skiing with her nana on her mind. Her grandmother, Pauline, passed away just a few days before Soelden. Three years ago at Killington's World Cup debut, her grandmother had the chance to see Mikaela compete live - and win on home soil - for the first time. It was a special moment for Mikaela, her mother Eileen, and their family.

The women are excited to ski in front of what is their favorite crowd on Tour - and we’re not just talking about the American women. Athletes from across nations have commented on how impressed they are with the Killington crowd, and how at-home they feel when they ski into the finish area. The Killington crowd is a World Cup favorite, and the fast and fearless women will be sure to put on a show for them. 

Speaking of the show, everyone is wondering if New Zealand phenom Alice Robinson will be skiing in Saturday’s giant slalom, after a crash prior to her Soelden victory resulted in a bone bruise that sidelined her for a short period of time. In an announcement on Instagram earlier this week, she shared that she was healing well and had returned to snow in Colorado before heading to Vermont. She will announce on Friday whether or not she is competing. Of course, the Mikaela vs. Petra Vlhova rivalry continues this year, with Petra having had the narrow lead in Levi after the first run, but crashing and DNFing second run. Can Mikaela four-peat at Killington? Only time will tell! 

Joining Mikaela will be be a promising squad including 2017 NCAA Slalom Champion Paula Moltzan, who finished 20th in Levi, along with Keely Cashman, and Nina O’Brien in both Saturday’s GS and Sunday’s slalom. AJ Hurt and University of Denver’s Storm Klomhaus will race Saturday’s giant slalom, while fellow DU Skiing’s Katie Hensien and Dartmouth Big Green alumna Foreste Peterson will race Sunday’s slalom. All of these women have been skiing fast and solid both in training and at the recent NorAms at Copper Mountain, Colo. and they'll look forward to score in front of the home crowd at Killington!

WOMEN'S STARTERS
Keely Cashman
Katie Hensien
AJ Hurt
Storm Klomhaus
Paula Moltzan
Nina O'Brien
Foreste Peterson
Mikaela Shiffrin

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HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

ALPINE
Saturday, Nov. 30
9:40 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1, Killington, Vt. - Olympic Channel & Olympic Channel.com
12:30 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1, Killington, Vt. - NBCSN & NBCSports.com
2:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill, Lake Louise, Alberta - Olympic Channel & Olympic Channel.com
3:30 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom, Killington, Vt. - NBC*
9:00 p.m. - Men’s downhill, Lake Louise, Alberta - NBCSN*

Sunday, Dec. 1
9:40 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1, Killington, Vt. - Olympic Channel & Olympic Channel.com
12:30 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1, Killington, Vt. - NBC
2:00 p.m. - Men’s super-G, Lake Louise, Alberta - NBC

*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.

After a summer of trail running, gym work, and training camps, the roller skis have been put away and the athletes of the Davis U.S. National Cross Country Team Program are ready to kick off the FIS Cross Country World Cup season this weekend in Ruka, Finland.

This weekend’s mini-tour opens Friday with a classic sprint, continues Saturday with a 10k classic for the women, and 15k classic for the men. On Sunday, the women will wrap up the weekend with a 10k freestyle pursuit, and the men will race a 15k freestyle pursuit.

Starting for the U.S. Team are Jessie Diggins, Sadie Maubet Borjnsen, Sophie Caldwell, Rosie Brennan, Caitlin Patterson, Julia Kern, Hailey Swirbul, Rosie Frankowski, Simi Hamilton, Erik Bjornsen, Scott Peterson, Kevin Bolger, David Norris, and Kyle Bratrud.

A few members of the team competed in a three-day Norwegian National race in Beitostølen, Norway, last week in preparation for this weekend's World Cup opener. In the 1.2k classic sprint in Norway, Sophie led the Team with a third-place finish. The next day, Jessie was fourth and Sadie was fifth a 10k classic. 

Heading into the 2019-20 World Cup season, Jessie is the only non-European skier to have won at least one World Cup event (including Tour stages and overall Tour wins) in each of the last four seasons. She can become the first U.S. athlete to win a World Cup event (including Tour stages and overall Tour wins) in five consecutive seasons. She currently shares the record of four in a row with former teammate Kikkan Randall.

Two skiers who were a bit under the weather last week, Kevin and Hailey, are back and ready to go for this weekend after participating in intensity workouts the past couple of days.  

All events this weekend will be streamed live on both Olympic Channel.com and NBC Sports Gold. NBC Sports Network and The Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, will offer same-day coverage all three days.

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Friday, Nov. 29
6:20 a.m. - Men & Women’s sprint, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 p.m. - Men & Women’s sprint, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel*

Saturday, Nov. 30
3:35 a.m. - Women’s 10k, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:20 a.m. - Men’s 15k, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
11:00 a.m. - Women’s 10k, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel*
10:00 p.m. - Women’s 10k, Ruka, FIN - NBCSN*

Sunday, Dec. 1
4:00 a.m. - Women’s 10k pursuit, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:15 a.m. - Men’s 15k pursuit, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:30 a.m. - Women’s 10k pursuit, Ruka, FIN - Olympic Channel*

*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.
 

In yet another foggy, snowy day in the Arctic Circle, the Attacking Viking Henrik Kristofferson found his way back to the top of the podium under the lights to grab his second career reindeer. Frenchman Clement Noel was second, while Swiss Daniel Yule rounded out the podium in third. 

Clement was leading after the first run by 0.39 seconds, over Great Britain’s David Ryding, and for the first half of the run it looked like David could find his way onto the top of the podium for the first time until he crashed just before the finish line. Henrik had a commanding second run and bested Clement by a mere 0.09 and Daniel by 0.18. 

The lone competitor for the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team, a young up-and-comer and 2019 national slalom and alpine combined champion, Luke Winters started bib 40 and had a blazing fast first run going before he DNFd five gates before the finish. With split times that looked like this: +.06 seconds (fourth fastest), +.26 (eighth fastest) and +.57 (fifth fastest), he was cruising before leaning in over the last roller and skiing out just before the finish. 

In a split frame on the broadcast, they showed that Luke was actually ahead of eventual race winner Henrik Kristoffersen’s pace before he fell. His coach, Ryan Wilson, was commenting on Luke’s speed and progression in training earlier this week - Luke has been training with all of the top nations and holding his own. Keep an eye on this one as the season progresses. He’s looking to carry on that #SlamifestDestiny motto for the group of young rising stars that has made a commitment to recreating competitive slalom talent in America. 

Up next, the men travel to Lake Louise for the North American portion of the tour with a speed series including downhill and super-G, followed by the Xfinity Birds of Prey World Cup the following weekend. 

RESULTS
Men’s slalom

It’s not the records or the reindeer that get Mikaela Shiffrin excited about ski racing. Skiing fast and pushing herself, and her competitors to the next level, are how she measures her success. But adding her fourth reindeer to her herd, and a record 41st World Cup slalom victory is certainly something to smile about.

“I wasn’t thinking about that at all today,” Mikaela said of the overall World Cup slalom victory record. She was tied at 40 with the legendary Swede Ingemar Stenmark coming into Levi. “I was just trying to push it today.”

Mikaela finished second in the first run to Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova by a mere 0.13 seconds, who experienced a rough start to the season, finishing 14th in the season-opening giant slalom in Soelden. But in the second run, Mikaela absolutely uncorked a stellar performance, moving into the lead ahead of Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener by 1.78 seconds. Out of the start, Petra added to her lead, but about 15 gates into her run, she caught an edge, high-sided and was tossed off the course. She DNFd, but she is skied away and is OK.

“I was thinking of the second run as it was a different race,” Mikaela said. “It doesn’t really help if I say ‘I have to make up 14 hundredths, or I have to do this or that.’ I just had to go for it! Ski fast and ski well, and that’s what I was thinking about in the second run. Not thinking about Petra...or Wendy, and just go for it and see what happens." Between her performance today and her second place at Soelden, this is the best start Mikaela has had to the year since the 2016 season. 

“I feel a little bit lucky with this win because Petra skied out, but I also feel good with my skiing, so I’m happy today,” Mikaela said, adding that Petra “is skiing really well. I was super impressed with her strength physically, but mentally too. That was tough, but she’ll be back.”

Mikaela’s Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team teammate Paul Moltzan picked up her first World Cup points of the season, finishing 20th after an acrobatic first run, with a few impressive recoveries. Nina O’Brien also started for the U.S. Team, skiing a strong and solid top section on the top of the first run, but she got low and nearly skied out.  

Mikaela's previous three reindeer are named Rudolph (2013), Sven (2016) and Mr. Gru (2018). She has yet to name her fourth reindeer, but notes that it will be "sentimental" and she will announce it on her social media soon. So stay tuned!

Up next, the women travel to Vermont for next week’s HomeLight Killington Cup with giant slalom and slalom events. “The season has started in both GS and slalom, and I feel good with both events, so now we’re rolling and it’s a nice place to be,” Mikaela said. “I’m on track…and I know what I have to do. So this is like a dry run for the rest of the season and Killington, and now I can just go back (to Killington) and enjoy that.”

On the men’s side, 2019 national slalom and alpine combined champion and up-and-comer Luke Winters will be representing the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team tech squad in slalom Sunday in Levi. 

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Preliminary schedule, subject to change

Sunday, Nov. 24
4:00 a.m. - Men’s Slalom, run 1 – Levi, FIN - NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - Men’s Slalom – Levi, FIN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA
7:00 a.m. - Men’s Slalom, run 2 – Levi, FIN - NBC Sports Gold

*Same-day delay
**Next-day delay

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.

Our sport was saddened to hear of the passing of snowboarding pioneer Jake Burton Carpenter. 

Jake was a man of vision who created the culture and nurtured the passion of snowboarding through his engagement and support of athletes. His persistence and a great sense of brand helped make U.S. Ski & Snowboard a much better organization. Burton was a longtime U.S. Ski & Snowboard partner. Jake has been widely recognized for his innovation, including induction into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and as a recipient of U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Doc DesRoches Award for his company’s contribution to the industry. 

As snowboarding came into the Olympics in the 1990s, Jake and SIA pushed U.S. Ski & Snowboard to better understand the sport’s unique culture and independent identity. As a result, U.S. Ski & Snowboard created the U.S. Grand Prix tour, which still exists today, as a showcase of the sport and an open Olympic qualifying process. 

In the early days, U.S. Ski & Snowboard partnered with a Japanese company as the principal sport sponsor. But in 2003, Jake joined with U.S. Ski & Snowboard on what was a fruitful 15-year relationship with his namesake brand. 

Jake helped us all better understand the unique nature of snowboarding leading to U.S. Ski & Snowboard's more independent approach to team structure and the creation of pro and rookie teams. It manifested into a unique and notable approach to Olympic unforming which was embraced by athletes. Over the years, Jake continued to push to make U.S. Ski & Snowboard a better organization, with the athletes being the prime beneficiaries. He joined the U.S. Ski & Snowboard board of trustees in 2000 and remained on the board until his passing.

Information on a life celebration is pending. Jake’s family has asked that in lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Chill Foundation.
 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes will find comfort in the cold with warm feet thanks to a new partnership with UYN-  Unleash Your Nature. The national governing body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the United States announced a multi-year partnership with UYN today in the category of “high-performance socks” that will extend through 2023.  

“We are excited to welcome UYN - Unleash Your Nature into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Chief Revenue Officer Michael O’Conor. “Any skier or rider, from the novice up to our elite athletes, can appreciate the importance of high performing footwear. UYN’s commitment to quality and functional products means we can provide our national team members with happy feet - one less thing they have to think about as they work to push the boundaries of their sport.” 

To Unleash Your Nature means more than winning. Just as U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes grind it out each day in the gym or on the snow, “to UYN” is to test your limits, not only achieving your goals but going beyond them to find new motivation every day. UYN products offer maximum performance with outstanding comfort, the best materials, and the most refined functions. With UYN socks athletes will experience warm, highly functional comfort and will benefit from elements that improve grip, ventilation, and protection from heel to toe.  

“We are proud to partner with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team and support the performances of its members with our highly technical socks” said UYN Brand Manager Giuseppe Bovo. “UYN will put its long experience in the functional footwear field at the service of U.S. athletes. At the same time, the feedback we will get from the greatest ski and snowboard champions will serve as a vital point of reference as we develop new products”.

As we were heading to visit her reindeer from 2013, aptly named “Rudolph,” two-time Olympic champion, five-time World Champion and reigning overall, super-G, giant slalom, and slalom World Cup champion Mikaela Shiffrin says, “For the first time in what seems like years, Levi feels like a winter wonderland. There’s SO much snow.” At that very moment, Laplanders zoomed by on a cross-country trail to our right - making it seem like a normal mode of transport here in Levi, Finland (actually, it kind of is). Mikaela’s focus remained on what was in front of her, though: a baby reindeer who has not yet been named, and accompanying slalom victory number 41. 

First of all, let’s talk about Lapland, Finland’s northernmost region. Santa Claus literally lives here (not kidding - his house is skiing distance from the top of the gondola, left one minute), the elves' hideaway - Tonttula - is about a 10-minute drive away, when it’s clear the Northern Lights come out to play, and people commute via ski or reindeer and sled. It's a sparsely populated, yet magical area bordering Sweden, Norway, Russia, and the Baltic Sea. It’s known for its vast subarctic wilderness, ski resorts and natural phenomena including the midnight sun and the Northern Lights. It’s also the homeland of the indigenous Sami people.

When Mikaela kicks out of the start gate on Saturday, she will kick off her bid towards a seventh slalom World Cup title, and when she does, she’ll be on the cusp of making history. Yes, you read that right - AGAIN! Mikaela is currently tied with the legendary Swede Ingemar Stenmark, for the all-time slalom win record (40). If you know Mikaela, you know she’s never been one to be motivated by records, or one to focus on the numbers. Even though Santa will be present, Mikaela will likely not be asking for win number 41. She wants to earn win number 41 - fair and square. 

To say the odds look good, would be an understatement, as the last 20 women’s World Cup slalom races were either won by Mikaela (16) or Slovakia’s Petra Vlhová. Mikaela has recorded a top-two finish in 19 of the last 20 women's World Cup slalom races, including in each of the last 11, with the only exception a DNF in Lenzerheide, Switzerland on Jan. 28, 2018. Yes, the odds look supreme. With her Levi victories in 2013 (Rudolph), Sven (2016), and Mr. Gru (2018), Mikaela can become the first alpine skier to win four World Cup races in the winter wonderland. She now shares the record of three with Maria Höfl-Riesch and Marcel Hirscher. 

Mikaela will not only have to fend off her rival Slovakian Petra, but the Swiss Wendy Holdener as well. The two have a notorious podium relationship - one that Wendy is determined to turn the tides on, though. Wendy has collected 22 World Cup podium finishes in slalom, but has yet to claim her first victory. This stands as the current record for most World Cup podiums in a single event without winning, four more than the previous record by Hubert Strolz (18) in the men's giant slalom. In the final slalom of the 2019 season in Soldeu, Andorra, the victory slipped through Wendy’s fingers when, after having had the lead after the first run, she finished second to Mikaela by a mere .07 seconds. For Switzerland, their World Cup-winning drought of 154 races in the women's slalom is their longest in any event. "Sendy Wendy" wants to change that. 

Meanwhile, back in Levi near the team's hotel, Mikaela visited with her reindeer Rudolph - the other two were back at the farm - and met this year’s male baby reindeer. When asked in 2016 by CNN why she named the first reindeer “Rudolph,” she replied, “because then everybody knows, no matter how old or young you are, that Rudolph the Reindeer exists.” Back in 2013 when she first met Rudolph, she said “I think we will be getting along. I hope that when he gets older and trained I can go for a ride on a sled with him.” There have been no sled rides yet, but the new baby reindeer was immediately drawn to Mikaela. Coincidence? We think not. Okay, it could have been the food...but he did seem to like Mikaela. Perhaps a good omen for Saturday?

For the region of Lapland, far, far in northern Finland, reindeer play an important role in everyday life, and herding them is the oldest livelihood in Lapland. “Reindeer are used for transportation, for meat markets, and also for clothes,” noted Ounaskievari Reindeer Farm reindeer herder Johanna Hietanen. She provides the prize animal for the World Cup each year, and houses them following the event. 

Finland’s host broadcaster took note, asking Mikaela if she had thought about the name of her potential fourth reindeer. “No,” she laughed. “I have some work to do on Saturday before I can think of that - in the past, I have decided at the moment while I’m on the podium. It’ll probably be something from Disney. We’ll see, and I guess you’ll all have to tune in to find out!” 

On the women's side, Mikaela will lead a strong contingency of three Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes, including 2017 NCAA slalom champion Paula Moltzan (University of Vermont) and seven-time national champion Nina O’Brien. Meanwhile, the rest of their squad is busy competing in a NorAm series, at Copper Mountain, Colo., where teammate Keely Cashman had a strong start to the season grabbing two slalom podiums. Paula and Nina have been training up in Lapland for over a week, and while they may feel the need for Vitamin D, they’re also feeling the need for speed.

They’ve were able to train on the race hill three times, which will be an advantage for both, as Paula has not skied on the track since 2014, and Nina has only skied on the track once in her career (2018). Both have been skiing strong in slalom during prep period camps, while Paula is coming off the high of winning a time trial in Copper Mountain, Colo. and grabbing her giant slalom start spot for Killington and Nina started the season off strong, scoring points and a career-best 21st place in Sölden in giant slalom.  

On the men’s side, 2019 national slalom and alpine combined champion and up-and-comer Luke Winters - whom the ladies have deemed "#WintersIsComing" - will be representing the American men’s slalom team, while his teammates will start off the season with a focus on NorAm competition. That means Luke will be holding down the #SlamifestDestiny fort. His coach, Ryan Wilson, said Luke’s pace in prep period training - including at the recent Copper Mountain, Colo. camp on the new Copper Mountain Tech Center surface - has been solid and he’s in a good position to move up the ranks this season. 

Stay tuned to our Instagram account, because you won’t want to miss it, with all of the winter wonderland excitement around the World Cup slalom opener at Levi and an appearance by the one and only Santa Claus. 

STARTERS
Paula Moltzan
Nina O’Brien
Mikaela Shiffrin
Luke Winters

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Official event hashtag: #worldcuplevi 

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
Preliminary schedule, subject to change

Saturday, Nov. 23
4:00 a.m. - Women’s Slalom, run 1 - Levi, FIN - NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - Women’s Slalom – Levi, FIN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA
7:00 a.m. - Women’s Slalom, run 2 – Levi, FIN - NBC Sports Gold
6:00 p.m. - Women’s Slalom – Levi, FIN*, NBCSN

Sunday, Nov. 24
4:00 a.m. - Men’s Slalom, run 1 – Levi, FIN - NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - Men’s Slalom – Levi, FIN, Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA
7:00 a.m. - Men’s Slalom, run 2 – Levi, FIN - NBC Sports Gold

*Same-day delay
**Next-day delay

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.

KILLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America and part of POWDR, is pleased to have received a positive snow control announcement from FIS (Internal Ski Federation), the governing body of the FIS Ski World Cup.

According to FIS: “This is to inform you that the Women’s' FIS Ski World Cup races in Killington (USA) are confirmed following the official snow control from today 21st November 2019. As scheduled, the races will take place on 30th November and 1 December 2019.”

With this announcement, Killington Resort can assure international race teams and ski racing fans traveling to central Vermont for Thanksgiving Weekend that both the Giant Slalom and Slalom races will take place as scheduled on November 30 and December 1.  A limited number of tickets for premium viewing areas are still available for purchase at Killington.com.

“The news of FIS approval on race course snow preparation has the entire resort excited to host the World Cup and once again bring elite ski racing to the East. This approval highlights the power of Killington’s snowmaking system and illustrates the dedication the resort has to snow sports and racing,” commented Herwig Demschar, SVP international business development at POWDR and World Cup local organizing committee chairman. “Now in its fourth year at Killington Resort, you can expect this world-class event to be bigger and better with an outstanding musical line-up and opportunities to meet and greet the athletes. The resort, POWDR, and town of Killington are thrilled to welcome international ski teams from more than 20 countries to Killington.”

Killington Resort opened to season pass and express card holders for skiing and snowboarding on November 3 followed by a public opening on November 4. With snowmaking in the final stages on Superstar trail, the World Cup race venue, Killington snowmakers will continue snowmaking on Skyelark to add a training run for World Cup racers. The snowmaking team also continues to aggressively expand terrain for the skiers and riders in the Snowdon, Canyon, Ramshead and Snowshed areas while resurfacing current top-to-bottom skiing and riding

A full schedule of events at Killington Resort during World Cup Weekend including race start times, entertainment, free concerts by Grace Potter, Recycled Percussion, Twiddle and DJ Logic, plus information on many free parking and shuttle bus options is available at www.killington.com/worldcup. Killington strongly suggests to not bring bags to the venue; priority for security screening will be given to those without bags. Stay connected to the HomeLight Killington Cup on social media with #beast365.

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About Killington Resort
Killington Resort is a four season destination sitting on 3,000 acres in the heart of Central Vermont’s Green Mountains. The Beast of the East boasts 92 miles of diverse snow sports terrain spread across six peaks including Pico Mountain, served by the most expansive lift network and snowmaking system in Eastern North America. After the snow melts, Killington features an 18-hole championship golf course, the family-friendly Snowshed Adventure Center, 30 miles of mountain biking trails with expansion underway with Gravity Logic, plus 15 miles of hiking trails. The seemingly infinite après, dining, and lodging options have made Killington a world-class destination for East Coast skiers and riders for over 55 years. Killington is part of the POWDR portfolio. Visit www.killington.com for more information and be social with #beast365.

Contact:              
Courtney DiFiore, Killington Resort: 802-422-6115 or cdifiore@killington.com     
Kevin Flight, Elevate Communications: 781-439-7140 or kflight@elevatecom.com

Release courtesy of Killington Resort