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Goldberg Closes Out Season with a Top 15

By Sierra Ryder - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
March, 22 2024
goldy
Jared Goldberg finishes the super-G season with an 11th place. (Getty Images).

On Friday, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Jared Goldberg closed out his season with his second best super-G result, an 11th place in Saalbach, Austria. 

“I feel like today was solid skiing,” said Goldberg. “I’ve been trying to bring the fun back and try to ski my best.” 

After it rained throughout the week with warm temperatures in and out, Friday was another extremely warm and sunny day for a super-G. Course workers worked tirelessly to salt and prepare the slope to make sure it was in prime condition for both the women and men. 

Goldberg ran second, a perfect bib number for the conditions. He was immediately in the green at the top splits, but toward the middle of the run, Goldberg lost a few tenths to cross the finish line in second. However, his time held on through a good majority of the field, ending in 11th—just shy of a personal best super-G result. 

“Today was difficult because it was so soft and peely that it was hard to know if you were going too straight or too round, so I was pushing it hard in most places, but then in a couple places probably not enough,” reflected Goldberg. “I keep learning and super-G finals was a big step for me.” 

The race was a nail-biter in the fight for the super-G globe between Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr and Swiss phenom Marco Odermatt, who clinched both the season overall and giant slalom Crystal Globe. The two ran back-to-back making for a dramatic finish. Odermatt squeezed ahead of Kriechmayr to claim the Globe—his second super-G Globe in a row. 

However, the podium was a bit of a surprise. Swiss skier Stefan Rogentin claimed his first ever World Cup win. Swiss teammates Loic Meillard and Arnaud Boisset took second and third place for a Swiss podium sweep. It was Boisset’s first career podium, having only 13 World Cup starts to his name. 

Ryan Cochran-Siegle also raced for the U.S. men, finishing in 20th. Cochran-Siegle had a tough bib draw for the conditions but is feeling prepped and ready to fire for the downhill on Sunday. 

The speed finale is set for Sunday. Watch the men's downhill live and on-demand through Peacock starting at 6:15 a.m. ET. Cochran-Siegle and Bryce Bennett are slated to compete for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team. 

RESULTS 
Men's super-G

CUP STANDINGS
Men's super-G

HOW TO WATCH (ET)

March 23
6:15 a.m. - women’s downhill - Peacock

March 24
6:15 a.m. - men’s downhill - Peacock 

2024 FIS Snowboard Slopestyle, Big Air, Snowboard Cross Junior World Championships Team Announced

By Sadie Texer - Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team
March, 21 2024
jwc
Rebecca Flynn competes at the Silvaplana World Cup (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Logan Swney)

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the seven snowboard athletes who will represent the United States at the 2024 FIS Slopestyle and Big Air Junior World Championships in Mottolino Livigno, Italy, March 22-30, and the 10 snowboard cross athletes for the FIS Snowboard Cross World Junior Championships in Gudauri, Georgia, April 4-7. 

With both national team members and top U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes from clubs across the country, this year’s team consists of heavy hitters who have already made appearances on the World Cup stage along with up-and-coming riders looking to prove themselves on an international level. The big air and slopestyle World Championships are at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games venue.

Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team athletes Rebecca Flynn and Brooklyn DePriest lead the way after a successful showing at the Youth Olympic Games, with Flynn taking home silver in women’s big air and DePriest finishing sixth in the men’s slopestyle competition. Notably, Flynn will compete in her first World Cup final in Silvaplana just days before she’s set to drop into the Mottolino Fun Mountain Snowpark course, making her an exciting athlete to watch as she continues to excel on the international level.

Ski & Snowboard Club Vail’s Lily Dhawornvej looks to continue her success on the World Cup stage after a second place performance at the final Rev Tour in Aspen last week. She will be joined by older brother Caleb Dhawornvej who also looks to build on his success from the NorAm Cup circuit, highlighted by a sixth place slopestyle result in Copper Mountain in January. Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team rookie coaches Eric Beauchemin and Ryan Conway will join the squad in Italy. Oliver Martin is named, but will not be attending due to injury.

The 2024 FIS Snowboard and Big Air Junior World Championships kicks off snowboard competition with slopestyle qualifications on Sunday, March 24 with finals following on Tuesday, March 26. The event shifts gears to big air competition with snowboard qualifications on Thursday, March 28 and will conclude with big air finals on Saturday, March 30.

On the snowboard cross side, the team is led by Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team members Boden Gerry and Tyler Hamel, all of whom have had success this year on the World Cup circuit. Nathan Pare recently made a statement with a top-eight performance at the Snowboard Cross World Cup in Cortina, finishing seventh overall and cementing himself as a young talent to watch. Bri Schnorrbusch and Nathan Pare are named, but will not be attending due to injury.

Qualifications kick off Friday, April 5 with finals following on Saturday, April 6. The 2024 FIS Snowboard Cross World Junior Championships will also include a snowboard cross team event on Sunday, April 7.

2024 FIS Slopestyle and Big Air Snowboard Junior World Championships Team - Snowboard
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

Women
Lily Dhawornvej (Frisco, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail;
8/14/2009)
Rebecca Flynn (Victoria, MN; Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team/G Team; 7/24/2006)
Mae Morelli (Boston, MA; Green Mountain Academy; 6/30/2007)
Gwyneth Park (Park City, UT; Team Utah Snowboarding; 7/4/2008)

Men
Oliver Martin (Wolcott, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 6/15/2008)*
Brooklyn DePriest (Rocklin, CA; Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team/Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 2/21/2006)

Caleb Dhawornvej (Frisco, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 7/14/2007)

2024 FIS Snowboard Cross World Junior Championships Team

Women
Virginia Boyd (Steamboat Springs, CO, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 2/18/2007)
Kendall Harrington (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 2/4/2004)
Sarah Keck (Winter Park, CO; Auburn Ski Club; 5/10/2004)
Hanna Percy (Truckee, CA; 
Gould Academy Competition Program; 7/17/2007)
Brianna Schnorrbusch (Monroe Township, NJ; Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team/Gould Academy Competition Program; 1/30/2006)*
Olivia Stracuzzi (
Northampton, PA; Gould Academy Competition Program; 3/27/2007)

Men
Boden Gerry (Carrabassett Valley, ME; Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team/Carrabassett Valley Academy; 3/9/2006)
Mason Hamel (Bethel, ME; Gould Academy Competition Program; 1/26/2006)
Tyler Hamel 
(Bethel, ME; Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team/Gould Academy Competition Program; 7/12/2004)
Nathan Pare (Bethel, ME; Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team/Gould Academy Competition Program; 2/1/2005)*

*declined invite due to injury

2024 FIS Slopestyle, Big Air Junior World Championships Freeski Team Announced

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
March, 21 2024
freeski

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the eight freeski athletes who will represent the United States at the 2024 FIS Slopestyle and Big Air Junior World Championships in Mottolino Livigno, Italy, March 22-30. 

With both top Stifel U.S. Freeski Team members and athletes from clubs across the country, this year’s team consists of heavy hitters who have already made appearances on the World Cup stage along with up and comers looking to prove themselves on an international level. The venue is also the location of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games slopestyle and big air. 

Stifel U.S. Freeski Team’s Kate Gray and Henry Townshend highlight a roster of notables, including Killington Mountain School’s Eleanor Andrews, who earned her first World Cup podium in her first World Cup start at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix in Mammoth Mountain earlier this season. Joining the athletes in Mottolino Livigno are Stifel U.S. Freeski Team rookie coach Leah Stroud and Wy’East Academy’s Brian McCarthy.

Stifel U.S. Freeski Team’s Walker Woodring and Ellie Derosier were also named, but will not be attending. 

The 2024 FIS Snowboard and Big Air Junior World Championships kicks off freeski competition with slopestyle qualifications on Monday, March 25 with finals to follow on Tuesday, March 26. The event shifts gears to big air competition with qualifications on Friday, March 29, and will conclude with big air finals on Saturday, March 30.

2024 FIS Slopestyle and Big Air Freeski Junior World Championships Team
(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

Women
Ella Andrews (Killington, VT; Killington Mountain School; 2/23/2007)
Ellie DeRosier (Bend, OR; Stifel U.S. Freeski Team/Park City Ski & Snowboard; 10/24/2006)*
Kate Gray (Crowley Lake, CA; Stifel U.S. Freeski Team/Mammoth Mountain Freeski Team; 06/29/2006)
Marley Leavitt (Park City, UT; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 2006)

Men
Hugh MacMenamin (Hudson, WI; Wy’East Mountain Academy; 01/23/2006)
Walker Woodring (Sun Valley, ID; Stifel U.S. Freeski Team/Park City Ski & Snowboard; 3/13/2010)*
Anders Chapman (Hood River, OR; Wy’East Mountain Academy; 10/7/2006)
Henry Townshend (Park City, UT; Stifel U.S. Freeski Team/Park City Ski & Snowboard; 2/16/2006) 

*declined invite due to conflict or injury 

Radamus, Bocock National Champions in Super-G

By Courtney Harkins
March, 21 2024
river
River Radamus takes the men's national championship title in super-G at Sun Valley.

River Radamus and Elisabeth Bocock took home the titles of national champions at the Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships presented by Stifel super-G at Idaho’s Sun Valley Resort.

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team swept both super-G podiums. Behind Bocock in the women’s race, Allison Mollin was second and Tatum Grosdidier third. This was Bocock's first national title. On the men’s side, Kyle Negomir finished second and Isaiah Nelson was third. Radamus is a three-time national champion, having won the super-G in 2021 and giant slalom in 2020.

Cooper Puckett was the top junior man of the day, with Camden Palmquist second and Jay Poulter third. The women’s junior podium was the same as the podium.

Both the men’s giant slalom goes off on Friday and women’s giant slalom Saturday.

2024 Freestyle Junior World Ski Championships Team Announced

By Ryan Odeja - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
March, 20 2024
Connor Curran stands on the podium at the 2023 FIS Aerials Junior Ski World Championships in Obertauern, Austria
Connor Curran stands on the podium at the 2023 FIS Aerials Junior World Ski Championships in Obertauern, Austria. (Wolf Amri).

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 14 athletes who will represent the United States at the 2024 FIS Freestyle Junior World Ski Championships at Chiesa in Valmalenco, Italy, April 3-6, 2024. 

This year’s team is comprised of Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team members and top U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes from clubs across the country. Like the national team, the U.S. has a strong history of excellent results at the Junior World Championships across freestyle disciplines. 

This year, moguls and aerials will take place at the same time at the same venue, unlike last year, when the events were completely separate. At the 2023 FIS Aerials Junior Ski World Championships in Obertauern, Austria, Connor Curran, Amelia Glogowski and Ian Schoenwald took second place in the mixed aerials team competition. Glogowski took third in the women’s aerials event and Catherine McEneany also made finals, finishing sixth overall. On the men’s side, Connor Curran finished third overall. 

The moguls athletes are very familiar with Chiesa in Valmalenco, as it is the most common location for Junior Worlds, including last year’s competition. In 2023, the U.S. moguls athletes put on their usual confident performances, including a sweep of the women’s dual mogul podium by Alli Macuga, Skylar Slettene and Kylie Kariotis. Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team members Alli Macuga and Asher Michel took home the gold in the mixed team dual moguls event and Michel finished third in the men’s mogul event. In 2022, the U.S. brought home five Junior World Championships gold medals across moguls and aerials, and six additional podiums. 

Many of the qualified athletes already had successful seasons across all levels. For the moguls athletes, Asher Michel and Charlie Mickel earned new personal bests this season on the World Cup circuit. Porter Huff made his World Cup debut in Deer Valley following his Youth Olympic Winter Games gold medal in team dual moguls.

On the aerials side, Connor Curran earned his first career World Cup podium, finishing second in Deer Valley. Kyra Dossa made her World Cup debut in Deer Valley, finishing in an impressive eighth place. 

The 2024 Freestyle Junior Worlds includes mixed team events for aerials and dual moguls, along with moguls, dual moguls and aerials events for both men and women. 

2024 FIS FREESTYLE JUNIOR SKI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM

(Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

MOGULS 

Women

  • Reese Chapdelaine (Snowmass Village, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 9/3/2005)
  • Zoe Dwinell (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard Club; 12/29/2004)
  • Kylie Kariotis (Novato, CA; Telluride Freestyle Team; 7/14/2004)
  • Olivia Maurais (Winter Park, CO; Winter Park Competition Center; 9/10/2005)

Men

  • Porter Huff (Longmont, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 4/2/2008)
  • Camden Lewis (Bedford, ME; Gould Academy; 9/27/2008)
  • Asher Michel (Winter Park, CO; Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team/Winter Park Competition Center; 12/09/2005)
  • Charlie Mickel (Durango, CO; Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team/Wasatch Freestyle; 7/4/2004)
AERIALS 

Women

  • Kyra Dossa (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; 1/24/2004)
  • Amelia Glogowski (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; 1/26/2005)*
  • Catherine McEneany (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; 11/14/2006)

Men

  • Connor Curran (Cincinnati, OH; Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team/Park City Ski & Snowboard; 9/23/2004)
  • Ashton Salwan (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; 6/23/2004)
  • Ian Schoenwald (Park City, UT; Park City Ski & Snowboard; 6/18/2004)

* qualified but cannot compete due to injury. 

STAFF

Deb Newson - U.S. Freestyle Development Manager
Joshua Kober - Moguls Discipline Head
Stanislav Kravchuk - Aerials Discipline Head
Sean Ennis - Moguls Development Coach
John Dowling - Moguls Development Coach
Trevor Reilly - Moguls Development Coach
Jack Boyczuk - Aerials Development Coach
Maddie Boyczuk - Aerials Development Coach

CHIESA IN VALMALENCO 2024 COMPETITION SCHEDULE

April 3 - Men’s and women’s moguls
April 4 - Men’s and women’s aerials
April 5 - Mixed aerials team
April 5 - Mixed dual moguls team
April 6 - Men’s and women’s dual moguls

Stephens Third in Sella Nevea

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
March, 19 2024
Laurie Stephens on the podium in Sella Nevea
Laurie Stephens smiles on the podium in Sella Nevea, Italy. (Lyndsay Strange / U.S. Ski & Snowboard).

On the first day of the FIS Para Alpine Ski World Cup Finals in Sella Nevea, Italy, Laurie Stephens led the way for the U.S. Para Alpine Ski Team, finishing on the podium in third. 

Warm weather and sunny conditions hovering around 40 degrees Fahrenheit threatened to cancel the second run, but course workers and volunteers were able to keep the hill in running order. The first run led to an unusually high 13 DNFs across the field, indicating the difficult course set and weather implications. 

Laurie Stephens earned her third podium of the season on the women's side, landing in third in the women’s sitting event. Allie Johnson rounded out the women’s side, finishing sixth in the women’s standing classification. 

The men encountered some trouble in run one, with Patrick Halgren, Spencer Wood and Andrew Kurka skiing out. Jesse Keefe and Ravi Drugan led the way for the men’s team, both finishing ninth in the men’s standing and sitting events, respectively. Just outside of the top 10 was Matthew Brewer, who finished 11th in the men’s sitting classification. Andrew Haraghey finished 13th in the men’s standing event. 

The team has a day off before they take on the second giant slalom in Sella Nevea on Thursday, March 21. The action begins at 4:00 am ET, followed by run two at 7:00 am ET. 

RESULTS
Women
Men 

Jacobellis Secures 60th World Cup Podium

By Sadie Texer - Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team
March, 19 2024
Lindsey

It’s an exciting day for snowboard cross fans as Lindsey Jacobellis, the most decorated female snowboard cross athlete of all time, stood back on a World Cup podium with a second place finish in Montafon, marking her 60th career World Cup podium.

After a disappointing result in the first Montafon World Cup final on Saturday, falling in the quarterfinal to take 14th overall, Jacobellis took to the start gate on Sunday with a chip on her shoulder. The Olympic gold medalist was looking for her first individual top-three of the season, having only previously reached the podium in the Les Deux Alpes mixed team event with teammate Jake Vedder, and set herself up to do just that, qualifying through to the big final in Montafon.

It was a close final heat right from the start with Jacobellis sitting in third for the first half of the course. But that all changed after the first set of rollers when Great Britain's Charlotte Bankes took a hard fall after an unfortunate collision with France’s Chloe Trespeuch. Jacobellis and Australia's Josie Baff both made impressive maneuvers to avoid the collision,  narrowly dodging Bankes’ goggles that had fallen from the crash. It was a battle for second and third up until the very end where Jacobellis showed her composure and technique to edge out Baff in the final push at the finish.

Cody Winters was the top performer for the Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team on the men’s side, racing to the small final to take sixth overall in Montafon. The Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Cross Team will finish the 2023-24 season with a World Cup double header in Mt. St. Anne starting on March 22.

Results
Women
Men

Patterson Hangs Up His Skis - Officially Announcing His Retirement from World Cup Ski Racing

By Leann Bentley - Stifel U.S. Ski Team
March, 18 2024
scott patterson
Scott Patterson racing in his final World Cup in Falun, Sweden, where he went on to get 15th place in the 20k skate mass start. (NordicFocus)

Scott Patterson, an Alaskan native, of the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team, has officially announced his retirement from World Cup ski racing, following a successful career, including two Winter Olympic Games, three World Championship teams, and 116 World Cup starts.

Patterson grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and first made the team seven years ago – in 2018 – making his World Cup debut in Nova Mesto, Czech Republic. Patterson does it all – he’s a professional ski racer, professional mechanical engineer, and one of the most dominant distance skiers the Stifel U.S. Ski Team has ever seen.

“Scott has been the linchpin of our American men’s distance team for the last two Olympic cycles,” said Chris Grover, Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team program director. “He’s been the guy we look to in a Championship 30k or 50k, and he has consistently delivered. Scott’s ability to build momentum in fitness and performance through the season and be healthy and ready to deliver results at the big races has always been impressive. Beyond the performances, Scott has been a model of quiet leadership on the team, demonstrating daily his professionalism and determined approach to training, recovery, and balancing athletics with a career. Scott is a great athlete and an incredible human being. Although he will be sorely missed on the World Cup tour, something tells me we’ll still be getting passed by him regularly on the mountain trails and the ski tracks.”

Looking back at Patterson’s career, you’d see 116 World Cup starts, two Winter Olympic Games, two World Championships, two degrees in mechanical engineering and mathematics, and a whole lot of life experience. He’s had 12 SuperTour victories, six U.S. National Championships titles, four top 10s at three different World Championships, 11 top 10s in the World Cup, and was part of the mixed relay team that brought home the first mixed relay victory in history back in 2022. Onto the Winter Olympic Games, where the stage could not be higher, he took home two top 10 results at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, marking the best U.S. men’s cross-country result in over 50 years. Though Patterson may be quiet and not boast his achievements, his presence on the team over the years and the success and pride he has brought to the Stifel U.S. Ski Team are remarkable.

Outside of the results, Patterson made an impact on this team because of the person he is. Injuries, illness - he always made it to the other side with composure and compassion. He was always the one who knew every single trail the team could run, the ski tracks outside of the venue - you wanted an adventure in a small European town? You’d ask Scott. He found balance in a lifestyle where balance is often difficult to find. 

“Scott is retiring having been one of the best American distance skiers we’ve ever had,” said Kristen Bourne, Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team D team coach. “Not only has he had success at the highest level of the sport, but he’s also been a pivotal role model for the athletes on the team. Scott is one of the most determined and diligent people I’ve ever met. He will be the guy who finishes a 50k race and almost always wishes it were longer. He loves the grind and the hard challenges that come with it. We’re going to miss having Scott on the road, but we know his success outside of skiing has already started and will continue for many years to come.”

Patterson shared his reflections in a Q&A about how he views his career, things he learned and what's next. 

Q: What are you most proud of?

Scott: Some results stand out over my career, but looking back, there are also trends that define my ski career. I’m proud of the resilience that I displayed through several tough years of injury and illness, returning stronger than I was before. I’m proud of my training progressing through the years with continued result improvement and some of the most successful peak performances of any US athlete for the championship events. Through all this, I’m also proud of the balanced lifestyle I maintained, finding success on the World Cup while also developing as an engineer, getting my professional engineering license, and enjoying adventures in Alaska.

Q: What was the biggest thing you learned about yourself after racing at the sport’s highest level?

Scott: Over my career of racing on the World Cup, there has been a lot of time to see what is important to me. It’s also been a lesson in making the most of very different situations. The summer training period and four months on the road in Europe pose very different challenges to minimizing stress or staying engaged. I’ve learned that finding little adventures in daily life, challenging myself in new ways, and having some sort of intellectual stimulation are all very important. I’ve also learned many things that I don’t need and will try to avoid, but those can stay unnamed.

Q: What is one thing that you will miss the most?

Scott: One of the great things that ski racing has provided is a directed purpose towards a singular event. In training, there are clear goals, and races to be focused on, and so much lead up to being at one’s very best at a particular time on a particular day. That doesn’t just apply to me as an athlete, but the whole support team. There are opportunities for this in other aspects of life, but skiing has provided such a clear example that I will miss.

Q: What is one piece of advice that you’d like to leave for your teammates and all athletes coming up the pipeline?

Scott: One of the key things that has defined my career is balancing other activities. Ever since college, I have been working an engineering job. This balance significantly extended the longevity of my ski racing career and made it feel that I was being productive outside of just ski racing. My advice to teammates or all athletes would be to find your own balance. It doesn’t have to be engineering, but having something else in daily life that challenges and stimulates oneself is so important. This makes the days when results are coming or training seems to be going poorly easier to bear. Sport is important, but don’t let sport and success in sport fully define who you are.

Q: What was your favorite activity on the road outside of racing?

Scott: Outside of racing, my favorite activity on the road was finding little ways to fit some adventure into or between training sessions. Many times this would just be slight exploratory runs around a new road or an occasional sledding trip, but the adventure skis stand out. I’d generally try to ski all the Nordic trails in the area or even venture beyond. A memorable adventure ski was in 2021 in Davos while we were preparing for the World Championships. A group of us ran partway up one of the alpine mountains and found an easy run to ski several thousand feet down into a different town where we had a van pickup. The combined absurdity of running.

Moltzan Earns Personal Best Sixth Place Giant Slalom Result in Saalbach

By Megan Harrod
March, 17 2024
paula
Paula Moltzan skis to sixth place in the World Cup Finals giant slalom. (Getty Images)

Paula Moltzan closed out the season on a high note with a personal best giant slalom result on Sunday, March 17, snagging sixth place at World Cup Finals in Saalbach, Austria. 

Heavy rain fell on the small Austrian ski town for much of the night, but the clouds cleared and the sun came out on Sunday morning for the final tech race of the 2023-24 World Cup season. The race organizers did their best to prepare the track for a fair race, though there was a definite advantage for the lower start numbers. 

Moltzan struggled on the first run to find her groove, landing in 13th, but she knew there was nothing to lose heading into the second run and was advised by her coaching staff via their course report to “FULL SEND!” She skied a clean and fast second run, coming across the finish line in the lead. Moltzan ended up with a personal best sixth place giant slalom finish to end the season with an exclamation mark—and was the second-fastest on the run. 

“Today was tough,” Moltzan reflected. “Soft GS isn’t really my cup of tea, but I’m really happy with how I performed my second run. First run was just a bit high, too early, and safe line. Second run I kind of knew it was balls to the walls and I was either going out or finding the finish and I’m happy I found the finish so I can forget about all of the bad skiing I had this year.”

Italy’s Federica Brignone won the race in a commanding fashion, finishing 1.36 seconds ahead of the field. New Zealand’s Alice Robinson followed in second, while Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund was third, 1.67 seconds out. Though Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami struggled on the first run, she was able to finish a solid 10th place to earn herself the giant slalom Crystal Globe. 

AJ Hurt, who had a breakthrough season with two podiums—one each in giant slalom and slalom—also started on Sunday, landing in 20th. Hurt ended the World Cup giant slalom season ranked 15th in the world. Moltzan ended up ranked 11th. 

“AJ and I are super competitive,” said Moltzan, “So when it comes to training, all we do is push, and it’s in a really healthy and respectful way. We send as hard as we can every day, and we’re starting to be able to see that on race day.” 

She added with a giggle, “Most of the time AJ is better than me, so I’m going to try to be more like her when I grow up.”

Teammate Mikaela Shiffrin sat out the giant slalom, opting instead to focus on slalom at World Cup Finals. Shiffrin ended up ranked fifth in the world in the discipline, despite missing the final three giant slalom races due to an injury sustained in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. 

World Cup Finals will continue with a speed weekend featuring downhill and super-G on Friday, March 22. 

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

CUP STANDINGS
Women’s giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH (ET)

March 22
5:00 a.m. - women’s super-G - Peacock
6:30 a.m. - men’s super-G - Peacock 

March 23
6:15 a.m. - women’s downhill - Peacock

March 24
6:15 a.m. - men’s downhill - Peacock

Diggins Wins in Falun; Four Top-15 Results

By Courtney Harkins
March, 17 2024
globe
The Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team poses with Jessie Diggins' overall and distance Crystal Globes in Falun. (NordicFocus)

The Sitfel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team closed out the season in style in Falun, Sweden, with Jessie Diggins winning the 20k skate to secure the overall and distance Crystal Globe. Rosie Brennan, Novie McCabe, Gus Schumacher and Scott Patterson all scored top-15 results.

Brennan secured 10th place on the sunny course—another top result for the veteran on the team. Brennan finished seventh overall in the season, as well as seventh in distance and 10th in sprint. She had also found the podium last weekend, a triumph after a difficult season of ups and downs.

Three-time NCAA champion and 2022 Olympian McCabe snagged her second best result in her career with an 11th. McCabe’s previous best result came at the Tour de Ski hill climb two seasons prior, when she was seventh. 

Sophia Laukli and Sydney Palmer-Leger also had top finishes. Laukli was 17th, finishing out the best season in her career that included a World Cup win in Val di Fiemme, Italy and five top 10 finishes. Palmer-Leger, who recently won her third career individual NCAA title, was 23rd—her best career World Cup finish. 

Rounding out the women, Haley Brewster was 32nd—an impressive result for the World Cup rookie who made her first start in Minneapolis a few weeks prior. Julia Kern did not finish.

On the men’s side, Schumacher skated to 12th place, capping off his best season to date. Distance skier maestro Patterson was 15th. Zanden McMullen was 27th. Outside of the top 30, Kevin Bolger finished 44th, Zak Ketterson 45th, Peter Wolter 60th and Michael Earnhart 79th. 

The cross country World Cup season is officially wrapped, with the teams heading back to the states for national championships and some much-deserved rest. 

RESULTS
Women
Men