Nestled in a small valley that sits between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains, the tiny country of Andorra plays host to the FIS Ski World Cup Finals March 11-17.

Eight athletes, headlined by two-time Olympic champion and three-time World Cup overall champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) will represent U.S. Ski & Snowboard at Grandvalira in Soldeu-El Tarter ski areas for the final week of World Cup competition. The top 25 ranked skiers in each discipline are invited to World Cup Finals, as well as gold medal winners from Junior World Ski Championships in each discipline. Additionally, athletes with more than 500 points in the overall standings, can choose to start in any event.

With the sun shining down and the perfectly prepared track, the athletes are looking forward to spring skiing in Andorra to put a cherry on top of a long season. It’s been a historic season for Shiffrin, who has already locked in the overall and slalom globes - and just about every record imaginable - and she’ll look to grab two more globes. Shiffrin, who turns 24-years-old on Wednesday, March 13th, enters the Finals with the lead in super-G (by 32 points over Liechtenstein's Tina Weirather) as well as giant slalom (by 97 points over Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova). Ranked 24th, Shiffrin also qualified for downhill but has opted to focus on super-G and giant slalom, where globes are still up for grabs.

After winning her 15th race of this season on Saturday in Špindlerův Mlýn - a new record among men and women for season victories - Shiffrin reflected about the numbers. “It’s not really important for me, but it’s the symbol of the things that are important to me. My goal is to always be strong when I’m in the start gate, to be able to win any race I start in - that’s important to me. The win numbers aren’t crazy-important, but it’s still special.” And, never fear - she still has gas in the tank for Andorra. “I’m still feeling good, I’m feeling motivated...there’s a little bit of energy left in the tank, and I’m enjoying these last races,” Shiffrin said. “It’s beautiful here in Andorra, the training today was perfect - the surface is surprisingly amazing for this time of year - so I’m really looking forward to this final push.”

The men’s team has shown consistency in 2018-19, as they make their way back toward the World Cup podium, with consistently strong results by Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.) and Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.), who are each ranked in the top 10 in their discipline - Bennett ranked sixth in the world in downhill, and Ford ranked eighth in giant slalom. Veterans Steven Nyman (Sundance, Utah) and Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley) both have shown promise to deliver in downhill, while Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.) will be one to watch in super-G. Two-time World Juniors champ (super-G and giant slalom) River Radamus (Edwards, Colo.) will also start in the super-G and giant slalom at Finals.

The women’s downhill team - who was the best downhill team in the world during the 2018-19 season - is noticeably missing this year at Finals. With the winningest female alpine skier in history, Lindsey Vonn’s (Vail, Colo.) recent retirement and Breezy Johnson (Victor, Idaho), Alice McKennis (New Castle, Colo.), Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.), Jackie Wiles (Portland, Ore.) all out with injury, the focus for the women turns to 2019-20 when the crew will return to competition.

University of Vermont standout Paula Moltzan (Prior Lake, Minn.), who finished the season with four top-20 results and two top-15 results, opted to sit out the final World Cup in Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic while she competed at NCAAs with her fellow Catamounts, grabbing runner-up in NCAA team results. Moltzan finished the season ranked 27th in the world in slalom, just five points out of qualification for the Finals.

The men kick off the Finals show first, with the downhill on Wednesday.

STARTERS
Bryce Bennett - DH
Ryan Cochran-Siegle - SG|
Tommy Ford - GS
Travis Ganong - DH, SG
Ted Ligety - GS
Steven Nyman - DH
River Radamus - SG, GS
Mikaela Shiffrin - SG, GS, SL

STANDINGS
Men’s Overall
Women’s Overall

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Wednesday, March 13
5:30 a.m. - Men and women’s World Cup Finals downhill - Soldeu, AND - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
12:30 p.m.  - Men and women’s World Cup Finals downhill - Soldeu, AND - NBCSN*

Thursday, March 14
5:30 a.m. - Men and women’s World Cup Finals super-G - Soldeu, AND - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
11:00 a.m.  - Men and women’s World Cup Finals super-G - Soldeu, AND - NBCSN*

Friday, March 15
7:00 a.m. - World Cup Finals team event - Soldeu, AND - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, March 16
4:00 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s giant slalom run 1 - Soldeu, AND - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s slalom run 1 - Soldeu, AND - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s giant slalom run 2 - Soldeu, AND - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:00 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s slalom run 2 - Soldeu, AND - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, March 17
4:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s giant slalom run 1 - Soldeu, AND - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
5:30 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s slalom run 1 - Soldeu, AND - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - World Cup Finals women’s giant slalom 2 - Soldeu, AND - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:00 a.m. - World Cup Finals men’s slalom run 2 - Soldeu, AND - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
3:30 p.m. - World Cup Finals women’s giant slalom - Soldeu, AND - NBCSN*

At 17-years-old, U.S. Freeski Rookie Team member Mac Forehand (Winhall, Vt.) skied his way to his first-ever FIS World Cup victory, and second World Cup podium, of his career at the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain on Sunday.

“I feel amazing, so hyped, I can’t believe it,” said Forehand. “After getting my first World Cup podium in Stubai (Austria), I was really hoping to break into the top-three again here at Mammoth on a great course. I am so happy to win, it feels crazy. Given we had some tough weather all week long, I tried to stay positive and look forward to the rescheduled competition. I would have been really bummed if it wasn’t able to go down. It was awesome that we were able to make it happen and the weather was perfect. I think the strategy today was just get speed and go big and I felt I was able to do that. I am headed to Silvaplana, Switzerland, next for the final slopestyle World Cup of the season and am going for the globe!”

Forehand has had himself quite a season earning the title of FIS Junior World Champion in big air in Cardrona, New Zealand, last August, and then followed it up with his first World Cup slopestyle podium in Stubai in November with a second-place finish. Forehand’s win moves him into the FIS World Cup slopestyle lead with one event to go. If that wasn’t enough, Forehand also was crowned U.S. Grand Prix National Champion. After a strong performance throughout the 2018-19 season, it’s hard not to speculate that Forehand will be climbing the ranks to the U.S. Freeski Pro Team next season.

Success among the young American freeskiers continued with a third-place finish from 17-year-old Kiernan Fagan (Brownfield, Maine). Fagan is also having a breakout season going two for two earning podiums at each slopestyle World Cups he’s competed in this season. Fagan earned a third-place finish at the Seiser Alm, Italy World Cup and another third-place at the Mammoth Grand Prix.

“I’m so stoked,” said Fagan. “I haven’t done any World Cups before this season, so two podiums at both slopestyle events competing against all the big dogs feels amazing. With a whole lot of waiting this week, I just wanted to focus on putting a run down and it all worked out. I got my skis waxed at the top to ensure I had speed and tried to ski aggressive. I would love to grab another podium at the Silvaplana to go three for three at all the World Cups I competed in this season.”

Fagan’s podium finish moves him into eight in the slopestyle standings with only two results on the year. Double-Olympic medalist Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) finished sixth and teammate Colby Stevenson (Park City, Utah) finished 10th. Also, Ferdinand Dahl of Norway finished in second to complete the podium at Mammoth.

For the women, U.S. Freeski Pro Team member and Olympian Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.) finished in fifth, moving her into fifth overall in the slopestyle standings. Krass also walked away with the title of U.S. Grand Prix National Champion. American Taylor Lundquist (Park City, Utah) finished right behind Krass in sixth. Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland topped the podium earning her second slopestyle World Cup podium of the season following a third-place finish at the Stubai World Cup in November. Johanna Killi of Norway finished second and Canadian Megan Oldham finished in third.

It has been a very strong year for young American freeskiers. In halfpipe, U.S. Rookie Team member Hunter Hess (Bend, Ore.) earned his first ever World Cup podium in Secret Garden, China and teammate Jaxin Hoerter (Breckenridge, Colo) earned top ten finishes at both the Mammoth Mountain, Calif. and Secret Garden, China World Cup. In slopestyle, Forehand and Eileen Gu both earned their first World Cup victories this season as well. It’s safe to say the U.S. Freeski Rookie Team is progressing quickly. Not to mention, young star Cody Laplante (Truckee, Calif.) will be returning next season to chase podiums. The future is bright for the U.S. Freeski Team.

FIS World Cup slopestyle competition will continue in Silvaplana, Switzerland March 29-30 where slopestyle World Cup Champions will take home the coveted Crystal Globe.

CUP STANDINGS
Men’s freeski slopestyle
Women’s freeski slopestyle

RESULTS
Men’s freeski slopestyle
Women’s freeski slopestyle

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast

Thursday, March 14
12:30 a.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN**

Saturday, March 16
4:00 p.m. - Men and women’s big air - Quebec, CAN - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, March 17
6:00 a.m. - Men and women’s skicross - Veysonnaz, SWI -  OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Monday, March 18
7:00 p.m. - Men and women’s big air - Quebec, CAN - Olympic Channel-TV**

Sunday, March 24
6:00 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN*

U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, has announced today that Deer Valley Resort will serve as an Official Training Site for American freestyle ski athletes through 2022. The agreement will see U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes training on Deer Valley’s world-class moguls and aerial sites through the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China.

“Deer Valley’s Champion run is known as the premier run of the Freestyle World Cup,” said Luke Bodensteiner, Chief of Sport for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “To have it available to our team for training throughout the season affords us world-class on-snow preparation nearby our Center of Excellence and the Utah Olympic Park, rounding out the best training situation that we could imagine. Deer Valley’s world-class snow and terrain is a huge asset for our team, and they’re fully committed to supporting our vision of being best in the world.”

Deer Valley is the annual preeminent stop on the FIS Freestyle World Cup circuit and has been hosting aerials and moguls events since 1999, including the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Freestyle skiing runs through Deer Valley’s history. The late Stein Eriksen, known as the “Father of Freestyle,” served as the resort’s Director of Skiing for more than 35 years and the resort has been an official training site for the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team since 2013. Most recently Deer Valley played host to the 2019 Aerials and Moguls disciplines during the FIS Snowboard-Freestyle-Freeski World Champs event during which three Americans podiumed at dual moguls on the final evening to a hometown crowd of over seven thousand screaming fans.

As part of the agreement, the U.S. Moguls team will train on Champion ski run in season (December to April annually). The Champion course is a champion-maker. Renowned as the longest and steepest moguls course on the World Cup circuit, athletes who podium on it are likely to be the athletes on Olympic podiums. U.S. athletes will have exclusive access to full length mogul lanes, including top and bottom jumps. Deer Valley will provide snowcat time for two course builds per season (excluding the World Cup build) and lift and/or snowmobile access along training lanes. If available, the White Owl ski run aerial site will also serve as a training opportunity for U.S. aerial athletes.

“Deer Valley’s long-standing commitment to freestyle competition isn’t only about hosting elite international competitions,” said Resort President and COO Todd Shallan. “We are honored to continue our relationship with U.S. Ski & Snowboard as an official training site for their mogul and aerial athletes as they continue their quest for Olympic Gold in 2022.”

For more information about U.S. Ski & Snowboard and Deer Valley Resort’s partnership, contact U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Tom Webb, at tom.webb@usskiandsnowboard.org.

###

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2019, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org.

About Deer Valley Resort
Deer Valley Resort located in Park City, Utah, revolutionized the ski industry by providing the first-class service one would receive at a five-star hotel. The ski-only resort offers 21 chairlifts, 103 ski runs, six bowls, 300 annual inches of powder, 2,026 acres of alpine skiing, limited lift ticket sales, 14 restaurants, three elegant day lodges, hundreds of luxury accommodations and a renowned Ski School and Children’s Center. Deer Valley is honored to be ranked as the United States’ Best Ski Resort by the World Ski Awards for six consecutive years. For more information, please visit www.deervalley.com

The Cross Country Junior Nationals take place March 11-16 at Kinkaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska.  All events will be broadcast through a free live stream created by a unique partnership between CXC and U.S. Ski & Snowboard.  

This prestigious end of season event pits some of the nation’s top junior skiers against one another, not only for individual championships but also for coveted points for the Divisions’ top ranking team and the coveted Alaska Cup.

“We have brought multiple high profiles events to Kincaid and to the city of Anchorage. We are a well-oiled machine running this,” U.S. Junior National Cross Country Championships Event Chair Joey Caterinichio said. “Even more so now that Kincaid has snowmaking equipment that it lacked 10 years ago. There are new, improved courses and Anchorage rocks as a strong Nordic community.”

Skiers ranging from ages 14-19 will be in Anchorage competing not only for a podium here, but also earning team spots for elite U.S. Ski Team camps, college identification, and individual pride.

SCHEDULE:
Monday, March 11      
Individual start freestyle

Wednesday, March 13    
Classic sprint

Friday, March 15            
Mass start classic

Saturday, March 16        
Freestyle relay

Additional race information is available on the official event website.

U.S. Freeski Pro Team member Birk Irving (Winter Park, Colo.) took the top spot in the halfpipe finals, earning his first-ever world cup victory Saturday at the U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Calif.

“I’m real hyped, I still can’t believe this,” said Irving. “I have never thought I would get on the podium or win here at Mammoth. It feels great to not get fourth or fifth. Practice didn’t go that great, so coming into the competition I just wanted to put down a stock run. I was able to do that on the first one and realized I didn’t have much to lose. I stepped it up it up and did a run I thought I would get me on the podium and it ended up working out. I was little nervous watching Simon (D’Artois) and Dave (Wise) drop last, but they are also my good friends, so I would have still been happy for them if they would have won. It ended up working out in my favor and I couldn’t more be more stoked. With the season coming to end, I plan on going sledding and skiing at my home mountain of Winter Park.”

U.S. Freeski Team member and double-Olympic gold medalist David Wise (Reno, Nev.) finished fourth, Jaxin Hoerter (Breckenridge, Colo.) finished fifth after being in podium contention for most of the event. Hoerter also landed two consecutive runs after blowing out his bindings in training in using his slopestyle skis for the competition. Canadia Simon D’Artois finished in second-place and Thomas Krief of France in third.

For the women, Olympic bronze medalist Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.) finished in sixth place. Although she was unable to podium, both Sigourney and Irving earned the title of U.S. Grand Prix National Champion.

Cassie Sharpe of Canada won the event with arguably the best run in women’s halfpipe competition history landing back to back 900’s as well as landing both right and left 1080’s in one run. Estonian Kelly Sildaru finished in second-place and Kexin Zhang of China finished third.

The U.S. Freeski Team finished the season strong in the halfpipe FIS Cup standings with Wise in third, Hess in fourth, and Irving in sixth. For the women, Sigourney finished sixth, Abigale Hansen (June Lake, Calif.) seventh and Svea Irving (Winter Park, Colo.) was 11th.

Freeski competition continues at the Mammoth Grand Prix with slopestyle qualifiers and finals on Sunday. Catch the action live and head out to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, or tune in on NBC.

CUP STANDINGS
Men’s freeski halfpipe
Women’s freeski halfpipe

RESULTS
Men’s freeski halfpipe
Women’s freeski halfpipe

SCHEDULE
All times PST (local time)

Sunday, March 10. 
7:30 a.m. -  Men’s and women’s freeski slopestyle qualifications & finals - Mammoth Mountain, Calif.

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
*Delayed broadcast

FREESKIING
Sunday, March 10
4:45 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Thursday, March 14
12:30 a.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN*
 

The final day of snowboard competition at the 2019 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain, Calif., launched with an impressive display by U.S. Snowboard Pro team member and Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.) in slopestyle finals. Fresh off a win a the Burton U.S. Open, Gerard landed his second run, complete with a backside triple cork 1440 on the last jump, to seal the top spot on the podium.

“I feel great,” said Gerard. “We have had some bad weather here in Mammoth, so I was really psyched to get the contest done and have everyone get to ride in finals. The last two weeks have been insane. I could not ask for any more. The jumps were a little small, so there was a sense that you want to tone down your run, but the fact is in the finals you are competing against the best riders in the world, so I decided to throw the triple 1440 on the last jump.”

Gerard was not the only U.S. Snowboard athlete to find success on Saturday as Judd Henkes (La Jolla, Calif.) also earned himself his first-ever World Cup podium, finishing second behind Gerard. Henkes also stomped a backside triple cork 1440 to close out his run.

“It feels really good man,” said Henkes. “I was just stoked to put down a run. I was actually feeling really sick this morning and didn’t want to compete, but I’m happy I did. Also, shout out to Mammoth. This is my home mountain and it’s really cool to come out here and have success here on a great course. I know it was tough with the weather, but I’m really happy the contest got off.”

Henkes also wrapped up a strong season that included finishing third at the 2019 FIS World Championships. In addition, Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.) put down a strong run, finishing fifth, and securing the FIS World Cup slopestyle title and the coveted Crystal Globe.

“I am really happy to take home the globe,” said Corning. “My goal coming here was to hold down that top spot and I’m stoked I was able to do that. This is my last contest of the year. I plan on going home riding some powder and get ready for summertime.”

U.S. Snowboard Team alumnus Chas Guldemond (Truckee, Calif.) also competed for the first time this season and put on a show for his local California crowd.

“I am transitioning to the coaching and mentor side of the sport right now,” said Guldemond. “All year people have asked me if I was competing and I kept telling them if I receive an invite, I won’t turn it down. The other day I got the invite and put my kid in the car and headed down. Stoked to be putting down runs.”

Gerard shared his thoughts on having Guldemond in the field as it clearly was a treat for all the current U.S. Snowboard Team members.

“It was awesome to ride with Chuck G,” said Gerard. “I actually worked out with him all summer, so it was sick to compete with him. I thought he rode insane and honestly thought he was going to win.”

As if the day couldn’t get any better, Gerard’s win earned him the U.S. Grand Prix National Championship award. Ruki Tobita of Japan finished second, and U.S. Snowboard Pro team member and Olympian Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, Alaska) finished a respectable ninth-place.

With the snowboard slopestyle World Cup season coming to a close, the U.S. Snowboard Team dominated the 2019 FIS Cup Standings claiming the top four spots. Behind the cup leader Corning was Henkes in second, Farrell in third and Stassell in fourth.

Following snowboard slopestyle, the men and women of the U.S. Snowboard Team would drop in for snowboard halfpipe finals. Chase Josey (Hailey, Idaho) finished in fourth place just outside of podium contention, and just in front of teammate Ryan Wachendorfer (Edwards, Colo.) in fifth. Josey’s finish would earn him the title of U.S. Grand Prix National Champion. In addition U.S. Rookie Team member Jason Wolle (Winter Park, Colo.) finished in ninth.

“Finals have always been sort of an unattainable goal for me,” said Wolle. “To finally see all the hard work pay off and land tricks I have been working in the final round of a World Cup competition makes this the best day ever.”

Yuto Totsuka of Japan won the event, Patrick Burgener of Switzerland finished second and Derek Livingston of Canada closed out the podium in third. For the women, Cai Xuetong of China finished in first-place, Sena Tomita of Japan finished second and Verena Rohrer of Switzerland finished in third.

CUP STANDINGS
Men’s snowboard slopestyle
Men’s snowboard halfpipe
Women’s snowboard halfpipe

RESULTS
Men’s snowboard slopestyle
Men’s snowboard halfpipe
Women’s snowboard halfpipe
 

After fog delayed the FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia Saturday morning, Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.) fought to another top-15 of the season - his seventh top-15 of the season in seven starts.

That consistency puts Ford eighth in the current giant slalom standings - an incredible feat and big step for the men's tech team. Though Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.) had a solid 11th-fastest first run, he fell back to 18th place after the second run. Ted Ligety (Park City), Utah finished 23rd. Ford and Ligety will both qualify for giant slalom at World Cup Finals, as they are within the top 25 in the standings, though Cochran-Siegle did not qualify in giant slalom, landing in 26th after Saturday's race. He did, however, qualify in super-G, ranked 21st. 

Double World Juniors gold medalist River Radamus (Edwards, Colo.), Brian McLaughlin (Waitsfield, Vt.) and Nick Krause (Northboro, Mass.) also started in Saturday's giant slalom, though did not qualify for the second run. 

Up next for the men is slalom on Sunday at Kranjska Gora, where Sandy Vietze (Warren, Vt.) will make his World Cup debut. 

RESULTS
Men's giant slalom

MEN'S STANDINGS
World Cup overall
World Cup giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast

Sunday, March 10
4:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 1 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 2 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska) skied with the lead pack the entire race and posted the top U.S. result in 19th at Saturday’s FIS Cross Country World Cup 50k classic in Oslo Norway. David Norris (Fairbanks, Alaska) also skied into the points with a 24th-place finish, and Adam Martin (Wausau, Wis.) skied to a World Cup personal best of 31st.

“I chased pretty hard with about 14k to go to make the split for the lead pack,” said Patterson. “I hung on to the group quite well for the last time up to Frognesetern, but when we went back to the stadium with 3k to go, I was struggling. While I fought with the 3 others who were struggling, I didn’t manage to outsprint any of them.”

Russian Alexander Bolshunov becomes the youngest winner of the legendary 50k race at Oslo's Holmenkollen. He shared the podium with his teammates Maxim Vylegzhanin in second and Andrey Larkov in third.

“We had four guys staying with the lead pack for a good part of the race with Scott, David, and Adam putting together some strong results,” said U.S. Cross Country World Cup Coach Matt Whitcomb. “With about 3k to go, Scott in the lead group popped a bit and was not able to fight for a top 10. David had a strong race and we were super excited to see Adam come so close to a to 30 finish.”

“The first three laps went really well for me,” said Norris. “During the fourth lap, I started to struggle a bit and dangled off the lead group a few times. Starting the fifth lap I did a ski exchange and lost contact with the leaders. My skis for the last two laps were really good, but I couldn’t close the gap to the lead pack. I felt pretty tired today, but overall the race went pretty well and I’m happy with my performance.”

On waxing for the day, Whitcomb said, “we woke up today expecting to see perfect klister conditions, but instead it just snowed all day. It went from straight klister to hard wax, wetter in the stadium and dryer up top. I was super encouraged by the was staff today with a complex schedule that included feeds and ski exchanges. We also had two additional snowboarder cross techs join us today and help with the gliding out and feeds.  Interestingly, they test wax for their snowboard athletes on cross country skis.”

The action continues Sunday with the women’s 30k classic where starters include Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.), Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wash.), Rosie Brennan (Park City, Utah), Rosie Frankowski (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Kaitlynn Miller (Craftsbury, Vt.)

RESULTS
Men’s 50k classic

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast

Sunday, March 10
6:45 a.m. - Women’s 30k mass start - Oslo, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
1:00 p.m. - Women’s 30k mass start - Oslo, NOR - Olympic Channel-TV*

All streams are available via desktop (NBCSports.com/Live, NBCSports.com/Gold and OlympicChannel.com) as well as mobile, tablet and connected television platforms. The NBC Sports app, NBC Sports Gold app and Olympic Channel app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire. Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass.

After experiencing so much success in one season, it's hard to believe there could be any more records to break, but Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) made history once again on Saturday in Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic when she earned her 15th FIS Ski World Cup victory of the season, and her career 58th win. 

On a snowy first run, Shiffrin came out of the gate charging, and took a lead by nearly four tenths over Switzerland's Wendy Holdener. Sweden's Frida Hansdotter was in third by 1.28 seconds, and - after winning yesterday's giant slalom - Slovakian rival Petra Vlhova was in fourth with a massive 1.33 second margin. After taking third place in Friday's giant slalom, Shiffrin came to charge Saturday, proving that she is the best in the world. With the slalom and overall titles already in the bag, Shiffrin was skiing free of expectations and pressure. And that was certainly noticeable. 

The snow subsided for second run, but the springlike conditions persisted. The volunteers and organizing committee at the venue did everything they could and worked hard hosing the track down and salting it, to ensure that it would hold up. Vlhova came down with a strong run and took the lead by six tenths, then it was Hansdotter's turn. She struggled in the top section and fell back, out of contention for a podium position "Sendy" Wendy Holdener - who had not been second on a slalom podium yet this season - charged and skied blazing fast into first place by 1.2 seconds. Then, it was Shiffrin's turn...and it was just her against the mountain. Building on her lead the entire way down, Shiffrin crossed the finish line to a roaring Czech crowd nearly a second - .85 seconds to be exact - ahead of Holdener to take her historic 15th victory. 

"That was a really cool day," reflected Shiffrin after the race. "I felt no pressure with globes, standings, or that kind of thing...just that I really wanted to ski two really aggressive runs and I knew it was going to be bumpy in the second run. It was really important for me to be tough enough - in my mind - 'I could still go really hard in the second run and be athletic and handle the bumps, and do my very best. I was thinking that if I take this risk maybe I will not be able to finish, but I want to try that - because I have nothing to lose.'" And take risks she did. "I was able to get to the finish, and it was a super cool day." 

It only seemed fitting that on the same track Shiffrin skied her first-ever World Cup slalom in 2011 as a mere 15-year-old, she'd break yet another record, and this time, a big one: Vreni Schneider's season win record of 14 victories. Shiffrin secured the 15th World Cup victory of what has been a storybook season. This is an achievement no man or woman has ever done before. The ever-understated Shiffrin, who has won 38 victories in the last three seasons, still seems to be surprising herself with the success. 

"What can I say...that's crazy," Shiffrin laughed. "If you told me eight years ago at this race - my first race in World Cup - that I would be in this position right now, I wouldn't believe it. It's really, really special. My whole team - we're celebrating it a lot - because it's been an amazing year, it's been an amazing career so far. But, at the same time, records are meant to be broken, and maybe me achieving this one will inspire a little girl who could beat my record someday. That's what's really important to me." 

The atmosphere in Špindlerův Mlýn was incredible, and the organizing committee is really making an effort to show that they want the World Cup back in the Czech Republic sooner than later. The athletes loved it, too. "It's a really, really good crowd here," commented Shiffrin. "I know they want to see Petra on top, but they're still cheering for me, they're cheering for Wendy, they're cheering for everyone and that's a really special feeling to see these people who care about the sport so much and you can really see this passion. It makes it easy to really love doing this."

Veteran Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, Wyo.), who returned to World Cup action in Maribor, Slovenia after sustaining a knee injury in St Moritz, Switzerland earlier this season also started on Saturday, but did not qualify for the second run. 

Up next, the women will travel to Soldeu, Andorra for World Cup Finals, where Shiffrin is expected to contend for both the super-G and giant slalom globes to add to her already overwhelming and nearly inconceivable collection of records, medals and trophies this season. 

RESULTS
Women's slalom

WOMEN'S STANDINGS
World Cup overall 
World Cup slalom 

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast

Saturday, March 9
6:00 p.m. - Women's slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - NBCSN*

Sunday, March 10
4:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 1 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Men’s slalom run 2 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
 

Six U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes are headed to the 20th edition of the FIS World Cup Jamboree in Quebec City’s St-Roch neighborhood for a downtown freeski and snowboard big air competition March 14-17. The Quebec World Cup will serve as the final big air competition of the FIS World Cup season and Crystal Globes are on the line.

“Super excited to head to Quebec next week for one last big air of the season,” said 2019 FIS World Championship silver medalist Julia Krass (Hanover, N.H.). “After world champs it’ll be nice to get another big air under my belt and hopefully get another good result. It’s been an interesting year on the competition side of things, especially with a lot of weather, so I’m excited to go to a big air where hopefully things will run well and we can have some fun! I’ve never done a scaffolding jump so that’ll definitely be different but it’ll be really cool to compete at night right in Quebec City.”

American freeskiers joining Krass in Quebec include two-time Olympic medalist Nick Goepper (Lawrenceburg, Ind.), Kiernan Fagan (Brownfield, Maine) and Ryan Stevenson (Washington, NJ).  

For the snowboarders, U.S. Snowboard Team members Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, Alaska) and the 2018 Quebec World Cup big air winner Julia Marino (Westport, Conn.) will compete and put on a show for downtown Quebec to close out the FIS World Cup season.

With a spectacular venue in the heart of downtown Quebec and diehard fans that are second to none, the Quebec FIS Snowboard World Cup will be a show you do not want to miss. Catch the action live and head out to the St-Roch neighborhood in Quebec City, or tune in on NBC.

FIS CUP STANDINGS
Men’s freeski big air
Women’s freeski big air
Men’s snowboard big air
Women’s snowboard big air

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST
*Delayed broadcast

FREESKI
Saturday, March 16
4:00 p.m. - Men’s and women’s big air - FIS Freeski World Cup - Quebec City, Canada -  NBC Sports Gold

Monday, March 18
7:00 p.m. - Men’s and women’s big air - FIS Freeski World Cup - Quebec City, Canada - Olympic Channel-TV*

SNOWBOARD
Saturday, March 16
8:00 p.m. - Men’s and women’s big air - FIS Snowboard World Cup - Quebec City, Canada -  NBC Sports Gold

Monday, March 18
8:00 p.m. - Men’s and women’s big air - FIS Snowboard World Cup - Quebec City, Canada - Olympic Channel-TV*