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Ford 14th, Cochran-Siegle 18th at Kranjska Gora GS

By Megan Harrod
March, 9 2019
Tommy Ford 15 Place
Tommy Ford landed in 14th in Kranjska Gora's giant slalom - his seventh top-15 of the season, in seven starts. (Agence Zoom/Getty Images - Hans Bezard)

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

 

Patterson 19th To Lead U.S. At Oslo 50k

By Reese Brown
March, 9 2019
Scott Patterson
David Norris (fourth from left) skied in the lead pack during the men's 50k Classic in Holmenkollen, Norway, Saturday. (Getty Images/AFP - Hakon Mosvold)

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.

 

Shiffrin Wins Spindleruv Mlyn Slalom, Sets Season Victory Record

By Megan Harrod
March, 9 2019
Mikaela Shiffrin 15th Victory of the Season
Mikaela Shiffrin won her 58th FIS Ski World Cup race - and a record 15th win of the season - in Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic, Saturday. (Steve Earl)

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
 

Shiffrin's Historic Slalom Win

Six U.S. Athletes Set to Drop in at Quebec World Cup Big Air

By Andrew Gauthier
March, 8 2019
Quebec City World Cup
2018 Quebec City FIS World Cup Big Air. (FIS Snowboard)

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*
 

Shiffrin Fights For Podium at Spindleruv Mlyn

By Megan Harrod
March, 8 2019
Mikaela Shiffrin
Mikaela Shiffrin finished third in Friday's FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom - Alexis Boichard)

Eight years after her first-career FIS Ski World Cup start in Špindlerův Mlýn, Czech Republic Mikala Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) returned to where it all began and fought back in the second run in the penultimate giant slalom of the season to finish third Friday. 

On a balmy day with springlike conditions where the temperatures didn't quite reach freezing, the race organizers watered and salted the track in order to ensure the best possible conditions for the World Cup's return to Špindl. Shiffrin, coming off two weeks of rest and training following a grueling World Cup and World Championship schedule that has resulted in 16 combined victories this season, finished fourth in the first run, 1.33 seconds off first-run leader, Slovakia's Petra Vlhova. However, that deficit was too big of a mountain to climb in the second run on as Vlhova held on for the victory, her third giant slalom victory of the season (and her third-straight giant slalom victory, including World Championships and a tie for first with Shiffrin in Maribor). Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg was second, followed by Shiffrin in third.  

Shiffrin made some uncharacteristic mistakes in the first run to finish fourth, behind Vlhova, Rebensburg and Italy's Federica Brignone. "It's a bit frustrating because I only have myself to blame for my performance the first run," Shiffrin reflected in the finish after the race. "I was testing my equipment last week to be sure that in these spring conditions I'm trusting everything, and I felt really good with my equipment today. My serviceman Johann did a great job, my coaches have done a great job...everyone's been doing exactly what they need to do. And then I did the first run and I was like, 'Ugh!' It could also be worse, and I was in a position to fight for a podium; I didn't think I could do something big enough to win the race, but I thought, 'OK, see what you can do for the podium, and also just try to think like it's a separate race and do your best skiing!"

Shiffrin admits she was mad at herself after the first run, and watched video between runs to figure out what adjustment she needed to make the second run. Knowing that she needed to be leading by more than 100 points coming out of today's race in order to secure the giant slalom globe, Shiffrin skied smart and clean, and - though she didn't quite secure the globe yet - it paid off, as she won the second run by nearly four tenths. The difference in her skiing between first and second run was small, but she was much cleaner and she gave it her all. "It wasn't so much fighting and tightness," she noted. "It was smoother and that's really important for me to be able to ski fast. And I'm SO much happier with this skiing than what I did in the first run. So I think there's a lesson to learn today, but there's also things to be proud of. I just have to find that mentality for both runs of the race."

Crossing the finish line in the lead by 1.2 seconds, Shiffrin was emotional and felt assured that the feeling she had matched the time on the board. It'll be a fight to the end, as Shiffrin leads Vlhova in the standings by 97 points heading into World Cup Finals in Soldeu, Andorra. "Those three points are enough motivation for me," said Shiffrin. "It's not something to protect, but it's something to be really aware of, and again - like all season - take nothing for granted. Clearly, Petra is skiing well, but my second run was something to be proud of, so we'll see what happens."

As for tomorrow? Shiffrin knows it will be a fight. It's a "super cool slalom hill - a fun hill," though it is steep right out of the gate so she knows she'll have to be precise and aggressive from top to bottom. With the slalom globe already locked in, Shiffrin can ski freely and without pressure. With 14 World Cup victories under her belt this season, Shiffrin is currently tied with Vreni Schneider for most World Cup wins. Teammate Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, Wyo.) will also start in Saturday's slalom. 

RESULTS
Women's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast

Friday, March 8
4:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
12:00 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - NBCSN*

Saturday, March 9
3:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
4:30 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
6:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
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

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.

Shiffrin Third in Spindleruv Mlyn

Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Qualifications Kick Off Competition at Mammoth

By Andrew Gauthier
March, 7 2019
David Wise at Mammoth
David Wise at the 2019 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix Halfpipe qualifications at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Sarah Brunson)

The competition kicked off in great fashion at the 2019 Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain with Ryan Wachendorfer (Edwards, Colo.) qualifying first in men’s snowboard halfpipe and setting the tone for the week.

“It feels good to know I’m heading to finals,” said Wachendorfer. “The weather shaped up after the morning was a little questionable with the wind, but the pipe is riding way better than the first day of practice so it was a good day. It’s awesome to see some of the younger guys making it to finals. I think we are going to see some new faces competing on Saturday.”

Joining Wachendorfer in finals is Chase Josey (Hailey, Idaho), who qualified third in his heat with a spontaneous run.

“There’s been a lot of crazy weather, but today’s been nice and sunny after a windy morning,” said Josey. “I winged it on my first run and ended up putting it down and making finals. It’s really cool riding with some of the younger guys, they are really pushing the limits. I think the older riders feel them right on our heels and it actually pushes me to send it even more.”

Josey and Wachendorfer were referring to U.S Snowboard Rookie Team members Jason Wolle (Winter Park, Colo.), Lucas Foster (Telluride, Colo.) and pro team member Chase Blackwell (Longmont, Colo.), all who made the cut into finals. In addition, Taylor Gold (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) made his first final since returning from surgery for two different injuries during the 2017-18 season. Also, American and U.S. Snowboard alumni Louie Vito (Sandy, Utah) qualified to finals finishing sixth in his heat.

For the women, Americans Summer Fenton (San Francisco, Calif.) and Zoe Kalapos (Vail, Colo.) each finished in a respectable fifth place, just missing the final round of competition.

Competition continued in the halfpipe at the U.S. Grand Prix with men’s and women’s freeski halfpipe qualifications. David Wise (Reno, Nev.) came out firing on all cylinders, landing his first run qualifying first in his heat.

“The weather has been challenging all week,” said Wise. “I think everyone was excited when the sun popped this morning. We were all able to get a couple laps through practice with the sun shining remembering the California good times. That’s what really set the vibe for me. I was able to land my first run, make it to finals, plus it just feels great to come out and compete again. I couldn’t say more about the Grand Prix crew maintaining the pipe and keeping it clean from all the fresh now. We as athletes are so appreciative of the maintenance crews hard work. I’m stoked to put on a show in finals tomorrow.”

Cassidy Jarrell (Aspen, Colo.) was the lone American that qualified into finals from heat one finishing third. In heat two, Wise qualified in first, Birk Irving (Winter Park, Colo.) second, Hunter Hess (Bend, Ore.) third, Cameron Brodrick (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) fifth, and Jaxin Hoerter (Breckenridge, Colo.) in sixth. U.S. Pro Team member Lyman Currier also competed and landed his second run capping off what was his first competition in three years after battling back from serious injury.

For the women, U.S. Freeski Pro Team member and Olympic bronze medalist Brita Sigourney (Carmel, Calif.) qualified second in her heat and will compete in finals.

“I feel really good that I’ll be competing in finals,” said Sigourney. “It was definitely an aggressive competition with very limited training. I’m really happy I landed my run and basically got my first day of training for finals as well as qualifiers in today. The pipe was good and I’m really looking forward to finals tomorrow.”

Olympic gold medalist Maddie Bowman (S. Lake Tahoe) and U.S. Rookie Team member Abigale Hansen (June Lake, Calif.) skied well and both finished fifth in their heat just outside of finals contention.

The day concluded with men’s snowboard slopestyle competition. Unfortunately, the women were unable to compete due to increasing wind and snow slowing down the course creating an unfavorable environment for the ladies. For the men, Chris Corning (Silverthorne, Colo.) qualified first in heat one.

"I was happy to qualify first in my heat yesterday," said Corning. "My strategy was to put a mellow run down and get myself into finals."

Also qualifying through in heat one was Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard (Silverthorne, Colo.) and Ryan Stassel (Anchorage, Alaska). In heat two, Judd Henkes (La Jolla, Calif.) qualified first and U.S. Snowboard Team alumnus Chas Guldemond qualified third.

"Im stoked to make finals here at the Grand Prix," said Henkes. "I had a tough contest last week so it was nice to rebound and make finals here."

Competition will continue at the U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth on Friday with men’s snowboard slopestyle finals, as well as men’s and women’s freeski halfpipe finals. Catch the action live and head out to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, or tune in on NBC.

RESULTS
Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe Qualifications
Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe Qualifications
Men’s Freeski Halfpipe Qualifications
Women’s Freeski Halfpipe Qualifications
Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Qualifications

START LISTS
Men’s snowboard slopestyle finals
Men’s freeski halfpipe finals
Women’s freeski halfpipe finals

SCHEDULE
All times PST (local time)

Saturday, March  9.
9:30 a.m. - Men’s snowboard slopestyle finals - Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
12:00 p.m. -  Men’s and women’s snowboard halfpipe finals - Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
2:30 p.m. - Men’s and women’s freeski halfpipe finals - Mammoth Mountain, Calif.

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
*Same-day broadcast
**Next-day broadcast
***Delayed broadcast

FREESKIING
Saturday, March 9

5:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

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***

SNOWBOARD
Saturday, March 9

12:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men's slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold
3:00 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Tuesday, March 12
10:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN***

Sunday, March 17
12:00 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBC***

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.
 

Dierdorff and Jacobellis Honored as Team USA’s Best of February

By Andrew Gauthier
March, 6 2019
Mike and Lindsey
Lindsey Jacobellis and Mick Dierdorff top the Pacifico SBX Mixed Team finals podium at the 2019 FIS World Champs presented by Toyota. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Sarah Brunson)

Mick Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) have been honored by the U.S. Olympic Committee as Team USA’s Best of February. Their strong performances at the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle and Freeski World Championships, presented by Toyota, kicked off what was a fantastic 10 days of competition in Utah.

"It is a huge honor to receive this recognition from Team USA, said Dierdorff. "I am so humbled to be nominated amongst the other incredible athletes. The World Championships at Solitude were a dream come true for me and I am so thankful for all the support and congratulations I have received."

Dierdorff (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) earned his first-ever international competition victory, winning the snowboardcross title at the 2019 FIS World Championships at Solitude Mountain Resort. Dierdorff became the first American to win a snowboardcross world title in 14 years. He then teamed up with Jacobellis to take gold in the new mixed team snowboardcross event, which will make its Olympic debut in 2022.

Despite beginning her portion of the race in fourth place, Jacobellis roared past the field on the last leg of the course to victory. Dierdorff also finished first in the men’s race to secure the gold medal. It was the sixth world championship title of Jacobellis’ career and the second world title for Dierdorff in three days.

Dierdorff and Jacobellis continued their strong performances carrying momentum into March. Jacobellis landed her fourth individual FIS World Cup snowboardcross podium of the season in Baqueira Beret, Spain. She climbed from third to the top spot is the FIS Cup Standings tied with Czech Republic’s Eva Samkova. With only one World Cup left on the schedule, the race for the crystal globe is coming down to the wire. In addition, Dierdorff also performed well finishing fourth making it to the big final.

About the Team USA Awards
Each National Governing Body may nominate one female, one male and one team per discipline. An internal nominating committee selects five nominees from both the male and female categories, and three from the team category to advance to the voting round. Votes received from NGB representatives and select members of the media account for 50 percent of the final tally, with the other half determined by online fan voting via TeamUSA.org/Awards.
 

NBC Sports to Showcase Shiffrin's Return To Where It All Started

By Tom Horrocks
March, 6 2019
Spindleruv Mlyn
The FIS Ski World Cup returns to Špindlerův Mlýn for the first time since 2011 on Friday and Saturday with women's slalom and giant slalom (Getty Images/AFP - Joe Klamer)

It’s the final weekend of the FIS Ski World Cup season with Mikaela Shiffrin (Avon, Colo.) leading the women’s U.S. Alpine Team back to where it all started in Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic. Shiffrin made her first career World Cup start in Špindlerův Mlýn eight years ago, finishing 32nd in the slalom and 43rd in the giant slalom.

Shiffrin is shooting for World Cup victory number 58 in Friday’s giant slalom, and again in Saturday’s slalom. She is currently tied with Vreni Schneider’s World Cup season win record of 14, and could very likely surpass that record this weekend. Both races will be streamed live on OlympicChannel.com and NBC Sports Gold, and the Olympic Channel - Home of Team USA - will broadcast the second run both days. Also starting in the slalom at Špindlerův Mlýn is veteran Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, Wyo.).

On the men’s side, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, hosts giant slalom and slalom events Saturday and Sunday. Tommy Ford (Bend, Ore.) and Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah) will be leading the charge along with newly crowned giant slalom Junior World Champion River Radamus (Edwards, Colo.) on Saturday. Other U.S. Starters in the giant slalom include Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.), Brian McLaughlin (Waitsfield, Vt.), Nick Krause (Northboro, Mass.). Sandy Vietze (Warren, Vt.) will make his World Cup debut in Sunday’s slalom.

The World Cup Finals are scheduled for Soldeu, Andorra, March 11-17.

More than 50 members of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard freeski and snowboard teams are at California’s Mammoth Mountain Ski Area for the final Toyota U.S. Grand Prix, which also serves as a FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Cup, this week. The current schedule has snowboard slopestyle and freeski halfpipe finals taking place Friday, snowboard halfpipe finals on Saturday and freeski slopestyle finals Sunday. However, another big storm rolling through central California this week and has already rearranged the qualifying schedule.

The networks of NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Gold, and NBCSN will provide live, and same-day coverage from Mammoth both Friday and Saturday.

Fresh off her fourth-place finish at the FIS World Nordic Championships 30k freestyle last week, Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) leads the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team into Oslo, Norway, as the FIS World Cup circuit resumes with a men’s 50k classic mass start Saturday, and a women’s 30k classic mass start on Sunday.

Other U.S. starters are: Kaitlynn Miller (Elmore, Vt.), Sadie Bjornsen (Anchorage, Alaska), Rosie Brennan (Park City, Utah), Rosie Frankowski (Minneapolis, Minn.), Kyle Bratrud (Eden Prairie, Min.), David Norris (Fairbanks, Alaska), Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska), Adam Martin (Wausau, wis.), Ben Lustgarten (Burlington, Vt.). Both races will be broadcast on the Olympic Channel and streamed live on OlympicChannel.com and NBC Sports Gold.

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

ALPINE
Friday, March 8

4:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 1 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
12:00 p.m. - Women’s giant slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - NBCSN*

Saturday, March 9
3:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 1 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
4:30 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 1 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
6:30 a.m. - Men’s giant slalom run 2 - Kranjska Gora, SLO  - Olympic Channel-TV, Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Women’s slalom run 2 - Spindleruv Mlyn, CZE - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
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

FREESKIING
Friday, March 8

4:00 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, March 9
12:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, March 10
12:30 a.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN**

CROSS COUNTRY
Saturday, March 9

4:00 a.m. - Men’s 50k mass start - Oslo, NOR - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

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*

SKI JUMPING
Friday, March 8

1:30 p.m. - Raw Air Tournament, men’s qualifying - Holmenkollen, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, March 9
8:30 a.m. - Raw Air Tournament, men’s team - Holmenkollen, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
3:00 p.m. - Raw Air Tournament, men’s team - Holmenkollen, NOR - Olympic Channel-TV*

Sunday, March 10
5:00 a.m. - Raw Air Tournament, women’s individual - Holmenkollen, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
9:30 a.m. - Raw Air Tournament, men’s individual - Holmenkollen, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
3:00 p.m. - Raw Air Tournament, women’s individual - Holmenkollen, NOR - Olympic Channel-TV*
4:30 p.m. - Raw Air Tournament, men’s individual - Holmenkollen, NOR - Olympic Channel-TV*

NORDIC COMBINED
Saturday, March 9

3:00 a.m. - Men’s HS134 - Oslo, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
7:30 a.m. - Men’s 10k - Oslo, NOR - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

SNOWBOARD
Friday, March 8

12:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s slopestyle - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, March 9
7:30 a.m. - Men and women’s parallel giant slalom - Scuol, SWI - OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
4:00 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSports.com & NBC Sports Gold
11:30 p.m. - Toyota U.S. Grand Prix men and women’s halfpipe - Mammoth Mountain, Calif. - NBCSN*

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.

 

SuperGirl Snow Pro Takes Over Big Bear

By Andrew Gauthier
March, 4 2019
Faye and LIndsey
Event host Lindsey Jacobellis interviews Fay Gulini and her team after their race at the Supergirl Snow Pro at Big Bear Mountain Resort. (SuperGirl Snow Pro - Pete Santos)

The Supergirl Snow Pro series comes to California’s Bear Mountain Resort for two days of the world’s only all-female snowboarding competition and lifestyle series event March 9-10.

The event is designed to not only showcase the best female snowboarders on the planet competing in snowboardcross and big air, but also to also serve as a developmental contest to help locate, nurture, mentor, and encourage the next generation of aspiring snowboarding pros.

The U.S. Snowboard Team’s own 10-time X Games gold medalist and six-time FIS World Champion Lindsey Jacobellis (Stratton Mountain, Vt.) serves as the event host and inspirational leader.

"I started this event when I was inspired after attending the Supergirl Surf event,” said Jacobellis. “It was such an amazing event to be involved in and it had a huge support system for the growth of women in sports. After that weekend I told ASA Entertainment that I needed to bring this to snowboarding and more importantly to snowboardcross. I wanted to help the development of snowboardcross with the younger generation of girls coming up in the sport and create an environment that they could thrive in, while also making lifelong friendships with girls all over the world."

Rick Bratman, the CEO of ASA Entertainment and executive producer of the Supergirl Pro Series, also shared his excitement for the event.

“The Supergirl Snow Pro is one of the most gratifying events we are involved in given its long history of creating a strong platform for women and the unique format where pros and amateurs interact and compete together as teammates,” said Bratman. “Having the event rooted in mentorship and watching the top pros supporting the next generation of female riders is truly inspirational. Knowing that it's the only all-female snowboarding competition in the world adds another layer to its importance and aligns well with the Supergirl Pro Series’ mission of both empowering and providing opportunity for women in sports, entertainment, popular culture, media, education and business.”

The Supergirl Snow Pro is truly unique and offers opportunities for young women from all over the world to develop their skills, network and learn from some of the best riders in the world. The event has clearly left an impression with last year’s amatuer competitors.

“It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life,” said 2018 Amatuer champion Kayci Deitsch. “Being able to compete out of my country allowed me to meet new competition and create new friendships I never thought that I would in my lifetime. It’s incredible to be able to snowboard alongside my biggest role models in this sport. For the rest of my life I will be thankful for the opportunity that I had at my very first Supergirl Snow Pro. Also, It’s an honor to compete again at the competition in 2019. Coming back will be cool to see all the riders, whether  they are from the previous year or if they are new. I will approach this year with excitement and optimism. I am excited to share my experience with the new comers and just have fun.”

Although the Supergirl series is in it’s 13th year and Supergirl Pro Snow in it’s 9th, 2019 is setting up to be something special. The event’s Festival Village includes live concerts, female DJ’s, speakers, and other female-driven entertainment. The music lineup includes Samantha Ronson’s band Ocean Park Standoff and Disney star Meg Donnelly. If the entertainment isn’t enough, feast your eyes on the competitions to watch more than 30 female pros compete including U.S. Snowboard Team members and Olympians, as well as 60 top amateurs. Last but not least, it is all for a good cause as the event supports Boarding for Breast Cancer and the SoCal Mountains Foundation.The event is free to attend for all patrons so head up to Big Bear or tune in live to catch all the action.

For general event athlete information, visit http://Supergirlsnowpro.com. For pros or amateurs that wish to register to compete and be part of the mentorship program, they can register at https://supergirlsnowpro.com/events/2019-registration/.

HOW TO WATCH
Subject to change
All times EST

SNOWBOARD
Saturday, March 9.

7:00 a.m. - Women’s boardercross - Big Bear, Cali. - supergirlsnowpro.com

Sunday, March 10.
7:00 a.m. - Women’s big air - Big Bear, Cali. - supergirlsnowpro.com

SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram and Twitter - @supergirlpro
Facebook - facebook.com/supergirlpro
 

Norris Earns Personal Best at World Championship 50k

By Reese Brown
March, 3 2019
David Norris
David Norris (bib 30) skied a personal best in the 50k freestyle Sunday at the World Championships. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard - Reese Brown)

David Norris (Fairbanks, Alaska) skied a personal best in the 50k freestyle on the final day of the 2019 FIS Nordic World Ski Championship in Seefeld, Austria. Norris skied the entire first lap of the six-lap race between third and fourth place, and was consistently in the main pack the entire race, eventually finishing 20th.

“I felt good and my skis were working really well,” said Norris. “It almost seemed easier to position myself in the top 15 as best as possible and just try to stay out of trouble. Then I came into 700 meters in medal contention but at that point I had no more juice left and just tried to survive.”

Scott Patterson (Anchorage, Alaska) was 23rd on the day, Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Co.) was 34th with Adam Martin (Wausau, Wis.) in 45th.

“I was in for the hunt, but I felt like I wasn’t skiing the downhills well and I missed the move on that last lap,” Patterson said. “I was thinking I need to go, need to go, but it was too late. I felt like if I had made that split, I could have fought with guys.”

“David was in the mix from the beginning,” said U.S. Cross Country World Cup Coach Matt Whitcomb.  “On the last climb at 49.5k he was still charging with the Bronze within reach, and for him to be in that pack is just next level. He led a very strong performance for the team today with Scotty finishing 23rd and in the mix all the way for 98-percent of the race, super proud of all the guys today. It’s fun when coaches in the feed zones are saying hey, the American’s are having a good day today. We are proud and leaving Seefeld with our heads high.”

The U.S. Cross Country Team team now heads to Oslo, Norway, for a women’s 30k and men’s 50k March 9-10.

RESULTS

Men’s 50k freestyle

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST
*Same-day broadcast

Saturday, March 9
4:00 a.m. - Men’s 50k mass start - Oslo, NOR - Seefeld, AUT - Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

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.