The most recent World Cup held in Gällivare, Sweden, was 12 years ago. It marked a significant milestone for the U.S. women's team, as they secured their first-ever team relay podium, led by a 21-year-old Jessie Diggins. Fast forward to December 3, 2023, and the U.S. women once again stood on the podium in third place. This time, the team was led by the now-veteran Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan, alongside Sophia Laukli and Julia Kern.

On a cold and blustery day during the second day of racing in northern Sweden, the stands and course were packed with enthusiastic fans. It was relay day, where each nation assembled one to two teams of four athletes each, with two athletes skiing a classic leg and two skating. The atmosphere was festive, with USA athletes, techs and coaches donning blue and red relay socks, face paint and glitter. 

Breaking down the women's 4x7.5k team relay, Jessie Diggins, coming off a victory in the previous day's 10k skate, led the U.S. women's team. Each athlete completed two laps of the challenging 3.5k course, featuring technical turns, fast downhills and little room for rest. Diggins set a blistering pace from the start, handing over to teammate Brennan, who extended the lead further. Laukli and Kern continued the strong performance, maintaining a top-three position. Crossing the finish line, the U.S. women secured third place behind Germany and Sweden. 

Post-race, Jessie Diggins expressed her pride in being part of the team relays and witnessing the evolution of the team over the years. 

"One of the things I am most proud of in my career is being part of the team relays, and seeing how the team has changed year after year," said Diggins, post race. "But then some things haven't changed! We still have the relay socks, the face paint, the glitter... and then all of these amazing women that are coming up and putting their heart and soul into this team and racing so hard - it's so cool to see. Seeing the fire in their eyes and seeing them give everything they had makes me so proud, knowing we're doing it all together." 

In the men's 4x7.5k team relay, it was a historic and thrilling day for the U.S. men's team, with both USA teams (USA #1 and USA #2) achieving top results. USA #1, comprised of Ben Ogden, Gus Schumacher, Scott Patterson and Zanden McMullen, finished fifth, breaking a 20-year top-five drought. USA #2 included Luke Jager, Zak Ketterson, Johnny Hagenbuch and JC Schoonmaker. 

The race featured both USA teams setting the pace. On the first leg, Ogden of USA #1 and Jager of USA #2 set a strong pace, then Schumacher (USA #1) and Ketterson (USA #2) then worked together in leg two, and strong performances from Patterson (USA #1) and Hagenbuch (USA #2) rounded out leg three; Hagenbuch skied on the fastest legs of the day when comparing final times. McMullen (USA #1), secured a fifth-place finish, while Schoonmaker (USA #2) crossed the line in eighth.

Reflecting on the day, McMullen emphasized the comfort of camaraderie within the team. "I think being such good friends and being so close to your teammates," he said. "It relieves a lot of pressure and feels very familiar."

Looking ahead, Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team program director Chris Grover highlighted the potential of this strong men's team. 

"Today we got yet another glimpse of the true potential of this men’s team in relays," he said. "We’ve known the talent is there given their World Junior Championship relay medal pedigree, and we know we need patience as these men make the step to World Cup and build critical experience. In the next seasons, these men will clearly challenge for the podium. We’re likely on the cusp of a period of truly inspiring USA men’s success. It’s also very exciting to see the team in third place overall in the Nation’s Cup after two hard weekends of racing in Scandinavia."

Next up, the team travels to Östersund, Sweden for the third week of World Cup racing. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes kicked off the 2023-24 World Cup season today in Ruka, Finland, with Liz Lemley and Olivia Giaccio going two-three on the podium. The American women also packed six into the top 10, and swept second through fifth place.

It was the fourth World Cup podium for both Lemley and Giaccio and a personal best result in moguls for Lemley, topping her previous best of third in Alpe d’Huez in 2022. 

Ruka is a staple on the moguls circuit, held annually starting in 2011, and consistently provides great results for the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Team. Back in 2021, Giaccio earned her first World Cup win in Ruka in women’s moguls. 

“For the first event of the year, my strategy was simply to have fun and put my best effort into executing my plan that my coaches and I set out to accomplish,” said Giaccio. “I wanted to go big on my jumps, nail my landings, and ski aggressively - and I was able to do that when it counted!” 

It was an overall great day for the U.S women’s team, with six athletes making it to the final. Just off the podium, Hannah Soar in fourth, Jaelin Kauf in fifth, Tess Johnson in eighth and Alli Macuga in 10th. Kai Owens finished in 19th. Impressively, during a practice run on Friday, Macuga took a fall and fractured her hand, but still competed and earned a top 10. 

It was Johnson’s first World Cup event back from back surgery this summer. Her eighth place finish is a testament to her dedication and strength. 

“I’m so stoked on today! It was everything I could have hoped for with qualifying in fifth and competing finals with a bottom air cork. It makes me hungry for more, but I’m taking the day to celebrate how far I’ve come since back surgery in April,” said Johnson. “Also I’m so very proud of my teammates for skiing so well and inspiring me every day. It’s an honor to be a part of this team.”

On the men’s side, Dylan Walczyk finished in 13th, Cole McDonald in 17th, Landon Wendler in 19th, Dylan Marcellini in 25th and Nick Page in 37th.  

Up next, the team will travel to Idre Fjäll, Sweden to compete in moguls and dual moguls December 7-9th. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

Mikaela Shiffrin placed third on Saturday’s giant slalom in Tremblant, Canada, marking her 142nd World Cup podium. Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Paula Moltzan finished 13th.

The Canadian fans crowded the stands of the Tremblant venue, a new World Cup stop, as the world’s best giant slalom women skiers raced down the terrain-packed hill. Shiffrin ran third, taking the fifth spot after the first run with a clean run. Moltzan ran 14th first run with a few bobbles, and sat in 11th position after run one. 

“It was quite nice to ski,” said Shiffrin after the first run. “It looks straightforward but there is actually a lot of terrain. I feel like we have not skied a hill like this before so it's nice to learn it.”

On the second run, the roar of the Tremblant crowd could be heard from the start. The terrain and a tricky course set tripped up quite a few racers. Moltzan skied well again with a few mistakes that ended up costing her overall time, finishing in 13th place. 

“My skiing was medium today," said Moltzan. "I had a few mistakes in the first and second run. The snow is challenging but the hill is not, so those small mistakes made for a tough day. But I am excited to get back out here tomorrow.” 

Shiffrin was next for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team out of the start and she knifed the course, gaining momentum and speed as she approached the finish line. Shiffrin ultimately ended up in third place, her 142nd World Cup podium. Italian skier Federica Brignone won the race with Slovakia's Petra Vlhova in second place. 

“It was a wonderful day. I started off feeling unsure about the terrain and hill, but on the second run I really tried to push,” said Shiffrin. “You really can't make a mistake, so good stuff from my giant slalom skiing. I will have more confidence tomorrow.”

Stifel U.S. Ski Team members AJ Hurt and Elisabeth Bocok also raced: Hurt did not finish the first run and Bocock did not qualify for the second run, ending up in 47th position after run one. 

The women will race giant slalom in Tremblant again Sunday. 

RESULTS
Giant slalom 

HOW TO WATCH

11:00 a.m. - Tremblant World Cup, women’s giant slalom, run 1, skiandsnowboard.live
2:15 p.m. - Tremblant World Cup, women’s giant slalom, run 2, skiandsnowboard.live

Saturday's Xfinity Birds of Prey downhill was canceled due to heavy snowfall Friday night, strong winds and the forecast. Friday's downhill was also canceled due to weather.

The race was initially put on a delay for the jury to further assess the conditions. After a long deliberation by the jury and organizing committee members, it was ultimately called off. 

The Xfinity Birds of Prey races will resume Sunday for a super-G. 

HOW TO WATCH 

Sunday, Dec. 3 - super-G
12:45 p.m. – LIVE on Outside (free)
4:30 p.m. – super-G (delayed) on NBC
On demand: Outside+ 

Hydro Flask U.S. Snowboard Team athletes Jake Vedder and Lindsey Jacobellis secured third place in the big final of the snowboard cross (SBX) World Cup season opener mixed team event in Les Deux Alpes (L2A).

Weather posed the most significant challenge at the L2A resort, situated at the highest snowboard cross course on the World Cup circuit. Originally scheduled for Friday, Dec. 1, individual competition qualifications were rescheduled due to tough weather conditions. Consequently, the snowboard cross weekend schedule underwent a slight change, with individual competition moved to Sunday, Dec. 3, and the newly added mixed team event taking its place on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Despite a challenging cold start and extremely difficult visibility towards the end, Vedder and Jacobellis navigated the steep and jumpy course, progressing through the quarterfinals and semifinals to secure a spot in the big finals. In the final race, Vedder faced a fast-paced challenge, finishing fourth with only half a second to catch up. Jacobellis, the most decorated female snowboard cross athlete of all time, tackled the course, making up time. Upon entering the cloud at the course's end, Jacobellis experienced a slight loss of speed and went over the heel edge. Despite the setback, she recovered and secured a third place finish for Team USA.

The first win of the season went to Great Britain’s Huw Nightingale and Charlotte Banks, with France’s Loan Bozzolo and Chloe Trespeuch securing second place.

Nick Baumgartner and Stacy Gaskill also participated in the mixed team event, finishing 11th overall.

Next up, men’s and women’s individual competition snowboard cross finals in Les Deux Alpes tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 3. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Mixed Team Snowboard Cross

The FIS Cross Country World Cup made its way to northern Sweden for the first time in over a decade and Jessie Diggins of the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team took home her 15th career World Cup victory and her second podium of the season. 

It was a strong day for the U.S. women's team, with five in the top 30. Diggins finished first, Rosie Brennan tied for sixth, Sophia Laukli 13th, Julia Kern 18th and Novie McCabe 29th. Alayna Sonnesyn crossed the finish line in 40th. 

The last time the World Cup was held in Gällivare was in 2012 when Diggins was only 21 years old and one of the youngest athletes on the team. On the same course, history was made, when Diggins anchored the historic women’s relay that included her then-teammates, Kikkan Randall, Holly Brooks and Liz Stephen. It was the first time in history that the U.S. landed on team podium. Over a decade later, Diggins now 32, is back on top of the Gällivare podium, leading a strong team of young Americans in the process. 

"It was so cool to see all my teammates having great races, too," said Diggins. "We once again had amazing skis thanks to our techs! They put their heart and soul into our skis and my teammates put their heart and soul into their race, and that is what matters."

The 10k course is no easy feat, with two challenging laps, 52 athletes out on course, over 1,140ft of climbing and extremely technical downhills. Throughout the time checks, Diggins never lost the lead. At 8.9k, Diggins had over 20 seconds on Sweden's Ebba Andersson, who ultimately finished the race in second.

Brennan was consistently in the top five throughout each time check and crossed the line tied for sixth with Lotta Udnes Weng of Norway. 

"It was a pretty good day," said Brennan. "I'm generally in a good place right now and am enjoying each day. I'm also really thankful that I get the opportunity to race every weekend!" 

For Laukli, another top 15 is a testament to a strong summer of training and trail running. Over the summer, Laukli won the Golden Trail Series overall, cementing herself as one of the strongest trail runners in the world. Pair a distance race with lots of climbing - Laukli will use that to her advantage. Today she ended the 10k in 13th.

For the men, Gus Schumacher led the team for the second weekend in a row and crossed the finish line in 16th, adding another top-30 result to his roster. Ben Ogden was close behind in 25th, Scott Patterson 35th, Zanden McMullen 36th, John Steel Hagenbuch 45th, Luke Jager 54th and Zak Ketterson 58th. 

At the end of the day, Diggins now has 15 individual World Cup victories to her name and 49 overall World Cup podiums. With a strong start to the 2023-24 season, Diggins is focused on taking it race by race. 

"I wasn't focused on results or time or beating anyone, I was just trying to ski this course as best as I could," said Diggins. 

Up next, the team will compete in the 4x7.5k team relay tomorrow, Dec. 3. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women 10k
Men 10k

Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athlete and Olympic champion Alex Hall secured the win in big air Beijing, the same location where he clinched his Olympic victory in slopestyle at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games. This marks Hall’s 11th World Cup career podium, coming just a week after his 10th podium—a third-place finish in slopestyle in Stubai, Austria.

The jump was stiff, slow and hard in the Shougang Industrial Park, but Hall emerged as the top qualifier on Thursday, giving him some confidence going into today's event. During his first finals run, Hall executed a rightside double cork 900 bringback, solidifying his position at the top. He ended his run with style, spraying snow all over the camera and proudly showing off his MAGMA shirt—an homage to MAGMA 3, the recently released third installment of his backcountry jumps and street skiing movie, in collaboration with Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athlete Hunter Hess.

In his second run, Hall maintained his position with a switch left tail butter 1440 opposite Japan, keeping his number one spot. With an impressive score of 182 points after two runs, Hall comfortably took a victory lap in the third run and ultimately claimed the first-place finish. As the current men's freeski World Cup points leader, he will now don the coveted yellow bib.

“The jump was the best it’s been all week, which was sick,” said Hall. “It’s like T-shirt weather out here, so it got slushy, and it was really fun. I wasn’t necessarily going to come to this event, but then I figured I’d come and just enjoy myself—come to China, enjoy the country, and do the tricks I wanted to do without any pressure. It ended up working out, which I’m really stoked about.”

Edouard Therriault of Canada and Andri Ragettli of Switzerland rounded out the podium in spots two and three. 

Stifel U.S. Freeski Team athletes Mac Forehand, James Kanzler, Cody LaPlante, Troy Podmilsak, Konnor Ralph and Rell Harwood were also in China for the competition but did not make finals. 

Up next, the team heads to the first domestic freeski event of the season in Copper Mountain for the Toyota U.S. Grand Prix and Visa Big Air presented by Toyota Dec. 13 - 16. 

RESULTS 
Men’s big air

The local organizing committee in collaboration with the jury and FIS canceled Friday’s Xfinity Birds of Prey downhill, due to heavy snowfall Thursday night and Friday morning and low visibility. 

The race was pushed back a few hours for volunteers and course workers to move the snow out of the track. The racers were able to inspect the course, but the track was ultimately deemed unsafe for a downhill race. 

The Xfinity Birds of Prey races will resume Saturday with another downhill and Sunday for a super-G. 

HOW TO WATCH 

Saturday, Dec. 2 - downhill
12:45 p.m. – LIVE on Outside (free)
5:00 p.m. – Saturday’s downhill on NBC (delayed)
On demand: Outside+ 

Sunday, Dec. 3 - super-G
12:45 p.m. – LIVE on Outside (free)
4:30 p.m. – super-G (delayed) on NBC
On demand: Outside+ 

Big news this morning out of Salt Lake City! The International Olympic Committee officially named Salt Lake City as the preferred city for the Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games for 2034. Salt Lake City is now in the “targeted dialogue” phase with the IOC, and will await the final decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in July of 2024, following the Paris Olympics.

"I want to offer my sincere congratulations to the SLC-UT bid committee, who have worked so hard to get us to this point," said Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. "We all know how inspiring the Games are, not only for those competing and supporting but for the next generation of elite athletes. We could not be more excited to clear the hurdle we did this morning, knowing that we are in the final stretch to securing the bid."

The announcement this morning recognizes Salt Lake City as the only candidate for 2034 based on the use of existing world-class venues, no significant capital investment required and strong support from Utahns, the national government, and state and city governments.

The IOC also named France as the preferred host of the 2030 Winter Games during the Nov. 29 meeting. If Salt Lake City secures the bid, it will be the fifth time the U.S. has hosted the Olympic Winter Games. 

“The decision of the IOC to invite Salt Lake City-Utah into targeted dialogue as the preferred host for 2034 is a credit to our communities working together to create a welcoming region for sport across our state,” said Frazer Bullock, president & CEO of Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games in a piece published by KSLtv.com. “For more than a decade, our state and community leaders have united towards this goal. The IOC has recognized our high level of preparedness, with all venues in place and active, as well as overwhelming support from our political and business leaders.”

Go Team USA!

(PARK CITY, Utah - Nov. 29, 2023) - U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced today the extension of its partnership with World Cup Supply (WCS) as the organization’s on-hill equipment and safety-related support partner for the next three years.

A leader in competition, resort and event materials athlete and spectator safety, WCS has been a supplier of U.S. Ski & Snowboard since 1991 and has provided quality and innovative products for athletes.

“We are very excited to extend our partnership with World Cup Supply,” said Trisha Worthington, Chief Revenue and Philanthropy Officer of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “For almost 32 years, World Cup Supply has been a loyal partner and we look forward to having their great products on hand for our teams.”

Per the agreement, WCS will continue to deliver gates, panels, safety fencing and other on-hill and event equipment essential for key domestic World Cup, NorAm and national-level events across alpine, cross country, freestyle, snowboard and freeski. Collaborating with SPM Gates, WCS will continue to contribute thousands of gates and hundreds of panels annually for Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team training and events, both domestically and in Europe.

Additionally, WCS will be the designated provider of training bibs for the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team and Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team athletes and air pads for domestic alpine World Cups and national championships events.

WCS prioritizes athlete and participant safety in winter sports and is focused on providing educational resources to share best practices within the sport and industry to reduce injuries. Along with providing on hill equipment, WCS is the title sponsor of U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Club Excellence conference and provides annual monetary support of the Club of the Year award, further showcasing their commitment to safety through education.

“WCS and SPM are extremely proud of our long-standing support of U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes and U.S. Ski & Snowboard-sponsored World Cup events,” said Brad Williams, World Cup Supply, Inc. President. “The equipment and support we both provide is of the highest quality and allows the teams to train productively and safely. After 32 years of partnership it’s hard to imagine not being part of the effort and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

To learn more about World Cup Supply, visit worldcupsupply.com

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About World Cup Supply
World Cup Supply is committed to providing innovative and quality products to the ski racing, resort and event industries. Furthermore, we strongly believe in the role we play in enhancing safety in alpine skiing, alpine ski racing and other action sports. In every aspect of our business, beginning with the highest level of personal attention and service, we strive to exceed the expectations of our customers. For more information, visit worldcupsupply.com

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic and Paralympic 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 competing on 10 teams: alpine, cross country, freestyle moguls, freestyle aerials, snowboard, freeski, nordic combined, ski jumping, Para alpine and Para snowboard. 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