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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Q: What are you most proud of?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

CUP STANDINGS
Women’s giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH (ET)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RESULTS
Women
Men

In a season marked with historic results, moments and victories, Diggins won the last race of the season in Falun, Sweden to take home the overall and distance FIS Cross Country World Cup Crystal Globes, cementing herself as the world’s most dominant cross country skier in the world in the 2023-24 season.

Coming into the final race of the season with only a 75 point lead for the overall Globe over Sweden’s Linn Svahn, Diggins stepped on the gas to win the 20k skate and secure the overall Crystal Globe. It was Diggins’ six individual win in the 2023-24 season, the most races an American has ever won in a single cross country season.

The 2023-24 season has been historic. But before it began, she had an openly challenging summer. This fall, the most decorated American cross country skier in history spoke candidly on a subject often taboo in many sports: her mental health. Before the season began, her eating disorder resurfaced after more than 12 years of recovery. Going into the season, she was unsure if she would even race or what the future of her career held. “Race by race, day by day” became her season mantra. She never shared her goals, but just focused on getting to the start line with a smile and focusing on what she could control. 

"My only goal was to have the most fun," said Diggins after the race. "I wanted to ski a brave race and put my whole heart out there and that’s what I did. I’m really proud of how the season ended, but I’m even more proud of my team for being there for me. It’s been a lot of ups and downs and it hasn’t been easy. It’s been a hard year and that’s why it’s so special that we did it together. It was very cool to win the globes but it was even more important that I had fun today. "

Diggins took her new-found motivation into this season, podiuming 12 times and winning six races, which all started with her first victory coming in a gutsy 10k skate in Gällivare, Sweden. Just before Gällivare, she was on her first podium of the season in Ruka, alongside teammate Rosie Brennan, where she defeated all odds by losing a pole and a glove and was hit in the face, while still managing to cross the line in second. 

It is no surprise that Diggins gives it her all, in every race, every discipline, week after week. Winning the overall Crystal Globe is no easy feat. The globe is a testament to a skier who can excel in each discipline, both classic and skate, distance and sprint. This showed spectacularly at the Tour de Ski, a seven-stage, nine-day series of races that takes teams to three different venues. At the Tour, Diggins was once again unsure if she would be able to compete, after a difficult period of racing where her mental health was at the forefront. Yet, she maintained her mindset and intentions set at the beginning of the season and took it race by race. She won the Toblach 20k skate, podiumed in three other races and took home the Tour trophy for the second time in her career – a feat never achieved by another American. 

Diggins’ second overall Crystal Globe and second discipline Globe are also historic. She won the overall in 2021, but prior to her, the last American to win an overall Globe was Bill Koch in 1982. Kikkan Randall – Diggins’ counterpart in the infamous 2018 Olympic Winter Games gold medal team sprint – was the only other American to take home a Globe with three in the sprint discipline. 

Diggins’ success this season trumps all the rest. Though she just closed out the most successful World Cup season of her career, her biggest success may not be the overall Crystal Globe, but rather, it may have been crossing that last finish line in Falun with the biggest smile across her face.

OVERALL
Women
Men

A stellar course and spring-like conditions set the scene for Saturday morning's slopestyle finals at the Tignes World Cup and the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team looked primed and ready to throw down.

The men’s final featured five Americans, including Mac Forehand, Konnor Ralph, Troy Podmilsak, Hunter Henderson and Alex Hall, who took home the Tignes World Cup big air title and 2023-24 big air Crystal Globe just 12 hours prior.

Coming off his Spring Battle win, Henderson was first to drop for the Americans and threw two 1620s to earn him a solid score of 69.15. Podmilsak and Hall, the two Park City natives, nailed their first runs top-bottom and were the first two competitors of the day to crack into the 80s.

After an impressive showing in qualifications, Ralph put down an explosive first run, capping it off with a double cork 18 with a safety grab and noting, “that’s the best run i’ve ever done!” said Ralph to the cameras in the finish. His clean run was rewarded with a 83.95, putting him just behind teammate Podmilsak.

After seeing his teammates throw down, the pressure was on for top American qualifier Forehand to deliver, and the X Games gold medalist put on a show. Forehand’s first run was a masterclass in slopestyle skiing, throwing a massive switch right double cork 1440 safety and a near-perfect switch left double cork 1620 cuban on the first two jumps and nailing a switch left 630 back 270 on the second rail feature. Forehand was ecstatic with his result in the finish as the judges awarded his run an 85.21, which would hold on to be the top-scoring run of the day in Tignes to secure Forehand his first World Cup slopestyle victory since 2019.

“It’s been a long road and I’ve been working super hard this year,” said Forehand in a post-contest interview, “It’s been five years since my last slopestyle win and it just means the world when all the hard work finally pays off.”

Joining Forehand in the top three was teammate Ralph, who earned his first World Cup podium of his career. Norway’s Tormod Frostad took second place, Hall ended his Tignes campaign in fourth and Podmilsak finished the day in fifth. Henderson took 13th.

Rell Harwood represented the Stifel U.S. Freeski Team on the women’s side and finished the day eighth overall.

The Stifel U.S. Freeski Team heads to Silvaplana for the final slopestyle World Cup of the season. With both overall and discipline-specific Crystal Globes on the line, it will certainly be an entertaining season finale.

Results
Women
Men

In the final slalom race of the 2023-24 season on Saturday, March 16, Mikaela Shiffrin earned her 97th career World Cup victory and was officially awarded her record-equaling eighth slalom Crystal Globe. 

After missing six weeks of racing due to an injury sustained in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy in January, Shiffrin came to win, once again flaunting her slalom prowess with victory 96 in Are, Sweden. She backed that up on Saturday with yet another slalom win at World Cup Finals in Saalbach, Austria, closing the season in spectacular fashion. 

“It is incredible,” Shiffrin reflected on her 97th career victory. “It’s a lot of work for the whole team. Situations like this, for me, with this season, you have to rely on the people around you supporting you so much. It’s always that way, but when you’re trying to come back from an injury, and it’s kind of a rush, and it’s stressful, and it’s important for everyone… It just shows even more how important the support system around me is working, and I’m so grateful for it. I’m so happy to have these final two races, which is giving us something to be really proud of going into the prep season.” 

Warm temperatures and soft snow created challenging conditions for all of the athletes on Saturday, and was a battle for the race organizers to keep the track firm. Despite several DNFs, Shiffrin, who was sitting in second coming into her final run of the day, was able to turn on the heat and take the win ahead of Norway’s Mina Fuerst Holtmann in second, .54 seconds off of Shiffrin, and Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson in third, .63 off the pace. 

It was a season to remember. Shiffrin grabbed her 16th career Crystal Globe and had nine World Cup victories and 15 World Cup podiums this season across three disciplines. Saturday’s win brings her slalom win tally to 60 victories and 152 podiums. There were highs and lows, and Shiffrin now looks ahead to the 2024-25 prep period. 

Paula Moltzan also started in Saturday’s slalom and skied a solid seventh-place first run within striking distance of the podium. She was having a blazing fast second run, leading the second split by .55, when she straddled and did an acrobatic recovery to stay on her feet. Thankfully, she is OK and will start in Sunday’s giant slalom. 

The World Cup Finals will continue on Sunday with a women’s giant slalom race, followed by a speed weekend featuring downhill and super-G. 

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

CUP STANDINGS
Women's slalom

HOW TO WATCH (ET)

March 17
3:00 a.m. - women’s giant slalom, run 1 - Peacock
4:30 a.m. - men’s slalom, run 1 - Peacock
6:00 a.m. - women’s giant slalom, run 2 - Peacock
7:30 a.m. - women’s slalom, run 2 - Peacock 

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

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

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

The Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls athletes have been putting on a show worldwide all season, and today’s dual moguls World Cup finals were no exception. Jaelin Kauf, Elizabeth Lemley and Nick Page stood on the podium, and 10 U.S. athletes finished in the top 10. 

The conditions could not have been better for the final World Cup of the season, with bluebird skies and just below freezing temperatures creating a perfect competition surface. 

Despite a few difficult matchups, the team started the day strong in their qualification duals. All 12 U.S. athletes advanced to the finals round of 16. 

The U.S. men put on one of their best performances of the season. Nick Page came back from a difficult season to finish things off on the podium, finishing third. Rounding out the top five was Dylan Walczyk, a veteran on the team who earned a season’s best result, finishing in fifth place. Newcomer Dylan Marcellini also made the quarterfinals, taking place, and Cole McDonald earned another top 10 result in 10th. Landon Wendler faced off against the greatest moguls skier of all time, Mikael Kingsbury, in the round of 16 to take 16th. 

On the women’s side, the results were nothing short of spectacular. The women avoided dueling each other in qualification, allowing all seven to advance to the finals. The first USA battle was Kasey Hogg vs. Hannah Soar in the round of 16, where Hannah Soar advanced and Kasey Hogg finished 12th. 

It was an all-American affair in the quarterfinals as only two athletes from other countries (Anthony Jakara of Australia and Maia Schwinghammer of Canada advanced. Tess Johnson took on the overall World Cup leader, Jakara, and finished eighth on the day. U.S. athletes Soar and Lemley went head to head, and Lemley advanced by a small margin; Soar finished sixth. Alli Macuga and Olivia Giaccio also dueled in the quarters. Giaccio displayed her technical perfection to advance into the semis; Macuga finished seventh and Giaccio went on to finish just off the podium in fourth place. Lemley, returning from a hiatus from the circuit after winning gold at the Youth Olympic Games, finished third alongside Jaelin Kauf, who finished second. 

As the World Cup season concluded, awards for the overall moguls and dual moguls standings were presented. Jaelin Kauf and Olivia Giaccio went second and third, respectively, in both the duals and overall moguls season standings, showcasing their incredible strength and consistency throughout the season. Six U.S. women ranked in the top 10, and Nick Page finished the season fifth in both dual moguls and overall. 

"I think the biggest factor in our success this year was a team culture built around shared success and an attitude of continually striving to do one’s best. The focus wasn’t on results but on consistent quality performances," said Bryon Wilson, head coach of the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Ski Team moguls team. "I’m blessed to coach such an amazing group of people. We have the best team in the world athletically, which is amazing, but what I love most is the great human beings they are all. As we finish this season and start thinking about next year's prep, I think we will focus a lot on attention to detail. There are a few little things that if we can consistently execute better, I think we can achieve even more success. This season was a blast and I look forward to seeing what everyone is capable of moving forward."

The entire team is now headed back stateside to finish out the season at U.S. Freestyle Championships in Waterville, New Hampshire, March 22-23. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

Olympic gold medalist Alex Hall rose to the occasion under Friday night lights at the Mountain Shaker World Cup big air final in Tignes, adding another World Cup victory and the 2023-24 big air Crystal Globe to his already impressive resume.

After a disappointing 18.00 first run score, the Park City native was forced to bank his chances on a successful big air season finale showing on his final two runs. Hall attempted the same trick on run two, stomping a right double-cork 1080 bring-back to 900 that scored a massive 90.50 to put him back into podium contention. With a three run, low-score drop format, the pressure was on for Hall to nail his final attempt—and did he deliver.

In front of a rambunctious crowd in Tignes, Hall’s switch left tailbutter 1800 that he premiered at X Games in February made its World Cup debut, earning a monster score of 96.00 to secure Hall the top spot in the final big air competition of the season, as well as the big air Crystal Globe—the first of his career.

After considering pulling out of the final World Cup competitions to focus on personal filming projects, Hall was noticeably surprised with his achievements. “I didn’t really know I was in the running before this. I wasn’t sure,” said Hall. “I’ve been competing a long time but haven't won a Globe, so it feels pretty sick to get one.”

When asked about his gutsy decision to throw the 18 on his third attempt, Hall knew he had to go big in order to beat the likes of Norway’s Leo Landroe and Switzerland’s Andri Ragettli. “Everyone was killing it so I knew I had to throw something down, but I didn’t know if I was going 14 or 18 until about seconds before dropping,” Hall joked. “I was a little unsure of the speed too, but I figured I’d just point ’em from the top and go for it. I’m hype to land that one; it’s one of the better jumps I’ve done for sure.”

Landroe finished second overall in Tignes and Ragettli took third, earning the Swiss the runner-up big air Crystal Globe. Italy’s Miro Tabanelli rounded out the big air World Cup standings, finishing third overall for the 2023-24 season.

Mac Forehand was the only other American to join Hall in men’s finals and finished the day seventh overall as well as earning fifth place in the overall 2023-24 big air World Cup standings. On the women’s side, Rell Harwood represented the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and was just off the podium in fourth place and finished ranked ninth in the world in big air this season. 

Hall, Forehand and Harwood will be joined by teammates Hunter Henderson, Cody Laplante, Troy Podmilsak and Konnor Ralph on Saturday, March 15 for the Tignes Mountain Shaker World Cup slopestyle final. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

In the final World Cup giant slalom of the season in Saalbach, Austria, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete River Radamus skied to 17th place and the World Juniors giant slalom champion Ryder Sarchett made his World Cup debut. 

The Austrian crowds were in full force to watch the best of the best put it to the test in Saalbach. The conditions felt like spring with warm temperatures and light rain on a heavily salted course. 

The course deteriorated in the first run, as the skiers raced for the final time in the giant slalom season. Radamus had trouble finding his rhythm and finished the first run in 15th place. Sarchett, a bit nervous, made it down with a sizable mistake, ready to make up time on the second run. 

Sarchett, the World Juniors giant slalom champion, showed off his talent running first on the second run. He skied smooth and fast to land in the leaderboard for two racers. Sarchett ended up having the third-fastest second run, a remarkable feat for the up-and-coming racer. Sarchett was sure to soak in the experience. 

“I am a little disappointed with the first run,” said Sarchett. “I didn't ski my best and I felt like I left a lot on the table. But my second run was really fun. It felt like my normal skiing and was fast and that feels good.” 

“It’s definitely the next level to be here and there is a reason why it's the World Cup," he added. "You have to be on your game and I think that’s really cool and will hopefully motivate me."

Radamus finished his day in 17th place, not his best finish, but leaves him ready to come back stronger for the next season. Radamus will finish the giant slalom rankings in 11th, his best ranking to date. 

“It’s been a great season. I feel like I’ve made some strides to where I want to be with my giant slalom skiing,” said Radamus. “Two bad runs here - I wish I could have finished it on a stronger note but I will take the motivation and frustration I have into the off-season to get better for next year.”

It was a dramatic end to the giant slalom season for Swiss star Marco Odermatt. Odermatt was chasing his 13th giant slalom victory in a row but on the second run he caught an edge and could not complete the run. Teammate Loic Meillard took the win to cap off what has been a streak of podiums in the recent races. Second place went to Andorra racer Joan Verdu, his second podium of the season. Swiss skier Thomas Tumler was third. 

World Cup Finals will continue with a men’s slalom race on Sunday and the following weekend will feature men’s downhill and super-G. 

RESULTS
Men's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH 

March 17
3:00 a.m. - women’s giant slalom, run 1 - Peacock
4:30 a.m. - men’s slalom, run 1 - Peacock
6:00 a.m. - women’s giant slalom, run 2 - Peacock
7:30 a.m. - women’s slalom, run 2 - Peacock 

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

March 23
5:15 a.m. - women’s downhill - Peacock

March 24
5:15 a.m. - men’s downhill - Peacock 

On the first day of competition in Falun, Sweden for the 2024 World Cup Finals, JC Schoonmaker led the way for the Americans, finishing in ninth place, not made easier by the pouring rain and heavy fog that enveloped the course from the start of the day to the end. 

The weather was not in anyone's favor today. With warm temperatures, snow was not in the forecast, rain was. With the threat lingering in the morning, the humid air and grey clouds, rain was inevitable. With the race only minutes away, rain jackets were shed, thrown into trash bags and ran to the finish to put right back after atheltes took a lap around the challenging sprint course. Featuring a long-striding incline out of the start gate, straight to a long climb, it was not easy. Then, it got harder. Straight into a horseshoe, banked turn, the athletes were not met with nice conditions, making this course more challenging than it already was. As athletes took another screaming left-hand turn, they were met with one more final climb, over a bridge into the stadium, with a double poll finish.

In the qualifications. six Americans advanced, including Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, Rosie Brennan, Schoonmaker, Gus Schumacher and Zanden McMullen based on their top 30 results. With waxing conditions already challenging from the get-go, it was the skis that were going to make the biggest difference today, which left wax techs from around the world scrambling to find the best kick and glide. 

Into the quarterfinals, the Americans only sent one through to the semifinals - Schoonmaker. Though five of the U.S. athletes did not advance, it was a day filled with great racing, where our athletes not only showed up but showed some grit. 

For Diggins, the pressure of leading the Overall World Cup Globe and the Distance Globe standings have been a main storyline for all in Falun, and with today's result, Diggins continues to maintain her positive outlook.

"Overall, I feel like my energy is good after today," said Diggins. "To be totally honest, it's been a very long season, a long time from home, but my goals and priorities are different than what others may have for me, and out of everything I can control, I feel like I am very proud of how I skied. For me, the most important thing is that I don't let other people's priorities take away my joy in ski racing and sometimes that's hard to do but that is what I'm focused on."

For Alaska's McMullen, who just capped his career-best result on Tuesday in Drammen, today was another step in the right direction for the young skier. "This is awesome. I am definitely feeling the fatigue of the whole season and this last week, but it's so nice to slowly climb up," said McMullen. "I am so happy for this whole season, it's been so fun and i'm just excited to see what I can do for the last two!"

Into the semis, Schoonmaker skied another tactful race, pushing on the uphills, taking the inside corner into a draft into the descent and charing the final climbs. Though it was not enough this time, Schoonmaker still nabbed a top-ten result, his second in a row.

"I feel pretty good about today," said Schoonmaker. "This season has been pretty consistent with qualifying, which is really nice and constantly gaining experience. "I would have liked to finish off the season better but I am already excited for next year." 

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway dominated the field, claiming the top spot on the podium and taking home the Sprint Crystal Globe. For the women, Norway's Kristine Staavas Skistad took home her second sprint victory of the week, with Sweden's Linn Svahn taking home his Sprint Crystal Globe for the women. For the U.S., Diggins led the way for the women, finishing in 18th, with Rosie Brennan fresh off a classic sprint podium three days ago in Drammen, in 20th and Julia Kern in 24th. For the men, Gus Schumacher was back in the top 30 in 19th and McMullen in 20th. 

With the season continuing tomorrow with a 10k classic, the competition in the World Cup standings is expected to intensify further. With Diggins leading the charge and Svahn closely following, it will be an exciting end to an already historic season for the Stifel U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. 

RESULTS
Men
Women

WORLD CUP OVERALL
Men
Women