Chase Josey stood alone at the top of the pipe at the Bakuriani 2023 FIS Freestyle Ski, Snowboard, and Freeski World Championships. Amidst a stacked field, he was the sole American to advance to the finals after teammates Joey Okesson, Chase Blackwell and Lucas Foster struggled to lace it together during the qualifying round. After an intense 3-run final, Josey walked away with an 8th place finish. This is Josey’s fourth World Championships appearance, having previously competed on the World Champs stage in 2015, 2019, and 2021.

“Today was good,” said U.S. Snowboard Halfpipe Pro Team coach Maddy Schaffrick. “We didn’t know what the weather was going to bring, but the pipe was in good shape. The snow consistency was a little strange just because it was soft but cold. But Chase rode really well. He’s a seasoned veteran, so he knows how to stay in his zone.”

The day was marked by heavy winds in the morning and intermittent clouds and sun causing the flat bottom of the pipe to soften slightly, which tripped up many competitors throughout training and competition. Ultimately, 16-year-old Chaeun Lee of South Korea landed on top of the podium in his first World Championships appearance, followed by Valentino Guseli of Australia and Jan Scherrer of Switzerland.

Still, Josey was happy with his performance, putting together a combination of tricks that he’s only ever competed with at the Olympic Games. “I went front dub 10, cab 12, switch back 10, double chuk, front 12,” said Josey. “It’s a combo I’ve been working on for years, and it’s been good to land it in qualifiers and then land it again today. It’s just a tech combo that nobody’s really doing, so I’m just proud I landed it. It didn’t really get fully hooked up today but I’ll take eighth. Today was my third time ever doing it in competition so I’m just stoked on that.”

Over on the women’s side, both Zoe Kalapos and Kinsley White fought hard, but failed to advance to finals. They finished 12th and 13th, respectively, each of them earning career best Worlds Championships finishes. Xuetong Cai (CHN) took gold, Elizabeth Hosking (CAN) silver, and Mitsuki Ono (JPN) the bronze.

The 2023 World Championships have wrapped up for the U.S. Snowboard Team, and there’s still more to come this season. Keep up with all the athletes of the U.S. Snowboard team on skiandsnowboard.live and Peacock!

RESULTS

Men

Women

Chase Josey stood alone at the top of the pipe at the Bakuriani 2023 FIS Freestyle Ski, Snowboard, and Freeski World Championships. Amidst a stacked field, he was the sole American to advance to the finals after teammates Joey Okesson, Chase Blackwell and Lucas Foster struggled to lace it together during the qualifying round. After an intense 3-run final, Josey walked away with an 8th place finish. This is Josey’s fourth World Championships appearance, having previously competed on the World Champs stage in 2015, 2019, and 2021.

“Today was good,” said U.S. Snowboard Halfpipe Pro Team coach Maddy Schaffrick. “We didn’t know what the weather was going to bring, but the pipe was in good shape. The snow consistency was a little strange just because it was soft but cold. But Chase rode really well. He’s a seasoned veteran, so he knows how to stay in his zone.”

The day was marked by heavy winds in the morning and intermittent clouds and sun causing the flat bottom of the pipe to soften slightly, which tripped up many competitors throughout training and competition. Ultimately, 16-year-old Chaeun Lee of South Korea landed on top of the podium in his first World Championships appearance, followed by Valentino Guseli of Australia and Jan Scherrer of Switzerland.

Still, Josey was happy with his performance, putting together a combination of tricks that he’s only ever competed with at the Olympic Games. “I went front dub 10, cab 12, switch back 10, double chuk, front 12,” said Josey. “It’s a combo I’ve been working on for years, and it’s been good to land it in qualifiers and then land it again today. It’s just a tech combo that nobody’s really doing, so I’m just proud I landed it. It didn’t really get fully hooked up today but I’ll take eighth. Today was my third time ever doing it in competition so I’m just stoked on that.”

Over on the women’s side, both Zoe Kalapos and Kinsley White fought hard, but failed to advance to finals. They finished 12th and 13th, respectively, each of them earning career best Worlds Championships finishes. Xuetong Cai (CHN) took gold, Elizabeth Hosking (CAN) silver, and Mitsuki Ono (JPN) the bronze.

The 2023 World Championships have wrapped up for the U.S. Snowboard Team, and there’s still more to come this season. Keep up with all the athletes of the U.S. Snowboard team on skiandsnowboard.live and Peacock!

RESULTS

Men

Women

Hailey Swirbul, Rosie Brennan, Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern crossed the finish line in fifth place today, securing a top-five result on the World stage for the 4x5km team relay. 

On a cold, crisp day with fresh snow on a grueling course which has 200m of climbing, two classic racers and two skate racers from each country put their best effort into the 4x5km team relay. 

Sweden, who were the strongest favorites of the day, led off the line with quick tempo and instant speed. Swirbul of the U.S. led the first leg of the race, claiming her spot in the lead pack right behind Germany. Sweden, Norway, Germany and Finland battled for spots through 3km, until the pack started to spread out. Swirbul kept position and came through the roaring Planica stadium in seventh place, less than 40 seconds out of first. 

Tagging off to the next classic skier, Swirbul had a clean tag to teammate Brennan. Brennan was ready to chase, and chase she did. Closing the gap second by second, she charged up the icy uphills and worked the glazed-over downhills. Falling as she entered the stadium and breaking a pole was not part of the plan, but Brennan, as she does, fought back and skied into stadium with all she had, tagging off teammate Diggins to start the skate portion of the relay. 

Diggins, who just two days ago brought home the first ever individual World Championships gold medal for the United States of America in the 10km skate, was ready to skate once again. Right off the bat, Diggins chased. Closing the gap at every kilometer, the team went from a minute back to around 30 seconds, showcasing her speed in short distances. 

With several broken poles in the race, including a broken pole from Ebba Andersson of Sweden, which cost them more than 15 meters and taking away their lead, the women in the field fought hard. 

Diggins skied into the stadium with ferosity and tagged off the U.S. anchor leg, Kern. Kern showed her speed early and did not hold back. With Norway, Germany and Sweden gaining a more significant lead in the last 5km of the day, Kern chased down the pack and was never far behind. As she came into the stadium, her teammates ran to the finish corral to cheer her across the line. With open arms, Diggins, Brennan and Swirbul made room in their arms for Kern to fall into. 

At the end of the day, the women were fifth across the line, a solid result for the U.S. team. The podium featured Norway in first, Germany in a strong second and Sweden in third. 

"Each of us gave it our all today, said Kern. "That is all you can ask for. I'm just super excited for this team and the effort we put in out there." For Diggins, the sentiment was the same. "All you can give is all that you've got, and this is a team that really gives it their all."

Tomorrow, the men will race the 4x10km team relay. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS

Two-time Olympian and World Championship silver medalist Travis Ganong announces his retirement from alpine skiing after 17 years on the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team. The Stifel America’s Downhill in Aspen will be his last domestic race. His final race will be in Soldeu, Andorra at World Cup Finals. 

“I achieved my goals by winning World Cups, earning a medal at the World Champs, fighting for podiums at multiple Olympics, and capping it off last month in Kitzbühel with a podium on the Hahnenkamm was an honor,” said Ganong. “Being an American Downhiller for almost 18 years has been a wild ride!”

Ganong’s list of accomplishments in the sport is unwavering. He is a two-time Olympian and just missed earning a medal in the downhill in Sochi, finishing fifth. And in the 2015 FIS World Alpine Ski Championships, Ganong rocketed down the downhill at Beaver Creek, Colorado to win a World Championships silver medal in front of the home crowd.

After making his World Cup debut in 2009, Ganong went on to win two World Cups in Santa Caterina, Italy in 2014 and in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany in 2017, and have six podium performances ranging from 2014 to 2023. Most notably, he podiumed this season on the famous Kitzbühel track, securing third place in the downhill—a long-time career goal for the veteran racer.

“It’s time to transition from ski racing back to the place it all started: a true love for skiing and experiencing an adventurous life lived outdoors,” said Ganong. “I am excited to continue this journey with the partners who have supported me throughout my career.”

Ganong is also a staunch advocate for the environment, acting as a Protect Our Winters athlete alliance member to lead the charge toward change within the alpine ski industry. He will be speaking on a panel about sustainability at the Stifel America’s Cup in Aspen this weekend alongside Aspen Skiing Company’s SVP of Sustainability Auden Schendler, among others.

The 34 year old plans to continue celebrating his love for the outdoors and skiing by pursuing more backcountry-centered adventures in his home of Tahoe City, California with his fiancé and longtime partner—and fellow World Cup skier—Marie-Michèle Gagnon of Canada, who is also retiring. 

“As an organization, we are so proud of what Travis has accomplished in his long and successful ski racing career,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. “His consistency and talent have always shown through, and we wish him all the luck in his future endeavors. He will always be a part of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard family.”

Ganong retires alongside his longtime teammate and friend Steven Nyman, who announced earlier in the week that he will be retiring at the Stifel America’s Downhill at Aspen. 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard worked with the Associated Press to officially announce Ganong’s retirement. Read the full story here.

Amid the sleet and slush, Nick Baumgartner and Lindsey Jacobellis battled their way to a fourth place finish in the snowboardcross mixed team event at the Bakuriani 2023 FIS Freestyle Ski, Snowboard and Freeski World Championships, finishing as the top American team, followed by Senna Leith and Faye Gulini, who took seventh place.

It was a tough day for the Americans, who came off a full day of racing yesterday in the individual events. Due to inclement weather moving into the Bakuriani region, the decision was made to move the team event up by a full two days. The weather had started to move in by race time, with a mix of sleet and light snow affecting visibility and course speed throughout the event. However, Gulini said of the weather, “I’d rather have things be consolidated and get to race under better conditions than try to ride it out and race in heavy snow and sleet and rain.”

Baumgartner and Jacobellis stormed through the early rounds of competition to the Big Final, but a mistake by Baumgartner resulted in a small crash. With Jacobellis facing a four second deficit at the beginning of her leg, it proved too much to overcome, and the 2022 Olympic gold medalists ultimately missed the podium by one spot.

After the race, an emotional Baumgartner broke down how he was feeling. “I’m happy with how I rode in the first two heats, but it’s a little bit harder when you ruin it for someone else. Yes, when you make a small mistake you have a partner that can make up for it, but when you fall down, you leave them high and dry. It’s a bummer. I just feel bad for Lindsey for not even giving her a chance.”

Still, he acknowledged that Lindsey and his partnership in team events is something special. “We’ve been doing this for so long," said Baumgartner. "Our knowledge comes together and we work well together. She’s been on [the U.S. Snowboard Team] for 20-something years and I’ve been on for eighteen, so I think it’s just that camaraderie you gain over the years being teammates. I let her down this time; it’s unfortunate, but that’s racing."

The other U.S. team event partnership of Leith and Gulini were happy to come away with a seventh place finish after the small final. Ledith said of course conditions: “[They] were really iffy when we came up here and then it made for way better racing than I thought it was going to be.”

“I really lucked out, my teammate was really fast today and I wish I could have done more on my end but we had a good time and I think we rode really well overall," said Gulini. "I’m happy with how the day went aside from maybe a few positions.”

The U.S. Snowboard Team snowboardcross riders will still have plenty of chances at redemption this season, with upcoming World Cup stops in Sierra Nevada, Spain, Veysonnaz, Switzerland, and another chance at a team event podium in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.

The 2023 World Championships will wrap up for the U.S. Snowboard Team with men’s halfpipe, scheduled for March 3 at 1 a.m. ET. Chase Josey will hold it down as the lone American to make finals. Tune in to watch on skiandsnowboard.live and Peacock.

Results
SBX Team Event

HOW TO WATCH
*subject to change

Friday, March 3
1:00 a.m. ET - men’s and women’s halfpipe finals - Peacock, skiandsnowboard.live

On the cusp of the inaugural Stifel America’s Downhill at Aspen, the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team’s first coach is still impacting the athletes over a half-century later. U.S. Ski & Snowboard is thrilled to announce that the organization has reached its $20 million goal to endow the Bob Beattie Athlete Travel Fund.

The Bob Beattie Athlete Travel Fund supports travel expenses for A, B, C and Pro team athletes across alpine, cross country, freestyle, snowboard and freeski. It is unique in the sports world—no other national governing body has an endowment that provides financial support specifically for its athletes’ travel needs. The Beattie Fund is part of the larger Marolt Athlete Endowment campaign, which also raises funds to support coaching, athlete education and sports career transition assistance, in perpetuity.

The fund is named in honor of the late Coach Beattie (1933 – 2018), an icon of the sport of alpine ski racing who led the alpine team to its first men’s medals in 1964 and was a tireless supporter of athletes up to his passing in 2018. Its launch in his name five months prior to his passing was one of his proudest moments.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard thanks all the supporters whose generosity made this achievement possible, especially Board of Trustees members Phill Gross, for his dedication and leadership as the Marolt Athlete Endowment campaign chair, and Karen Arnold, whose passion for this mission drove fundraising forward and across the finish line.  

As one of alpine ski racing’s most passionate pioneers, Beattie remained an outspoken advocate for athlete travel funding throughout his life. The fund was created to specifically close the gap on funding of athlete travel costs to training camps, and domestic and international competitions. While in the past most of those expenses were covered by the team, in recent years a gap in funding created scenarios where athletes were paying to travel with the team.

Beattie stumbled into the national team role in the early 1960s but went on to become its first full-time coach, leading Billy Kidd and Jimmie Heuga to silver and bronze in the 1964 Olympics in Innsbruck. He was one of the originators of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup tour, which began in 1967, and went on to pioneer NASTAR, start World Pro Skiing and become a legendary broadcaster with ABC and ESPN. He remained an active trustee with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Foundation for a half-century and was well known for his impassioned speeches at board members imploring more support for athletes.

As a nonprofit organization, U.S. Ski & Snowboard has limited annual resources to allocate across multiple sports. Endowments like the Bob Beattie Athlete Travel Fund are a great way to augment athlete support and maintain core operational funding. While he was a New Hampshire native, Beattie called Aspen, Colorado home for more than 40 years. It is fitting that we announce the realization of his dream of athlete travel funding ahead of the alpine competition that he championed for many years.

Two U.S. athletes broke into the top twenty in today's 15km individual skate at the 2023 World Championships, with Scott Patterson in 15th and Gus Schumacher in 19th - a strong result for the young men's team. As Head Coach Matt Whitcomb said post-race, the theme of the day was "vicious skiing" by the men's team.  

On a three-lap course of the hilly Slovenian course, it played to the strength of many of the athletes, with working downhills and tactical climbs. With Patterson on the start line were teammates Schumacher, Hunter Wonders and Ben Ogden. With all men having at least one race under their belt of this World Championships and several days of training, the men were ready to compete with the field of 100 other racers, representing over 25+ countries. 

Same as for the women’s 10km skate, the entire tech and coaches staff was on course cheering. At nearly every part of the course, you could see a U.S. coaching staff member yelling splits, or simply just cheering them on until they reached the next person.

For the U.S. men, Patterson led the way for the team. Throughout the entire race, Patterson put up great splits through every course marker. All points throughout the race, he was within the top 20, at some points, in the top ten. As with Patterson, all other athletes posted solid splits on the race. In the first 5k, Wonders was top five in the field, showing his strength and speed out of the gate. Schumacher and Ogden held a consistent and strong pace through the 15k, moving around from top 10, top 15 and top 20 through the 15km of the course. Patterson held strong in the top ten until the last 2km where he ran out of gas. Yet, Patterson pushed until the end and walked away on a high note with only 1.33 minutes out from the top, landing him in the top 15. "I would call it a stellar day for our men out there," said Coach Kristin Bourne. 

Norway won the day, taking the first four spots. Johannes Hosfløt Klaebo was fourth, Hans Christer Holund third, Harald Oestberg Amundsen second and Simen Hegstad Krueger won the gold. For the U.S. team, Patterson led the way and ended the day in 15th, Schumacher was 19th, Ogden 27th and Hunters 33rd.

"All four guys had moments of really great racing out there, and they all skied really well today," said Chris Grover, the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team Program Director. 

Now the team resets for the men's 4x10km relay, which features two legs of skate and two legs of classic technique on Friday, March 3. 

RESULTS

In an unusual day of racing, reigning Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Jacobellis stayed true to form and walked away with a bronze medal in women’s snowboardcross at the Bakuriani 2023 FIS Freestyle Ski, Snowboard and Freeski World Championships. This marks her sixth career individual Worlds medal, in addition to two team event medals from 2017 and 2019. Jacobellis is the most dominant snowboardcross athlete of all time, and on a day marked by gnarly crashes and surprise early eliminations from some heavy hitters, she persevered.

“I was really excited after training because I was putting down some really great times. The only thing is everyone can then study your lines!” laughed Jacobellis. “I was having a lot of trouble with the start today, so my game plan was to hang back and just carry speed through turn two and try to pass along the way. It’s not always the best option but it was what was working for me and my goal was just to be top two and advance and take it one heat at a time. I was really excited to be able to get on the podium here. It’s always a big challenge just to make it into finals, so I’m very happy with myself.”

Due to incoming weather in the Bakuriani, Georgia region over the next few days, the decision was made to cancel time trial qualifying rounds, and move straight into finals with seeded heats. This meant the men started at a round of 16 heats, rather than their usual eight heats for finals, and the women started in eight heat finals instead of their usual quarterfinal start.

The U.S. men started out strong with all four athletes advancing past the 1/16 final round. However, Jake Vedder and Mick Dierdorff were unable to make it past the round of eight, with Nick Baumgartner and Senna Leith going out at the quarterfinal round. It was a bittersweet day for double 2019 World Champion Dierdorff, who announced that this would be the final race of his competitive career.

Reflecting on his career and upcoming retirement, Dierdorff said, “I’m excited for sure. It’s been so fun. I didn’t plan on being able to have a spot at World Champs, so it’s been super cool getting to be here racing with all the guys and gals one more time. Definitely didn’t go how I was hoping but that is boardercross sometimes. No bad feelings, I’m just excited. It’s been a good career, and I’m ready for the next thing.”

Next up for Dierdorff? Wedding planning with his fiancée Katie, starting his own contracting business and working with young snowboarders as a coach at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.

Over on the women’s side, tough snow conditions and stiff competition made for a difficult day as well. Bri Schnorrbusch, competing in her first World Championships, was unable to make it out of the round of eight. Although they fought hard, Faye Gulini and Stacy Gaskill both went out during the quarterfinal round. 

Despite their early exits from the competition, all the athletes stuck around to watch Jacobellis power through to a bronze medal. Cheering alongside U.S. Snowboard Slopestyle Team coaches and other team staff, the finish area erupted in cheers for Jacobellis as she crossed the finish line in the Big Final. She was joined on the podium by Eva Adamczykova of the Czech Republic in first, and Josie Baff of Australia in second. The men’s podium saw Jakob Dusek of Austria take the win, followed by Martin Noerl of Germany in second, and Omar Visintin of Italy in third.

There’s still plenty of snowboard action to come from Bakuriani. Men’s and women’s snowboard halfpipe finals are scheduled for Friday, March 5 at 1 a.m. ET and men’s and women’s snowboard big air finals on Sunday, March 5 at 5 a.m. ET. The U.S. Snowboardcross Team also has one more chance at a medal with the team competition coming up on Saturday, March 4 at 5:30 a.m. ET. 

Results
Women
Men
 

HOW TO WATCH
*all times ET and subject to change

Friday, March 3
1:00 a.m. ET - men’s and women’s halfpipe finals - Peacock, skiandsnowboard.live

Saturday, March 4
5:30 a.m. ET - team snowboardcross - Peacock, skiandsnowboard.live

Sunday, March 5
5:00 a.m. ET - men’s and women’s big air finals - Peacock, skiandsnowboard.live

At this year's World Championships, you may have heard familiar voices commentating on the multiple races in Planica, Slovenia - that's because five-time Olympian and Olympic champion Kikkan Randall and NBC's Chad Salmela were in the booth for InFront's streaming site skiandsnowboard.live.

Randall has a storied career in cross country skiing. She won the first ever gold medal for Team USA in the 2018 Games with Jessie Diggins and competed in nine World Championships in her career, standing on the podium in three, including the team relay gold, again with Diggins by her side. One of the most decorated skiers in the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team history books with over 14 World Cup wins, Randall's history and perspective within the sport of cross country skiing comes through in the commentating booth. 

Along with Randall is Salmela, a former U.S. Biathlon Team athlete from 1990-98 and commentator of over five Olympics. He has been calling cross country races for years, including the race that Randall and Diggins won at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games - the team sprint. Salmela's "HERE COMES DIGGINS, HERE COMES DIGGINS" screams were heard through the screens of millions of Americans on the day that Diggins and Randall brought home an Olympic gold medal in 2018, and now he is back in the booth aside Randall calling the next rounds of history. 

Catch the two legends together commentating on the remaining races of the FIS Cross Country World Cup circuit, LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. With over three weeks left of the season, with the World Cup crystal globe in reach, Randall and Salmela will be taking us through this journey with them. 

Jessie Diggins made history at World Championships with a gold medal in the women's 10km skate - the first individual World Championships gold medal in history for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. "This was one of the best races of my life," Diggins said. "I didn't want to believe it until the race was finished, but I when i finally got up off the snow I realized this was the best race of my life - it was really special."

Diggins is now the first U.S. woman with an individual World Championships gold medal. "I hope that this inspires the next generation to know that you can do it and work hard with a great team," she said. "I hope it inspires some little kids with glitter back home!"

It was the sixth day of racing in Planica, the stakes were high in the 10km skate race. With the Swedish team standing atop the podium in every race of the championships so far for the women, there was pressure to shake it up. Coming fresh off a bronze medal in the team sprint with teammate Julia Kern, Diggins was well prepared for the 10km along with teammates Rosie Brennan, Sophia Laukli and Kern. All started within a few minutes of each other in the strong 81-woman field and right out of the starting pen, racers were giving it their all. 

Through the first split zone at .9km, Diggins was 1.1 seconds back from the leader, Jonna Sundling of Sweden. Right in the mix was Brennan, who clocked in at fourth place - only two seconds back. With the pace progressing faster and faster, Diggins held it together, taking over the lead position starting at the 2.2km marker and never letting it up until she crossed the finish line. Laukli, Kern and Brennan kept a consistent pace through the twists and turns of the two lap course and as the splits showed, continually picked racers off. At the last time check marker at 7.7km, Diggins was first, Brennan was 11th, Laukli 25th and Kern 36th. 

"I was really excited for the race today. I’m a big fan of these courses so I was psyched to see what I could do," said Laukli. "The race itself went well and I felt great which I was happy about. I also had a lot of fun throughout the race and moving up bit by bit. Results-wise, I was maybe a little bummed and wanted a bit more, but that’s just how it goes sometimes. So overall I was happy to feel good and have some fun out there, which is all I could really ask for."

For Kern, after her race she focused on how big this day was for the entire team - merely hours after she brought home a World Championship medal with Diggins in the team sprint. 

"Although today was personally not the day I dreamed of, it was a huge day for our team," said Kern. "I am so incredibly proud of how our team reached a big milestone today, and how Jessie skied her heart out! I’m proud that I went out hard with the intention of being in the fight from the beginning. It is hard to post a top result by racing conservatively, so I went for it and unfortunately today was one of those days that things didn’t come together, and I am not sure why."

Diggins win today was also the first time a non-European won a gold medal at the World Championships since 2017. 

Behind Diggins in the silver medal position was Sweden's Frida Karlsson and bronze was Ebba Andersson. As for her teammates, Brennan finished 15th, Laukli 25th and Kern 34th. 

Now, the team focuses on the men's 15km tomorrow, March 1. 

RESULTS
Women's 10k