Olympian and Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Jackie Wiles is back in the States and has gotten surgery for the second time this season, following a minor knee injury sustained prior to the FIS Ski World Championship downhill at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. 

Wiles had surgery earlier this season, following a crash in the super-G at Val d'Isere, France that left her with a broken clavicle, but she returned to competition in early January and was able to compete at Cortina 2021. She provided an update on Instagram following her return to the States and her surgery.  

Three months later, left Europe with two injuries and now here we go for another surgery.

Sadly my season is ending early once again. Hurt my knee warming up for the downhill race in Cortina. I’m frustrated, yet eager to push back stronger. I came into this season finally feeling like my old self but immediately battled injuries all season. Luckily it’s nothing serious just a little clean up.

Already missing the feeling of skiing but until then the grind and focus won’t stop! Good luck to my girls racing this weekend in San Pellegrino. I’ll be cheering loudly from home!! 💙🇺🇸💪🏼🎉

 

 

 

 

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Two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin has been nominated for the 2021 Laureus World Sports Awards "Comeback of the Year" Award. 

The 2021 Laureus World Sports Awards will be a ‘virtual’ event, in place of the annual gala ceremony in order to respect continued social distancing measures.  However, the Awards—to be held in early May—will continue to celebrate the achievements of sportsmen and women and their impact on society.

The Laureus World Comeback of the Year Nominees personify the true spirit, determination, and tenacity of athletes who have overcome hurdles to return to action. Shiffrin came back from a break following her father’s death to start winning again, Japan’s Kento Momota, badminton’s world No.1, returned to competition after surviving a serious car crash, Canada’s Max Parrot recovered from cancer to win two X-Games snowboarding gold medals, Alex Smith came back to play for Washington in the NFL, 728 days and 17 operations after a leg injury, baseball’s Daniel Bard returned to top-level pitching after seven years because of ‘yips’, and US football star Alex Morgan made her debut for London club Tottenham just 184 days after giving birth.

Though the tragic death of her father paired with the global pandemic had her sidelined for 10 months from FIS Ski World Cup competition, it didn't take long for Shiffrin to return to the top and show her resilience and dominance once again on the World Cup circuit, with a giant slalom victory in Courchevel, France in December. She went into the 2021 World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy with an open mind and just a few days of super-G training under her belt, but blew everyone away when she nearly won the super-G, and grabbed a surprising bronze despite four days of training. From there, it was alpine combined gold, giant slalom silver (by a historically tight margin of .02), and slalom bronze. Four events and four medals. In doing so, Shiffrin rewrote the record books, once again. 

Shiffrin's World Championships Stats:

• Four world championships medals at Cortina 2021 (career-best world champs)
• First skier - male or female - to win four medals at the world championships in 14 years. 
• Tied with Sweden's Anja Paerson for the most World Championships medals by a woman in the modern era (11).
• Most Decorated American Alpine Skier in History (11 medals)
• Most World Championship Gold Medals for American Alpine Skier (6 gold)
• First American winner of the women’s combined since Tamara McKinney won it in 1989 at the worlds in Vail.

Not only did Shiffrin wow the world with her on-snow prowess, but she, her mother Eileen, and brother Taylor joined forces with U.S. Ski & Snowboard and six families of generous donors, who wanted to honor both Jeff’s legacy, as well as contribute to the ongoing pursuit of excellence for all athletes across all sports. The Jeff Shiffrin Athlete Resiliency Fund was created, and Shiffrin helped to raise over $3,075,000 to support all athletes and teams during these uncertain and unprecedented times. 

Shiffrin rallied a crew of alumni athletes and current athletes who embody the definition of “resiliency,” including Olympic champions Jonny Mosely, Kikkan Randall, Jessie Diggins as well as three-time World Champion Jeremy Bloom and three-time World Cup winner and Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team downhiller Steven Nyman, to share their unique stories of resilience. In addition, over 30 athletes across sports shared their stories of resilience in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s social media challenge to #KeepTheFlameAlive. Donations flooded in from around the world, including 19 different countries, and 39 states—with Colorado and New York amassing the most donations. From Latvia to Great Britain and even Luxembourg, U.S. Ski & Snowboard fans from around the world donated and shared their words of encouragement with Shiffrin and her teammates. 

Voted for by the world’s sports media, the Laureus Awards will be announced in May as part of a ‘Virtual’ Awards event aimed at not only celebrating the highest sporting achievement but also honoring those whose actions have transcended the court, track, or field of play. 

For more information on the Nominees and to stay updated in the build-up to the 2021 Laureus World Sports Awards, visit laureus.com/world-sports-awards and follow #Laureus21 on social platforms. 

Release courtesy of Laureus. 

The Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team heads into Thursday’s kickoff of the 2021 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with a talent-stacked team that has experienced one of its best seasons ever with 15 World Cup podiums, numerous breakout performances, and a current World Cup leader in Jessie Diggins.

The 42nd annual World Championships open the six-race event with the classic sprint Thursday, followed by the 15k skiathlon for the women and 30k skiathlon for the men Saturday. NBC will provide same-day broadcast coverage for both events with the classic sprint on NBCSN and the skiathlon on the Olympic Channel - Home of Team USA. All six cross country events, including all nordic combined and ski jumping events, will be streamed live on Peacock, NBC’s live streaming platform.

In addition to Diggins, the U.S. Team features numerous veteran athletes with Olympic and World Championships experience, plus a solid core of younger athletes with numerous Junior and U23 World Championship medals who are all rising to the occasion this season with either World Cup podiums, or breakout performances.

“I think it's really a super cool time for those young athletes to be here because right now we don't just have one person doing well,” noted 10-year U.S. Cross Country Team member Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, who is competing in her sixth World Championships, and who teamed up with Diggins to win the team sprint bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships. Maubet Bjornsen, along with her teammates Simi Hamilton, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton, Rosie Brennan, and Diggins are all making a huge impact on these younger athletes, in addition to competing directly with them. “It's been really cool to have these young people around to see so many different examples of what people are good at, or where they came from, or what their story looked like, or what kind of nerves they have before the race,” she added. “And so, yeah, it's one of the neatest times to be part of this team.”

2020 Junior World Champion Gus Schumacher leads the way for the younger group of athletes that also include Hailey Swirbul, a two-time Junior World Championships medalist; Katharine Ogden, a 2017 Junior World Championships bronze medalist; Julia Kern, a 2020 U23 World Championships bronze medalist; and Sophia Laukl, a 2020 Junior World Championships silver medalist. While each of these athletes come from different parts of the country, they come together during the competition season to form a tight support group, almost family-like during the long season on the road in Europe. 

For example, Schumacher is racing his first full season at the World Cup level and has continued to climb the results later in numerous races, including a career-best result in eighth in the 15k classic mass start at the FIS Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme, Italy. But after four months on the road bouncing between Scandinavia and Central Europe a couple of times, he is thankful for his teammates and the staff for all the support and the overall team environment that during normal times is challenging enough.

“I've been really thankful to race and...I think the biggest part is having such a good, supportive - like family - team that I can be around for so much of the year,” he said.  

That supportive, family atmosphere, will be on full display during the 2021 World Championships as this team shows its all-around strength. “I have a lot of confidence in the team this year, I think the results thus far speak for themselves,” noted Davis U.S. Cross Country Team Coach Matt Whitcomb. “What's new this year and I think, will be seen as just the tip of the iceberg, is the direction that men’s skiing is taking right now.”

In the opening classic sprint, Diggins, Brennan, Caldwell Hamilton, and Kern will start for the women. For the men, speedsters Logan Hanneman, Kevin Bolger, JC Schoonmaker, and Ben Ogden will represent the U.S. In the first distance race, Saturday’s skiathlon, Diggins, Brennan, Laukli, and Katharine Ogden start for the women, while David Norris, Scott Patterson, Wonders, and Ben Ogden will start for the men.

For Diggins and Brennan, kicking off Thursday’s sprint may be the first of five or six events they both compete at these World Championships. And, as both have proven throughout the season, they have podium potential.

“(Jessie) does extremely well and head to head competitions, but I think what people are starting to understand is that there is no race that she can be counted out in any longer,” Whitcomb said. Indeed, Diggins has spent the past few years honing her classic technique to become an all-around threat. “I think everyone can agree that Jessie's technique, and particularly classic skiing over the last several years, has been one of just great progress, and she's a much more efficient skier now. And if Jessie's in the pack with a kilometer to go, people are in trouble.”

Heading into Sunday with the team sprint, and the second week of the championships both the men's and women’s team relay are potential opportunities for the U.S. Team to shine. But regardless of the outcome at these World Championships and the remaining World Cup races, the support and camaraderie are cornerstones of this team that will carry on to the next generation.

“What I'm going to look back on and be the most grateful is how we really held it tight together as a team and really trusted one another and that's pretty cool,” Diggins said.

HOW TO WATCH
All Times EST

Thursday, Feb 25
5:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men's and Women's Sprint Finals - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel
5:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men and Women’s Classic Sprint - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
11:00 a.m. FIS World Ski Jumping Championships Women’s HS106 - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
12:30 p.m. FIS World Ski Jumping Championships Women’s HS106 - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Olympic Channel
2:30 p.m. FIS World Nordic Championships Men's and Women's Sprint Finals - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast NBCSN

Friday, Feb. 26
4:15 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Men’s HS106 - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
9:00 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Men’s HS106 - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel
10:00 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Men’s 10k - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel
10:00 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Men’s 10k - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Saturday, Feb. 27
4:00 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Women’s HS106 - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
5:45 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 15k Skiathlon - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
7:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 30k Skiathlon - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
9:30 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Women’s 5k - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
10:30 a.m. FIS World Ski Jumping Championships Men’s HS106 - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
9:00 p.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Women’s HS106 and 5k - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel
10:00 p.m. FIS World Ski Jumping Championships Men’s HS106 - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Olympic Channel

Sunday, Feb. 28
4:00 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Men’s HS106 team event - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
7:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men and Women’s Team Sprint Finals - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
8:00 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Men’s HS106 team event - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Olympic Channel
9:00 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Men’s 4x5k team event - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel
9:00 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Men’s 4x5k team event - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
10:30 a.m. FIS World Nordic Championships Men's and Women's Team Sprint Finals - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel
11:00 a.m. FIS World Ski Jumping Championships Mixed Team HS106 - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
10:00 p.m. FIS World Ski Jumping Championships Mixed Team HS106 - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel

Tuesday, March 2
7:15 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 10k freestyle - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast Olympic Channel
7:15 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 10k freestyle - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
1:00 p.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 10k freestyle - same-day broadcast, Oberstdorf, GER, Broadcast NBCSN

Wednesday, March 3
7:15 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 15k freestyle - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
11:15 a.m. FIS World Ski Jumping Championships Women’s HS137 - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Thursday, March 4
7:00 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Men’s HS137 - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
7:15 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 4x5k relay - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
9:15 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Men’s 10k - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Friday, March 5
7:15 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 4x7.5k relay - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
11:00 a.m. FIS World Ski Jumping Championships Men’s HS137 - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Saturday, March 6
4:00 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Men’s HS137 team sprint - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
6:30 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Women’s 30k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
9:00 a.m. FIS World Nordic Combined Championships Men’s 2x7.5k team event - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock
11:00 a.m. FIS World Ski Jumping Championships Men’s Team HS137 - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

Sunday, March 7
7:00 a.m. FIS World Cross Country Championships Men’s 50k classic mass start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Peacock

The U.S. is primed to make history by hosting the Aspen 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships, featuring the Visa Big Air, at Buttermilk in Aspen, Colo. March 10-16, followed by the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix March 18-21.

This is the first time that a nation has hosted consecutive FIS World Championships following the 2019 FIS Snowboard, Freestyle, and Freeski World Championships held in Utah. The Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix World Cup slopestyle and halfpipe competitions will serve as the first snowboard and freeski Olympic tryout events.

Due to COVID-19 event and resort operations protocols and taking into consideration the health and safety of resort staff, event staff, and the athletes, venue access is limited to essential personnel only. There will be no spectator access and all media coverage must be conducted remotely. 

Media will have timely access to photo and video assets each day of training and competition, podium interviews, as well as remote access to athletes based on their availability. Those interested in having virtual access to the Aspen 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships and the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix should register here by Friday, March 5: https://forms.gle/dMVLSpB4Pg68Di3t6

We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding. Please reach out with any questions, we want to ensure you have what you need to cover the event. Without valuable media partners such as yourself, we would not be able to share the stories of our athletes and the event successfully. 

The Aspen 2021 FIS Snowboard and Freeski World Championships and the Land Rover U.S. Grand Prix are contingent on local and state health department approvals based on existing and future COVID-19 rules and regulations. FIS, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the local organizing committee, and Aspen Snowmass are taking a unified approach consistent with guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities.  

Register Here for Virtual Media Accreditation 

Event Announcement

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Andrew Gauthier
Marketing & Communications Director | Freeski & Snowboard Press Officer
andrew.gauthier@usskiandsnowboard.org

Tucker Vest Burton, Jeff Hanle and Xanthe Demas
Aspen Snowmass Communications Team
communications@aspensnowmass.com

###

About U.S. Ski & Snowboard
U.S. Ski & Snowboard is the Olympic National Governing Body (NGB) of ski and snowboard sports in the USA, based in Park City, Utah. Tracing its roots directly back to 1905, the organization represents nearly 200 elite skiers and snowboarders in 2020, competing in seven teams; alpine, cross country, freeski, freestyle, snowboard, nordic combined and ski jumping. In addition to the elite teams, U.S. Ski & Snowboard also provides leadership and direction for tens of thousands of young skiers and snowboarders across the USA, encouraging and supporting them in achieving excellence. By empowering national teams, clubs, coaches, parents, officials, volunteers and fans, U.S. Ski & Snowboard is committed to the progression of its sports, athlete success and the value of team. For more information, visit www.usskiandsnowboard.org 
 

On yet another day in paradise—a.k.a. Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy—the U.S. men’s slalom team showed some fast skiing, led by 20-year-old Ben Ritchie, with a career-best 13th place finish to lead the way for the young American squad in the Cortina 2021 slalom finale. 

The Attacking Vikings lived up to their name, with Norwegian Sebastian Foss-Solevaag grabbed his second individual career victory, first individual world title, and second World Championship gold (Team Event) at Cortina 2021. Austrian Adrian Pertl put up a good fight, finishing second, .21 seconds back, followed by Norwegian teammate Henrik Kristoffersen in third, .46 off Foss-Solevaag’s pace. The three seemed to be in a league of their own, as hometown favorite Alex Vinatzer was fourth, 1.2 seconds out. 

The International Ski Federation (FIS) made the controversial decision after the women’s slalom was challenged with tough conditions and warm weather on Saturday, to reverse the top-15 rather than the top-30 to “respect the top stars,” as men’s race director Markus Waldner said. Though U.S. Ski Team coaches weren’t exactly on board with the change, the young American squad lived up to the challenge and showed their speed, as 2019 NCAA slalom champion and University of Denver alumnus Jett Seymour had the 10th-fastest time, from bib 43. Teammates Luke Winters and Ben Ritchie were 15th and 17th, respectively. With the new rule, Winters started first the second run and Seymour sixth. 

Winters was skiing a solid run, but straddled and DNFed. Seymour was also ripping a fast and solid run, but straddled and DNFed. “It’s disappointing, for sure, but I went out to go racing and wanted to see what was possible,” reflected Seymour. “That happens sometimes...it’s part of the sport. Worlds was an awesome experience, and I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Starting 17th the second run, Ritchie ended up 13th and grabbed his career-first points, as WCSL points are awarded to the top-15 at World Championships. Ritchie and Seymour, who each raced in their career-first Europa Cups last week and each grabbed podiums—first place for Ritchie and third place for Seymour—came into World Championships feeling confident and were looking to carry that momentum to show what they could do on the big stage. In the end, they proved to the world that, though they are a young squad, they are fast and have a promising future ahead. 

“It was a lot of fun skiing and training together...we’ve spent all year together, so we’ve gone through the ups and downs and figured out how to be fast together,” said Ritchie. “So, when one person does well, the whole team feels positive about it. We’re all trending upwards right now, so I think the future is exciting.” After the first run, the Americans had three in the top-20. “It was awesome to be three in the top-20, obviously I don’t think a lot of people were expecting that coming in, but I think all three of us were, and I personally think that all three of us still could have skied much better than we did. We all have more speed...and it’s just about getting the experience and doing it on race day.”

Though it was a solid result, Ritchie feels he and his teammates have more speed to show and are eager to do so. “I’m happy with my result, first points,” he added. “Like I said, I still think I could ski much better both runs...it was a really hard day out there, a lot of DNFs, a lot of straddles, a lot of big mistakes because the course was so difficult, so I’m happy with it overall.” Ritchie is still a junior and will compete in the World Junior Ski Championships in Bansko, Bulgaria in March. He hopes to ski strong and gain a spot for World Cup Finals at Lenzerheide, Switzerland in late March. 

Alex Leever—also a University of Denver alumnus—started for the Americans as well, but did not finish first run. Up next for the crew is a training block in Cortina, before the next Europa Cup series in Oberjoch, Germany. 

RESULTS
Men’s World Championships slalom

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Sunday, Feb. 21
12:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Slalom - next-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBC

Mikaela Shiffrin took home her fourth medal of the 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships and her 11th career World Championships medal, winning the bronze in the slalom and adding more pages to her jam-packed record book.

“I don’t think I ever would have said that I could win four medals in one World Champs,” said Shiffrin. “If you would have asked me five years ago or even, maybe especially, one year ago..it’s amazing.”

Conditions were tough throughout the day, with temperatures rising and sun baking the snow on the course in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, forcing the women to battle through ruts and bumps to finish. Austrian Katharina Liensberger, who tied for the gold in the parallel earlier in the week but has yet to win a World Cup, came through the lights the fastest to take the win. Petra Vlhova of Slovakia grabbed silver.

Shiffrin sat in fourth place after first run and wasn’t sure she had it in her to climb another spot to the medals, but she reframed her mindset and attacked second run to secure the bronze. While it was the first time in eight years that Shiffrin didn’t win the slalom world title, having won gold in the slalom in 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019 World Championships, it didn’t bother the incredible skier, who has had dealt with a lot throughout the past year, including the death of her father.

“It’s been a lot of ups and downs for sure,” she said. “Very emotional year. Right now, I’m just feeling pretty grateful to be able to smile a lot more often. Every day I feel a little more excited for the next day to come and that’s a good position to be in. Altogether, I’ve come a long way in a year.”

The bronze brings Shiffrin’s medal tally at the 2021 World Champs to four—bronze in the super-G, gold in the alpine combined, silver in the giant slalom and now bronze in the slalom. She is the first skier to win four medals at a World Champs in 14 years, since Anja Pärson of Sweden did it in 2007. No female skier has won more than four medals in a single World Championships.

The result also gives Shiffrin 11 World Championships medals in total—equaling Pärson as the most for a woman in the modern era of skiing. Shiffrin also holds the most medals of any U.S. skier, male or female.

It wasn't a great day for the rest of the Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team women, who struggled with the peeling snow conditions. Paula Moltzan and Katie Hensien did not finish first run and Nina O’Brien and AJ Hurt straddled and DNFed second run.

“I was really looking forward to it coming into the day,” said Moltzan. “Now I’m pretty sad and disappointed. It’s kind of tough when World Champs comes around every two years and you miss your opportunity two days in a row. But there are a lot of slalom races left in the season, so I’m going to keep my focus there and keep skiing as fast as I can.”

O’Brien also kept a level head about her slalom result after having a career-best finish in the giant slalom on Thursday. “I’m really happy about the skiing I did in the GS race and 10th in parallel is a good result for me too,” she said. “A lot of good things to take away.”

The slalom was the final event for the women, while the men have one last slalom on Sunday to wrap up the 2021 World Championships in Cortina.

RESULTS
Women’s World Championships slalom

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Saturday, Feb. 20
5:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Slalom - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

Sunday, Feb. 21
4:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men' Slalom - run 1 - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
6:30 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Slalom - run 1- same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
7:30 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Slalom - run 2 - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
12:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Slalom - next-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBC

In partnership with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), U.S. Ski & Snowboard is working to combat mental health issues prevalent in elite sport. Both organizations are taking a three-step approach to create awareness, remove stigma, and effectively communicate the resources available. The mental health concerns surrounding athletics have heightened following the release of Podium Pictures’ HBO film, Weight of Gold, which showcases the highs and lows of elite athletes’ mental health. Director Brett Rapkin, explained, “I started researching post-Olympic depression and was blown away when I discovered how common it was. My intention was to talk about this rollercoaster and the struggles faced by athletes. The reaction was incredibly powerful and served as an inspiration to me to do more of this kind of work.”

In addition to the complimentary Weight of Gold viewing access provided to all U.S. Ski & Snowboard national team athletes by Podium Pictures and HBO, U.S. Ski & Snowboard held a panel webinar on Dec. 30 in collaboration with the USOPC, Podium Pictures, and the Speedy Foundation. The panel discussed the film and provided resources for athletes seeking help. One of the panel members, Dr. Alex Cohen, Senior Sport Psychologist at the USOPC, who works closely with U.S. Ski & Snowboard out of the USANA Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah shared, “There is no wrong door to go through, and there should not be a dozen steps to get the resources needed. We are more than happy to help athletes navigate these resources.” Along with sharing resources, the panel provided an honest discussion on the topic with the hopes of decreasing some of the stigma surrounding mental health. 

Recent efforts of U.S. Ski & Snowboard include requiring Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) Training for all staff members. QPR Training teaches three simple steps to help save a person from committing suicide. In addition to having all staff trained on this topic, U.S. Ski & Snowboard plans to require QPR training of all athletes prior to the start of competition next year. The USOPC has also taken strides to combat mental health issues with the hiring of Dr. Jessica Bartley as its Director of Mental Health Services. Dr. Bartley now serves as both an advocate and a resource for any athlete struggling with mental health. “I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to be a resource for athletes, and it is my mission to build an infrastructure that athletes can access at all times.”

Although both organizations are taking steps to improve mental health resources, there is still more to be done. “Raising awareness, decreasing stigma and providing best practice mental health resources to U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes is a top priority,” said  U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Director of High Performance and Co-Chair of its Mental Health Committee,Troy Taylor. “Research shows that more than 35% of professional athletes suffer from a mental health crisis, so it is imperative that we create an environment where we can talk about mental health openly, honestly and ensure everyone gets the support they need, when they need it.” Over the coming months, U.S. Ski & Snowboard plans to further improve the organization’s understanding of the main obstacles for athletes and create feasible solutions to support athletes in the best ways possible.

Mental Health Resources
United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee: www.teamusa.org/mentalhealth
The Speedy Foundation: https://www.thespeedyfoundation.org
Michael Phelps Foundation: https://michaelphelpsfoundation.org
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org
Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.org
Mental Health First Aid: https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org  
 

If you or someone you know is experiencing an urgent mental health issue, we encourage you to text HOME to 741741, or call (800) 273-8255 to speak to a mental health professional. In the process of helping yourself, you may be inspiring courage in others to seek help as well.

If you are a U.S. Ski & Snowboard athlete, member, or staff, and feel you need support or would like to talk, don’t hesitate to reach out to USOPC Sr. Sport Psychologist Alexander Cohen or USOPC Director, Mental Health Services Jessica Bartley as resources.
 

Alexander Cohen, Ph.D., CMPC
Sr. Sport Psychologist
United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee
alexander.cohen@usoc.org
(M) +1 719-216-6376

Jessica Bartley, Ph.D., CMPC
Director, Mental Health Services
United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee
jessica.bartley@usopc.org
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Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete River Radamus had a banner day at his FIS World Alpine Ski World Championships giant slalom debut, skiing into 11th place.

Conditions were bright and sunny yet again, pushing away the memories of postponements and cancelations from early in the World Champs, but the course still presented challenges with conditions varying throughout the track. Frenchman Mathieu Favre powered through to take the gold—his second gold medal at the World Champs and his first time on the giant slalom podium in two years. Luca De Aliprandini of Italy was second for his first podium ever, thrilling the hometown Italian fans watching from their homes. Marco Schwarz of Austria took the bronze for his second medal of the World Champs. Alexis Pinturault of France, the favorite coming into the race, was leading after first run but fell and did not finish.

River shred the first run of giant slalom in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, taking ninth place and came out confidently into the second run. But he made a few errors and lost time throughout the course, which pushed him back to 11th place. “As they say, everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face," said Radamus. "I felt like I was behind it up top and never really got going and attacking it the rest of the way,” he said.

River was disappointed in himself but now turns his eyes toward the future, where he knows there’s more to come for him. “It’s weird to be disappointed with a personal best, but I felt like I just had so much more in me today,” he said. “Didn’t quite execute the way I wanted to on second run and left a lot of time there, but it’s a good steppingstone I think.”

The 23-year-old Radamus, who has a decorated past as a two-time World Juniors champion and three-time Youth Olympic Games gold medal winner, has had a solid 2020-21 season so far, nailing top-20 and points-scoring results throughout the year, including an eighth place in the parallel and sixth place in team parallel at these World Championships. He knows the potential is there to perform in these big events and is hunting for more. “I’ve learned that it takes a lot to be fast,” said Radamus. “I’ve learned how bad I want to be there. I’m going to go back to work, finish the season out strong and hopefully prepare myself for the next Olympics or next World Championships to be able to execute better than I did today.”

Sadly missing in the World Champs giant slalom were talented Land Rover U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes Ted Ligety, Tommy Ford and Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who all had the potential to take home medals in the event, but were back in the states due to injury, leaving Radamus as the sole U.S. man in the race.

The World Champs GS was supposed to be Ligety’s final event in his storied career, having announced his retirement at the beginning of the World Championships, but back problems made it impossible for him to race. His legacy lives on though, with an impressive five World Championships golds, seven World Champs medals, and two Olympic golds. His rivals and friends, such as Bode Miller, Marcel Hirscher, and Felix Neureuther, paid tribute to him throughout the day, congratulating him on such an impressive career and wishing him luck with his future endeavors.

Ford, who had snagged a giant slalom podium and multiple top-10 results in GS earlier this season, was injured in early January after a bad crash in Adelboden. Cochran-Siegle had a bad crash in Kitzbuehel, Austria that broke his cervical spine and he is also recovering at home.  

Only the slalom races remain in the 2021 World Championships, with the women racing on Saturday and men on Sunday.

RESULTS
Men’s World Championships giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Saturday, Feb. 20
4:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Slalom - run 1 - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
7:30 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Slalom - run 2 - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
5:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Slalom - same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN

Sunday, Feb. 21
4:00 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men' Slalom - run 1 - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast Olympic Channel
6:30 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Slalom - run 1- same-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
7:30 a.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Men's Slalom - run 2 - LIVE, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBCSN
12:00 p.m. FIS World Alpine Championships Women's Slalom - next-day broadcast, Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITA, Broadcast NBC

The 2021 Phillips 66 Eastern Regional Championship event was held February 12-14 at West Mountain in Queensbury, NY. The event included two SG, one GS, and one SL race. The overall regional class champions awards are scored on total world cup points in SG1,GS and SL, with a minimum of 2 starts required. Full results can be found at usalpinemasters.org/er.

Both SG races were part of the 2021 Phillips 66 National Speed Series.  The National Speed Series standings after 9 of 13 events are now posted on usalpinemasters.org/nss. There are four races remaining in April with two at Mammoth Mountain, CA and two at Mt. Bachelor, OR.

In the wrap-up message to the event participants, Mid-Atlantic Masters Division Chair, Carol Tomassetti, recapped the event: "The weather was picture perfect, the snow was beyond amazing and it was just joyful to be together racing in such great conditions.  We completed all three days of racing with no injuries which is the best part of the report.  We pulled off two SG's, one counted for the Easterns, while both counted for the speed series.  The GS and SL's both went off without a hitch. ...The racing was great, the weather was great, but the people that came were the BEST"  

Though racers were unable to gather physically for awards, racers gatherer twice via zoom the congratulate the winners with a Virtual Podium Presentation.

Pictures of SL
Pictures of GS

The 2021 Phillips 66 FIS Masters Cup and Western Regional Championships event was held February 5-7 in Big Sky, Montana hosted by the Big Sky Ski Education Foundation (BSSEF). The event was two SG races, two (one-run) GS races (typical for FIS Masters), and one (two-run) SL race. The Big Sky Ski Education Foundation has been a long-time supporter of Masters events and offered three days of training prior to the event through their recently expanded Masters training program.

As we were packing our bags and traveling to Big Sky, mother nature was gearing up for Big Sky’s biggest powder dumps of the season. After three days of great training with a few inches of manageable snowfall for SG training, the first race day on Friday was postponed due to heavy snowfall leaving the hill unsafe for a SG event. The organizers quickly adapted the Saturday schedule to include one SG race in addition to the originally scheduled two GS runs. With an eager field of racers, and a short period of respite from mother nature, Saturday’s schedule delivered 3 runs of action with the final run finishing up just at the next storm was moving in. All were hopeful with SL planned for the Sunday schedule, but mother nature had other plans. When all was said and done, the snowfall during the event was more than the resort had gotten the entire season up to that point. Many took advantage of the powder! In the end, the chance to have the event was a bright spot many were not sure we would get to have in 2021. With 3 races completed, age class and overall champions were awarded.

Results on FIS Website

U.S. Ski & Snowboard Results on usalpinemasters.org/wr (Western Region Champs)

National Speed Series Current Standings on usalpinemasters.org/nss

Virtual Podium Images

Photos at bigskyphotos.com - thank you Crystal Images!

After eleven cancelled weekends, the FIS Masters international community is hoping that events in Big Sky (USA) are part of eight straight weekends of events for a strong finish to the FIS Masters calendar.