Mikaela Shiffrin scored her 81st Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup win in the Zagreb, Croatia slalom, bringing her within one win to tie the record for the winningest woman alpine skier of all time. It was her fifth World Cup win in a row and her victory crowned her the Snow Queen atop the Sljeme track in front of an enthusiastic night slalom crowd.  

This was Shiffrin’s 51st World Cup slalom win, five of which have come from the infamous Snow Queen Trophy race in Zagreb. It was a warm day with tough snow conditions that caused the start to be lowered and the snow to rut up, but it didn’t seem to bother Shiffrin, who won the first run by .23 seconds. She took a measured amount of risk second run to take the overall win by .76 seconds.

“I’m incredibly happy,” said Shiffrin. “I had so much fun skiing today. It was really my best skiing both runs. Nothing less than the best is going to work. I was taking all the risks I needed and made it to the finish. It’s just an amazing feeling when it’s good enough.”

Petra Vlhova of Slovakia was second in the Snow Queen Trophy slalom with Anna Swenn Larsson of Sweden third.

The result brings Shiffrin just one race shy of former Stifel U.S. Alpine Team teammate Lindsey Vonn’s record of 82 World Cup wins, which would tie Shiffrin with the winningest woman alpine skier of all time. Ingemar Stenmark’s World Cup record is also in her sights at 86 wins. With another race on the Sljeme slalom track tomorrow and five wins in the last five races, Shiffrin is on a roll. Only two women ski racers have won more races in a row than Shiffrin: Vreni Scheider of Switzerland won eight in the 1988-89 season and Germany’s Katja Seizinger won six in 1997.

Katie Hensien, Zoe Zimmermann, Nina O’Brien, Paula Moltzan, Lila Lapanja and Ava Sunshine did not qualify for a second run.

The women race again in Zagreb tomorrow, Thursday, at 9 a.m. ET. Stream it live on InFront’s skiandsnowboard.live.

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

It was the day for career bests for the U.S Cross Country Ski Team in the third stage of the Tour de Ski. It was a very warm and rainy afternoon in Oberstdorf, Germany, but Ben Ogden and Hunter Wonders still posted historic results in the 10k classic. Ogden finished sixth in 22:08.5 and Wonders 11th, respectively. Rosie Brennan led the women in 11th place, crossing the line in 25:53.8. 

With temperatures reaching nearly 40 degrees Fahrenheit and rain misting the completely man-made track, the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team found their speed and had five men and four women in the top 50. 

Ogden continued his strong showing on the Tour with a sixth-place result, cementing his best-ever distance result in a World Cup. Hunter Wonders, who finished 11th, also had a career-best individual result to end the day. Five U.S. men were in the top 50 with Gus Schumacher in 15th, Scott Patterson 29th and Zak Ketterson 38th. Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won for the third time in a row, crossing the finish line in first with a time of 21:38.5 and will continue sporting the yellow bib in the next race. 

"It was a real treat out there today," said Ogden. "I just had unlimited energy, especially given it was the third race of the Tour... it was just a ton of fun. Each passing race I learn a little bit more about how to ski smart and today it really came together, and I got to sit in the leader chair so it was pretty awesome."

On the women's side, Rosie Brennan persevered through the confusing conditions and finished 11th among the strong and fast field of women. Julia Kern finished in 38th, Jessie Diggins 40th and rounding out the top 50 was Sophia Laukli in 44th. Frida Karlsson of Sweden was atop the podium in 24:53.3 and will dawn the yellow bib heading into the next stage. 

Continuing the streak of races, the Tour continues with the 20k skate pursuit kicking off tomorrow, Jan. 4th, on the same track in Oberstdorf. Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live. 

RESULTS
Women's 10k classic
Men's 10k classic

Start List Women

1. Jessie Diggins
2. Rosie Brennan
3. Julia Kern
4. Sophia Laukli
5. Alayna Sonnesyn

Start List Men

1. Ben Ogden
2. JC Schoonmaker
3. Scott Patterson
4. Hunter Wonders
5. Zak Ketterson
6. Gus Schumacher
7. Kevin Bolger
8. Finn O’Connell

TOUR DE SKI SCHEDULE 

Val Müstair, Switzerland 

Stage 1 - Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022: 1.5k freestyle sprint

Stage 2 - Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023: 10k classic pursuit 

Oberstdorf, Germany

Stage 3: Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023: 10k classic interval start

Stage 4: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023: 20k freestyle pursuit 

Val di Fiemme, Italy 

Stage 5: Friday, Jan. 6, 2023: 1.5k classic sprint

Stage 6: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023: 15k classic mass start 

Stage 7: Sunday, Jan 8, 2023: 10k freestyle final climb mass start 

HOW TO WATCH

All races will be LIVE with commentary on skiandsnowboard.live. 

Stage 4, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023
5:15 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 20k Skate Pursuit, men's, Oberstdorf, Germany, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
8:15 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 20k Skate Pursuit, women's, Oberstdorf, Germany,  streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 5, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023
4:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, qualifiers, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, finals, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 6, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 7, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023
5:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Rosie Brennan led the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team in the second stage of the Tour de Ski in Val Mustair, Switzerland, taking seventh place in the 10k classic pursuit. Ben Ogden was the top U.S. man in 18th place.

"I had a strong race today," Brennan said in a post-race interview. "I’m not sure I’ve ever done a pursuit start after a sprint so I wasn’t sure how that would unfold especially on a short 2.5km at altitude with very gradual climbing. The altitude and gradual climbing played to my strength and I was able to settle into a steady pace and pick people off. I made up some good ground early but in the later part of the race, the leaders turned it up a notch so my overall time didn’t make up quite as much ground as I had hoped but there were lots of good signs and a race I am very happy with."

Julia Kern continued her strong showing at the Tour, snagging 12th, and Jessie Diggins was 30th. Rounding out the women, Sophia Laukli was 50th and Alayna Sonnesyn 53rd.

Behind Ogden, Hunter Wonders was 53rd, Zak Ketterson 57th, Scott Patterson 59th, Gus Schumacher 62nd, Finn O'Connell 70th, Kevin Bolger 85th and JC Schoonmaker 88th.

The Tour de Ski now packs up to head to Germany, for a 10k classic and a 20k skate pursuit in Oberstdorf. The stage race continues on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

Tour de Ski Explained

The Tour de Ski is back! Each year, to begin period two of the FIS Cross Country World Cup circuit, a grueling race series takes athletes to three countries in less than ten days and includes seven different races. Based on the format of the Tour de France bike series, the Tour de Ski spans nine days, with seven stages of the competition and the overall winner dawns the yellow bib. 

For the past few years, the Tour de Ski has begun in Switzerland and historically concludes less than 10 days later with the infamous final climb up the Italian slope of Alpe Cermis. While the Tour de Ski races are considered FIS Cross Country World Cups with the standard point scoring system, the overall standings are decided based on time. But, the week is not just focused on individual performances - there is a team angle too. The best times of the two best athletes per gender, per country, are added together for the team competition. 

In 2020, Jessie Diggins won the Tour. Proving herself to be an all-around skier, winning in both sprint and distance races, Diggins is looking forward to the week but taking it one race at a time. After her 40th-place result in stage one, Diggins is only looking forward. "I think it's important to realize you don't know what is going to happen in every race. But now, I am going to focus on rest, recovery, food, hydration and all the things that are important in having a good Tour," said Diggins, post-race. "I am going to focus on moving forward and am excited for the 10k tomorrow!" 

As the rules state, if an athlete does not start or complete a race, they are eliminated from the Tour. For the U.S. team, five women and eight men will compete throughout the week.

Women

1. Jessie Diggins
2. Rosie Brennan
3. Julia Kern
4. Sophia Laukli
5. Alayna Sonnesyn

Men

1. Ben Ogden
2. JC Schoonmaker
3. Scott Patterson
4. Hunter Wonders
5. Zak Ketterson
6. Gus Schumacher
7. Kevin Bolger
8. Finn O’Connell

RESULTS
Women's 10k classic pursuit
Men's 10k classic pursuit

TOUR DE SKI SCHEDULE 

Val Müstair, Switzerland 

Stage 1 - Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022: 1.5k freestyle sprint

Stage 2 - Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023: 10k classic pursuit 

Oberstdorf, Germany

Stage 3: Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023: 10k classic interval start

Stage 4: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023: 20k freestyle pursuit 

Val di Fiemme, Italy 

Stage 5: Friday, Jan. 6, 2023: 1.5k classic sprint

Stage 6: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023: 15k classic mass start 

Stage 7: Sunday, Jan 8, 2023: 10k freestyle final climb mass start 

HOW TO WATCH

All races will be LIVE with commentary on skiandsnowboard.live. 

Stage 3, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Classic Interval Start, men's, Oberstdorf, Germany, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
8:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Classic Interval Start, women's, Oberstdorf, Germany,  streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 4, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023
5:15 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 20k Skate Pursuit, men's, Oberstdorf, Germany, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
8:15 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 20k Skate Pursuit, women's, Oberstdorf, Germany,  streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 5, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023
4:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, qualifiers, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, finals, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 6, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 7, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023
5:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
6:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Julia Kern finished 11th in the Stage 1 freestyle sprint of the FIS Tour de Ski Saturday to lead four U.S. athletes into the top 30 in Val Mustair, Switzerland.

Kern qualified sixth, and racing in the second quarterfinal - fastest heat of the day - finished second to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinal round, Kern led early in the race against a stacked field that included the top three finishers on the day - Nadine Faehndrich of Switzerland, Maja Dahlquist of Sweden, and Lotta Udnes Weng of Norway - but a late crash dashed her hopes of advancing to the finals.

"I felt really great today and my skis were ripping fast," Kern said. "In the quarterfinal, I felt strong and skied pretty well, but in the semifinal, I had some trouble closing the gap. Overall I'm pretty happy about the day but hungry for more as I'm tired of being the semifinal queen."

Rosie Brennan qualified 14th and advanced to the heats. She finished third in the quarterfinals and 14th on the day. "Having struggled with sprinting this year, I didn't have too many expectations," Brennan said. "I found my first hint of sprint feelings in my quarterfinal, but was also very disappointed with how I skied the last corner. So some good, some bad, made for an average day to start my Tour. I hope I can make up some time in the distance races moving forward. Tomorrow will certainly be a bit of a wild day with a short course and fast conditions so we'll see what happens out there."

In the men's race, Ben Ogden and JC Schoonmaker qualified fourth and 21st respectively. In the quarterfinal heats, Ogden broke a pole right out of the start, but thanks to a quick replacement pole handoff by coach Matt Whitcomb, he not only chased down the pack but took the lead over the top of the first climb. However, burning those early matches cost him down the stretch. Ogden finished 13th on the day with Schoonmaker in 26th. 

On a special note...Finn O’Connell had his World Cup debut Saturday, finishing 67th.

Up next, a 10k classic pursuit for both men and women. Catch all the action LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live.

Tour de Ski Explained

The Tour de Ski is back! Each year, to begin period two of the FIS Cross Country World Cup circuit, a grueling race series takes athletes to three countries in less than ten days and includes seven different races. Based on the format of the Tour de France bike series, the Tour de Ski spans nine days, with seven stages of the competition and the overall winner dawns the yellow bib. 

For the past few years, the Tour de Ski has begun in Switzerland and historically concludes less than 10 days later with the infamous final climb up the Italian slope of Alpe Cermis. While the Tour de Ski races are considered FIS Cross Country World Cups with the standard point scoring system, the overall standings are decided based on time. But, the week is not just focused on individual performances - there is a team angle too. The best times of the two best athletes per gender, per country, are added together for the team competition. 

In 2020, Jessie Diggins won the Tour. Proving herself to be an all-around skier, winning in both sprint and distance races, Diggins is looking forward to the week but taking it one race at a time. After her 40th-place result in stage one, Diggins is only looking forward. "I think it's important to realize you don't know what is going to happen in every race. But now, I am going to focus on rest, recovery, food, hydration and all the things that are important in having a good Tour," said Diggins, post-race. "I am going to focus on moving forward and am excited for the 10k tomorrow!" 

As the rules state, if an athlete does not start or complete a race, they are eliminated from the Tour. For the U.S. team, five women and eight men will compete throughout the week.

Women

1. Jessie Diggins
2. Rosie Brennan
3. Julia Kern
4. Sophia Laukli
5. Alayna Sonnesyn

Men

1. Ben Ogden
2. JC Schoonmaker
3. Scott Patterson
4. Hunter Wonders
5. Zak Ketterson
6. Gus Schumacher
7. Kevin Bolger
8. Finn O’Connell

RESULTS 

Stage 1 Freestyle Sprint
Men
Women

Overall (after one stage)
Men
Women

TOUR DE SKI SCHEDULE 

Val Müstair, Switzerland 

Stage 1 - Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022: 1.5k freestyle sprint

Stage 2 - Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023: 10k classic pursuit 

Oberstdorf, Germany

Stage 3: Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023: 10k classic interval start

Stage 4: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023: 20k freestyle pursuit 

Val di Fiemme, Italy 

Stage 5: Friday, Jan. 6, 2023: 1.5k classic sprint

Stage 6: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023: 15k classic mass start 

Stage 7: Sunday, Jan 8, 2023: 10k freestyle final climb mass start 

HOW TO WATCH

All races will be LIVE with commentary on skiandsnowboard.live. 

Stage 2, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 (Happy New Year!) 

6:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Classic Pursuit, women's, Val Mustair, Switzerland, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

7:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Classic Pursuit, men's, Val Mustair, Switzerland, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 3, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023

5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Classic Interval Start, men's, Oberstdorf, Germany, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

8:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Classic Interval Start, women's, Oberstdorf, Germany,  streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 4, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023

5:15 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 20k Skate Pursuit, men's, Oberstdorf, Germany, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

8:15 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 20k Skate Pursuit, women's, Oberstdorf, Germany,  streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 5, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023

4:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, qualifiers, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

6:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 1.5k Classic Sprint, men's and women's, finals, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 6, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023

5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

7:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 15k Skate Mass Start, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Stage 7, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023

5:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Women's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

6:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup, Tour de Ski, 10k Skate Mass Start Final Climb, Men's, Val di Fiemme, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live

Mikaela Shiffrin and Paula Moltzan went big on the third day of racing in Austria, with the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes going one-two for the first time in a slalom Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup since 1971. 

Shiffrin made quite the impression in Semmering as she hat-tricked the weekend, clinching another first place for the third time in three days and adding another World Cup win to her list. Her win made history, making Shiffrin the third alpine skier to ever reach 80 World Cup wins, and brings a record 82 wins well within her sights.

 "Well that was a pretty insane evening," exclaimed Shiffrin. "As far as numbers go I don't have words, but I knew that this was going to be the race that Paula and I were on the podium which makes it so special."

Moltzan was third after first run by .79 seconds, and threw down a blazing second run to snag second place for her first slalom World Cup podium of her career. Moltzan never ventured out of the top 10 throughout the Semmering weekend, scoring ninth and 10th in the giant slalom, and finally stepped onto the slalom podium for the first time, and certainly not the last. Lena Duerr of Germany rounded out the podium in third.

“I honestly could not be more proud of myself and the team and to do this in front of my parents is amazing,” said Moltzan. “I am still finding the words but I am just really proud of myself right now.”

Katie Hensien was also in the mix, nabbing 29th first run to make the flip and bibbing up to finishing 21st.

“I really had that mindset of trust my skiing, proving I am be up there and believing in myself,” said Hensien.

The success didn't slow down for the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team tech women and neither did the support. Ava Sunshine and Nina O'Brien did not make the flip for run two and Lila Lapanja did not finish, but all were seen at the bottom cheering on Shiffrin, Moltzan and Hensien. As the women finished their second run, thunderous cheers and big hugs were seen around the world, with Moltzan skiing straight into the arms of her teammates after she finished her second run, Shiffrin finishing her second run and immediately hugging a tear-streaked Moltzan, and Shiffrin and Moltzan spraying each other with champagne on the podium.

As 2022 comes to an end, the athletes, coaches and support staff have lots of success to look back on as they prepare and reset for what 2023 will bring. 

RESULTS
Women's slalom 

Four Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athletes finished in the top 30 in the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Bormio super-G on Thursday. Ryan Cochran-Siegle led the way with a 13th-place finish among the strong men's field. 

“Today was another challenging day, surprisingly icy considering most of the course was set outside of the downhill track,” commented Cochran-Siegle. “It’s been a difficult start to the super-G season, so in a way getting a top 15 is a little bit of a win. I also recognize I am more capable than that, so it’s important to not get complacent.”

In addition to Cochran-Siegle’s performance, Erik Arvidsson raced to another strong result in 21st place, with teammate Kyle Negomir close behind in 24th and Jared Goldberg in 29th. 

“I felt like I had some mistakes today and wasn’t able to execute the way I wanted to but it was still good to see that I can not be very proud of my skiing and still be in the points,” said Negomir.  “Super happy with the skiing today we knew it would be possible to throw it in there because the snow was good," said Arvidsson. 

Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team athlete Travis Ganong finished in 40th and River Radamus and Bryce Bennett did not finish. Regardless, the men’s speed team was very excited to see a strong performance by their teammates coming from the back.

“It was so much fun to see Erik ski to his potential this weekend, I'm so proud to see how much work he’s put into getting here and have it start to pay off. Looking forward to carrying this momentum with our young group of men for the rest of the season,” said Negomir. 

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team will reset over the next weekend and then head to the next World Cup - the slalom in Garmisch after the new year. 
 

RESULTS
Men's super-G

Mikaela Shiffrin took win number 79 in the second Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup giant slalom in Semmering, Austria. Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athlete Paula Moltzan continued her impressive season with another top 10 result. 

“It’s not easy -- it was very dark and bumpy these past two days so I just tried to push and I am really happy with these races,” said Shiffrin on her win. “I expected some rough spots but I just tried to be as quick as possible and push harder.”

It was another challenging day on the Semmering track. The temperatures were a bit cooler with some winds, poor light and some bumps still in the course. On the first run, Shiffrin knifed her way to a clean run, skiing into second place behind Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami’s near-perfect first run. Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athlete Paula Moltzan made it into 24th after her first run, grabbing a good start bib for the second run. 

“I was really bummed after the first run so I made a good plan to be full gas with nothing to lose,” said Moltzan on her great result. “We are coming into a busy period so I am excited to keep building into all of these races.”

On the second run, Moltzan posted the second fastest run of the day bumping her result all the way up to ninth place. This is her third giant slalom top ten of the season. Shiffrin then sped her way down to overtake Gut-Behrami, winning by 0.10. Marta Bassino of Italy continued her giant slalom podium streak with a third place finish. 

Shiffrin's win puts her even closer to a milestone result. The record for the most World Cup wins by a woman skier stands at 82 victories, and clinching 79 wins puts that historic marker closely within Shiffrin's sights. 

Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athletes Nina O’Brien finished first run in 34th, Stella Johansson in 40th, Katie Hensien in 47th and Ava Sunshine in 52nd. They did not qualify for a second run.

In Bormio, the men’s speed team was back in action on the infamous icy and bumpy downhill track. Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athlete Ryan Cochran-Siegle lead the way with his best result of the season in fifth. 

“It was a step in the right direction, especially relative to my skiing here last year,” said Cochran-Sielge on his effort, who has had top-10 results in Bormio before--including his first World Cup win in the super-G in 2020--but was 20th in 2021 in the downhill. 

Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athlete Erik Arvidsson also finished well in 16th place from bib 46, his best result this season and second best result in his career. “I'm really excited for Erik with his 16th. That is really well earned on this track,” commented Cochran-Siegle. 

Travis Ganong also finished in the points, taking 24th. Sam Morse was 36th and Kyle Negomir 38th. Jared Goldberg and Bryce Bennett did not finish. 

The men’s team will switch to super-G in Bormio. The women finish out the Semmering races with a night slalom on Thursday. 

RESULTS
Women's giant slalom 
Men's downhill

HOW TO WATCH

Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, Men's Super-G, Bormio, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
9:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, Women's Slalom, first run, Semmering, Austria, streaming/on demand on Peacock
12:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, Women's Slalom, second run, Semmering, Austria, streaming/on demand on Peacock

Mikaela Shiffrin nabbed her 78th Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup win in Semmering, Austria, and first giant slalom win since the 2021 season. Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athlete Paula Moltzan took another top 10, landing a 10th place in the strong giant slalom field. 

“This is my first giant slalom victory in a while and I felt really good today,” said Shiffrin on her successful skiing in today's race. 

The conditions proved to be challenging on the first run, with many racers not making it to the finish line. The snow was variable with a mix of ice and bumps causing racers to get late or pushed off the line. Shiffrin ran bib one on the first run, knifing it to the finish and set a pace far above her competitors with almost one second in the lead. 

“These other women pushed so hard on the second run and almost caught up all the way,” said Shiffrin “I try to do my best job every day, and I am confident I can ski well.”

Shiffrin raced to a first-place finish, outpacing second-place finisher Petra Vholva by 0.13 overall and third-place finisher Marta Bassino by 0.31. 

It was another positive result for Moltzan, as she continues her strong season with a top 10 in giant slalom. 

“I am really excited with how well I skied through really tough conditions and I am happy to end up in the top 10, and now top 15 overall, so with a better bib number I will just keep making those baby steps forward,” said Moltzan on her strong result.

Stifel U.S. Alpine Team athlete Stella Johansson finished first run in 44th position, but did not qualify for a second run. Nina O'Brien, Katie Hensien and Ava Sunshine also raced, but did not finish. 

The women continue the tech series in Semmering with another giant slalom on Wednesday, Dec. 28, followed by a night slalom on Thursday, Dec. 29. The Stifel U.S. Alpine Team men will also be back in action in Bormio for a downhill race on Wednesday. 

RESULTS
Women's giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH

Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, Women's Giant Slalom, first run, Semmering, Austria, streaming on NBC/Peacock.
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, Men's Downhill, Bormio, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
7:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, Women's Giant Slalom, second run, Semmering, Austria, streaming on NBC/Peacock.

Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022
9:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, Women's Slalom, first run, Semmering, Austria, streaming on NBC/Peacock.
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, Men's Super-G, Bormio, Italy, streaming on skiandsnowboard.live
12:30 p.m. FIS Alpine World Cup, Women's Slalom, second run, Semmering, Austria, streaming on NBC/Peacock.

The Stifel U.S. Alpine Team men were back in action at the Skiarea Alpe Cimbra in Trentino, Italy, a consistent host of our Stifel U.S. Alpine Team men over in Europe. The team and Alpe Cimbra have agreed to a renewal of the four-year agreement between the Stifel U.S Alpine Team men's national ski team, Trentino Marketing and the Azienda per il Turismo Alpe Cimbra Folgaria Lavarone Lusérn Vigolana, which enables the athletes to train on the Folgaria slopes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season.

The provincial councilor for craftsmanship, commerce, promotion, sport and tourism, Roberto Failoni, commented on the important renewal. "The agreement reached with the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team is important because it will cover the next four competitive seasons. It is a great opportunity for international visibility and promotion of Trentino.”

With Ryan Cochran-Siegle’s strong 2021-22 season and a silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, he will again be the Ambassador of Alpe Cimbra, Trentino. In honor of the return to training and the renewal of the agreements, the men’s speed team and technical teams were present and training together on the hill.

Patrick Riml, the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team alpine director also emphasized the importance of this partnership. “The men’s alpine team has forged a long-term relationship with Alpe Cimbra, Trentino, featuring world-class training and hospitality,” said Riml. “This partnership is an integral part of equipping our men’s alpine team with necessary resources and training as we head through the World Cup seasons. For our athletes, who spend a majority of the winter in Europe away from home, the partnership with Alpe Cimbra, Trentino is a huge benefit.”

Check out the training venue in this video here.

Mikaela Shiffrin launched a YouTube channel with a new series called Moving Right Along. Episode 1 | The Beginning dropped on Saturday, Dec. 17.

Shiffrin, a two-time Olympic champion, six-time World Champion and four-time overall World Cup globe winner on the Stifel U.S. Alpine Team, launched the series with a focus on “moving forward” after missing the medals at the 2022 Olympics, while giving her fans a look at her life on the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup circuit from her own perspective.

“For so much of my career, my story has been told through someone else’s perspective,” wrote Shiffrin on Instagram. “I am so grateful not only for the media’s interest in sharing my personal journey, but also for sharing this sport that has provided so much passion and joy for my family and me. That said, most people often only get an in depth glimpse of our sport every four years, when the Olympics roll around. Don’t get me wrong, the Olympics are definitely a big deal, but I feel that there is so, so much more to this amazing sport than what is broadcast every four years.”

The first episode begins at the opening World Cup race in Soelden, Austria. While the race was canceled, Shiffrin was able to get in some training, meet her fans that came to watch her, and cook with her boyfriend—Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, the reigning World Cup super-G and downhill champion. The episode then goes to Levi, where she won the two opening World Cup slalom races, adding two additional reindeer to her herd and bringing the total to six.

In the 2022-23 season, Shiffrin has already reached 77 World Cup wins as of December 18 and is nearing two massive records: becoming the winningest woman skier in history (Lindsey Vonn has 82 wins), and becoming the winningest skier of all time (Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark has 86 wins).  

“Failing doesn’t mean you’re a failure,” says Shiffrin in the first episode. “It’s the concept that you can fail so many times and you can still get up and still race and still succeed.”

Follow Shiffrin along as she pursues success this season. Episodes will be uploaded every two to three weeks throughout the season. Subscribe here.