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Diggins 16th, Swirbul 18th In Wet, Snowy Tour de Ski Stage 2

By Tom Horrocks
December, 29 2021
Diggins stage 2
Jessie Diggins crosses the line in 16th at Wednesday's Stage 2 10k classic in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. (Modica/NordicFocus)

On a day with heavy, wet snow falling, the classic Lenzerheide, Switzerland track presented challenging conditions throughout the day as Jessie Diggins led the way with a 16th-place result in Stage 2 of the FIS Tour de Ski. Hailey Swirbul was close behind in 18th, and for the men, Gus Schumacher was 38th.

“Overall, a good day,” noted Head Coach Matt Whitcomb. “I’m pleased with our team, and really pleased with the service staff. We tried every wax under the sun and at the end of the day, it is always a bummer when you flip to zeros.” 

“For Jessie to be 16th, and Hailey to be 18th, and some of our other women right around the top 30, that’s good,” he added. “What we’re trying to avoid on a challenging day like this is a big time bleed, and we didn’t sustain that, so we can take this and be fine with it. We have two very strong days coming up (mass-start freestyle Friday, and classic sprint Saturday).”

“We had some crazy conditions,” said Diggins, who dropped to second in the overall Tour de Ski standings. “It went from clear, to rain, to snow, from klister and wax to zero.”

Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen won the women’s 10k race and moved into the overall Tour de Ski lead, 0:29 seconds ahead of Diggins. Sweden’s Ebba Andersson was second, followed by Russia’s Natalia Nepryava in third. Novie McCabe was 34th; Katharine Ogden 35th; Julia Kern 41st; Sophia Laukli 44th, and Alayna Sonnesyn was 66th.

Two years ago at the same venue under similar conditions, the wheels came off the bus for the U.S. Team and ruined the overall chances for the team in the Tour de Ski standings. But this time around, a positive vibe kept spirits high, and a hard-working tech team powered through the challenges.

“I was really, really proud of the team,” Diggins said. “Everyone stayed calm and collected on a day when it would have been really easy to panic and waste a ton of energy. Working on the process and zoning in on the process goals have always been a big thing for me, and days like this are when it is very clear why it is so important.”

With heavy wet snow picking up in intensity, the men took to the same course for a 15k under fading afternoon light. Both Schumacher and Luke Jager, who finished 84th, took to the race with improving health as they both recover from colds the past week. 

“It’s good to see them feeling good again,” Whitcomb said. “Gus back to being close to the top 30 is a very good sign.”

Finland’s Iivo Niskanen won the race with Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov second, and Norway’s Paal Golberg in third. Ben Ogden was 44th, just 14 seconds out of the top 30. “That was a very hard-fought fight for Ben out there today,” Whitcomb said. 

Kevin Bolger was 65th, Logan Hanneman was 70th, and Zak Ketterson was 85th in his second career World Cup start.

The Tour de Ski has a travel day Thursday to Oberstdorf, Germany - the site of the 2021 World Championships last March. Friday’s Stage 3 is a freestyle mass start 10k for the women, 15k for the men. Saturday’s Stage 4 is a classic sprint.

RESULTS
Women’s 10k classic
Men’s 15k classic

STANDINGS
Women’s Tour de Ski Overall
Men’s Tour de Ski Overall
Women’s World Cup overall
Men’s World Cup overall
Women’s World Cup distance
Men’s World Cup distance

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST

Friday, Dec. 31, 2021
6:55 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Stage 3 Women’s 10k Freestyle Mass Start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock
9:25 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Stage 3 Men’s 15k Freestyle Mass Start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock

Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022
6:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Stage 4 Men and Women’s Classic Sprint - LIVE Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock

 

Moltzan Top American Again in Lienz Slalom

By Courtney Harkins
December, 29 2021
Paula Moltzan
Paula Moltzan (pictured here at the Killington World Cup slalom) inspects the course before racing. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Alexis Boichard)

Paula Moltzan was the top American for the second day in a row in Lienz, Austria, taking 20th in the FIS World Cup slalom to close out the series. Mikaela Shiffrin, who has won the Lienz slalom twice in the past, did not race again after announcing she had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week.

It was the first slalom race since the Killington World Cup over Thanksgiving weekend—a long break between events—and the weather warmed up to above freezing, making the course rough with ruts and bumps throughout the day. Petra Vlhova of Slovakia dominated the second run of the race to take the win by more than half a second over 2021 slalom World Champion Katharina Liensberger of Austria, who had just returned to the World Cup tour after recovering from COVID. Michelle Gisin of Switzerland was third, .68 seconds behind Vlhova.

Moltzan had hurt her wrist before the races in Courchevel and found out that it was fractured before the races in Lienz. But the injury didn’t stop her from racing—she taped her pole to her hand and threw down two runs of gutsy skiing to take 20th place. Her second run was the ninth fastest, showing that she has the speed, even with a wrist injury.  

"Today was definitely challenging physically and mentally," said Moltzan. "I am happy to have crossed the finish line twice all things considered. I didn’t think I would even be able to race today. The conditions here were awesome and we are definitely missing all the people who are not here."

Vlhova still leads the World Cup slalom standings, with her win boosting her to a 120-point advantage over Shiffrin. She also accumulated more points toward the overall standings, given Shiffrin’s absence and Italian Sofia Goggia sitting out the slalom. Shiffrin still maintains the overall lead in the standings by 93 points over Goggia. Vlhova sits in third, behind by 135 points.

The rest of the Americans did not make second run, battling a rough and rutty first run course. Lila Lapanja and AJ Hurt straddled, while Katie Hensien skied out. Nina O’Brien, who was having a fast run that would have given her a second run, got tossed out of the course going over the breakover and did not finish.

The women next head to Zagreb, Croatia for another slalom after the new year.  

RESULTS
Women’s slalom

STANDINGS
Slalom
Overall

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Super-G - LIVE, Bormio, ITA, Streaming Peacock

Current television broadcast and streaming schedules for all sports are available hereFor more information on how to watch broadcasts and streaming, visit our full "how to watch" breakdown.

Please note: Streaming services and apps are third-party services and subject to such parties’ terms of use and data privacy. U.S. Ski & Snowboard disclaims any and all liability for use of third-party services and apps.

Cochran-Siegle Fourth in Bormio Super-G

By Megan Harrod
December, 29 2021

Cochran-Siegle grabbed a season-best fourth place in the first of two FIS Ski World Cup super-G races in Bormio, Italy to lead two Americans into the top 20. 

Cochran-Siegle, who snagged his career-first win last season at the super-G in Bormio, had the podium in his sights today, as he held the position until Austria’s Raphael Haaser came down to steal the podium spot and bump Cochran-Siegle to fourth place. Norway’s Aleksander Aamodt Kilde handily won with a margin of .72 seconds over Haaser in second place, with Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr rounding out the podium in third, .85 off the pace.

Cochran-Siegle missed the podium by five one-hundredths of a second, but this was a huge leap forward for him. In flat light, with relatively warm conditions, Cochran-Siegle showed that he’s back on track as the White Circus heads into the classics on the calendar and with the Olympics on the horizon. It was a good step forward after his top-20 in the downhill on the Stelvio on Tuesday. 

“I think, just, it’s good to be a goldfish and forget the past and really just focus on what’s before you,” Cochran-Siegle reflected. “So today I was just trying to reassess, go about a good warm-up and get a good feeling prior to the race and trust my inspection and my ability. I know I’ve done well here on this hill, so I know how to ski it well, you just have to go out and execute.” 

Cochran-Siegle spent the evening before the race watching video and contemplating his set-up with his coaches aiming to create a set-up for super-G that allowed more freedom under the foot, where he could be more playful and ski more free. It seems Cochran-Siegle and his coaches/serviceman were spot on, because he skied a lot more free in the first of two super-G races. 

“I definitely felt better today,” he added. “I was allowing myself to, kind of, go with the hill more, less holding on. I think, too, with my skiing you can see I had a good amount of risk and was pushing. So I think for tomorrow, just try to keep that same mentality and just ski the way I can ski and not think too much beyond that.”

Cochran-Siegle will undoubtedly watch video tonight as he preps for Thursday’s super-G. He gave up a little time on the San Pietro jump, but rest assured, his skiing is looking very similar to the Cochran-Siegle who won the super-G last year and was the fastest in the world prior to fracturing his neck in the downhill at the Hahnenkamm in Kitzbuehel, Austria. With a little more confidence to trim the line, Cochran-Siegle will be back on the podium. 

Travis Ganong also finished in the points, grabbing a solid 18th place. Other American starters included Steven Nyman, who landed in 37th, Jared Goldberg 40th, Erik Arvidsson 43rd, and Bryce Bennett 46th. 

Up next will be the second of two super-G races on Thursdaya replacement from the canceled Lake Louise super-G and the final race in the Bormio, Italy series. 

RESULTS
Men’s super-G

STANDINGS
Super-G
Overall

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Super-G - LIVE, Bormio, ITA, Streaming Peacock

Current television broadcast and streaming schedules for all sports are available here. For more information on how to watch broadcasts and streaming, visit our full "how to watch" breakdown.

Please note: Streaming services and apps are third-party services and subject to such parties’ terms of use and data privacy. U.S. Ski & Snowboard disclaims any and all liability for use of third-party services and apps.

 

Diggins Wins Stage 1 Sprint, Kern Fourth At Tour De Ski

By Tom Horrocks
December, 28 2021

Jessie Diggins kicked off the FIS Tour de Ski in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, with a victory in Tuesday’s freestyle sprint, leading five of her Davis U.S. Cross Country teammates into the top 29, including Julia Kern. The latter just missed the podium in fourth.

“I'm so proud of our team,” Diggins said following her 12th career World Cup victory. “(We) had really amazing skis…they were flying out there and we had a great day as a team.” 

Diggins’ parents Clay, Deb, and her sister Mackenzie were in the crowd to cheer her on, making the win all the more special. “It was so special for me to have my family here,” said Diggins, who spent the Christmas break with her family. “That just means so much. I had such a wonderful Christmas break, it was such an incredible burst of happiness and a wonderful reset. And for me, happiness is fast. I came into (Tuesday’s race) in a good place, rested and ready to go!”

Along with Diggins and Kern, Hailey Switbul, Kevin Bolger, Logan Hanneman, and Ben Ogden qualified for the heats. Both Swirbul and Diggins raced in the opening qualifying heat, but near the end of the first lap, Diggins was in the lead, with Switzerland’s Nadine Faehndrich sitting second and Swirbul in third. Faehndrich caught an edge and went down coming into the downhill corner, forcing Swirbul to the outside, where she crashed into the sponsor boards lining the exterior of the course. Fortunately, she wasn’t injured but did not move into the semifinals. Diggins won and moved into the semifinals, where she took her second win of the day to advance to the finals. 

Meanwhile, Kern won both her quarterfinal and semifinal heats with a combination of smart tactics and fast sprinting. “I had a pretty dialed strategy based on looking at footage from previous years (of sprints at Lenzerheide)” Kern said, adding that being near the front, while trying to ski a chill first lap, and passing on the right were her keys to victory in the opening heats. 

In the women’s final, both Diggins and Kern positioned themselves well on the first lap, with Diggins charging into the lead on the second lap and powering up the final climb. Kern was right behind her, but Norway’s Mathilde Myhrvold and Slovenia’s Anamarija Lampic snuck around her on the downhill to take the final two podium spots. However, with her fourth-place result, Kern did achieve the criteria (top eight individual World Cup finish) to be nominated to Team USA to compete at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. 

“Our skis were awesome today,” said Kern, who also had her parents Dorothee and Gunther, and her sister Nadja in the crowd cheering her on. “A lot of fun energy out there and great support from our staff. So it was a great day to kick off the Tour.” 

Tuesday's victory was not only a big result for Diggins but a tremendous result for the entire U.S. Team at the Tour de Ski. “We have an amazing support team here on the Tour this year,” Diggins said. “So many resources and so many people helping us get the most out of this Tour.” 

For the U.S. men, Ogden finished fifth in the qualifier, with Bolger in ninth and Hanneman sneaking into the final spot in 30th. In the opening heats, Bolger finished fourth, while both Hanneman and Ogden were fifth in their respective heats. 

The usual cast of characters populated the podium, with Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo taking the win, followed by Richard Jouve of France in second, and Lucas Chanavat of France in third. Bolger was 16th, Ogden 21st adn Hanneman 25th. 

Stage 2 of the Tour de Ski features a 10k classic individual start for the women and a 15k classic individual start for the men Wednesday in Lenzerheide.

RESULTS
Stage 1 Tour de Ski
Women’s Freestyle sprint
Men’s Freestyle sprint

STANDINGS
Women’s Tour de Ski Overall
Men’s Tour de Ski Overall
Women’s World Cup Overall
Men’s World Cup Overall
Women’s World Cup Sprint
Men’s World Cup Sprint

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021
7:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Stage 2 Women’s 10k Classic Individual Start - LIVE, Lenzerheide, SUI, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock
9:05 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Stage 2 Men’s 15k Classic Individual Start - LIVE, Lenzerheide, SUI, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock

Friday, Dec. 31, 2021
6:55 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Stage 3 Women’s 10k Freestyle Mass Start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock
9:25 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Stage 3 Men’s 15k Freestyle Mass Start - LIVE, Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock

Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022
6:00 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Stage 4 Men and Women’s Classic Sprint - LIVE Oberstdorf, GER, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock

Moltzan Top U.S. Finisher in Lienz Giant Slalom

By Courtney Harkins
December, 28 2021
Paula Moltzan
Paula Moltzan (pictured here from Courchevel World Cup on December 22) races giant slalom. (Getty Images/Agence Zoom-Christophe Pallot)

Paula Moltzan led the U.S. Alpine Ski Team women in the giant slalom in Lienz, Austria, finishing 22nd. Mikaela Shiffrin did not race due to a positive COVID-19 test.

The sun was out, but the track in Lienz was bumpy, and the light was flat. Conditions didn’t bother French skier Tessa Worley, who wore bib one and never gave up first place—winning the first run and maintaining her lead in the second run to take the overall win. With the victory, Worley became the third female skier with at least 15 World Cup giant slalom wins, following Vreni Schneider of Switzerland (20) and Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proll (16). Petra Vlhova of Slovakia had an aggressive second run to ski into second place, and Sara Hector of Sweden, even with two big mistakes on her second run, had a stellar day to take third—her third straight World Cup podium.

After finishing 24th first run, Moltzan had a strong second run to push her into 22nd place. It was her fifth consecutive points score in giant slalom.  

The race felt 2x Olympic champion Shiffrin’s absence, who has podiumed seven times at the Austrian venue throughout her career. Though she couldn’t be there in person, she watched from quarantine. “I’m super psyched to watch my teammates race,” said Shiffrin. “And as far as the overall globe goes, we’re just taking it day by day. Obviously, this is a blow to the points and chances there, but if we’ve learned anything this season so far, it’s that anything can happen. I’m just focused on getting better and getting back to racing ASAP, and we’ll let the chips fall where they may. Can’t worry too much about globes and titles with everything going on with COVID.”

Shiffrin maintains the overall World Cup lead with 750 points to Italian Sofia Goggia’s 657 points. Goggia finished 12th in the Lienz GS. Shiffrin still leads the GS standings by 18 points, with Hector in second.

World Champion Lara Gut-Behrami was still absent from the World Cup tour after testing positive for COVID on December 17.

Nina O’Brien and AJ Hurt also started the race but did not qualify for a second run. The women slipped into second in GS in the Nations Cup hunt but still maintain the lead in slalom.

Up next, the women race slalom on Wednesday in Lienz.

RESULTS
Women’s giant slalom

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Lienz, AUT, Streaming Peacock
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Super-G - LIVE, Bormio, ITA, Streaming Ski and Snowboard LiveStreaming Peacock
7:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Lienz, AUT, Streaming Peacock

Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Super-G - LIVE, Bormio, ITA, Streaming Peacock

Current television broadcast and streaming schedules for all sports are available here. For more information on how to watch broadcasts and streaming, visit our full "how to watch" breakdown.

Please note: Streaming services and apps are third-party services and subject to such parties’ terms of use and data privacy. U.S. Ski & Snowboard disclaims any and all liability for use of third-party services and apps.

Ganong Eighth; Leads Three Into Top 20 at Unforgiving Bormio Downhill

By Megan Harrod
December, 28 2021
Ganong Eighth in Bormio Downhill
On another dark, bumpy, difficult day on the ominous and notoriously unforgiving Stelvio track in Bormio, Italy, Travis Ganong led three Americans into the top 20, grabbing his best downhill result of the season so far, in eighth place. (Mattia Ozbot - Getty Images)

Travis Ganong led three Americans into the top 20 on the ominous, unforgiving Stelvio track in Bormio, Italy in eighth, his best downhill of the season so far.

Despite dark and difficult conditions, Italy’s fearless racehorse Dominik Paris was once again victorious in Bormio, with Swiss powerhouse Marco Odermatt in second, and teammate Niels Hinterman in third—his second consecutive third-place finish in downhill. The victory is Paris’ sixth career World Cup downhill win in Bormio, including 2012 and four successive between 2017 and 2019. This surpasses the men's record for most World Cup downhill wins at a specific ski resort, which was previously five by the Swiss legend Didier Cuche in Kitzbuehel, Austria.

There’s such a high level of skiing on the men’s speed circuit, that when the athletes encounter a track as ominous as the Stelvio, success follows the guys that got up and were willing to ski and push. Tuesday’s race unfolded as anticipated, with Paris executing on his home hill and taking the decisive victory. Surprisingly, Switzerland’s Beat Feuz skied out, making it the first time he’s DNFed in a World Cup downhill since Kitzbuehel in 2017. 

“It's so icy and so different from all of the downhills we've been on all season, so it's like the first real test of the year in downhill,” reflected Ganong. “It's gnarly, it's scary, it's bumpy—people pulled out of the race because of the conditions...classic Bormio style."

Ganong tested a new pair of skis, with a new plate and a new binding, after skiing on them in the second training run. He said, "...it was different but in a good way. After one run on them, I thought 'OK, I know what to expect now,' and it was the right choice, obviously, because I had a good feeling on the snow today and I felt like I could play with the hill, which is not easy to do in Bormio because most of the time you're just playing catch-up and not in charge, and it's a fight. The feeling I had today was more like I was in charge and I was able to play with the hill. In one section, particularly coming into the traverse...I totally changed my plan mid-turn and went dead-straight, threw the skis sideways for a sec and locked in and from there down I was second from that split all the way to the finish behind Odermatt.”

”It was a really solid run," Ganong added. “I think Bormio is where I had my first top 10 in my career and my first World Cup points, I believe, in downhill...I've had a lot of good races here over the years."

Jared Goldberg snagged 15th, making it his best result of the season so far, while Ryan Cochran-Siegle landed in 20th. Steven Nyman finished just outside of the points, in 31st by one-hundredth of a second. Erik Arvidsson was 37th, Bryce Bennett 39th, and Sam Morse 46th. 

Up next, the men will take on back-to-back super-G races on the Stelvio. Cochran-Siegle won last season's super-G in Bormio. This marks the American men's only World Cup super-G win in the last 15 years. AfterBennett's win in the Val Gardena, Italy downhill, the American men could win a men's downhill and super-G event in a single World Cup season for the first time since the 2007 season.

RESULTS
Men’s downhill

STANDINGS
Downhill
Overall

HOW TO WATCH
*All times EST.

Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021
4:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, run 1 - LIVE, Lienz, AUT, Streaming Peacock
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Super-G - LIVE, Bormio, ITA, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock
7:00 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Women's Slalom, run 2 - LIVE, Lienz, AUT, Streaming Peacock

Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021
5:30 a.m. FIS Alpine World Cup Men's Super-G - LIVE, Bormio, ITA, Streaming Peacock

Current television broadcast and streaming schedules for all sports are available here. For more information on how to watch broadcasts and streaming, visit our full "how to watch" breakdown.

Please note: Streaming services and apps are third-party services and subject to such parties’ terms of use and data privacy. U.S. Ski & Snowboard disclaims any and all liability for use of third-party services and apps.

 

World Cup Development Opportunities: an Interview with Rising Coach and Tech, Kristen Bourne

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
December, 27 2021
The Team behind the Team
The team behind the podium in Dresden. From left to right, physical therapist Ana Robinson, rising tech and coach Kristen Bourne, Jessie Diggins, and Julia Kern.

Women’s Sports Foundation Van DerVeer Fellow grant recipient Kristen Bourne, who is an assistant cross country coach at the College of St. Scholastica (CSS) in Duluth, MN, joined the Davis U.S. Cross Country Team for a couple of weeks on the FIS World Cup circuit in Davos, Switzerland, and Dresden, Germany, recently.

From coaching to driving athletes, and waxing skis Bourne was introduced to an  “intensive course” on all things World Cup. Faster Skier's Rachel Perkins caught up with Bourne and featured her in the following story...

World Cup Development Opportunities: an Interview with Rising Coach and Tech, Kristen Bourne

 

Shiffrin Sidelined for Lienz

By Megan Harrod
December, 27 2021
Mikaela Out for Lienz
Two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin announced Monday she has tested positive for COVID-19 and will sit out the next FIS Ski World Cup event—a giant slalom and slalom race—in Lienz, Austria. (Mike Dawsy - U.S. Ski & Snowboard)

Two-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin announced Monday she has tested positive for COVID-19 and will sit out the next FIS Ski World Cup event—a giant slalom and slalom race—in Lienz, Austria. Shiffrin is currently leading in both the overall standings and giant slalom standings and is second in the slalom standings to Slovakian rival Petra Vlhova. 

NBC Sports Podcast: How can winter sports become more diverse and inclusive?

By Megan Harrod
December, 24 2021
Diversity in Winter Sport

NBC Sports' The Podium podcast recently spent time talking with U.S. Ski Team alumnus Andre Horton, a pioneer among black skiers who, during the early 2000s became the first able-bodied Black American to join the U.S. Ski Team.

As the article says, 

Winter sports are popular activities for many Americans, but access to ski resorts isn't equal for everyone. According to data from the National Ski Areas Association, about 88% of visitors to ski areas in the U.S. during the 2019-20 season were white, while less than 2% were Black.

There are many factors leading to this disparity — the high cost of participation, geographic and logistical restrictions, and a lack of marketing toward Black Americans all contribute.

In the latest episode of The Podium podcast from NBC Sports (below), this issue of equal access to the slopes was explored in further detail.

Andre Horton, a pioneer among Black skiers, is one of the athletes featured on the podcast. During the early 2000s, he became the first able-bodied Black American to join the U.S. Ski Team, and as he traveled around the country to compete, it was rare for him to see other skiers who looked like him.

Some organizations, such as the National Brotherhood of Skiers, are working to change this by finding promising Black athletes and supporting them in their development. One such athlete is Brian Rice, an up-and-coming 17-year-old snowboarder from Michigan who is targeting the 2026 Winter Olympics.

On the podcast, Horton and Rice discussed their personal experiences, the tight-knit friendships they've formed within the Black ski and snowboard community, and what steps can be taken to get more young kids of color into the pipeline for winter sports and eventually onto the podium. Listen to the full episode below.

Listen to The Podium podcast episode featuring Andre Horton.

HomeLight Launches #PoweredByHomeLight Athlete Spotlight Series

By U.S. Ski & Snowboard
December, 24 2021
Paula Moltzan HomeLight
Paula Moltzan celebrates in the finish at the HomeLight Killington Cup slalom at Killington Resort in Vermont. (U.S. Ski & Snowboard)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — HomeLight, the real estate technology platform transforming the home buying and selling process for the top real estate agents and their clients, today announced the launch of #PoweredByHomeLight, a first-of-its-kind sponsorship series to support today's up-and-coming and established athletes and sports teams. The first athlete to be announced as #PoweredByHomeLight is Paula Moltzan, an American World Cup alpine ski racer on the U.S. Ski Team, with other athletes to be officially announced in the coming weeks.

As a part of this invite-only spotlight series, HomeLight's sponsorship empowers athletes to attend and participate in major competitions and events around the world and do what they do best: pursuing their goals of winning. Athletes in this series will have the opportunity to be featured in their own HomeLight commercials and will don HomeLight-branded uniforms while competing.

Paula Moltzan, the first athlete to be announced in the #PoweredByHomeLight athlete spotlight series, is known as a rising star on the U.S. Ski Team making a name for herself on the World Cup circuit. Moltzan scored her first World Cup points in 2015, won gold in the slalom at the Junior World Championships the same year, raced collegiately for the University of Vermont in Burlington, and won the NCAA title in slalom in 2017. She rejoined the World Cup circuit for the 2018-19 season and finished 18th in slalom at the World Championships in 2019. Moltzan finished the 2021 season ranked 11th in slalom and with a podium finish in Lech, Austria. Moltzan is currently racing on the World Cup circuit and preparing for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in February.

For Moltzan, partnering with HomeLight goes beyond skiing. "HomeLight is more than just the company sponsoring and supporting my athletic journey this season," says Paula Moltzan, U.S. Ski Team slalom and giant slalom skier. "I'm proud to share that I'm trusting HomeLight to help me during one of my life's most important moments: buying my first home. It's an honor to be #PoweredByHomeLight and team up with a company that supports me for monumental moments, whether that's competing on the slopes or competing for a home."

While this is the first time HomeLight has sponsored individual athletes, the organization has supported the building of world-class teams for years. Since 2019, HomeLight has been the title sponsor of the HomeLight Killington Cup, the widely-anticipated women's World Cup event on Thanksgiving weekend. For the 2021-2022 season in addition to sponsoring individual athletes, HomeLight is furthering its investment in U.S. Ski and Snowboard by sponsoring the HomeLight Foundation Series aimed at creating opportunities for emerging athletes. The HomeLight Foundation Series events include the U.S. leg of the FIS NorAm for both alpine and freestyle skiing and the HomeLight U.S. Revolution Tour for freeski and snowboard halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air.

"At HomeLight, we are all about supporting the individuals and teams inspiring their communities. With the launch of this series, being #PoweredByHomeLight doesn't only apply to the best real estate agents in the United States – it's bigger than that," said John Van Slyke III, Senior Vice President of Growth at HomeLight. "We recognize the skill, dedication, preparation, and commitment it takes to be the best, and we're excited to sponsor athletes like Paula as they continue to make a name for themselves, their teams, and our country."

For more information about Moltzan's upcoming competitions, visit usskiandsnowboard.org/athletes/paula-moltzan.

For more information about HomeLight, visit homelight.com.

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About HomeLight
HomeLight is building the future of real estate — today. Our vision is a world where every real estate transaction is simple, certain, and satisfying for all.

The best real estate agents rely on HomeLight's platform to deliver better outcomes to homebuyers and sellers during every step of the real estate journey, whether that's enabling an all-cash offer, unlocking liquidity of their existing home to buy a new one, or creating certainty through a modern closing process. Each year, HomeLight facilitates billions of dollars of residential real estate business on its platform for thousands of agents.

Founded in 2012, HomeLight is a privately held company with offices in Scottsdale, San Francisco, New York, and Seattle, with backing from prominent investors including Zeev Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Group 11, Crosslink Capital, Bullpen Capital, Montage Ventures, Citi Ventures, Google Ventures, and others.

For additional information and images: homelight.com/press

Media Contact
Lizzie Ryan, HomeLight, (415) 508-4198, lizzie.ryan@homelight.com

 

Release Courtesy of HomeLight