U.S. Ski & Snowboard saw a few podiums this week in World Cup action including a first-place finish on home soil.
The Birds of Prey World Cup in Beaver Creek, Colorado took place over the weekend. U.S. Ski & Snowboard Megan Harrod reports the competition resulted in the first World Cup win for the U.S. men’s Alpine Ski team since 2017.
“An incredible moment with Tommy Ford winning by a massive margin of eight-tenths over Henrik Kristoffersen and Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen of Norway, on home snow in the giant slalom,” Harrod continued. “So, it was incredible. Ted Ligety was 11th, Ryan Cochran-Siegle who spends a lot of time in Park City and stays with Jess Kelley and Adam Cole was in 23rd, and yeah it was just an incredible race day.”
Ford became just the third American man, joining Ted Ligety and Bode Miller, to have won a World Cup in tech since 1983. The men also saw two sixth place finishes.
“We had a Super G on Friday led by Travis Ganong in 6th place,” Harrod explained. “Local Steven Nyman also scored points as well as Ryan Cochran-Siegle. On Saturday the big downhill day Ryan Cochran-Siegle who had won the training run on Wednesday but didn't want to hype it up, he ended up in sixth place. Just eight-hundredths out of 2nd place podium finish. So, that's how tight it was and that's how amazing Ryan skied.”
The men next head to Val d’Isere, France. The women’s alpine team spent the weekend in Lake Louise Canada. Mikaela Shffrin finished 10th and 2nd in downhill and 10th in Super-G. Alice McKennis also finished 27th, 10th and 13th. The women next race in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Meanwhile the US Freestyle Moguls team had their first World Cup in Ruka, Finland where Jaelin Kauf finished 4th, the team next heads to China this weekend. Harrod reports a successful weekend for the US Cross Country team in Norway.
“Jessie Diggins was second in the 15K skiathlon Saturday up in Lillehammer,” Harrod said. “Sadie Bjornsen was 8th, while Rosie Brennan posted a World Cup career bests skiathlon results in 16. They followed that up with a second place in the four-by-five team relay. Sophie Caldwell, Sadie Bjornsen, Rosie Brennan, and Jessie Diggins. It’s just awesome to see the women's team having so much success and Jesse is in 4th in the overall World Cup standings, while Sadie is in 5th and Rosie is in 11th. It’s really nice to show that kind of presence among Norway and other nations that have been so commanding in the past.”
The cross-country team next heads to Davos Switzerland for competition this week. Also, this week will see halfpipe skiers and snowboarders competing at the U.S. Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, Colorado.
