GARMISCH, GERMANY (Mar. 6, 2015) – The second week of races at Garmisch features the women, and in the only downhill training run, Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, CO) was seeking redemption on a track that does not bring back good memories. After snagging her very first World Cup victory (and podium) in St. Anton in 2013 in what was the best season in her career, McKennis crashed on the Kandahar course and suffered a tibial plateau injury.

But during Friday’s training run, it didn’t seem to bother McKennis, who turned in the 16th fastest time. “Today was really an interesting day for me, coming back to a place where I had a pretty bad injury and had broken my leg two years ago,” said McKennis after her run. “It’s good to come back and have a little bit of redemption at a place I have a bad memory of, even if it’s just a training run.”

LAKE LOUISE, AB (Dec. 6) – Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) reclaimed her title as Queen of the Downhill at Lake Louise on Saturday, winning her 60th Audi FIS Ski World Cup and capping a first-ever U.S. Ski Team podium sweep. At the World Cup dubbed Lake Lindsey, she regained her crown as she pulled out the win by almost a half second. Early-running Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA) took the lead and held it until Vonn bumped her into second. Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) rounded out the podium in third. It was the best finish in two seasons for all three athletes.

LAKE LOUISE, AB (Dec. 2) - The women’s speed team is in frigid Lake Louise for Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhills on Friday and Saturday, plus super G on Saturday. But it was Tuesday’s downhill training that had the sports world abuzz, with a strong American showing and Lindsey Vonn’s long awaited return to ski racing.

It was an emotional day for the U.S. Ski Team after a disappointing season-opening week here a year ago. The Americans put on a great performance, with six racers in the top 20—Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, CO) in fourth, Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) seventh, Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA) 10th, Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) 11th, Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) 15th, and Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) 18th.

Out of the top 20, Julia Ford (Plymouth, NH) finished 29th, Katie Ryan (Aspen, CO) 52nd and Abby Ghent (Edwards, CO) 63rd.

BEAVER CREEK, CO - Having the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in your backyard has its benefits. Just ask Olympic slalom gold medalist and World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin. The Eagle-Vail local hopped on Raptor for a few days of super G training in April with speed skiers Stacey Cook, Leanne Smith, Laurenne Ross.

While it’s not yet determined if Shiffrin will race super G or super combined at the Feb. 2-15 big show, she and her teammates certainly benefitted from bonus time on the World Champs slope.

“The extra time was huge,” said Cook, a three-time Olympian, who also trained on the venue in April of 2013. “The conditions in April where more similar to what we’ll see in February and I left the camp with a good feeling. I know that I can ski that hill fast. I’m excited to go back there.”

BEAVER CREEK, CO (March 28) - The U.S. Ski Team women took advantage of another chance to train on Raptor, the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships race hill, with two solid days of super G training earlier this week before snow moved in to cancel Thursday's session. Included in the camp was Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA), Leanne Smith (N. Conway, NH), Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR), Julia Ford (Holderness, NH) and Olympic slalom champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO). Shiffrin also joined the group last spring for the first of what they hope will be three training opportunies on the race hill in advance of the Feb. 2-15 World Championships in Vail and Beaver Creek. 

HIGHLIGHTS

INNSBRUCK, Austria (Feb. 25) - Audi FIS Alpine World Cup action returned to the main stage Tuesday with a Nations Team Event in Innsbruck, where Sweden edged Norway for the first post Olympic podium. The U.S. Ski Team comprised of David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO), Resi Stiegler (Jackson Hole, WY), Nolan Kasper (Warren, VT) and Julia Ford (Holderness, NH) finished fourth, norrowly missing the podium rounds. After drawing a bye in the first round, the U.S. edged France in the quarter final before being bounced by Norway in the semifinal.  A second team event will be staged at the March 12-16 World Cup Finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.

The World Cup tour returns to individual racing Feb. 28-March2 with a pair of men's downhill races and a super G in Kvitfjell, Norway. Women move to Crans Montana, Switzerland with March 1-2 with downhill and super combined. 

PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 26) - The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Sunday nominated 20 athletes to the U.S. Olympic Alpine Ski Team that will compete in Sochi next month. The team is highlighted by Olympic gold medalists Bode Miller (Franconia, NH), Ted Ligety (Park City, UT), Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) and World Champion Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO). The United States Olympic Committee will formally name the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team on January 27.

HIGHLIGHTS

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (Jan. 26) - Two-time Olympian Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA) led the U.S. Ski Team with 13th in super G Sunday, the last of four races held over four days in Cortina to close the Olympic qualification period. The U.S. Alpine Ski Team nominations to the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team will be announced at 2 p.m ET. Swiss Lara Gut won for her fifth victory of the season as weather and a tricky set forced 19 athletes off course, the highest DNF rate for women's super G all season. Universal Sports Network will broadcast the race at 11 a.m. ET. 

HIGHLIGHTS

LAKE LOUISE, AB (Dec. 6) – U.S. Ski Team athlete Julia Ford (Plymouth, NH) shed a little light on a tough day for the U.S. women’s speed team, as she finished a career-best 21st in the first of two Audi FIS Alpine World Cup downhills in Lake Louise. Friday also marked the return of Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), who finished a conservative 40th in her first World Cup start since a season-ending injury last February. German Maria Hoefl-Riesch, who won the final training run, took home the victory in a race delayed by an hour due to fog. The U.S. women’s speed team returns to the hill Saturday for the second downhill run, which will air live on the Universal Sports Network.

HIGHLIGHTS

LAKE LOUISE, AB (Dec. 5) – U.S. Ski Team athletes fine-tuned their lines on the legendary Lake Louise women’s downhill in preparation for the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup downhill double-header this weekend. U.S. Ski Team rookie Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) and Julia Ford (Plymouth, NH) charged from the back of the pack to lead for the USA, tying for ninth place. Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) chose to skip Thursday’s training to rest before her first downhill race since she won in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy on Jan. 19 of last winter. Friday’s race will be broadcast live on Universal Sports Network at 12:30 p.m. MST.

HIGHLIGHTS