Aspen local Wiley Maple has the body for hockey and was headed in that direction when skiing provided him an opportunity to ski with the U.S. Development Team. (USSA)
The first event of the U.S. Alpine Championships kicked off Sunday in Aspen, CO where hometown favorite Wiley Maple and Breezy Johnson won downhill national titles.
Travis Ganong led five Americans into the top 30, with a sixth-place finish, in the Audi FIS Ski World Cup Saturday on the Kandahar downhill track.
Andrew Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) was second in Friday’s Audi FIS Alpine World Cup on the classic Hahnenkamm track.
After a solid three days of training, Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) threw down a fast run on Saturday to grab third place at the Lake Louise downhill.
In the penultimate Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill of the season, the men were thirsty for results—looking to tighten the race for the overall downhill globe. Travis Ganong was the top American downhiller of the day, finishing in sixth place.
After over two hours of delays, the race finally were finally able to squeak one last downhill into February. Fighting flat light and typical thick fog in Garmisch, Marco Sullivan (Squaw Valley, CA) was the top American downhiller of the day in sixth.
The rarely-used Schneekristall-Zwolfer track is non-stop from top to bottom. A high-speed signature course, racers question whether this track is more challenging than the famed Kitzbuehel one.
The men look fast in during two runs of downhill training at the Audi Birds of Prey in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
Marco Sullivan pulls out a fifth place finish in Saturday's Lake Louise downhill.
Erik Fisher landed the first Audi FIS Alpine World Cup super combined points of his career as Austrian Romed Baumann captured the final win in Chamonix.
Bode Miller came within .01 seconds of victory in the first of two World Cup downhills scheduled for Chamonix.
Didier Cuche surpassed Austrian Franz Klammer with his fifth downhill victory in Kitzbuehel
Who will be written into Hahnenkamm lore as the fabled weekend reaches its 72nd year?
Bode Miller battled to second in the Val Gardena super G for his second World Cup podium of the season.
|
|
|||||||||||
Wiley Maple Quick Facts
|
Alpine Athletes » Wiley Maple |
Additional Info
Wiley Maple WebsitesAthlete Photo Gallery |
|||||
Aspen local Wiley Maple has the body for hockey and was originally headed in that direction when skiing provided him a slap-shot opportunity to ski with the U.S. Development Team. He's made it count and is now a rising star among the men's speed team. Though Maple has struggled with injuries, he's one of the most resilient athletes on the U.S. Ski Team and is a consistent points scorer on the World Cup circuit. His 2016 season was highlighted by three top-30 finishes including a 24th in super G at the Olympic test event in Jeongseon, South Korea. On top of that, Maple won his second consecutive U.S. National downhill title on home turf in Aspen to cap off the season, on a course he's very familiar with, known as "America's Downhill." You can bet the tough-as-nails, no BS Aspen local is looking forward to the possibility of competing at World Cup Finals in Aspen in the 2017 season. “This is my hill. I ski this every day when I’m here,” Maple said in an interview with the Aspen Times this spring. “I hope I can get back here (at Aspen Mountain) next year and ski with the big boys,” Maple said of the 2017 World Cup Finals, scheduled for Aspen Mountain one year from next week. We hope so too, Wiley. FIRST TRACKS OFF THE SNOW |
||||||
HighlightsWORLD CUP OTHER |