HINTERSTODER, Austria (Feb. 25, 2016) – For the first time since 2011, the Audi FIS Ski World Cup will make Hinterstoder their center stage this weekend. On the challenging track that features a little bit of everything, Austria’s Hannes Reichelt was the last man to prevail here in 2011 in super G. Can new father Andrew “Warhorse” Weibrecht (Lake Placid, NY) come out on top this weekend?
Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) was the last U.S. skier to win a super G, and it was on this challenging Hinterstoder track in December 2006. In his best World Cup season of his career, Weibrecht is poised to follow Miller’s footsteps this weekend. Aside from the Attacking Viking, Aksel Lund Svindal, who is currently sidelined, Weibrecht is the only skier with multiple super G podium finishes this season. That includes a third place in Beaver Creek and second in Kitzbuehel – the only World Cup podium finishes of his career. Weibrecht sits in second in the super G standings, 120 points behind Svindal.
Keep an eye on Tommy Ford (Bend, OR) in the super G, as well. Back in 2011, Ford snagged the best finish of his career on this super G track, when he clocked the 11th fastest time. Also watch out for Nicholas Krause (Northboro, MA), who will make his World Cup debut on Saturday.
With Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) out with a knee injury sustained in training at Oberjoch, Germany, Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) will lead a promising crew of eight athletes in giant slalom, including Ford who had the fastest second run time by .80 seconds at Alta Badia, Italy earlier this season, finishing 12th overall.
Friday’s action will also feature Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT), who returned to World Cup racing this season after taking the 2015 season off to focus on rehabbing a knee injury. Cochran-Siegle worked closely with coach Bernd Brunner and teammates Thomas Biesemeyer (Keene, NY) and Resi Stiegler (Jackson, WY) on a return-to-snow program in the beginning of this season. He and Samuel Dupratt (Dixon, CA) both will make their World Cup giant slalom debut on Friday.
It’s been a rough year for men’s tech team, who has experienced two cancelled giant slalom races due to unfavorable weather. Welcome to the giant slalom season: In the next nine days, the men will ski four giant slalom races. The men will take on two giant slalom races, including one on Friday – a make-up race from Adelboden, Switzerland – and one on Sunday, as well as super G on Saturday.
Hinterstoder (GS, SG) Starters
Thomas Biesemeyer – SG
David Chodounsky – GS
Kieffer Christianson – GS
Ryan Cochran-Siegle – GS
Samuel Dupratt – GS*
Mark Engel – GS
Tommy Ford – GS, SG
Jared Goldberg – SG
Tim Jitloff – GS, SG
Nicholas Krause – SG*
Wiley Maple – SG
Steven Nyman – SG
Brennan Rubie – GS
Andrew Weibrecht – SG
*Denotes first World Cup start.
Broadcast and Live Streaming (times EST)
Friday, Feb. 26
3:30 a.m. - Men’s Giant Slalom Run 1, Hinterstoder - LIVE - NBC Sports Live Extra
2:30 p.m. – Men’s Giant Slalom, Hinterstoder – Universal HD
Saturday, Feb. 27
6:00 a.m. - Men’s super G, Hinterstoder - LIVE - NBC Sports Live Extra
1:00 p.m. - Men’s super G, Hinterstoder - Universal HD
Sunday, Feb. 28
3:30 a.m. - Men’s Giant Slalom Run 1, Hinterstoder - LIVE - NBC Sports Live Extra
1:00 p.m. - Men’s Giant Slalom, Hinterstoder - Universal HD
