U.S. ALPINE TEAM NEWS

Cochran-Siegle Puts Up a Fight in Slovenia

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (March. 5, 2016) – Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT) put up a tough fight to finish in the top 30 of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom Saturday. Austria’s Marcel Hirscher won the race, ending the four-win streak of France’s Alexis Pinturault.

“I just tried to be as clean as possible, but the snow conditions were tough,” said Cochran-Siegle, who starting 35th and posted the 20th-fastest first run time. “I managed to ski it pretty well, considering, so I’m pretty happy with that.”

However, the second run proved a tougher challenge as Cochran-Siegle ran into all sorts of difficulty. “My hand hit a hole and I lost a pole,” he said. “And then I just kind of scrambled after that and went too straight into another gate.” After hiking to make a gate in order to post an official result, Cochran-Siegle finished in the top 30, but 11.90 seconds out of first, meaning he finished out of the points.

“The big challenge today was the flat light, so the athletes could not see the bumps … In my opinion, it was one of the toughest GS race of the season, especially on the first run,” said Head Coach Sasha Rearick. “But Ryan Cochran-Siegle, hats off to him. He’s had a tremendous two years return battle from injury–this year, getting back on snow for the first time.”

Meanwhile, Hirscher took a commanding lead in the overall World Cup standings as he snapped Pinturault’s giant slalom win streak at four. Pinturault settled for second, while Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen finished third. Hirscher extended his overall World Cup lead from 293 to 333 points over Kristoffersen. Hirscher also extended his overall World Cup giant slalom lead to 111 points over Pinturault with one giant slalom race remaining, clinching the GS globe.

As for the other Americans, it was a tough day battling the snow conditions. Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) finished 37th and Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City, UT) was 40th in the first run and did not qualify for the second run. Tommy Ford (Reno, NV), Kieffer Christianson (Anchorage, AK), David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) and Samuel Dupratt (Dixon, CA) did not finish the first run.

Up next, the men race slalom Sunday in Kranjska Gora. The race will broadcast live on NBC Sports Live Extra.

HIGHLIGHTS

· Marcel Hirscher won his fourth giant slalom of the season and clinched the GS globe.

· It is his fourth GS title.

· Hirscher also leads the overall World Cup standings by 333 points over Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen.

· Ryan Cochran-Siegle scored his first World Cup giant slalom points in only his fourth World Cup GS start.

QUOTES

Ryan Cochran-Siegle
My hand hit a hole and I lost a pole. Then I just kind of scrambled after that and went too straight into another gate. I just tried to be as clean as possible, but the snow conditions were tough. I managed to ski it pretty well, considering, so I’m pretty happy with that.

Sasha Rearick, Head Coach
Today’s conditions were tough. They did a good job preparing the hill–watering last night and letting it sit. It was hard and very bumpy. The big challenge today was the flat light, so the athletes could not see the bumps. But you have to ski aggressive in nature and forward in balance and with a mentality of attacking it. If you did that, the bumps weren’t that bad. But to do that took tremendous courage. If you were defensive at all, the bumps just beat you up. We saw a lot of athletes struggle with that across the board. In my opinion, it was one of the toughest GS race of the season, especially on the first run.

From our athletes side, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, hats off to him. He’s had a tremendous two years return battle from injury–this year, getting back on snow for the first time. He has been skiing progressively better with movements, position. He’s skiing the same line as Pinturault and he’s in a similar position on his skis. His challenge was that he wasn’t committing to the edge. Second run he made one particularly big mistake, but I was so stoked to see him fight to the bottom.

Tommy Ford also showed tremendous courage today–unfortunately went out right at the bottom. But his skiing was a demonstration of fast skiing we know he can do. He was right in there to be a top 15/top 17 run.

Broadcast and Live Streaming (times EST)

Saturday, March 5
2:30 p.m. Men’s giant slalom, Kranjska Gora – Universal HD

Vonn Rebounds from Super G Crash
SOLDEU-EL TARTER, Andorra (Feb. 28, 2016) – A day after going down in a sled following a super G crash, Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) came back to win the Audi FIS Ski World Cup alpine combined morning super G, and finish 13th overall, forcing a three-way tie for the combined globe with one event to go.

Mikaela Shiffrin’s (Eagle-Vail, CO) comeback from an early-season knee injury took another step forward Sunday as she led the U.S. Ski Team in the alpine combined at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup. She came from a 40th-place finish in the morning super G to post the fourth-fastest slalom time, finishing eighth in her first World Cup combined, and only her third ever World cup super G.

Canada’s Marie-Michele Gagnon won the event – her second career World Cup victory. Wendy Holdener of Switzerland was second, followed by Anne-Sophie Barthet of France in third. Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA) was third in the super G and finished 25th overall. Jackie Wiles (Aurora, OR) was 34th overall. Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) was second after the super G, but did not finish the slalom.

Up next, the women’s tech team heads to Jasna, Slovakia, for one giant slalom and one slalom race from March 5-6.

Lindsey Vonn won the super G run of the alpine combined.

HIGHLIGHTS

· Lindsey Vonn won the first run super G a day after crashing during Saturday’s super G and injuring her left knee.

· Mikaela Shiffrin finished eighth in her first World Cup combined event.

· Vonn is tied for the combined World Cup title with Switzerland’s Lara Gut and Canada’s Marie-Michele Gagnon with one event remaining.

· Vonn leads the overall World Cup standings by 28 points over Gut.

Mikaela Shiffrin had the fourth-fastest slalom run, moving up from 40th to eighth.

Chodounsky Leads Americans in Slovenia
KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (March 4, 2016) – David Chodounsky (Crested Butte, CO) came out of the 58th start position to finish as the top American in 26th at the Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom Friday. Tommy Ford (Reno, NV) continued his string of top 30s, finishing 27th in the weekend opener, which replaced the cancelled event from Garmisch.

“First run, I’m happy,” Chodounsky said. “I started in the back and felt like I skied well … aggressive. But then I completely over-skied the second run. It skied so much easier that I thought it would.”

Alexis Pinturault of France made the course look real easy, winning his fourth-straight World Cup giant slalom by 0.47 over Austria’s Philipp Schoerghofer. World Cup overall and giant slalom leader Marcel Hirscher of Austria was third. Hirscher increased his overall World Cup lead to 293 points over Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen, who finished fourth Friday. Pinturault’s victory moved him into second in the overall World Cup giant slalom standings, just 91 points behind Hirscher.

Brennan Rubie (Salt Lake City, UT), Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, VT), Tim Jitloff (Reno, NV) and Kieffer Christianson (Anchorage, AK) did not qualify for the second run.

Up next, the men tackle another giant slalom Saturday in Kranjska Gora, and slalom Sunday. Both races will broadcast live on NBC Sports Live Extra.

HIGHLIGHTS

· Alexis Pinturault of France won his fourth-straight World Cup giant slalom.

· David Chodounsky and Tommy Ford both scored their third top-30 World Cup giant slalom finish of the season.

· Marcel Hirscher increased his overall World Cup lead to 293 points over Norway’s Henrik Kristoffersen.

· Pinturault’s victory moved him into second in the overall World Cup giant slalom standings, just 91 points behind Hirscher.

QUOTES

David Chodounsky
First run, I’m happy. I started in the back and felt like I skied well and aggressive. But then I completely over-skied the second run. It skied so much easier that I thought it would. But I’m learning in GS still. I’m happy with today, I got some points and I’m going to keep my GS going.

Broadcast and Live Streaming (times EST)
Saturday, March 5
3:30 a.m. Men’s giant slalom run 1, Kranjska Gora – LIVE – NBC Sports Live Extra
6:30 a.m. Men’s giant slalom run 2, Kranjska Gora – LIVE – NBC Sports Live Extra

Sunday, March 6
3:30 a.m. Men’s slalom run 1, Kranjska Gora – LIVE – NBC Sports Live Extra
6:30 a.m. Men’s slalom run 2, Kranjska Gora – LIVE – NBC Sports Live Extra

Ian Fehler
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