PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 28) – World Champions Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), Ted Ligety (Park City, UT), Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) and Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) headline a strong group of 26 athletes, 14 men and 12 women, named by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association to compete in the 2015 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships Feb. 2-15 in Vail/Beaver Creek on home turf. Joining them will be five-time medalist Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) as well as Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill winners Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) and Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT).
It is the strongest team the U.S. has field in the three World Championships in Vail/Beaver Creek. So far this season, the U.S. Ski Team has had seven athletes on Audi FIS Ski World Cup podiums including five separate winners.
“We’re proud to bring a strong group of athletes to the World Championships in our team’s home country,” said USSA Alpine Director Patrick Riml. “Vail/Beaver Creek will put on a great show for the world and we expect our athletes to be competitive for medals for our home country fans.”
Highlights:
- The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association named 26 athletes to compete in the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Feb. 2-15 in Vail/Beaver Creek.
- The top two athletes by selection criteria in each event will get a start right, as will the defending World Champion. Coaches will determine the remaining two spots the day prior to each competition.
- Seven different athletes have been on the Audi FIS Ski World Cup podium, including five who have picked up wins. Lindsey Vonn, now with 64 World Cup wins, presently leads both the downhill and super G World Cup standings and is third overall, one spot ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin.
- Vonn, Stacey Cook and Julia Mancuso made history with the first U.S. podium sweep, in the Lake Louise downhill earlier this season.
- Ted Ligety (Park City, UT), won triple gold in 2013, with Super G, giant slalom and combined victories.
- Vonn is a double gold medalist from the 2009 World Championships and owns a downhill silver from 2011. Shiffrin earned slalom gold in 2013, while Mancuso earned Super G bronze.
- Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) pulled the hat trick victory off in Val Gardena, Italy, for his third career Val Gardena World Cup downhill victory and also grabbed a podium finish at Birds of Prey, while Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) won his first World Cup downhill in Santa Caterina, Italy.
- After undergoing elective back surgery this Fall, Bode Miller looks to make a comeback for World Championships. He foreran races at both Wengen, Switzerland and Kitzbuehel, Austria, but he has not had his first official start yet in the 2014-15 season. He’ll bookend his career with World Championships in Vail/Beaver Creek. Miller was on the 1999 Team in Vail/Beaver Creek (eighth in slalom) and will be attending his eighth World Championships.
- Tamara McKinney was a double medalist in 1989, including gold in combined. The U.S. failed to win a medal in 1999.
- Race starters will not be finalized until the Team Captains meeting the evening prior to each event.
- For the first time ever, the Championships will be broadcast live in the USA on NBC, NBCSN or Universal Sports, with live streaming on NBC Sports Live Extra.
2015 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships Team:
Men
Name, hometown, birthdate, USSA club, past World Champs
Will Brandenburg, Spokane, WA, 1/1/87, Schweitzer Alpine Racing (2011, 2013)
David Chodounksy, Crested Butte, CO, 6/25/84, Crested Butte Ski Team (2011, 2013)
Tommy Ford, Bend, OR, 3/20/89, Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation (2011)
Travis Ganong, Squaw Valley, CA, 7/14/88, Squaw Valley Ski Team (2011, 2013)
Jared Goldberg, Holladay, UT, 6/15/91, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation
Tim Jitloff, Reno, NV, 1/11/85, Park City Ski Team (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
Ted Ligety, Park City, UT, 8/31/84, Park City Ski Team (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
Nolan Kasper, Warren, VT, 3/27/89, Burke Mountain Academy (2011)
Tim Kelley, Starksboro, VT, 5/20/86, Cochran Ski Club
Bode Miller, Franconia, NH, 10/12/77, Carrabassett Valley Academy (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011)
Steven Nyman, Sundance, UT, 2/12/82, Park City Ski Team (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
Brennan Rubie, Salt Lake City, UT, 4/8/91, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation
Marco Sullivan, Squaw Valley, CA, 4/27/80, Squaw Valley Ski Team (2003, 2007, 2009, 2013)
Andrew Weibrecht, Lake Placid, NY, 2/10/86, New York Ski Education Foundation (2009, 2013)
Women
Stacey Cook, Mammoth Mountain, CA, 7/3/84, Mammoth Mountain Ski Team (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
Haley Duke, Boise, ID, 9/17/85, Park City Ski Team, (2009)
Lila Lapanja, Incline Village, NV, 12/3/94, Diamond Peak Ski Team/Sugar Bowl
Julia Mancuso, Squaw Valley, CA, 3/9/84, Squaw Valley Ski Team (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
Megan McJames, Park City, UT, 9/24/87, Park City Ski Education Foundation (2009, 2011)
Alice McKennis, Glenwood Springs, CO, 8/19/89, Rowmark Academy
Paula Moltzan, Lakeville, MN, 5/7/94, Buck Hill Ski Team
Laurenne Ross, Bend, OR, 8/17/88, Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation (2009, 2011, 2013)
Mikaela Shiffrin, Eagle-Vail, CO, 3/13/95, Burke Mountain Academy (2013)
Resi Stiegler, Jackson Hole, WY, 11/14/85, Jackson Hole Ski Club (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO, 10/18/84, Buck Hill/Ski and Snowboard Club Vail (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013)
Jackie Wiles, Aurora, OR, 7/13/92, Pacific Northwest Ski Association/White Pass Ski Club
Competition and Broadcast Schedule: (all times Eastern Standard)
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Vail/Beaver Creek
Mon. Feb. 2 – Opening Ceremony
Tue. Feb. 3 – Women's Super G, 12:55-2:30 p.m. NBCSN
Wed. Feb. 4 – Men's Super G, 12:55-2:30 p.m. NBCSN Fri.
Feb. 6 – Women's Downhill, 12:55-2:30 p.m. NBCSN
Sat. Feb. 7 – Men's Downhill, 2:30-4:00 p.m. NBC
Sun. Feb. 8 – Men’s Combined-downhill, 11:55 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Universal Sports
Sun. Feb. 8 – Men’s Combined-slalom, 4:30-6:00 p.m. NBC
Mon. Feb. 9 – Women’s Co Combined-downhill, 11:55 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Universal Sports
Mon. Feb. 9 – Women’s Combined-slalom, 4:0-5:00 p.m. NBCSN
Tue. Feb. 10 – Nations Team Event, 2:15-4:00 p.m. Universal Sports
Thu. Feb. 12 – Women's Giant Slalom-first run,11:55 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Universal Sports
Thu. Feb. 12 – Women's Giant Slalom-second run, 4:00-5:00 p.m. NBCSN
Fri. Feb. 13 – Men's Giant Slalom-first run,11:55 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Universal Sports
Fri. Feb. 13 – Men's Giant Slalom-second run, 4:00-5:00 p.m. NBCSN
Sat. Feb. 14 – Women's Slalom-first run,11:55 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Universal Sports
Sat. Feb. 14 – Women's Slalom-second run, 4:30-6:00 p.m. NBC
Sun. Feb. 15 – Men's Slalom-first run,11:55 a.m.-2:00 p.m., Universal Sports
Sun. Feb. 15 – Men's Slalom-second run, 4:30-6:00 p.m. NBC
Sun. Feb. 15 – World Championships Recap, 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. NBCSN
Live post-race show every day on Universal Sports Network shortly after the conclusion of the race.
Quotes:
Patrick Riml, U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director
We’re proud to bring a strong group of athletes to the World Championships in our team’s home country. Vail/Beaver Creek will put on a great show for the world and we expect our athletes to be competitive for medals for our home country fans.
Ted Ligety
It’s awesome having the World Champs in the US. It’s something I’ve never experienced before, so it’s going to be a lot of fun having a big event in the US. It’s always nice to take the Euros out of their element a little bit and have them living in their duffle bags for a couple of weeks as opposed to always being the North Americans. Beaver Creek has always done an amazing job preparing hills for us and it’s been a place where I’ve had a good amount of success as well.
Lindsey Vonn
I’m ready for Vail! I feel confident, I’m skiing well and hopefully it will be a good World Championships for me. I have a lot of confidence after having a few days of training at Beaver Creek. It’s a very difficult hill and one that requires a lot of tactics. I’m going to go in and ski my best like I always have and hopefully it will work out.
I have more pressure on myself because I want to perform well for my family. Everyone is going to be there. I want to have it be a really fun World Championships for them and have something to celebrate.
Mikaela Shiffrin
I’m realizing being home that everybody is working in Vail/Beaver Creek right now to get it to go off without a hitch. It’s pretty incredible, because it’s going to be really big and special - like a mini Olympics. And I’m really excited to be a part of it.
Steven Nyman
Finishing fifth in Kitzbuehel was a good step forward and confidence builder going into Beaver Creek. I love that hill – Birds of Prey! I want to give it everything and see what I got. Hopefully I can win or get a medal. I’m stoked. It’s Worlds, so you gotta risk everything. It’s about the medal.
Julia Mancuso
I’m really close to having a breakthrough. I’m going to work hard and hopefully be fighting for the medals in Beaver Creek. It’s tough - it’s a really hard hill with some really extreme parts. It will take some great skiing. I’m happy to have a few days at home and racing in the United States.
