U.S. Ski and Snowboard names 2021-2022 alpine team

U.S. Ski & Snowboard introduced Wednesday the 44 athletes who’ve been chosen to compete within the 2021-22 Olympic season. 11 of the A, B, C, and Growth Groups have a connection to the Vail Valley.

Headlining the group is two-time Olympic and six-time world champion Mikaela Shiffrin of Edwards, Colorado. Shiffrin boasts 70 World Cup wins, 12 shy of the all-time file, held by Lindsey Vonn. A current again challenge has quickly sidelined the star. Again in October, ESPN reported that it was her intent to race in all 5 particular person Alpine occasions in Beijing. “One thing I’m dreaming about proper now could be to have the ability to compete in every occasion in China,” Shiffrin mentioned. “However meaning I’ve to do much more preparation, mentally.”

Nina O’Brien, who additionally lists Edwards, Colorado as her hometown, is trying to construct off of final season, which noticed her end fifteenth in big slalom on the general World Cup checklist. Within the 2021 World Championship big slalom, the seven-time nationwide champion was 0.02 seconds behind Shiffrin for the general lead. An aggressive second run led to a mistake with seven gates remaining, in the end leading to O’Brien settling for tenth.

O’Brien advised Ski Racing (SR) three weeks ago that she considers herself a top-15 GS skier and believes elevated time and focus within the fitness center in the course of the prep portion of the 12 months, one thing the pandemic pressured her into final 12 months, was essential in her enchancment.

She replicated the strategy throughout this summer season, which she spent in Denver interning with a non-public fairness agency and taking on-line lessons from Dartmouth. In accordance with Ski Racing Media’s article, O’Brien was usually waking up at 5 a.m. for her first fitness center session.

The technique seems to be working to this point, as she completed in ninth on the opening big slalom occasion in Soelden, a race Shiffrin gained.

O’Brien was assured going into the race, figuring out her strengths have been in her capability to deal with variations in venues, snow, terrain and lane selections. Wanting forward on the 12 months, the Burke Academy graduate intends to concentrate on the method.

“For me, breakovers are all the time one thing I’m making an attempt to get higher at,” O’Brien mentioned to SR earlier than the race. “So anytime there’s a transition from flat to steep, steep to flat, that’s a superb place for me to ensure I’m on my recreation.”

Ski and Snowboard Membership Vail alumni Paula Moltzan, who completed within the top-25 within the Soelden opener as properly, is the third valley athlete on the ladies’s A staff. The 2017 NCAA slalom champion from Prior Lake, Minnesota has one podium and 5 high tens in her World Cup profession. The 27-year outdated positioned second within the Lech Zurs parallel big slalom in 2021; the 2022 Lech Zurs parallel big slalom is that this weekend.

On the boys’s aspect, River Radamus headlines the native contingent. His career-best sixth place end in Soelden has followers hopeful that the two-time Junior World Champion can lastly fill the boots of current stars equivalent to Ted Ligety and Bode Miller. Within the Soelden opener, a high-speed save had media asking Radamus if he was making an attempt to emulate Miller.

“I wasn’t making an attempt to mimic anybody…I used to be simply making an attempt to make it down, to be trustworthy with you,” he mentioned within the U.S. ski team report. He continued, “I’m actually making an attempt to take that mentality—the fearless mentality—like Bode and lots of guys from America have, so yeah—I’m actually pleased with the recoveries I needed to make there. And I actually hope to maintain pushing the restrict on the following run too.”

2021-2022 U.S. Alpine Ski Group – Vail Valley athletes

– Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.; Burke Mountain Academy/Ski & Snowboard Membership Vail; 3/13/1995)

– Nina O’Brien (Edwards, Colo.; Burke Mountain Academy/Group Palisades Tahoe; 11/29/1997)

– Paula Moltzan (Prior Lake, Minn.; Buck Hill Ski Group/Ski and Snowboard Membership Vail and College of Vermont; 4/7/1994)

B Group

– Kyle Negomir (Littleton, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Membership Vail; 10/3/1998)

– River Radamus (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Membership Vail; 2/12/1998)

– Bridger Gile (Aspen, Colo., Aspen Valley Ski Membership/Ski & Snowboard Membership Vail; 10/15/1999)

C Group

– Nicola Rountree-Williams (Edwards, Colo.; Loveland Ski Space; 7/7/2002)

Growth Group

– Allie Resnick (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Membership Vail; 9/1/2001)

– Emma Resnick (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Membership Vail; 7/23/2003)

– Ava Sunshine Jemison (Edwards, Colo.; Burke Mountain Academy; 6/20/2002)*

– Trent Pennington (Shalimar, Fla.; Ski and Snowboard Membership Vail; 5/8/2002)