World Cup Ski Racing returns to the United States next week with two stops — slalom and GS at Palisades Tahoe and downhill and Super-G at Aspen Snowmass. For the first time since the 2017 World Championships at Aspen, the men’s World Cup circuit will visit North America mid-season. For US fans, that means a chance to watch ski races live without a 3 AM wakeup. Get ready to tune in with our World Cup preview for the Stifel Palisades Tahoe World Cup and the Aspen Snowmass America’s Downhill ™ World Cup.
Stifel Palisades Tahoe World Cup Preview
The men’s Alpine Ski Racing World Cup circuit returns to the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics for giant slalom and slalom. Palisades Tahoe is known for its challenging terrain, and the Red Dog race venue is no exception. This run drops 1,267 vertical feet in the GS with multiple dog-leg turns, aggressive side hills, and waterfall-style drops. It’s steep from top to bottom, with the only chance at a flat right out of the start gate. Last raced in 2017, Mikaela Shiffrin described it as “one of, if not the toughest” course venues on the women’s World Cup circuit. The slalom drops 656 vertical feet on the same trail, with unrelenting steeps and fall-away pitches. Take a look at the GS course preview.
Palisades Tahoe World Cup GS Preview
The top 7 contenders for the Palisades Tahoe World Cup GS by current World Cup GS ranking are:
- Marco Odermatt
- Henrik Kristoffersen
- Zan Kranjec
- Loic Meillard
- Marco Schwarz
- Lucas Braathen
- Alexis Pinturault
Odermatt has dominated this season, with four World Cup GS wins out of the five GS races he’s started, as well as the momentum from his 2022 Olympic GS Gold medal.
Braathen, with one World Cup GS win and three other top-10 finishes this season, has a string of solid results. He underwent appendicitis surgery on January 31, so his return to the competition is much anticipated.
Meillard, with solid technical form, has won one World Cup GS this season and has appeared in the top-10 four other times.
American GS Skiers
Americans in contention for the American World Cup GS win include River Radamus, Tommy Ford, and Brian McLaughlin.
River Radamus, who was notably 4th in the 2022 Olympic GS race, has been chipping away at the GS ranks this season. He was 10th in the Alta Badia World Cup GS and nabbed a 4th in the World Cup SG in Meribel last week.
Tommy Ford came into the season hot, with a 6th in the season opener at Soelden. He’s racked up a slew of top 30s since, with a notable 15th in the Alta Badia GS.
McLaughlin, racing independent of the US Ski Team, had a couple of significant races this season: 23rd in the Schladming GS and 19th in the highly technical Val d’Isere World Cup GS race.
Palisades Tahoe World Cup Slalom Preview
Headed into the Palisades Tahoe World Cup Slalom, the top 7 men in the World Cup slalom rankings are:
- Lucas Braathen
- Daniel Yule
- Henrik Kristoffersen
- Ramon Zenhaeusern
- Manuel Feller
- Loic Meillard
- Linus Strasser
Braathen has been consistent all season — in the top-four in six out of the seven slalom races contested this season, with two wins.
Kristoffersen comes into Palisades with two wins and a second this season.
Daniel Yule also boasts two wins and a total of four top-fours. Rounding out this season’s World Cup slalom winners is Zenhaeusern, with one win.
American Slalom Skiers
Americans looking to impress on home soil include Luke Winters, Jett Seymour, and Ben Ritchie.
Winters has had a few notable slalom results this season, including a recent 12th at Chamonix and an 11th at Garmisch. He trained at the nearby Sugar Bowl Academy, so look for Winters’ familiarity with the Sierra snow to play in his favor.
Ritchie has fought some DNFs but has scored World Cup points in two slalom races this season.
Seymour impressed at the end of January with a 7th in the Chamonix World Cup, followed by a win with nearly a second margin in a Europa Cup. He’ll look to bring that momentum to home turf at Palisades Tahoe.
Aspen Snowmass World Cup Preview
The World Cup skiing men return to America’s Downhill ™ for the first time since the 2017 World Championships on March 3-5 for two downhills and a Super G race. Known as a steep, corkscrewing, technical downhill track, Aspen’s America’s Downhill ™ should prove to be an exciting ski race. With a short and steep start, racers need to execute a few turns to carry speed across a wide, flat shoulder. The course then plunges down the steep drops of Aztec and Spring Pitch, creating a demanding sequence of fast-paced turns. The downhill drops a total of 2,303 feet.
Aspen America’s Downhill™ Preview
Aspen America’s Downhill™ PreviewHeaded into Aspen, the top 7 ranked competitors in downhill are:
- Aleksandar Aamodt Kilde
- Vincent Kriechmayr
- Marco Odermatt
- Johan Clarey
- Mattia Casse
- James Crawford
- Niels Hintermann
Kilde boasts five downhill wins this season, including iconic races in Kitzbuhel and Wengen.
Kriechmayr has won three World Cup downhills this season.
Odermatt just achieved his first downhill victory at the World Championships after four downhill podiums in the regular World Cup season.
American Downhill Skiers
Top American prospects for a win at the Aspen Snowmass Stifel America’s Downhill ™ include Travis Ganong, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Jared Goldberg, Bryce Bennett, and Erik Arvidsson.
Ganong was fast in this year’s infamous Kitzbuhel Hahnenkamm, finishing 3rd and 7th in the two downhill races. He’s had two other top-15 finishes this season.
Cochran-Siegle’s top downhill results this season are a 5th in Bormio and a 7th at the Beaver Creek downhill.
Arvidsson recently finished 17th in the World Championships downhill.
After his recent 4th in Kitzbuhel, Jared Goldberg will be looking to capitalize on home soil.
Aspen World Cup Super G Preview
Rounding out this season’s American World Cup alpine races, look for top prospects in the Super G to be:
- Marco Odermatt
- Aleksander Aamodt Kilde
- Vincent Kriechmayr
- Alexis Pinturault
- Stefan Rogentin
- Daniel Hemetsberger
- Andreas Sander
Odermatt has reached the podium in every Super G race he’s entered this season and has won four of them. Kilde brings two wins and two second-places on his resume for this season.
Kriechmayr has been consistent this season, with five top-5 finishes, but has yet to find the top step of the podium.
American Super G Skiers
Americans looking to take home an Aspen World Cup Super G win include Ryan Cochran-Siegle, River Radamus, Kyle Negomir, Travis Ganong, and Erik Arvidsson.
Cochran-Siegle has achieved a 6th and an 8th in World Cup Super G’s this year on the back of his 2022 Olympic Super G Silver medal.
Radamus was recently 4th in the Meribel Super G and 16th in the Beaver Creek Super G.
Negomir has been heating up this season, with three World Cup Super G top-30 finishes and a 17th in the World Championships Super G.
Arvidsson was 12th in the recent Meribel World Cup Super G.
Attending the Races?
If you’re lucky enough to be watching the American World Cup ski races live, be sure to stay warm out there! Shop Arctica’s warmest coats, like the Gate Master Down Coat XT.
Leave a Comment