Ryan Cochran-Siegle Challenger downhill training run: Burnhamphoto
A New Stage for the Stifel Sun Valley World Cup Finals
The Stifel Sun Valley World Cup Finals will bring the world’s best alpine skiers to Idaho for a high-stakes finale, featuring downhill, super-G, giant slalom, and slalom. But it all begins with speed. On Saturday, March 22, the men’s and women’s downhill races will take center stage on Challenger, a newly built course that has never been raced on before.
This marks the first time Sun Valley hosts World Cup speed events, and the first World Cup races of any kind at the resort since 1977. The Challenger downhill is set to deliver an unpredictable, high-adrenaline debut, forcing racers to navigate an untested track at blistering speeds.
A new challenge awaits, and history is about to be made.
Inside the Sun Valley Challenger Downhill Course
The Challenger Downhill at Sun Valley is built for aggression, courage, and total commitment. Stretching 2,278 meters (7,474 feet) with a vertical drop of 834 meters (2,736 feet), it starts at 2,681 meters (8,800 feet) and plunges to the Greyhawk finish area at 1,847 meters (6,060 feet).
This all-new track demands fearless skiing from the start. Racers launch off the Sawtooth Jump before charging into Durrance Dive, a nod to the man who first envisioned a downhill on Bald Mountain. The course gets steeper through The Legends, testing skiers’ raw courage before they hammer through Carol’s Wagon Wheel and the Steilhang Traverse. Next comes the Frontier Jump, a daring flight into the technical Sluice and Rudi’s Roll, where the line must be balanced with a full-speed attack. As the finish nears, skiers drop into Cowboy’s Corner, named for the Challenger course’s designer and builder, Tom Johnston, before blasting through Proctor Park and across the Greyhawk finish area.
With no history, benchmarks, or room for hesitation, Challenger will demand full-throttle skiing and the will to push to the limits.
Men’s and Women’s Downhill – Saturday, March 22
Men’s Downhill Finals
- Men’s Downhill: 1 p.m. ET | 10 a.m. PT
- Live Coverage (U.S.): NBC, Peacock, OutsideTV (free)
- On-Demand: Outside+
- Canada: CBC Sports
Switzerland’s Alexis Monney set the pace in the only training run, clocking a blistering 1:24.29 on the Challenger course. He hit 73 mph in the first speed trap, proving that the new downhill demands pure speed and total commitment from the start.
Twenty-five men from 10 countries are competing in the downhill at the Stifel Sun Valley World Cup Finals, including Germany’s Felix Roesle, the reigning Junior World Champion, and Switzerland’s Loïc Meillard, who is eligible to race because he has more than 500 World Cup points. Meillard has 931 points this season and sits third in the overall standings.
2025 Men’s Downhill Title Contenders in Sun Valley
If Marco Odermatt finishes 14th or better, the downhill title is his. But Franjo Von Allmen has only one shot—he must win, and Odermatt must place 15th or worse. Knowing nothing less than victory will do, Von Allmen will charge down the brand-new Challenger course with full intensity. The question is, will Odermatt go all out for the win, or will he take a slightly more conservative approach to secure his second consecutive four-globe season? With the title hanging in the balance, the Sun Valley downhill promises high-speed drama and no room for second-guessing.
2025 Men’s World Cup downhill podiums
Eight downhill races took place during the regular season.
| Location | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Creek Birds of Prey | Justin Murisier (SUI) | Marco Odermatt (SUI) | Miha Hrobat (SLO) |
| Val Gardena / Gröden Saslong | Marco Odermatt (SUI) | Franjo Von Allmen (SUI) | Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA) |
| Bormio, Stelvio | Alexis Monney (SUI) | Franjo Von Allmen (SUI) | Cameron Alexander (CAN) |
| Wengen Lauberhorn, Switzerland | Marco Odermatt (SUI) | Franjo Von Allmen (SUI) | Miha Hrobat (SLO) |
| Kitzbühel, Hanenkamm, Austria | James Crawford (CAN) | Alexis Monney (SUI) | Cameron Alexander (CAN) |
| Crans-Montana, Switzerland | Franjo Von Allmen (SUI) | Marco Odermatt (SUI) | Alexis Monney (SUI) |
| Kvitfjell, Norway Race 1 | Dominik Paris (ITA) | Marco Odermatt (SUI) | Stefan Rogentin (SUI) |
| Kvitfjell, Norway Race 2 | Franjo Von Allmen (SUI) | Marco Odermatt (SUI) | Stefan Rogentin (SUI) |
2025 North American Downhill Podiums
North American skiers have made their mark on the 2025 World Cup downhill season, securing podium finishes at some of the sport’s most legendary venues.
- James “Jack” Crawford (CAN) – 1st place, Kitzbühel Downhill
- Cameron Alexander (CAN) – 3rd place, Bormio & Kitzbühel Downhills
- Ryan Cochran-Siegle (USA) – 3rd place, Val Gardena / Gröden Downhill
From Crawford’s historic victory on the feared Streif to Alexander and Cochran-Siegle’s podium runs on some of the tour’s most demanding tracks, North America’s downhill stars have proven their speed on the world stage.
North American Skiers Qualified for the Sun Valley Men’s Downhill
Cameron Alexander of Alpine Canada Alpin will miss the World Cup Finals due to sustaining an injury during World Championships downhill training.
North American Men Racing the Downhill in the Stifel Sun Valley World Cup Finals
- Bib 12, James Crawford, ACA, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, HEAD
- Bib 17, Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Stifel USST, Mt Mansfield Ski Academy, Cochran’s Ski Club, HEAD
- Bib 18, Bryce Bennett, Stifel USST, Team Palisades Tahoe
- Bib 21, Brodie Seger, ACA, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, Atomic
Women’s 2025 World Cup Downhill Finals
- Women’s Downhill: 2:30 p.m. ET | 11:30 a.m. PT
- Live Coverage (U.S.): NBC, Peacock, OutsideTV (free)
- On-Demand: Outside+
- Canada: CBC Sports
Thanks for the clarification! Here’s the updated version with the second speed trap referenced:
Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami led the way for the women in the only training run, posting a quick 1:27.79 on the Challenger course and hitting 71 mph in the second speed trap—an early reminder that this downhill demands fearless skiing from the very top.
Twenty-four women from nine countries are competing in the downhill at the Stifel Sun Valley World Cup Finals, including New Zealand’s Alice Robinson, who has 668 points during the 2025 season and qualified to race World Cup downhills.
2025 Women’s Downhill Title Contenders in Sun Valley
The race for the women’s downhill title is wide open, with just 34 points separating the top three contenders—meaning a seventh-place finish (worth 36 points) by Goggia, combined with trouble for the top two, could completely shake up the standings.
Six downhill races took place during the regular season.
2025 Women’s Downhill Podiums
| Race Location | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birds of Prey, Beaver Creek, USA | Cornelia Hütter (AUT) | Sofia Goggia (ITA) | Laura Gut-Behrami (SUI) |
| St. Anton, Austria | Federica Brignone (ITA) | Malorie Blanc (SUI) | Ester Ledecká (CZE) |
| Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy | Sofia Goggia (ITA) | Kajsa Vickhoff Lie (NOR) | Federica Brignone (ITA) |
| Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GER | Federica Brignone (ITA) | Sofia Goggia (ITA) | Corinne Suter (SUI) |
| Kvitfjell, Norway 1st race | Cornelia Hütter (AUT) | Emma Aicher (GER) | Breezy Johnson (USA) |
| Kvitfjell, Norway 2nd race | Emma Aicher (GER) | Lauren Macuga (USA) | Cornelia Hütter (AUT) |
North American Podiums
- Breezy Johnson (USA) – Gold Medal, Saalbach World Championships Downhill; 3rd place, Kvitfjell Downhill #1
- Lauren Macuga (USA) – 2nd place, Kvitfjell Downhill #2
North American Skiers Qualified for Sun Valley Women’s Downhill
North American Women Racing the Stifel Sun Valley World Cup Finals Downhill
- Bib 11, Breezy Johnson, Stifel USST, Rowmark Ski Academy, Atomic
- Bib 13, Lauren Macuga, Stifel USST, Park City Ski Team, Winter Sports School
- Bib 16, Jacqueline Wiles, Stifel USST, White Pass Ski Club
- Bib 19, Lindsey Vonn, Stifel USST, Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, HEAD, Oakley
Scoring Format at the World Cup Finals
The World Cup Finals feature a reduced field. Only the top 25 athletes from the season standings qualify for each event, along with skiers who have earned 500 World Cup points and meet FIS eligibility criteria. Unlike regular-season races, where the top 30 finishers earn World Cup points, only the top 15 receive points at the Finals.
Daily Programs
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Women’s Program
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Men’s Start List
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About the Author: Peter Lange
