Who is racing the Val-D’Isère downhill, when, and how to watch.

After a thrilling display of World Cup racing in St. Moritz, Switzerland, the women crossed into France for another speed weekend in Val-d’Isère. The women will compete in one downhill and one super-G race, which is shaping up to be a beautiful weekend for the event. The downhill will be on the famous O.K. World Cup track, located above the village of La Daille.

Last weekend, on the St. Moritz track, Mikaela delivered an incredible downhill performance with a triumphant run. Unfortunately, Mikaela will not be racing downhill this weekend but will be looking to stand on top of the podium in the super-G. 2023 downhill Globe winner Italian Sofia Goggia came through the finish in the St. Moritz downhill a close second, only (+0.15) off Shiffrin’s winning time. Goggia’s teammate, Federica Brignone, rounded out the podium last weekend with a run that displayed strength and confidence. The podium times were close, with these top three women within two-tenths of a second from each other. 

Sadly, the other dominant Italian downhill skier, Elena Curtoni, crashed in the St Moritz super-G. She suffered a composite fracture of the sacrum bone and an impact injury to the semitendinosus. Curtoni will be back on the snow as soon as possible. 

2021 was the last time that the women competed in the Val-d’Isère downhill, and Goggia delivered a winning run that had spectators on the edge of their seats. Breezy Johnson of the Stifel US Ski Team earned 2nd place (+0.27), and Mirjam Puchner of Austria took third (+0.91).

Unfortunately, Breezy Johnson will not be racing in this event because she missed three whereabouts tests in a year, causing a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) whereabouts violation. 

The Austrians aim to have another stellar performance in downhill this weekend. In St. Moritz, they had three women in the top 10: Cornelia Huetter (4th), Mirjam Puchner (5th), and Stephanie Venier (7th). Puchner achieved one of her best results on this race track in 2021 and will be gunning for a spot on the podium this year. 

Top Five Women 2024 World Cup DH Standings after the St. Moritz

North American Highlights

Isabella Wright gave it her all in the St. Moritz downhill, earning a 12th-place finish, which she declared a ‘great stepping stone’ for her. This weekend, Wright aims to take that next step and break into the top 10. In 2021, she did not race the Val-d’Isère downhill, so she hasn’t been to the venue since 2020. Nonetheless, she will be gunning for the top of the leaderboard this weekend. 

Independent athlete Stef Flekenstein of Canada earned herself a 28th-place finish last weekend, which started her downhill season on a positive note. The finish was her fourth top 30, and she will strive to remain consistent and progress throughout the season. 

Unfortunately, Stifel US Ski Team athlete Alice Merryweather did not have the first run debut she wanted in St. Moritz. She had a challenging delay before her run, and then the weather changed drastically, which caused the lighting and conditions that altered the track. She described it as one of the ‘scariest runs she has ever skied.’ She will not be running the downhill, but will hopefully start in the super-G.

The track suddenly became unsafe after a drastic weather change in St. Moritz. The jury then had to cancel the rest of the race after bib-35. They wanted to ensure the safety of the athletes, the event staff/volunteers, and the spectators. It was unfortunate for the athletes looking to improve their world ranking downhill or score their first World Cup points. The US athletes who did not compete were Keely Cashman, Jacqueline Wiles, Tricia Mangan, and Lauren Macuga. The anticipation for these women will continue with the hopes of racing in Val-d’Isère this weekend.

Five US and one Canadian on the downhill start list

• Bib 16, Isabella Wright, Stifel USST, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation, Atomic, Level Gloves
• Bib 23, Stefanie Fleckenstein, Independent, Whistler Mountain Ski Club, University of Colorado, Rossignol, LOOK, Level Gloves, SYNC
• Bib 36, Keely Cashman, Stifel USST, Team Palisades Tahoe, Rossignol, LOOK
• Bib 39, Jacqueline Wiles, Stifel USST, White Pass Ski Club, Rossignol/LOOK
• Bib 45, Trish Mangan, Stifel USST, HoliMont Snowsports, Dartmouth College, HEAD, Level Gloves
• Bib 47, Lauren Macuga, Stifel USST, Park City Ski Team, Winter Sports School, Rossignol, LOOK

About Val d’Isere, France

Val d’Isere is a stunning mountain town in the heart of the French Alps, one of the most picturesque regions in the world. Val d’Isere is known for its snowfall and offers varied terrain and a vibrant village atmosphere.

Val d’Isere is located close to the Italian border and is a large ski area with an elevation reaching 11,335 feet. The resort has two main villages, La Daille and Le Fornet. La Daille sits at the lower end of the valley and Le Fornet at the other end, and they both have unique access to the resort. The area offers variable architectural styles; if desired visitors can find 17th-century restored farm buildings. Lindsey Vonn, a retired World Cup Champion, stated on Instagram, “I have a lot of great memories there winning my cows!” Fun fact about the Val d’Isere speed event: in 2005, Lindsey once chose a cow over a check for €5,000. Since it was a race in an Olympic year, she named her first cow Olympe.

The downhill begins at 1:30 am PST, 2:30 am MST and 4:30 am EST.

In the United States, Ski and Snowboard Live offers live streaming of the event and a full replay, with English announcers.

In Canada, CBC Sports offers live streaming of the event.

Start list and program for the December 16th Val d’Isere downhill

There will be 52 women and 16 nations represented in the downhill race.