Ligety and Kildow named Sprint/Ski Racing Junior Skiers of the Year

Ligety and Kildow named Sprint/Ski Racing Junior Skiers of the Year{mosimage}U.S. Ski Team members Ted Ligety and Lindsey Kildow were named recipients of the Sprint/Ski Racing Junior Alpine Skier of the Year Awards in a ceremony on March 20 at the Alyeska Prince Hotel during the U.S. Alpine Championships.

Highlighting the 25-year tradition behind the award, Ligety and Kildow received silver plates inscribed with the names of all the previous winners.

Bill McCollom, Ski Racing editor, read off the names of previous award winners who were present at the ceremonies, and then went on to introduce the women’s winner, Lindsey Kildow. McCollom noted the two World Junior Championship medals for the Burnsville, Minnesota, native; her 2004 World Cup record, which included fifth- and third-place finishes at Cortina, Italy, as well as World Cup scoring finishes in all four disciplines.

McCollom concluded by saying, “She’s been blessed with athletic gifts, but it’s been her determination and sheer force of will that has propelled her to this level.”

Kildow earned her first national championship discipline title in super G earlier that day, and the next day won her second title in slalom (In 2003, she won the combined title.)

Ted Ligety from Park City, Utah, was introduced by Ski Racing writer Nate Vinton. Vinton described Ligety’s ascent up the World rankings, which saw him move from 215th to the top 50 in slalom and 317th in GS at the start of the season to a top-100 ranking by season’s end. Ligety also scored a second in slalom at the World Junior Championships and earned his first World Cup points in slalom at Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, where he placed 23rd.

Vinton quoted Ligety’s coach Adam Chadbourne, who said, “Ever since last summer, when Ted was given the opportunity to ski at the next level, he’s proven his ability to rise to the top of that group.”

Rick Rundall, Ski Racing’s chief operating officer, presented the athletes with their awards.