Featured Image: Paula Moltzan competing at US Alpine Championships. Credit: Heather
The Toyota US Alpine Championships presented by Stifel continued with the men’s and women’s giant slalom races. The weather and the snow conditions remained excellent for the athletes to fully gun it at Sun Valley Resort.
“The snow is phenomenal and the hill is a blast to ski, so it is always a treat to come out here,” River Radamus of the Stifel US Ski Team stated.
On March 22nd, the men battled for the National Championship title, and today, March 23rd, the women concluded the giant slalom event. The Stifel US Ski Team had a strong showing winning victory in both fields. River Radamus won for the men, and Paula Moltzan won for the women.
At the US Alpine Championships, the field is stacked with a diverse range of elite skiers. A portion of the field came straight from World Cup racing, and a majority are racers looking to make their mark on the leaderboard.
The Men’s Giant Slalom
The men started the giant slalom event with two runs on March 22nd. After completing the super-G the day prior, most of the field came into the GS aware of the hill’s challenges, the crucial areas to nail, and the need for strategically smart skiing.
With tireless course preparation, the track was ready for the 54 men to fight for the Championship title.
Stifel US Ski Team athlete River Radamus was first onto the course, and from the start, he took advantage of the pristine track. Generating speed through each transition and attacking panel to panel, he set the pace at 59.99.
The time that Radamus set proved to be difficult for the rest of the field to come close to on the first run. His teammate, Bridger Gile, was the next fastest time, coming through the finish +0.62 behind Radamus. Another teammate, George Steffey, had the third-fastest run. The three of them were ready to send it in the second run to secure a spot on the podium.
The three Stifel US Ski Team athletes put together strong second runs and filled the podium. Radamus finished 1st place, Gile 2nd (+0.67), and Steffey 3rd (+1.20).
Radamus stated on his Instagram, “I secured the GS National Title yesterday after some hard battling with Bridger Gile and George Steffey. I had some fun on that hill in Sun Valley. Thanks to the volunteers, coaches, and everyone who’s helped out on such a great series! I hope to be back next year!”
The Women’s Giant Slalom
Today, the women concluded the giant slalom event at the US Alpine Championships. The day was filled with excitement and the eagerness to attack the hill with a more technical set.
The day began with the Stifel US Ski Team athlete, Elisabeth Bocock, setting the pace on the GS track. Similar to Radamus, Bocock utilized the chance of running the track first and set a pace that was challenging for the field to catch.
On the first run, Bocock held the lead with Paula Moltzan +0.07 behind. The time gap on the first run was substantial, with a +1.48 gap between the 5th fastest time and Bocock’s time. The women had their work cut out for them heading into the second run.
Paula Moltzan was ready to attack the challenge. Moltzan’s main focus has been on the World Cup circuit. She concluded the World Cup season with a personal best in GS, so she came in today with the confidence to win.
On the second run, Moltzan skied in her normal fashion of taking risks and going all out, which gave her the time needed to sneak in front of Bocock’s time. She finished the day by grasping the Championship GS title.
Madison Hoffman, who skis for the University of Utah, put together two solid runs, ending in 3rd place. Hoffman has made herself known on the university circuit and started her World Cup journey this season. She aims to continue to progress on the World Cup and wrack up milestone results.
The biggest leap in the top 10 was Viktoria Zaytseva, who started bib-28 and finished in 10th place. The 16-year-old finished in the top 10 three times this season on the NorAm Cup, and this is her first US Alpine National Championships. Today, she achieved her second consecutive top 10 at the event, earning a 10th-place result in super-G the day prior.
Tomorrow, the men and women will compete in slalom for the Championship title. Stay tuned!
About the Author: Ellie Hartman
