Shiffrin, Chodounsky cruise to slalom crowns in Sun Valley

SUN VALLEY, Idaho – The top-ranked American slalom skiers put on nothing short of a disco stick spectacle on Friday as Mikaela Shiffrin and David Chodounsky won their races by 6.73 (no, that’s not a typo) and 2.36 seconds, respectively.

It was a clear and cold day as hard snow and testing course sets proved quite the challenge for both genders, with much the fields in both races failing to complete both runs.

On the women’s side, Shiffrin opened the race with bib one and didn’t look back, skiing with the composure and speed all have now grown accustomed to seeing en route to taking the title. After a disappointing first run, U.S. Ski Teamer and reigning NorAm slalom champion Lila Lapanja charged from eighth place to ultimately finish in second. Canadian Roni Remme of the University of Utah managed to hang on for third place.

Although today’s race wasn’t as intense as what Shiffrin is used to on the World Cup, the world’s best slalom skier said she still feels nerves even when there’s nothing on the line.

“I was going for it today,” Shiffrin said after the race. “I feel like if you’re going to race, you need to ski as fast as you can. It’s a nice springtime environment. I love the sun and I love this kind of snow, so it’s more relaxing in a sense, but when I got in the starting gate my heart was still beating in my chest.”

For Lapanja, even though Shiffrin’s winning margin was mighty humbling, the Lake Tahoe native nevertheless took positives out of her performance and looks ahead to another season racing World Cup slalom.

“First, I need to congratulate Mikaela for showing the world where she stands,” a gracious Lapanja said. “It really fires me up because I have something to chase and have work to do, but I’m excited about it. As for my skiing, yes, I was really disappointed after first run. I’ve been kind of tight the past couple of weeks. I just wanted to let go second run a little bit and ski freely and remember why I love skiing slalom. I just brought an attacking mentality to second run and that taps me into my best skiing.”

For the men, fans were treated to high-intensity racing as a stacked field battled it out for top honors. Chodounsky turned in two dominant performances to take the win, with American independent racer Robby Kelley of Redneck Racing grabbing his first ever alpine championship slalom podium in second. Fellow World Cup skier Michael Ankeny also battled his way to third place to cap off his season. Jack Keane charged from bib 49 to capture top junior honors in ninth place.

“This has been my best season, hands down,” Chodounsky said in the finish. “I just felt really good today. I’m just so comfortable skiing right now and I really love the feeling that I have when I’m skiing right now, so in control and fast. I feel great and to get this at the end of the season is awesome.”

“It was my biggest goal, to finish the year in the top 15,” he added of his World Cup performance this season which saw him finish the year ranked 15th in the world in slalom. “After St. Moritz, I wasn’t quite sure. I didn’t have the best second run there. I thought I had moved out of it for sure. But then I looked at the rankings and there were a couple of other guys who also didn’t have a great result. That kept me in the 15 and I was so happy.”

Kelley has been focusing more on his slalom in recent years and was quick to praise Chodounsky’s skiing. Kelley no doubt is eager to make his mark on the world stage after impressive results at the Europa Cup level earlier in the year, although he admits that he still has work to do.

“I think Dave is skiing as fast as anybody in the world right now,” Kelly said. “It’s awesome just to watch that. I thought first run I skied pretty well, a little safe, and then second run I got tossed out up top and then kind of backed off the rest of the way, which didn’t really matter because even if I skied out of my mind, I wouldn’t have been able to catch Dave. I’m happy to stay in second.”

Ankeny saw himself land inside of the World Cup slalom points twice this season in Adelboden and Kitzbuehel. After several years of knocking on the door, he said it was a huge weight of of his shoulders to get into a second run and hopes to take that momentum into next season.

“It was a great event,” Ankeny said. “The snow was really aggressive, so it was easy to over-turn in the first run, but it held up great in the second run. The crew out here did a great job with the conditions. It’s fun racing and it’s fun competing against your best friends.”

See more photos from today’s race in the gallery here.

Men’s giant slalom is on the schedule for Saturday in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Official Women’s Results

Rank	Bib	FIS Code	Name	Year	Nation	Run 1	Run 2	Total Time	Diff.
1	1	6535237	SHIFFRIN Mikaela	1995	USA	54.43	52.13	1:46.56
2	6	539927	LAPANJA Lila	1994	USA	1:00.60	52.69	1:53.29	+6.73
3	5	107583	REMME Roni	1996	CAN	59.89	53.57	1:53.46	+6.90
4	12	516441	BREGOU Anne-Solene	1996	SUI	58.92	54.92	1:53.84	+7.28
5	11	385041	NOVOSELIC Sofija	1990	CRO	59.38	54.56	1:53.94	+7.38
6	8	206464	BREUNING Ann-Kathrin	1992	GER	58.61	55.76	1:54.37	+7.81
7	27	6535759	LEBBY Stephanie	1997	USA	59.37	55.22	1:54.59	+8.03
8	21	6535765	MANGAN Patricia	1997	USA	1:01.22	53.80	1:55.02	+8.46
9	15	539848	ALTRINGER Courtney	1993	USA	1:00.91	55.84	1:56.75	+10.19
10	49	6535455	JOHNSON Breezy	1996	USA	1:01.47	56.21	1:57.68	+11.12
11	35	6535762	LORD Madison	1997	USA	1:01.69	56.03	1:57.72	+11.16
12	17	107562	GARTNER Stephanie	1996	CAN	1:01.82	56.08	1:57.90	+11.34
13	26	539665	LEAVITT Sierra	1993	USA	1:02.53	56.24	1:58.77	+12.21
14	51	6536232	VESTERSTEIN Kaitlyn	1999	USA	1:03.63	58.46	2:02.09	+15.53
15	31	107563	HENRY Mia	1996	CAN	1:03.77	58.90	2:02.67	+16.11
16	38	539984	DRILLER Tenaya	1994	USA	1:05.78	57.16	2:02.94	+16.38
17	69	6536166	SMITH Erin	1999	USA	1:06.56	58.10	2:04.66	+18.10
18	50	6535807	CUTLER Haley	1997	USA	1:10.76	56.76	2:07.52	+20.96
19	57	6535941	PARKE Juliette	1998	USA	1:07.44	1:01.42	2:08.86	+22.30
20	72	6535953	GREENE Nicole	1998	USA	1:08.55	1:01.70	2:10.25	+23.69
21	47	6536020	HUST Rosie	1998	USA	1:07.49	1:06.44	2:13.93	+27.37
22	59	6535572	BOWERS Dairinn	1996	USA	1:12.46	1:03.86	2:16.32	+29.76
23	63	6535749	HOGAN Lily	1997	USA	1:18.99	1:00.85	2:19.84	+33.28
24	37	539700	WHISTLER Paige	1993	USA	1:25.50	55.93	2:21.43	+34.87
25	70	6536005	MASS Hanna	1998	USA	1:16.25	1:09.09	2:25.34	+38.78
26	56	6535747	HARRIS Katy	1997	USA	1:26.70	1:00.59	2:27.29	+40.73
27	67	6536023	BERNIER Maya	1998	USA	1:28.49	1:01.13	2:29.62	+43.06
28	71	6536330	MCMURTRY Jessica	1999	USA	1:12.10	1:33.21	2:45.31	+58.75
Disqualified 2nd run
	16	6535773	O BRIEN Nina	1997	USA
Disqualified 1st run
	73	539363	GHENT Abby	1992	USA
	34	6536213	CASHMAN Keely	1999	USA
	9	425949	HOLE Kari Bergheim	1992	NOR
Did not finish 2nd run
	36	6535789	UTTER Kathleen	1997	USA
	25	6535485	REINHART Jessica	1996	USA
	10	426032	TRULSRUD Tonje Healey	1994	NOR
Did not finish 1st run
	68	6535761	LIVRAN Heidi	1997	USA
	66	6535840	THORSON Berit	1997	USA
	65	6535792	GAILIUNAS Kara	1997	USA
	64	6535947	DECKER Cecily	1998	USA
	62	6535538	SPENCE Erin	1996	USA
	61	6535992	THOMAS Claire	1998	USA
	60	6535771	NAWROCKI Rachel	1997	USA
	58	6536109	MATTSSON Ava	1998	USA
	55	6535774	OSTERGREN Madison	1997	USA
	54	6536236	TOWNSHEND Charlotte	1999	USA
	53	6535942	LEBEL Maureen	1998	USA
	52	506693	BECKMAN Emma	1996	SWE
	48	6535907	ENGLISH Francesca	1997	USA
	46	6535661	STANDTEINER Tenaya	1996	USA
	45	6535456	JOHNSON Hannah	1996	USA
	44	6536179	TALBOT Nellie Rose	1999	USA
	43	6535999	DEKKO Madeleine	1998	USA
	42	6535934	KLOMHAUS Storm	1998	USA
	41	539457	MARNO Anna	1992	USA
	40	539904	PALMER Teagen	1994	USA
	39	307386	DENDA Kayo	1995	JPN
	33	6535978	BAILEY Lucia	1998	USA
	32	6535193	HUNSAKER Hannah	1995	USA
	30	6536177	UTTER Hannah	1999	USA
	29	6536028	CURTIS Ellie	1998	USA
	28	197371	AUFRERE Marie	1993	FRA
	24	536481	SCHLEPER Sarah	1979	MEX
	23	6535600	MERRYWEATHER Alice	1996	USA
	22	6535930	WARDLE Galena	1998	USA
	20	6535806	MCGREW Megan	1997	USA
	19	426069	LYCHE Benedicte Oseid	1994	NOR
	18	539678	PETERSON Foreste	1993	USA
	14	425918	SEKSE Tonje	1992	NOR
	13	538284	MCJAMES Megan	1987	USA
	7	539909	MOLTZAN Paula	1994	USA
	4	426160	MOHAGEN Julie Flo	1996	NOR
	3	537772	STIEGLER Resi	1985	USA
	2	107556	MCCARTHY Jocelyn	1996	CAN

Official Men’s Results

Rank	Bib	FIS Code	Name	Year	Nation	Run 1	Run 2	Total Time	Diff.
1	5	534508	CHODOUNSKY David	1984	USA	51.49	51.98	1:43.47
2	6	930160	KELLEY Robby	1990	USA	52.31	53.52	1:45.83	+2.36
3	2	934502	ANKENY Michael	1991	USA	53.53	52.83	1:46.36	+2.89
4	15	934523	ENGEL Mark	1991	USA	53.79	52.73	1:46.52	+3.05
5	8	930194	MCNEALUS Andrew	1990	USA	53.77	54.43	1:48.20	+4.73
6	52	934568	RUBIE Brennan	1991	USA	54.63	53.91	1:48.54	+5.07
7	25	501814	OESTER Carl-johan	1992	SWE	54.67	54.64	1:49.31	+5.84
8	26	6530538	WOOLSON Thomas	1993	USA	54.46	54.86	1:49.32	+5.85
9	49	6532091	KEANE Jack	1998	USA	56.34	53.69	1:50.03	+6.56
9	18	930188	MARSHALL Tucker	1990	USA	55.77	54.26	1:50.03	+6.56
11	35	6531486	FUCIGNA Peter	1996	USA	55.41	55.27	1:50.68	+7.21
12	17	6531160	LEEVER Alex	1995	USA	56.61	54.50	1:51.11	+7.64
13	14	530651	STIEGLER Seppi	1988	USA	56.59	54.79	1:51.38	+7.91
14	41	6531127	DUFFY Drew	1995	USA	56.33	55.72	1:52.05	+8.58
15	12	422134	BJERTNESS Endre	1992	NOR	57.00	55.23	1:52.23	+8.76
16	28	6531145	HALL Max	1995	USA	56.49	56.32	1:52.81	+9.34
17	58	6290244	NOGARA Nicolo	1992	ITA	57.05	55.95	1:53.00	+9.53
18	57	6532163	SEYMOUR Jett	1998	USA	57.13	56.01	1:53.14	+9.67
19	47	6531520	MORSE Sam	1996	USA	57.90	55.44	1:53.34	+9.87
20	67	6532149	MILLER Andrew	1998	USA	57.52	56.49	1:54.01	+10.54
21	29	422305	BAKKE Morten Ungersness	1994	NOR	1:00.11	54.73	1:54.84	+11.37
22	78	6532347	DILLING Jacob	1999	USA	58.65	57.54	1:56.19	+12.72
23	81	6532406	MACALUSO Matthew	1999	USA	58.78	58.10	1:56.88	+13.41
24	61	6530845	BOARDMAN Michael	1994	USA	59.21	57.75	1:56.96	+13.49
25	3	103729	READ Erik	1991	CAN	1:05.31	53.84	1:59.15	+15.68
26	38	6531192	SANTANIELLO Nick	1995	USA	1:09.75	55.97	2:05.72	+22.25
27	62	6531681	DE JONG Devin	1996	USA	1:06.91	59.11	2:06.02	+22.55
28	44	6531610	HANCOCK Andrew	1996	USA	1:06.02	1:01.20	2:07.22	+23.75
29	82	6531971	HENDERSON Macintyre	1997	USA	1:02.45	1:13.25	2:15.70	+32.23
30	83	6531965	BRAZEROL Dominik	1997	USA	1:18.64	1:02.01	2:20.65	+37.18
Disqualified 2nd run
	54	6532116	KRUPKA Jimmy	1998	USA
	11	990051	BOSCA Giulio	1990	ITA
Disqualified 1st run
	66	6532165	ANDERSON Tommy	1998	USA
	53	6531474	DVORACEK Addison	1996	USA
	9	530165	BRANDENBURG Will	1987	USA
Did not start 1st run
	85	6532419	TERJESON Hayden	1999	USA
	84	6531509	LEBEL James	1996	USA
	27	6531963	STEFFEY George	1997	USA
Did not finish 2nd run
	80	310410	VUKOVIC Andrija	1994	SRB
	75	6531598	JORDAN Colby	1996	USA
	73	6531560	WILSON Cody	1996	USA
	72	6531987	KELSEY Sky	1997	USA
	68	6531262	OLIN Teagan	1995	USA
	60	6532357	LANGE Colby	1999	USA
	56	6530544	BENDA Jake	1993	USA
	55	6532001	COOPER Michael	1997	USA
	43	6531203	SPROCK Ty	1995	USA
	40	501810	HOEGBOM Erik	1992	SWE
	39	6530168	SMITH Cameron	1992	USA
	37	104311	GRASIC Martin	1995	CAN
	33	6531444	ARVIDSSON Erik	1996	USA
	31	6531135	FRANCIS Brian	1995	USA
	24	6530534	VIETZE Sandy	1993	USA
	23	104044	READ Kevyn	1993	CAN
	19	6530115	CHRISTIANSON Kieffer	1992	USA
	7	934566	ROBERTS Hig	1991	USA
	1	530837	KELLEY Tim	1986	USA
Did not finish 1st run
	79	6532137	BIRKNER Alexander	1998	USA
	77	6531854	GRIFFITH Ian	1997	USA
	76	6530925	VAN DEURSEN Jake	1994	USA
	74	6531401	MITCHELL Nicholas	1995	USA
	71	6532009	CASHMAN Jordan	1997	USA
	70	6531928	KENNEY Patrick	1997	USA
	69	6531917	CAMPBELL Pate	1997	USA
	65	6531872	MATHERS Luke	1997	USA
	64	6532354	GILE Bridger	1999	USA
	63	6531865	LARSEN Gray	1997	USA
	59	6532123	NEGOMIR Kyle	1998	USA
	51	6531847	DOMONOSKE David	1997	USA
	50	6531981	SLATTERY Logan	1997	USA
	48	6531519	MOONEY Ryan	1996	USA
	46	502236	FRISK David	1997	SWE
	45	6532084	RADAMUS River	1998	USA
	42	6531217	WEISEL Kipling	1995	USA
	36	6530454	FARROW Tanner	1993	USA
	34	103942	BELL Jeffrey	1993	CAN
	32	6531115	BROWN Griffin	1995	USA
	30	6531545	SULLIVAN Aleck	1996	USA
	22	54171	NEUHAUSER David	1993	AUT
	21	6530500	MCLAUGHLIN Brian	1993	USA
	20	6530104	BENNETT Bryce	1992	USA
	16	6531472	DRILLER Garret	1996	USA
	13	6530167	SHIFFRIN Taylor	1992	USA
	10	531799	FORD Tommy	1989	USA
	4	6531063	GINNIS AJ	1994	USA

About the Author: Sean Higgins

A Lake Tahoe native and University of Vermont graduate, Higgins was a member of the Catamounts' 2012 NCAA title winning squad and earned first team All-American honors in 2013. Prior to coming to Ski Racing Media, he coached U14s for the Squaw Valley Ski Team.