Topics

Portes du Soleil, France, Jan. 31, 2024 — Today was a big day of racing at the 2024 FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships in Portes du Soleil, France, a weeklong event that brings together the best under-21 ski racers in the world. In the morning, athletes raced men’s and women’s Super G events at the Linga venue in Châtel, marking a second day of speed events

USCSA Week 2 Recap of racing. Eight conferences successfully hosted several days of racing for men and women.

The 2024 FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships opened on January 30 with the men’s and women’s downhill races, held in Châtel, one of 12 resorts in Portes du Soleil, France. While the weather has been warm and sunny at the lower elevations, Châtel features north-facing slopes at the end of a valley, so the track stayed cold and hard for the speed events. 

The 43rd FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships kicked off on January 29 with the opening ceremonies in Morzine, France, in the Haute Savoie region

Winning by more than a second in the Giant Slalom in Kronplatz, Lara Gut-Behrami celebrates her 42nd World Cup victory, the eighth in this discipline. The Swiss athlete continues to extend her lead in the Giant Slalom World Cup. Sara Hector also races to the podium in second place. 

By Emma Logan Featured Image: Male racer competing at a McConnell Division race on January 12th.

Sara Hector, Alice Robinson and Lara Gut-Behrami in Kronplatz: GEPA pictures/Matic Klansek Lara Gut-Behrami showcased

Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami takes a commanding (+0.59) lead into the afternoon run of Tuesday's Kronplatz ERTA World Cup giant slalom (GS). Skiing with bib five, she used her impressive skills to cross the finish (-0.84) faster than her closest rival for the season's GS title, Italy's Federica Brignone. None of the talented women could come within half a second of her time, but the nearest is New Zealand's Alice Robinson (+0.59). Notably, Robinson's coach, Nils Coberger, set the first run.

In alpine skiing, recent disappointments have unfolded as scheduled events face cancelations. In Chamonix, France, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

Severe crashes during races over the past month have involved five former World Cup overall ski champions or Olympic gold medalists.

Skiing with bib eight, Marco Odermatt became the first man to earn his second World Cup super-G victory of the season. Odermatt used the harder race surface to push the entire course and cross with the lead. Undoubtedly, the season's super-G leader was determined to avoid missing his second consecutive podium. Yesterday, he ended his streak of 12 straight super-G races, finishing among the fastest three.

Preview: The women will take on the second day of the World Cup downhill in Cortina. The first day was filled with excitement, what will tomorrow bring?

Mikaela Shiffrin, the champion 28-year-old American skiing sensation, faced a significant setback today in Cortina d'Ampezzo during the World Cup downhill race. As she catapulted off the course out of balance the crash unfolded.

An eventful day in the Cortina downhill. Shiffrin crashes and a three-way tie on the podium. Other highlights and thrills on the Olympia Delle Tofane track.

Downhill Day 1 Preview: Shiffrin Returns to Downhill and Goggia Aims to Relive Victory in Cortina.

Linus Strasser is on a roll. He won his first World Cup of the season in Kitzbühel on Sunday, and on Wednesday night, he did it again in Schladming. He increased his advantage to (-0.28) during the second run. There are no bigger races in slalom skiing than those two. No matter what the rest of the season brings, he will consider 2024 his most successful. There are six slaloms left in the season, but it is clear there is a battle brewing for the title.

After the first seven racers completed their first runs, it was apparent that Germany's Linus Strasser had the hot hand in men's slalom. Strasser won the night slalom in 2022 and his third World Cup slalom on Sunday in Kitzbühel. Will his efforts tonight bring him his fourth? He has a (-0.10) advantage over Norway's Timon Haugan.

Mikaela Shiffrin has raised the bar for everyone. Jim Taylor dives into this new level and the effects it has had on the sport.