Park City, UT…2015 World Championship medalists Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, CO) and Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, CA) will headline a group of 23 athletes—14 men and 9 women—to compete at the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland from February 6-19. With the recent return of Vonn to competition, Shiffrin’s lead for the overall crystal globe and Ganong’s victory in the Garmisch downhill, plus rising stars like Lindsey Vonn Foundation ambassador Jackie Wiles’ consistently strong skiing, the future is bright for this World Championships team. Five-time medalist Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA), who has been making a strong and steady comeback, has also been named.

Notably missing from competition will be Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) and Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT), who each met World Championship team criteria, but are both sidelined with injuries.

“We’re looking forward to going to World Championships in St. Moritz,” said Alpine Director Patrick Riml. “Lindsey, Mikaela and Travis will lead a strong team with depth and promise. We’re confident in this team and we’re looking forward to a strong performance. Ted and Steven are not able to participate, and their leadership and presence will be missed.”

Fans will be able to follow all the action in St. Moritz via NBC and NBCSN with live streaming on nbcsports.com/live. Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) will not be competing, but will be announcing for NBC from St. Moritz.

The World Championships were last in St. Moritz in 2003, with the U.S. Ski Team collecting five medals from Kirsten Clark, Jonna Mendes, Erik Schlopy and Miller, who won two including giant slalom gold.

HIGHLIGHTS

The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association named 23 athletes to compete in the 2017 Audi FIS Ski World Championships, February 6-19 in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
The top two athletes by selection criteria in each event will get a start, as will the defending World Champion. Coaches will determine the remaining two spots the day prior to each competition.
Five U.S. Ski Team athletes have been on the podium, including three who have grabbed the top step on the podium this season: Mikaela Shiffrin (eight first places – two giant slalom, six slalom), Lindsey Vonn (one first place – downhill), Travis Ganong (one first place – downhill), Steven Nyman (one third place – downhill) and Jackie Wiles (one third place – downhill).
Shiffrin currently leads the World Cup standings in a heated battle with Switzerland’s Lara Gut. She also leads the slalom standings and is second in the giant slalom standings.
Shiffrin successfully defended her slalom title in 2015 at World Championships, under pressure on home soil at Vail/Beaver Creek. Travis Ganong is currently sixth in the downhill standings.
Lindsey Vonn Foundation ambassador Jackie Wiles recently grabbed her career-first podium in the downhill at Altenmarkt-Zauchensee.
Five-time World Championships medalist Julia Mancuso, who has been sidelined with a nagging hip injury and has been making a steady comeback, has been named to the team for the eighth time. This will also be Resi Stiegler’s eighth World Championships team.
Notably missing from competition will be Ted Ligety and Steven Nyman, who each met World Championship team criteria, but are sidelined with injuries.
Race starters will not be finalized until the evening prior to each event.
Bode Miller will not be competing, but will be announcing for NBC from St. Moritz.
All of the World Championships action will be broadcast on NBC and NBCSN with live streaming on nbcsports.com/live.
2017 AUDI FIS SKI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM
Name, hometown, birthdate, USSA club, past World Champs

Men
Michael Ankeny, Deephaven, MN, 1/17/91, Buck Hill Ski Team*
Bryce Bennett, Squaw Valley, CA, 7/14/92, Squaw Valley Ski Team*
Tommy Biesemeyer, Keene, NY, 1/30/89, New York Ski Education Foundation (2013)
David Chodounksy, Crested Butte, CO, 6/25/84, Crested Butte Ski Team (2011, 2013, 2015)
Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Starksboro, VT, 3/27/92, Cochran’s Ski Club/Mt. Mansfield Ski Club (2013)
Mark Engel, Truckee, CA, 10/1/91, Sugar Bowl Academy*
Tommy Ford, Bend, OR, 3/20/89, Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation (2011, 2015)
Travis Ganong, Squaw Valley, CA, 7/14/88, Squaw Valley Ski Team (2011, 2013, 2015)
AJ Ginnis, Vouliagmeni, Greece, 1/17/94, Green Mountain Valley School*
Jared Goldberg, Holladay, UT, 6/15/91, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation (2015)
Tim Jitloff, Reno, NV, 1/11/85, Park City Ski Team (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015)
Robby Kelley, Starksboro, VT, 5/26/90, Cochran’s Ski Club/Mt. Mansfield Ski Club (2013)
Brennan Rubie, Salt Lake City, UT, 4/8/91, Snowbird Sports Education Foundation (2015)
Andrew Weibrecht, Lake Placid, NY, 2/10/86, New York Ski Education Foundation (2009, 2013, 2015)

Women
Stacey Cook, Mammoth Mountain, CA, 7/3/84, Mammoth Mountain Ski Team (2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015)
Breezy Johnson, Victor, ID, 1/19/96, Rowmark Ski Academy*
Julia Mancuso, Squaw Valley, CA, 3/9/84, Squaw Valley Ski Team (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015)
Megan McJames, Park City, UT, 9/24/87, Park City Ski Team (2009, 2011, 2015)
Laurenne Ross, Bend, OR, 8/17/88, Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015)
Mikaela Shiffrin, Eagle-Vail, CO, 3/13/95, Burke Mountain Academy/Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (2013, 2015)
Resi Stiegler, Jackson Hole, WY, 11/14/85, Jackson Hole Ski Club (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015)
Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO, 10/18/84, Buck Hill/Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015)
Jackie Wiles, Aurora, OR, 7/13/92, Pacific Northwest Ski Association/White Pass Ski Club (2015)

*Denotes first time on a World Championships team.

COMPETITION AND BROADCAST SCHEDULE (times EST)
Audi FIS Ski World Championships
St. Moritz, Switzerland

Tues. Feb 7
6:00 a.m. – Women’s super G, NBCSN – LIVE

Wed. Feb 8
6:00 a.m. – Men’s super G, NBCSN – LIVE

Fri. Feb 10
7:00 a.m. – Women’s alpine combined, NBCSN – LIVE

Sat. Feb 11
6:00 a.m. – Men’s downhill, nbcsports.com – LIVE
2:30 p.m. – Men’s downhill, NBC

Sun. Feb 12
6:00 a.m. – Women’s downhill, nbcsports.com – LIVE
12:30 p.m. – Women’s downhill, NBC

Mon. Feb 13
7:00 a.m. – Men’s alpine combined, NBCSN – LIVE

Tues. Feb 14
6:00 a.m. – Nations team event, NBCSN – LIVE

Thurs. Feb 16
3:45 a.m. – Women’s giant slalom, first run, nbcsports.com – LIVE
7:00 a.m. – Women’s giant slalom, NBCSN – LIVE

Fri. Feb 17
3:45 a.m. – Men’s giant slalom, first run, nbcsports.com – LIVE
7:00 a.m. – Men’s giant slalom, NBCSN

Sat. Feb 18
3:45 a.m. – Women’s slalom, first run, nbcsports.com – LIVE
7:00 a.m. – Women’s slalom, second run, nbcsports.com – LIVE
12:30 p.m. – Women’s slalom, NBC

Sunday, Feb. 19
3:45 a.m. – Men’s slalom, first run, nbcsports.com – LIVE
7:00 a.m. – Men’s slalom, NBCSN

QUOTES

Patrick Riml, Alpine Director
We’re looking forward to going to World Championships in St. Moritz. Lindsey, Mikaela and Travis will lead a strong team with depth and promise. We’re confident in this team and we’re looking forward to a strong performance. Ted and Steven are not able to participate, and their leadership and presence will be missed.

Mikaela Shiffrin
St. Moritz is an amazing venue, and they generally do a really good job preparing the slope, and it’s sunny and heading towards spring, so it’s a really nice place to be racing. It’s going to feel a bit like racing World Championships in Vail/Beaver Creek, because it’s a similar elevation and same kind of snow. I’m really excited about that.

[On her training plan leading up to St. Moritz]
We have some time to train before then, and I’ve gotten a little bit more training than I’ve gone into this season with…I didn’t expect how busy the beginning of the season was going to be, but pretty much up until Flachau I realized that I hadn’t had more than three days of slalom training. It was pretty much racing slalom or giant slalom, or trying to do super G and downhill. So, I’m very, very excited to just get some time on my skis training before St. Moritz. The plan right now is just to ski the giant slalom and slalom at St. Moritz.

Lindsey Vonn
Every year is different—every year you have different obstacles to overcome. This year, with little training, it’s been tough to come in and really attack. I’m in one piece, which is positive for me. It’s not often that I go into World Champs in one piece, so that’s good. I’ll do downhill, super G and alpine combined at World Champs. I haven’t skied slalom yet, so I really don’t know how that’s going to go. Hopefully my arm will be fine with it, but the plan is to try. When the World Championships come, it’s all or nothing, so hopefully I can get on the podium there. I’m looking forward to it.

[On her training plan leading up to St. Moritz]
I’m going to take a couple of days off. My body is pretty sore from hitting the nets two too many times, then I’ll train a couple of days super G—hopefully build my confidence back up—and then go straight into the World Champs. We’ll have a bunch of downhill training runs, which will be nice. The super G will be right away, so hopefully with my training I’ll get my confidence back.

[On the depth of the women’s speed team]
We have a strong team right now. Everyone’s trying to fight for their spot on the World Championships team, which is always interesting and good. It creates a lot of rivalry, and it’s good to keep pushing each other, so I think we’re in a pretty good spot as a team.

World Championships Information
St. Moritz World Championships website