The 2012 women's U.S. Alpine Ski Team at First Tracks - The Alpine Team Announcement - presented by Nature Valley in Vail, CO (Eric Schramm/U.S. Ski Team)
Mountain Plaza roared Saturday as the 2012
U.S. Alpine Ski Team - including Olympic gold medalists Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), Bode Miller (Franconia, NH), Julia Mancuso
(Squaw Valley, CA) and Ted Ligety (Park City, UT) - was introduced during a public celebration drawing a huge crowd to Vail Mountain.
"Every one of us feels amazing support from our hometowns, but the reception the U.S. Ski Team receives in Vail is always something special," said Vonn, who became the first woman in American history to win in all five alpine disciplines with her
season opening giant slalom win in Soelden, Austria.
The public celebration - First Tracks presented by Nature Valley - was webcast live on Universal Sports. Universal Sports will carry complete digital and broadcast coverage of the entire Audi
FIS Alpine World Cup season. For complete information log on to
www.UniversalSports.com.
Fans cheered as Team athletes from all levels, Development to World Cup, took the stage. Many of them hope to return to the Rocky Mountain village for their shot at gold when the FIS Alpine
World Ski Championships return to Vail and Beaver Creek in 2015.
"There is an incredible amount of momentum with this team," said U.S. Ski Team Alpine Director Patrick Riml. "We closed the last winter with multiple Audi FIS Alpine World Cup titles and opened 2012 with back-to-back wins by Lindsey and Ted in Soelden. Now it's time to take that momentum and continue to execute."
Vonn, who currently owns more World Cup victories than any American (male or female with 42) will seek to capture her fourth overall World Cup title after missing the notch by three points
to German Maria Hoefl-Riesch when the final race of the 2011 season was canceled due to snow conditions. It be the 15th World Cup season for Miller, the most decorated U.S. Olympic alpine skier, who says he still has the passion to compete at the highest level and looks to continue to be a positive influence on the development of the sport.
For Mancuso, who won the final downhill of the World Cup season,
2012 is about continuing to stride back towards World Cup title
contention after finishing third in both downhill and super G
standings and fifth in the overall ranks in 2011.
"Lindsey, Bode, Julia and Ted have their goals and we have a
clear plan in helping them to attain those goals," added Riml.
"But we have a strong group of young athletes ready for the World
Cup podium and we're also looking forward to strong returns from
a number of injured athletes."
On the women's side, Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, CO)
rejoins an already deep women's speed team that includes Laurenne
Ross (Bend, OR) and Leanne Smith (North Conway, NH). U.S. speed
women won both the downhill and super G standings for the 2011
World Cup season, besting traditional powerhouses like Austria
and Switzerland.
World Cup action hits full stride in North America with the
Nature Valley Aspen Winternational featuring Vonn and Mancuso on
Thanksgiving weekend in Aspen, CO followed by the Audi Birds of
Prey races Dec. 2-4 in nearby Beaver Creek where Ligety is the
defending giant slalom champion.
Both Aspen and Beaver Creek World Cup events will be air on NBC.
For a complete U.S. Ski Team broadcast calendar, go to
http://usskiteam.com/tv.
The U.S. Alpine Ski Team will be outfitted by Spyder, who has
been the official uniform supplier of competition wear since
1989. To get the gear worn by the U.S. Ski Team, check out
http://shop.usskiteam.com.
2012 U.S. Alpine Ski Team Roster
Name, Date of Birth, Hometown, Club (Skis, Boots, Bindings,
Poles)
* Denotes Olympian
**Indicates Westminster student
Women
Stacey Cook (7/3/84; Mammoth, CA; Mammoth Mountain Ski Team,
Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol, Komperdell)*
Julia Mancuso (9/9/84; Olympic Valley, CA; Squaw Valley Ski Team,
Volkl, Lange, Marker, Swix)*
Alice McKennis (8/19/89; Glenwood Springs, CO; Rowmark Ski
Academy, Atomic, Atomic, Atomic)* **
Laurenne Ross (8/17/88; Klamath Falls, OR; Mount Bachelor Ski
Education Foundation, Atomic, Atomic, Atomic, Leki)
Sarah Schleper (2/19/79; Vail, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail,
Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol, Leki)*
Leanne Smith (5/28/87; Conway, NH; Mt. Washington Valley Ski
Team, Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol, Swix)*
Lindsey Vonn (10/18/84; Vail, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/Buck
Hill Ski Team, Head, Head, Head, Leki)*
B TEAM
Women
Hailey Duke (9/17/85; Boise, ID; Park City Ski Education
Foundation/McCall Ski Team, Atomic, Atomic, Atomic, Swix)* **
Chelsea Marshall (8/14/86; Pittsfield, VT; Green Mountain Valley
School, Head, Head, Head, Swix)* **
Megan McJames (9/24/87; Park City, UT; Park City Ski Education
Foundation, Fischer, Fischer, Fischer, Swix)* **
Mikaela Shiffrin (3/13/95; Avon, CO; Burke Mountain Academy/ Ski
& Snowboard Club Vail, Atomic, Atomic, Atomic, Leki)
Kiley Staples (2/2/89; Park City, UT; Rowmark Ski Academy, Head,
Head, Head, Head, Head, Swix)
Resi Stiegler (11/14/85; Jackson Hole, WY; Park City Ski
Team/Jackson Hole, Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol, Leki)*
Women
Julia Ford (03/30/1990; Plymouth, NH; Holderness Ski Team,
Atomic, Atomic, Atomic, Leki)**
Brooke Wales (08/28/1990; Sammamish, WA; Mission Ridge Ski
Education Foundation, Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol, Swix)**
Women
Abigail Ghent (9/25/92; Edwards, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail)
Libby Gibson (12/15/94; Jamaica, VT; Stratton Mountain School)
Katharine Irwin (6/5/94; Vail, CO; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail)
Lila Lapanja (12/3/94; Incline Village, NV; Sugar Bowl
Academy/Diamond Peak)
Brittany Lathrop (3/20/95; S. Londonerry, VT; Stratton Mountain
School)
Anna Marno (11/23/92; Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs
Winter Sports Club)
Paula Moltzan (4/7/94; Lakeville, MN; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail)
Foreste Peterson (9/9/93; Berkeley, CA; Sugar Bowl Academy)
Katie Ryan (1/3/93; Aspen, CO; Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard)
Sydney Staples (2/16/93; Park City, UT; Park City Ski Team)
