United States Ski Team

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The U.S. Ski Team, operating under the auspices of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, develops and supports men's and women's athletes in the sports of alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, cross-country, ski jumping, and Nordic combined. Since 1974 the team and association have been headquartered in Park City, Utah.[1]

These individuals represent the best athletes in the country for their respective sports and compete as a team at the national, world and Olympic level.

History[edit]

*The first U.S. Ski Team was officially named in 1965 for the 1966 season, however the United States participated in skiing at all Olympic Winter Games and sent various athletes to World Championships prior to the '66 season.

1860s–1880s early ski clubs and ski tournaments in the U.S.[edit]

Ski clubs appeared in the United States starting in 1861, in California.[2][3] Norwegian "snowshoe" downhill races are noted in Sierra[4] and Rocky Mountain[5][6] mining camps. The Nansen Ski Club of Berlin, New Hampshire, was founded by Norwegian immigrants and named in honor of Norway's legendary Arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen.[7] It continues to operate. Annual ski jumping tournaments began in Great Lakes mining and timber regions.[8][9] The Saint Paul Winter Carnival included skiing events starting in 1888.

1891–1893 Central Ski Association of the Northwest tournaments[edit]

A regional ski association is formed by the Eau Claire (Dovre), Ishpeming (Norden), Stillwater (Norwegian), Red Wing (Aurora), and Minneapolis clubs, but dissolves after an economic downturn and a couple low snow winters. [10]

1905 National Ski Association[edit]

The National Ski Association of America, the forerunner of the present-day U.S. Ski & Snowboard, was founded on Feb. 21, 1905 in Ishpeming, Michigan. Club President Carl Tellefsen proposed holding a meeting after the 1905 jumping tournament – a national competition – to found a ski association which, among other duties, would oversee jumping tournaments. In 1905, the association was formally organized during a meeting attended by officers from the Ishpeming, Minneapolis, Red Wing, Stillwater and Eau Claire ski clubs. On Feb. 21, 1905, Carl Tellefsen announced the National Ski Association of America with himself as its first president.

1910 International Ski Commission[edit]

In 1910, the International Ski Commission was formed at the first International Ski Congress to develop rules for international ski competitions. On Feb. 2, 1924 in Chamonix, France, while what would come to be recognized as the first Winter Olympic Games were being held, the commission gave way to the International Ski Federation (FIS); 14 member nations were present at the founding; 108 are FIS members today.

1924 inaugural Olympic Winter Games at Chamonix, France[edit]

The first Winter Olympic Games actually were under the banner of International Sports Week, but were renamed the Winter Olympic Games in 1924 after organizers saw how successful they were (and after Norway, which had opposed "Winter Olympic" events because of concern Norwegians wouldn't dominate, saw it would be a winter power) supported the concept. Only Nordic skiing events were held, including cross country, ski jumping (then the premier ski event everywhere) and Nordic combined. Sixteen nations competed.

Anders Haugen, a Norwegian immigrant to the United States, was listed as fourth in ski jumping because of a calculation error. In 1974, as Norwegians prepared to celebrate the 50th anniversary of those first Winter Games, a recalculation in Oslo found Haugen was the real bronze medalist and not Thorleif Haug (1894–1934). A medal presentation was arranged in Oslo, where a frail Haugen received the bronze medal from the daughter of Thorleif Haug, who had been dead since the Thirties. Haugen's medal remains the only jumping medal won by an American in the Olympics or World Championships. Originally, the IOC did not recognize the medal exchange and kept Haug listed as its 1924 bronze medalist for years before recognizing Haugen as the legitimate medal-winner.[11]

First FIS World Championships: Nordic (1925) and alpine (1931)[edit]

International competitive skiing was still primarily a European sport in the Twenties. Although the United States participated in the Winter Olympics of 1924, '28 and '32 - where there were only Nordic events, there was no U.S. Ski Team.

1932 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid, New York[edit]

The 1932 Summer Games were headed to Los Angeles, and Godfrey Dewey – whose father had founded the Lake Placid Club – championed Lake Placid over a half-dozen other candidates for the Winter Games (including Denver; Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota; Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, California; and Bear Mountain, New York). Then-Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt pledged to build a bobsled run and Dewey, who had arranged a posting as manager of the 1928 Olympic Ski Team, parlayed those contacts to land the 1932 Winter Olympics for the small Adirondacks village. Some 300 athletes from 17 nations competed. Skiing was still limited to Nordic events; top US skier was another jumper, Casper Oimoen, who finished fifth.

*** This was the first major international ski event in the United States

1935 U.S. sends first alpine team to FIS World Championships[edit]

The championships returned to Mürren, Switzerland, site of the first official alpine championships in 1931. Six men, seven women were on that first U.S. squad at Worlds.

1936 Alpine added to Olympic Winter Games at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany[edit]

Alpine skiing was introduced to the Olympics with a single event, the combined (one downhill run and two slalom runs). While Nordic remained an all-male province, alpine was opened to men and women. Germans took gold and silver in both the men's and women's alpine combined events; Franz Pfnür and Christl Cranz were the new champions; Dick Durrance, who grew up in Florida but spent several years in Germany learning to ski before Adolf Hitler took power, was the runaway best U.S. skier, finishing 10th.

For the only time, the FIS authorized a World Championships in addition to the Olympics with alpine championship races held in Innsbruck, Austria.

1948 Olympics return with first U.S. alpine medals at St. Moritz, Switzerland[edit]

The Olympics (with Germany and Japan barred from competing) returned after a 12-year hiatus, with American Gretchen Fraser (then of Vancouver, WA, later of Sun Valley, ID) winning the first two U.S. Olympic ski medals – and they came on the same day, Feb. 5; the combined downhill had been run the previous day and when she won the slalom, it gave her second place in the combined calculation. In addition to the combined, which debuted in 1936, alpine added both elements of combined as individual events, meaning alpine was now equal with Nordic, having three events (slalom, downhill and the combined; however, there were no women's Nordic events until 1952).

Fraser led U.S. skiers, collecting the first medals by a U.S. skier - gold in slalom and silver in combined. The U.S. women's team captain, Dodie Post, broke her ankle in a practice session and was unable to compete. The team also included a talented young teen – Andrea Mead, 15, whose parents owned Pico Peak, near Rutland, VT. Also of note, Gordon Wren (Steamboat Springs, CO) qualified for all four individual ski teams. He eventually competed only in jumping. "I was going ragged, bumping into myself, trying to train, ski alpine, cross country and the rest, so I decided to focus on jumping," he explained. He finished fifth.

1950 World Championships in U.S.: Lake Placid, NY (Nordic) and Aspen, CO (alpine)[edit]

Poor snow in the Adirondacks almost forced cancellation of the Nordic events, but, alerted by 1948 Olympic cross country racer Chummy Broomhall that there was more than a foot of snow in his hometown of Rumford, Maine, officials agreed to stage opening ceremonies and the jumping events in Lake Placid, then everyone drove to Rumford for the cross country competitions. At one point, Broomhall helped set the race tracks – no machine-setting equipment in those days, so skiers would ski-in the tracks – and then went home to change into his racing outfit; traffic at the site meant Broomhall missed his scheduled start time, but officials let him run at the end of the pack.

The alpine Worlds, organized by Dick Durrance, then general manager at the fledgling Aspen Ski Area, included slalom, downhill, and the first appearance of giant slalom. American Katy Rodolph of Colorado led the US, finishing fifth in the women's downhill. Aspen was established as an alpine destination as a result of the successful World Championships.

1960 Olympics return to U.S. at Olympic Valley, CA[edit]

The young Squaw Valley resort near Lake Tahoe in California ushered in a new Olympic era under the direction of Alexander Cushing. No bobsled run was built. In cross country, Squaw Valley introduced the initial machine-set tracks; everything had been walked or skied in before Squaw Valley but – with Al Merrill and Chummy Broomhall setting the tone as chief of competition and chief of course, respectively – snow machines were used to help groom Nordic courses for the first time.

1962 NSA renamed U.S. Ski Association (USSA)[edit]

The 57-year-old National Ski Association got a new name as the U.S. Ski Association. The renamed organization moved from Denver to Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Also, the U.S. Ski Education Foundation, designed to "Establish, administer and promote educational programs devoted to the development and training of skiers" and promote ski museums, was founded Oct. 8, 1862 (and chartered June 13, 1964). By enabling donors to receive tax deductions for contributions, it would become the fundraising arm of the U.S. Ski Team, the forerunner of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation.

1964 U.S. alpine men earn first Olympic medals at Innsbruck, Austria[edit]

The Olympics came to Austria for the first time in 1964. U.S. men earned their first medals Feb. 8 as Billy Kidd (Stowe, VT) won silver in slalom and Jimmie Heuga (Tahoe City, CA) took slalom bronze. Jean Saubert (Hillsborough, OR) was a double medalist, tying for silver in giant slalom and collecting bronze in slalom.

1965 Bob Beattie named U.S. Ski Team alpine head coach[edit]

In 1965, the USSA took the first steps in the formation of a formal U.S. Ski Team by naming its first head alpine coach. At the annual USSA convention on June 21 in Spokane, Bob Beattie was named the first full-time U.S. alpine skiing head coach.[12] "When you think you're going too fast--accelerate!" he would goad team members. Chuck Ferries, a 1964 Olympian, was named assistant coach, with primary responsibilities as head coach of the women's alpine team. Ferries took leave from his job with Head Ski Co. to coach, and was named full-time women's coach in 1966. No full-time Nordic jumping or skiing coaches were yet designated.

1973 National Training Centers created[edit]

National Training Centers[13] were created for both national alpine and Nordic teams. It was opened Oct. 28 in three old, mid-mountain, mining buildings at Park City Ski Area (now Park City Mountain Resort). Former Alpine Director Willy Schaeffler was the center's director.

1974 U.S. Ski Team moves to Park City, UT[edit]

In the summer of 1974 the alpine portion of the U.S. Ski Team relocated from USSA's Denver office to Park City, Utah. The athletes and coaches began utilizing the Alpine Training Center, a building designed by Willy Schaeffler, that opened in old mining buildings at Park City Ski Area. Administrative offices were set up in the old Mountain Air Grocery on lower Main Street.

1976 USSA and U.S. Ski Team split[edit]

In 1976 the USSA and the U.S. Ski Team agreed to part ways. The USSA continued to control the rules and governance of the sport, as well as organizing travel programs for recreational skiers, while the U.S. Ski Team focused solely on the elite national team.

1988 USSA and U.S. Ski Team rejoin[edit]

After years of operating separately, the USSA and U.S. Ski Team were merged once again in the Summer of 1998 under the direction of Thomas Weisel. Weisel proposed the creation of a 'super-board' consisting of 15 people representing the leadership of both organizations. USSA CEO Howard Peterson was selected to lead the new organization and the USSA moved its national offices from Colorado Springs to join the U.S. Ski Team in Park City, UT, establishing its headquarters at its present location on 1500 Kearns Blvd.[14]

2007 Center of Excellence groundbreaking[edit]

The USSA broke ground on the Center of Excellence on July 18, 2007. Upon opening in 2009, the Center of Excellence housed athletic facilities including strength-training areas, a gymnasium, a climbing wall, ski and snowboard ramps, trampolines, a nutrition center and rehabilitation facilities. Additionally, educational areas for athletes, coaches and clubs such as a computer lab, multimedia rooms for performance analysis and equipment workshops are available. All of the educational resources are shared with the USSA's 400 clubs around the country.

Making the U.S. Ski Team[edit]

Interested young athletes generally begin competing through one of 425 local U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association clubs located in communities around the country, generally at ski and snowboard resorts. Clubs provide introductory education and training, as well as competition programs.

Each U.S. Ski Team sport is also organized at a regional and divisional level, with slight variances by sport. Alpine skiing, for example, is organized in three regions: Eastern, Rocky/Central and Western. Within those regions are divisions including Northern, Eastern, Southern, Central, Rocky Mountain, Intermountain, Far West and Alaska. In some areas, such as New England, there are also state-based organizations.

Competition programs are held within each region or division leading up to national and international events. From these competitions, athletes earn points and are ranked nationally with the highest ranking athletes earning nominations to join the US national teams, which compete at the World Cup level.

Ski & snowboard is one of the only Olympic sports in the United States to support a full-time standing national team in every sport. Teams are nominated each spring or summer based on results. Teams for FIS World Championships (held every odd year) and Olympic Winter Games (held every four years) are selected by specific criteria and named for those individual events.

Alpine highlights[edit]

Olympic Winter Games[edit]

Year Location Athletes Medals
1948 Switzerland St. Moritz, Switzerland Gretchen Fraser Gold, slalom; silver, combined
1952 Norway Oslo, Norway Andrea Mead Lawrence Gold, slalom; gold, giant slalom
1960 United States Squaw Valley, California, USA Penny Pitou
Betsy Snite
Silver, downhill; silver, giant slalom
Silver, slalom
1964 Austria Innsbruck, Austria Jimmy Heuga
Billy Kidd
Jean Saubert
Bronze, slalom
Silver, slalom; bronze, combined
Silver, giant slalom (tie); bronze, slalom
1972 Japan Sapporo, Japan Barbara Cochran
Susie Corrock
Gold, slalom
Bronze, downhill
1976 Austria Innsbruck, Austria Greg Jones
Cindy Nelson
Bronze, combined
Bronze, downhill
1980 United States Lake Placid, New York, USA Phil Mahre
Cindy Nelson
Gold, combined (unofficial Olympic event); silver, slalom
Silver, combined
1984 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sarajevo, Yugoslavia Debbie Armstrong
Christin Cooper
Bill Johnson
Phil Mahre
Steve Mahre
Gold, giant slalom
Silver, giant slalom
Gold, downhill
Gold, slalom
Silver, slalom
1992 France Albertville, France Hilary Lindh
Diann Roffe
Silver, downhill
Silver, giant slalom
1994 Norway Lillehammer, Norway Tommy Moe
Diann Roffe-Steinrotter
Picabo Street
Gold, downhill; silver, super G
Gold, super G
Silver, downhill
1998 Japan Nagano, Japan Picabo Street Gold, super G
2002 United States Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Bode Miller Silver, combined; silver, giant slalom
2006 Italy Torino, Italy Julia Mancuso
Ted Ligety
Gold, giant slalom
Gold, combined
2010 Canada Vancouver, Canada Lindsey Vonn
Julia Mancuso
Bode Miller
Andrew Weibrecht
Gold, downhill; bronze, super-G
Silver, downhill; silver, super combined
Gold, super combined; Silver, super G; bronze, downhill
Bronze, super-G
2014 Russia Sochi, Russia Mikaela Shiffrin
Ted Ligety
Andrew Weibrecht
Bode Miller
Julia Mancuso
Gold, slalom
Gold, giant slalom
Silver, super G
Bronze, super G;
Bronze, super-G
2018 South Korea Pyeongchang, South Korea Mikaela Shiffrin
Lindsey Vonn
Gold, giant slalom; Silver, super combined
Bronze, downhill
2022 China Beijing, China Ryan Cochran-Siegle Silver, super G

Alpine World Championships[edit]

Year Location Athletes Medals
1954 Sweden Åre, Sweden Jannette Burr Bronze, giant slalom
1958 Austria Bad Gastein, Austria Sally Deaver Silver, giant slalom
1962 France Chamonix, France Barbara Ferries
Joan Hannah
Bronze, downhill
Bronze, giant slalom
1966 Chile Portillo, Chile Penny McCoy Bronze, slalom
1970 Italy Val Gardena, Italy Billy Kidd
Barbara Cochran
Marilyn Cochran
Gold, combined; bronze, slalom
Silver, slalom
Bronze, combined
1978 West Germany Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany Pete Patterson Bronze, combined
1982 Austria Schladming, Austria Christin Cooper
Steve Mahre
Cindy Nelson
Silver, slalom; silver, giant slalom; bronze, combined
Gold, giant slalom
Silver, downhill
1985 Italy Bormio, Italy Doug Lewis
Diann Roffe
Tamara McKinney
Eva Twardokens
Bronze, downhill
Gold, giant slalom
Bronze, giant slalom
Bronze, combined
1987 Switzerland Crans-Montana, Switzerland Tamara McKinney Bronze, combined
1989 United States Vail, Colorado, USA Tamara McKinney Gold, combined; bronze, slalom
1993 Japan Morioka, Japan AJ Kitt
Julie Parisien
Picabo Street
Bronze, downhill
Silver, slalom
Silver, combined
1996 Spain Sierra Nevada, Spain Hilary Lindh
Picabo Street
Bronze, downhill
Gold, downhill; bronze, super G
1997 Italy Sestriere, Italy Hilary Lindh Gold, downhill
2001 Austria St. Anton, Austria Daron Rahlves Gold, super G
2003 Switzerland St. Moritz, Switzerland Kirsten Clark
Jonna Mendes
Bode Miller
Erik Schlopy
Silver, super G
Bronze, super G
Gold, giant slalom; gold, combined; silver, super G
Bronze, giant slalom
2005 Italy Bormio/Santa Caterina, Italy Julia Mancuso
Bode Miller
Daron Rahlves
Bronze, super G; bronze, giant slalom
Gold, downhill; gold, super G
Silver, downhill; Bronze, giant slalom
2007 Sweden Åre, Sweden Lindsey Kildow
Julia Mancuso
Silver, downhill; silver, super G
Silver, super combined
2009 France Val d'Isère, France Lindsey Vonn
Ted Ligety
Gold, downhill; Gold, super G
Bronze, giant slalom
2011 Austria Soelden, Austria Lindsey Vonn
Ted Ligety
Julia Mancuso
Silver, downhill
Gold, giant slalom
Silver, super G
2013 Austria Schladming, Austria Mikaela Shiffrin
Ted Ligety
Julia Mancuso
Gold, slalom
Gold, giant slalom; gold, super combined; gold, super G
Bronze, super G
2015 United States Vail/Beaver Creek, Colorado, USA Mikaela Shiffrin
Ted Ligety
Travis Ganong
Lindsey Vonn
Gold, slalom
Gold, giant slalom; bronze, super combined
Silver, downhill
Bronze, super G
2017 Switzerland Sankt Moritz, Switzerland Mikaela Shiffrin
Lindsey Vonn
Gold, slalom; silver, giant slalom
Bronze, downhill
2019 Sweden Åre, Sweden Mikaela Shiffrin
Lindsey Vonn
Gold, slalom; gold, super G
Bronze, downhill
2021 Italy Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy Mikaela Shiffrin Gold, combined; silver, giant slalom; bronze, slalom bronze, super G

Alpine World Cup[edit]

Year Athletes Titles
1969 Marilyn Cochran Giant slalom champion
1978 Phil Mahre 2nd in overall
1979 Phil Mahre 3rd in overall
1980 Phil Mahre 3rd in overall
1981 Phil Mahre
Tamara McKinney
Overall champion
Giant slalom champion
1982 Christin Cooper
Phil Mahre
Steve Mahre
3rd in overall
Overall, slalom, & giant slalom champion
3rd in overall
1983 Tamara McKinney
Phil Mahre
Overall & giant slalom champion
Overall & giant slalom champion
1984 Tamara McKinney 3rd in overall, slalom champion
1995 Picabo Street Downhill champion
1996 Picabo Street Downhill champion
2003 Bode Miller Combined champion, 2nd in overall
2004 Bode Miller Giant slalom & combined champion
2005 Bode Miller Overall & super-G champion
2006 Bode Miller 3rd in overall
2007 Julia Mancuso
Bode Miller
3rd in overall
Super G champion
2008 Lindsey Vonn
Ted Ligety
Bode Miller
Overall & Downhill champion
Giant slalom champion
Overall & Super Combined champion
2009 Lindsey Vonn Overall, Downhill, & Super G champion,
2010 Lindsey Vonn
Ted Ligety
Overall, Downhill, Super G, & Combined champion
Giant slalom champion
2011 Lindsey Vonn
Ted Ligety
Downhill, Super G, & Combined champion
Giant slalom champion
2012 Lindsey Vonn Overall, Downhill, Super G, & Combined champion,
2013 Lindsey Vonn
Ted Ligety
Mikaela Shiffrin
Downhill champion
Giant slalom champion, 3rd in overall
Slalom champion
2014 Ted Ligety
Mikaela Shiffrin
Giant slalom champion
Slalom champion
2015 Mikaela Shiffrin
Lindsey Vonn
Slalom champion
Downhill, & Super G champion, 3rd in overall
2016 Lindsey Vonn Downhill champion, 2nd in overall
2017 Mikaela Shiffrin Overall & Slalom champion
2018 Mikaela Shiffrin Overall & Slalom champion
2019 Mikaela Shiffrin Overall, Super-G, giant slalom & Slalom champion
2022 Mikaela Shiffrin Overall

Freestyle highlights[edit]

Olympic Winter Games[edit]

Event Place Athlete Highlights
1988 Olympic Games (non-medal exhibition event) Canada Calgary, Canada Melanie Palenik Gold Aerials (demonstration event)
1988 Olympic Games (non-medal exhibition event) Canada Calgary, Canada Jan Bucher Silver Ballet (demonstration event)
1988 Olympic Games (non-medal exhibition event) Canada Calgary, Canada Lane Spina Silver Ballet (demonstration event)
1992 Olympic Games France Albertville, France Donna Weinbrecht Gold Moguls
1992 Olympic Games France Albertville, France Nelson Carmichael Bronze Moguls
1992 Olympic Games France Albertville, France Lane Spina Bronze Ballet (demonstration event)
1992 Olympic Games France Albertville, France Sharon Petzold Bronze Ballet (demonstration event)
1994 Olympic Games Norway Lillehammer, Norway Liz McIntyre Silver Moguls
1998 Olympic Games Japan Nagano, Japan Eric Bergoust Gold Aerials
1998 Olympic Games Japan Nagano, Japan Nikki Stone Gold Aerials
1998 Olympic Games Japan Nagano, Japan Jonny Moseley Gold Moguls
2002 Olympic Games United States Salt Lake City, Utah Joe Pack Silver Aerials
2002 Olympic Games United States Salt Lake City, Utah Travis Mayer Silver Moguls
2002 Olympic Games United States Salt Lake City, Utah Shannon Bahrke Silver Moguls
2006 Olympic Games Italy Torino, Italy Toby Dawson Bronze Moguls
2010 Olympic Games Canada Vancouver, Canada Hannah Kearney Gold Moguls
2010 Olympic Games Canada Vancouver, Canada Bryon Wilson Bronze Moguls
2010 Olympic Games Canada Vancouver, Canada Shannon Bahrke Bronze Moguls
2014 Olympic Games Russia Sochi, Russia David Wise Gold Halfpipe
2014 Olympic Games Russia Sochi, Russia Maddie Bowman Gold Halfpipe
2014 Olympic Games Russia Sochi, Russia Joss Christensen Gold Slopestyle
2014 Olympic Games Russia Sochi, Russia Gus Kenworthy Silver Slopestyle
2014 Olympic Games Russia Sochi, Russia Devin Logan Silver Slopestyle
2014 Olympic Games Russia Sochi, Russia Nick Goepper Bronze Slopestyle
2014 Olympic Games Russia Sochi, Russia Hannah Kearney Bronze Moguls

World freestyle championships[edit]

Event Place Athlete Highlights
1986 World Championships France Tignes, France Mary Jo Tiampo Gold Moguls
1986 World Championships France Tignes, France Maria Quintana Gold Aerials
1986 World Championships France Tignes, France Jan Bucher Gold Ballet
1986 World Championships France Tignes, France Lane Spina Silver - Acrobatic Skiing
1986 World Championships France Tignes, France John Witt Silver Combined
1986 World Championships France Tignes, France Hayley Wolff Silver Moguls
1989 World Championships West Germany Oberjoch, West Germany Jan Bucher Gold Ballet
1989 World Championships West Germany Oberjoch, West Germany Melanie Palenik Gold Combined, Bronze Aerials
1989 World Championships West Germany Oberjoch, West Germany Scott Ogren Silver Combined
1989 World Championships West Germany Oberjoch, West Germany Donna Weinbrecht Silver Moguls
1991 World Championships United States Lake Placid, New York Lane Spina Gold - Acrobatic Skiing
1991 World Championships United States Lake Placid, New York Ellen Breen Gold Ballet
1991 World Championships United States Lake Placid, New York Donna Weinbrecht Gold Moguls
1991 World Championships United States Lake Placid, New York Jan Bucher Silver Ballet
1991 World Championships United States Lake Placid, New York Chuck Martin Bronze Moguls
1991 World Championships United States Lake Placid, New York Dave Valenti Bronze Aerials
1991 World Championships United States Lake Placid, New York Kriste Porter Bronze Combined
1993 World Championships Austria Altenmarkt, Austria Ellen Breen Gold Ballet
1993 World Championships Austria Altenmarkt, Austria Trace Worthington Silver Aerials
1993 World Championships Austria Altenmarkt, Austria Lane Spina Bronze - Acrobatic Skiing
1993 World Championships Austria Altenmarkt, Austria Kriste Porter Bronze Aerials, Bronze Combined
1995 World Championships France LaClusaz, France Trace Worthington Gold Aerials, Gold Combined
1995 World Championships France LaClusaz, France Nikki Stone Gold Aerials
1995 World Championships France LaClusaz, France Kriste Porter Gold Combined
1995 World Championships France LaClusaz, France Ellen Breen Silver Ballet
1995 World Championships France LaClusaz, France Jonny Moseley Bronze Combined
1997 World Championships Japan Nagano, Japan Eric Bergoust Silver Aerials
1997 World Championships Japan Nagano, Japan Ian Edmondson Silver Acro
1997 World Championships Japan Nagano, Japan Donna Weinbrecht Silver Moguls
1999 World Championships Switzerland Meiringen, Switzerland Ann Battelle Gold Moguls, Bronze Dual Moguls
1999 World Championships Switzerland Meiringen, Switzerland Ian Edmondson Gold Acro
1999 World Championships Switzerland Meiringen, Switzerland Eric Bergoust Gold Aerials
1999 World Championships Switzerland Meiringen, Switzerland Joe Pack Bronze Aerials
1999 World Championships Switzerland Meiringen, Switzerland Nikki Stone Bronze Aerials
2001 World Championships Canada Whistler, Canada Joe Pack Bronze Aerials
2003 World Championships United States Deer Valley, Utah Jeremy Bloom Gold Dual Moguls, Silver Moguls
2003 World Championships United States Deer Valley, Utah Michelle Roark Silver Moguls
2003 World Championships United States Deer Valley, Utah Toby Dawson Bronze Moguls, Bronze Dual Moguls
2003 World Championships United States Deer Valley, Utah Shannon Bahrke Bronze Dual Moguls
2005 World Championships Finland Ruka, Finland Nate Roberts Gold Moguls
2005 World Championships Finland Ruka, Finland Hannah Kearney Gold Moguls
2005 World Championships Finland Ruka, Finland Toby Dawson Gold Dual Moguls
2005 World Championships Finland Ruka, Finland Kristi Leskinen Silver Halfpipe
2005 World Championships Finland Ruka, Finland Jeremy Bloom Bronze Dual Moguls
2007 World Championships Italy Madonna di Campiglio, Italy Shannon Bahrke Silver Dual Moguls
2007 World Championships Italy Madonna di Campiglio, Italy Nate Roberts Bronze Moguls
2009 World Championships Japan Inawashiro, Japan Patrick Deneen Gold Moguls
2009 World Championships Japan Inawashiro, Japan Ryan St Onge Gold Aerials
2009 World Championships Japan Inawashiro, Japan Jen Hudak Bronze Halfpipe
2009 World Championships Japan Inawashiro, Japan Hannah Kearney Bronze Dual Moguls
2011 World Championships United States Park City, Utah Alex Schlopy Gold Slopestyle
2011 World Championships United States Park City, Utah Hannah Kearney Silver Moguls, Bronze Dual Moguls
2011 World Championships United States Park City, Utah Jen Hudak Silver Halfpipe
2011 World Championships United States Park City, Utah Sam Carlson Silver Slopestyle
2011 World Championships United States Park City, Utah Simon Dumont Bronze Halfpipe
2011 World Championships United States Park City, Utah Keri Herman Bronze Slopestyle
2013 World Championships Norway Voss, Norway Hannah Kearney Gold Moguls, Bronze Dual Moguls
2013 World Championships Norway Voss, Norway David Wise Gold Halfpipe
2013 World Championships Norway Voss, Norway Tom Wallisch Gold Slopestyle
2013 World Championships Norway Voss, Norway Torin Yater-Wallace Silver Halfpipe
2013 World Championships Norway Voss, Norway Patrick Deneen Bronze Moguls, Bronze Dual Moguls
2013 World Championships Norway Voss, Norway Nick Goepper Bronze Slopestyle
2013 World Championships Norway Voss, Norway Grete Eliassen Bronze Slopestyle
2013 World Championships Norway Voss, Norway John Teller Bronze Ski Cross
2015 World Championships Austria Kreischberg Hannah Kearney Silver Moguls
2015 World Championships Austria Kreischberg Hannah Kearney Gold Dual Moguls
2015 World Championships Austria Kreischberg Alex Bowen Silver Aerials
2015 World Championships Austria Kreischberg Kiley McKinnon Silver Aerials
2017 World Championships Spain Sierra Nevada Jonathon Lillis Gold Aerials
2017 World Championships Spain Sierra Nevada Ashley Caldwell Gold Aerials
2017 World Championships Spain Sierra Nevada Bradley Wilson Silver Dual Moguls
2017 World Championships Spain Sierra Nevada Jaelin Kauf Bronze Dual Moguls

Freestyle World Cup[edit]

Year Athlete Highlights
1978 Marion Post Ballet Champion
1978 Kerri Ballard Aerials Champion
1978 Genia Fuller Grand Prix Champion
1979 Bob Howard Ballet Champion
1979 Jan Bucher Ballet Champion
1979 Lea Hillgren Aerials Champion
1980 Bob Howard Ballet Champion
1980 Jan Bucher Ballet Champion
1980 Hayley Wolff Moguls Champion
1981 Bob Howard Ballet Champion
1981 Frank Beddor Grand Prix Champion
1981 Jan Bucher Ballet Champion
1981 Hayley Wolff Moguls Champion
1982 Ian Edmondson Ballet Champion
1982 Frank Beddor Grand Prix Champion
1982 Jan Bucher Ballet Champion
1982 Hayley Wolff Moguls Champion
1983 Jan Bucher Ballet Champion
1983 Hayley Wolff Moguls Champion
1984 Jan Bucher Ballet Champion
1984 Hilary Engisch Moguls Champion
1985 Mary Jo Tiampo Moguls Champion
1986 Steve Desovich Moguls Champion
1986 Jan Bucher Ballet Champion
1986 Mary Jo Tiampo Moguls Champion
1988 Nelson Carmichael Moguls Champion
1989 Nelson Carmichael Moguls Champion
1989 Jan Bucher Ballet Champion
1990 Donna Weinbrecht Moguls Champion
1991 Donna Weinbrecht Moguls Champion
1992 Trace Worthington Combined Champion
1992 Donna Weinbrecht Moguls Champion
1993 Trace Worthington Combined Champion
1993 Ellen Breen Ballet Champion
1994 Ellen Breen Ballet Champion
1994 Donna Weinbrecht Moguls Champion
1995 Trace Worthington Aerials Champion, Combined Champion
1995 Ellen Breen Ballet Champion
1995 Nikki Stone Aerials Champion
1996 Jonny Moseley Combined Champion
1996 Donna Weinbrecht Moguls Champion
1998 Jonny Moseley Moguls Champion
1998 Nikki Stone Aerials Champion
1999 Anne Battelle Moguls Champion
1999 Michelle Roark Dual Moguls Champion
2000 Anne Battelle Moguls Champion
2001 Eric Bergoust Aerials Champion, 2nd overall standings
2001 Joe Pack 3rd overall standings
2002 Jeremy Bloom Moguls Champion
2002 Eric Bergoust Aerials Champion
2003 Travis Cabral Moguls Champion
2003 Shannon Bahrke Moguls Champion
2005 Jeremy Bloom Overall Champion, Moguls Champion
2005 Jeret Peterson Aerials Champion
2007 Jeret Peterson 3rd overall standings
2007 Jessica Cumming Halfpipe Champion
2009 Hannah Kearney Moguls Champion
2011 Hannah Kearney Overall Champion, Moguls Champion
2012 Hannah Kearney Overall Champion, Moguls Champion
2012 David Wise Halfpipe Champion
2012 Brita Sigourney Halfpipe Champion
2013 Hannah Kearney Moguls Champion
2013 Keri Herman Slopestyle Champion
2014 Hannah Kearney Overall Champion, Moguls Champion
2014 Devin Logan Halfpipe Champion

Cross-country highlights[edit]

Olympic Winter Games[edit]

Event Place Athlete Highlights
1976 Olympic Games Austria Innsbruck, Austria Bill Koch Silver 30 km
2002 Olympic Games United States Salt Lake City, Utah John Bauer, Kris Freeman, Justin Wadsworth, Carl Swenson 5th 4x10km Relay – Historic best US Olympic relay finish
2006 Olympic Games Italy Turin, Italy Kikkan Randall 9th 1.1 km Classic Sprint – Historic Best US Women's Olympic or World Championships Sprint Result
2018 Olympic Games South Korea Pyeongchang, South Korea Kikkan Randall, Jessie Diggins Gold Team Sprint Relay – First Medal for US Women's Cross Country and First US Gold Medal in Cross Country

World cross-country championships[edit]

Event Place Athlete Highlights
1982 World Championships Norway Oslo, Norway Bill Koch Bronze 30 km
2003 Under-23 Championships Italy Valdidentro, Italy Kris Freeman Gold 30 km Classic
2003 World Championships Switzerland Lausanne, Switzerland Kris Freeman 4th 15K Classic
2007 World Championships Japan Sapporo, Japan Andy Newell 5th in Classic Sprint – Historic Best US Worlds Sprint Result
2009 World Championships Czech Republic Liberec, Czech Republic Kikkan Randall Silver in Individual Sprint Freestyle – First ever medal for an American Woman
2013 World Championships Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins Gold in Team Sprint – First ever gold medal for the USA
2015 World Championships Sweden Falun, Sweden Jessie Diggins and Caitlin Gregg Silver and Bronze in 10K Free – First time two Americans made the podium in an individual race
2017 World Championships Finland Lahti, Finland Sadie Bjornsen and Jessie Diggins Bronze in Team Sprint

Cross-country World Cup[edit]

Year Athlete Highlights
1976 Bill Koch Tied for 3rd in World Cup Overall
1982 Bill Koch World Cup Champion
1983 Bill Koch 3rd in World Cup Overall
2006 Andy Newell 3rd in 1 km Freestyle Sprint in Changchun, China – First US Man on a World Cup Podium Since 1983
2007 Kikkan Randall 3rd in 1.2 km Sprint at Rybinsk, Russia (January 21, 2007) – First US Woman on a World Cup Podium
2012 Kikkan Randall World Cup Sprint discipline title (first ever World Cup discipline title won by an American woman)
2013 Kikkan Randall World Cup Sprint discipline title
2014 Kikkan Randall World Cup Sprint discipline title

Nordic combined highlights[edit]

Olympic Winter Games[edit]

Event Place Athlete Highlights
1932 Olympic Games United States Lake Placid, New York Rolf Monsen 9th in K100/10 km Individual – historic best US Olympic Nordic combined individual finish
2002 Olympic Games United States Salt Lake City, Utah Bill Demong, Matt Dayton, Johnny Spillane, Todd Lodwick 4th in K90/4x5 Team Relay – historic best US Olympic Nordic combined result
2010 Olympic Games Canada Vancouver, British Columbia Bill Demong Gold in Individual Large Hill/10 km
2010 Olympic Games Canada Vancouver, British Columbia Johnny Spillane Silver in individual large hill/10 km; silver in individual normal hill/10 km
2010 Olympic Games Canada Vancouver, British Columbia Brett Camerota, Todd Lodwick, Bill Demong, Johnny Spillane Silver in team large hill/4 x 5 km

World Nordic combined championships[edit]

Event Place Athlete Highlights
2003 World Championships Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy Johnny Spillane Gold K120/7.5 km Sprint – historic first US Nordic combined medal Olympics or Worlds
2007 World Championships Japan Sapporo, Japan Bill Demong Silver HS100/15 km individual
2009 World Championships Czech Republic Liberec, Czech Republic Todd Lodwick Gold HS100/10 km mass start
2009 World Championships Czech Republic Liberec, Czech Republic Todd Lodwick Gold HS100/10 km normal hill
2009 World Championships Czech Republic Liberec, Czech Republic Bill Demong Bronze HS100/10 km normal hill
2009 World Championships Czech Republic Liberec, Czech Republic Bill Demong Gold HS134/10 km large hill
2013 World Championships Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy Bill Demong, Todd Lodwick, Taylor Fletcher, Bryan Fletcher Bronze Team HS106/4x5km

Nordic combined World Cup[edit]

Year Athlete Highlights
2008 Bill Demong 3rd in World Cup Overall – Historic Best US Result
2009 Bill Demong Repeats as 3rd in World Cup Overall

Jumping highlights[edit]

Olympic Winter Games[edit]

Event Place Athlete Highlights
1924 Olympic Games (doubled as World Championships) France Chamonix, France Anders Haugen Bronze Large Hill (medal not awarded until 1974 due to scoring error)

Ski jumping World Cup[edit]

Year Athlete Highlights
1981 John Broman First U.S. World Cup victory – February 22, 1981, Thunder Bay, Ontario

References[edit]

  1. ^ http://www.ussa.org/magnoliaPublic/ussa/en/about/history.html Archived 2010-12-01 at the Wayback Machine USSA history information
  2. ^ John E. Findling, Kimberly D. Pelle, eds. (2004) Encyclopedia of the Modern Olympic Movement Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN 9780313322785 Page 273
  3. ^ "Snow Shoeing". Daily National Democrat (Marysville, Calif.). 10 April 1861. p. 3.
  4. ^ Engen, Alan K. (1998) For the Love of Skiing: A Visual History of Skiing Gibbs Smith Publishers ISBN 9780879058678 pages 12-14
  5. ^ Coleman, Annie Gilbert (2004) Ski Style: Sport and Culture in the Rockies University Press of Kansas ISBN 9780700613410 p24
  6. ^ "Our Winter's Sport" CO Crystal River Current (1887) Vol 1 #17:1
  7. ^ Allen, E. John B. (1997) New England skiing, 1870-1940 Charleston, SC: Arcadia ISBN 9780738537382
  8. ^ The Ski Tournament St Paul Daily Globe, 1887-02-09
  9. ^ Pontti, John and Luostari, Kenneth (2000) Midwest Skiing: A Glance Back Arcadia Publishing ISBN 9780738501246
  10. ^ Adler, Allen (1997) "A History of the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame in Ishpeming" Skiing Heritage Vol 10 #3:35
  11. ^ Thorleif Haug (Store norske leksikon)
  12. ^ Kadleck, Dave (June 21, 1965). "Utah takes 'national' ski step". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. B5.
  13. ^ Jerome, John (1974) "Home at Last" Skiing vol 27 #4:93-95
  14. ^ Brandt, Richard L. (7 February 2003). Capital Instincts: Life as an Entrepreneur, Financier, and Athlete (1 ed.). Wiley. pp. 149–151. ISBN 0471214175.

External links[edit]