US 2021 Alpine World Championships Team Announced

U.S. Ski & Snowboard has named 21 athletes to represent the U.S. Alpine Ski Team at the 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, February 8-21.

With 12 podiums across five different athletes this season, as well as several career-best results, the U.S. Alpine Ski Team has been on a roll heading into the highly-anticipated World Championships at the Italian venue—a favorite stop on the Tour for the Americans.

Alpine Director Jesse Hunt stands by his “winning at every level” mantra, and the success has paid off, across levels. “This has been an unprecedented year, but our athletes have shined in the gloom of COVID,” commented Hunt. “We have celebrated many firsts with regard to new athletes reaching the podium and achieving World Cup points. We are proud to announce this team and we are looking forward to an amazing championship in Cortina filled with more inspiring results.”

Led by four-time World Championship gold slalom medalist, and defending super-G World Champion as well as giant slalom bronze medalist Mikaela Shiffrin and four-time 2020-21 podium finisher Breezy Johnson, the roster will feature nine women and ten men. Shiffrin earned the title of four-time reigning world champion in the 2019 World Championship slalom in Åre, Sweden, battling through a bad chest cold surpassing Germany’s Christl Cranz back in 1939, who won three slalom World Champs golds in a row.

Five-time World Champion Ted Ligety and 2015 World Championships downhill silver medalist Travis Ganong, lead the way for the men, as Ryan Cochran-Siegle’s participation after his crash in the recent Kitzbuehel, Austria downhill is still in question (though unlikely after initial consultation). The list of those who will be making their World Championships debut includes a mix of former and current collegiate skiers, as well as rising stars who have come up through the NorAm, Europa Cup, and World Juniors ranks including Katie Hensien, AJ Hurt, Isabella Wright, Alex Leever, River Radamus, Ben Ritchie, Jett Seymour, and Luke Winters.

Notably missing from competition will be both Tommy Ford and Keely Cashman, who each met objective World Championship team criteria, but are currently sidelined with injuries.

Cortina d’Ampezzo is a regular stop on the women’s World Cup speed tour, and a storied venue for Americans, past and present, with Shiffrin and Jackie Wiles both having podiumed in the World Cup, as well as strong top-15 results from Johnson in downhill. Fans can follow all of the action in Cortina d’Ampezzo on NBC, NBCSN and the Olympic Channel, with live streaming on Peacock Premium.

2021 FIS SKI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM 

(Name, hometown, ski club, birthdate, past World Champs Teams)

WOMEN

Keely Cashman* (Strawberry, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; 4/4/1999)**
Katie Hensien* (Redmond, Wash.; Rowmark Ski Academy; 12/1/1999)
AJ Hurt* (Carnelian Bay, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; 12/5/2000)
Breezy Johnson (Victor, Idaho; Rowmark Ski Academy; 1/19/1996; 2017)
Paula Moltzan (Prior Lake, Minn.; Buck Hill Ski Team/Ski and Snowboard Club Vail/University of Vermont; 4/7/1994; 2015, 2019)
Nina O’Brien (San Francisco, Calif.; Burke Mountain Academy/Squaw Valley Ski Team; 11/29/1997; 2019)
Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.; Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation; 8/17/1988)
Mikaela Shiffrin (Eagle-Vail, Colo.; Burke Mountain Academy/Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 3/13/1995; 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019)
Jacqueline Wiles (Aurora, Ore.; White Pass Ski Club; 7/13/1992; 2015, 2017, 2019)
Isabella Wright* (Salt Lake City, UT; Snowbird Sports Education Foundation; 2/10/1997)

MEN

Bryce Bennett (Squaw Valley, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; 7/14/1992; 2017, 2019)
Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Starksboro, Vt.; Cochran’s/Mount Mansfield Ski & Snowboard Club; 3/27/1992; 2013, 2017, 2019)
Tommy Ford (Bend, OR; Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation; 3/20/1989)**
Travis Ganong (Squaw Valley, Calif.; Squaw Valley Ski Team; 7/14/1988; 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019)
Jared Goldberg (Holladay, Utah; Snowbird Sports Education Foundation; 6/15/1991; 2015, 2017)
Alex Leever* (Vail, CO; Team America/University of Denver; 7/6/1995)
Ted Ligety (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski and Snowboard; 8/31/1984; 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 - qualified but injured, 2019)
River Radamus* (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail; 2/12/1998)
Ben Ritchie* (Waitsfield, VT; Green Mountain Valley School; 9/5/2000)
Jett Seymour* (Steamboat, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/University of Denver Ski Team; 11/5/1998)
Luke Winters* (Gresham, Ore.; Sugar Bowl Academy; 4/2/1997)