USA Nordic 2023 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Preview

Last week, USA Nordic Sport named a total of 17 athletes to represent the United States at the 2023 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica, Slovenia. Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined athletes will compete from February 22 – March 4, 2023, with the first event being held on Wednesday, February 22nd.

Athletes Competing in FIS Nordic Ski World Championships

• Women’s Ski Jumping: Annika Belshaw, Paige Jones, Josie Johnson, Sam Macuga, Anna Hoffmann
• Men’s Ski Jumping: Erik Belshaw, Andrew Urlaub, Decker Dean, Casey Larson, Tate Frantz
• Women’s Nordic Combined: Annika Malacinski, Alexa Brabec
• Men’s Nordic Combined: Ben Loomis, Jared Shumate, Stephen Schumann, Niklas Malacinski, Grant Andrews

Women’s Ski Jumping Preview

This will be the second appearance for Annika Belshaw, Anna Hoffmann and Paige Jones at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. At the last World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, Belshaw placed 37th overall in the Individual HS106, and then placed 10th overall in the Team HS106 and 12th in the Mixed Team HS106. Hoffmann placed 44th overall in both the HS106 and HS137 Qualifications in Oberstdorf, along with a 10th place finish in the Team HS106. Jones was able to place 36th in the HS106 and 39th in the HS137 in Oberstdorf, along with placing 10th overall in the Team HS106 and 12th in the Mixed Team HS106. Josie Johnson and Sam Macuga will be making their World Championships debut in Planica, after putting together a great season for Women's Ski Jumping so far.

Men’s Ski Jumping Preview

Casey Larson will be making his fourth appearance at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships for Men's Ski Jumping. Larson's best performance at World Championships came in 2019, in Seefeld, Austria. He was able to place 38th in the Individual HS130, 28th in the Individual HS109, along with an 11th place finish in the Team HS130 and 10th in the mixed Team HS109. Andrew Urlaub will be making his third appearance, with his best performance coming from Innsbruck in 2019. Urlaub was able to card a 44th place finish in the Individual HS130, along with an 11th place finish in the Team HS130. Decker Dean and Erik Belshaw will be attending World Championships for the second time, after competing in Oberstdorf in 2021. In Oberstdorf, Dean notched a 33rd place finish in the Individual HS106, along with a 10th place finish in the Team HS137 and 12th place finish in the Mixed Team HS106. Belshaw finished 59th (HS106) and 54th (HS137) during both Qualifications in Oberstdorf, and then added a 10th place finish in the Team HS137. Tate Frantz will be making his World Championships debut in Planica, after competing in his first Ski Jumping World Cup events in Lake Placid, New York.

Women’s Nordic Combined Preview

Both Annika Malacinski and Alexa Brabec will be making their second appearance at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. At the World Championships in Oberstdorf in 2021, Malacinski earned a 23rd place finish in the HS106/5km Event. Brabec also competed in Oberstdorf, as she put together a 26th place finish in the HS106/5km Event.

Men’s Nordic Combined Preview

Ben Loomis will be making his fourth appearance at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships for Nordic Combined. Loomis had his best performance in Oberstdorf in 2021, where he placed 33rd in the HS106/10km, 31st in the HS137/10km, and 9th in both the Team HS106/4x5km and Team Sprint HS137/2x7.5km. Jared Shumate will be making his third appearance, with his best performance also coming from Oberstdorf in 2021. Shumate earned a 37th place finish in the HS106/10km and a 35th place finish in the HS137/10km, along with a 9th place finish in the Team HS106/4x5km. This will be the second World Championships for Grant Andrews, after he represented Men's Nordic Combined in Seefeld in 2019. Andrews placed 48th overall in the HS130/10km, and helped earn a 10th place finish in the Team HS109/4x5km. Stephen Schumann and Niklas Malacinski will be making their World Championships debut in Planica, after the both earned their first-ever World Cup points earlier this season.