Monday, January 26, 2009
 

Alpine World Championships Team Named

PARK CITY, Utah (Jan. 26) - Ten Olympians, including World Championship medalists Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA) and BodeMiller (Franconia, NH), will represent America at the 2009 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. U.S. Alpine Program Director Jesse Hunt announced the Team following the last weekend of Audi FIS World Cup qualifying events.

The biennial event runs Feb. 3-15 in Val d'Isere, France, including the men's speed venue from the 1992 Olympic Winter Games. NBC, the Olympic network, will air same weekend coverage of the World Championships on Feb. 7-8 and Sunday, Feb. 15. NBC partner UniversalSports.com and Universal Sports TV will broadcast same day the entire Championships, including live Webcasts, with over 100 hours of coverage.

"We are bringing a powerful Team to Worlds," said Hunt. "We have seasoned World Championship medalists with Lindsey, Julia and Bode. Plus Ted [Ligety, Park City, UT], Marco [Sullivan, Squaw Valley, CA] and Steven [Nyman, Provo, UT] have success on the World Cup. Now they're aiming for top results at Worlds."

Vonn, Mancuso and Miller bring a combined total of ten World Championship medals into 2009. Miller leads the way with four gold medals and a silver from '03 and '05, while Mancuso holds a pair of bronze medals from '05 and a silver from '07. Vonn carries two silvers from '07.

"Our coaching staff has studied the course layouts at Val d'Isere and set specific training programs to prepare our athletes for that terrain," added Hunt. "We've looked at every aspect of this venue and have worked with our athletes and their equipment suppliers to make sure we're ready to compete."

Both men's and women's alpine athletes have raced in Val d'Isere in prior World Cup events. Vonn was even able to snag two days of special training at the French resort following her overall and downhill World Cup titles she captured in Bormio, Italy at the end of last winter.

Hunt also acknowledged two athletes who had been having breakthrough seasons but were injured on the eve of the Team naming. TJ Lanning (Park City, UT) and Leanne Smith (Conway, NH) were both injured over the weekend and will not be able to participate.

"It's really unfortunate for both TJ and Leanne," said Hunt. They had been having sensational seasons and had realistic opportunities to do well at worlds. We're fortunate right now to have the depth to lose two outstanding athletes and still be able to field a strong, competitive team."

The 2009 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Team

Men
Jimmy Cochran (05/29/81, Keene, NH) * **
Erik Fisher (03/21/85, Middleton, ID)
Tim Jitloff (01/11/85, Reno, NV) *
Ted Ligety (08/31/84, Park City, UT) * **
Bode Miller (10/12/77, Franconia, NH) * **
Steven Nyman (02/12/82, Provo, UT) * **
Marco Sullivan (04/27/80, Squaw Valley, CA) * **
Andrew Weibrecht (02/10/86, Lake Placid, NY)
Jake Zamansky (06/26/81, Park City, UT)

Women
Stacey Cook (07/03/84, Mammoth, CA)* **
Hailey Duke (09/17/85, Boise, ID)
Julia Mancuso (03/09/84, Olympic Valley, CA) * **
Chelsea Marshall (08/14/86, Pittsfield, VT)
Megan McJames (09/24/87, Park City, UT)
Sarah Schleper (02/19/79, Vail, CO) * **
Resi Stiegler (11/14/85, Jackson Hole, WY)* **
Lindsey Vonn (10/18/84, Vail, CO) * **

* Past World Championships Team member
** Past Olympian