Alpine Skiing World Cup – Lenzerheide, Switzerland

The start lists are in for the Alpine Skiing World Cup events for Saturday. Mikaela Shiffrin is the lone US representative in the women’s slalom but she is the favorite every time they hold this event and has already won the season title. In the men’s giant slalom Ted Ligety won the last event held and will be joined in the field by Bode Miller and Tim Jitloff.

Schedule:

• March 15th
  • 4 AM ET – Women’s Slalom Run 1
    • Mikaela Shiffrin
  • 5 AM ET – Men’s Giant Slalom Run 1
    • Ted Ligety
    • Bode Miller
    • Tim Jitloff
  • 6:30 AM ET – Women’s Slalom Run 2
  • 7:30 AM ET – Men’s Giant Slalom Run 2

Nordic Combined World Cup – Falun, Sweden

The Nordic Combined World Cup is holding their final team event of the year in Falun, Sweden on Saturday. The US is one of 12 countries in the event which will feature teams of four. The US is always strong in the cross-country portion so a strong ski jumping round is what they need to be relevant. Taylor Fletcher will jump first followed by Brett Denney, Nick Hendrickson, and Bryan Fletcher.

Schedule:

• March 15th
  • 6 AM ET – Team Ski Jumping Round
    • Taylor Fletcher
    • Brett Denney
    • Nick Hendrickson
    • Bryan Fletcher
  • 10:45 AM ET – Team 4x5km Cross-Country Round

2014 Winter Paralympics – Sochi, Russia

The US was very strong at the Paralympics on Friday winning eight medals! The US won a medal in the women’s para snowboard cross when Amy Purdy finished third. Cristina Albert finished fourth for the US and Heidi Jo Duce was fifth to give the US three of the top five. Nicole Roundy finished eighth and Megan Harmon tenth as the US had half of the top ten. In the men’s para snowboard cross the US swept the medal stand! It was Evan Strong barely edging out Michael Shea for gold. The margin was just 0.57 seconds over two runs. Keith Gabel took bronze for the US. The other two US competitors in the field were Tyler Burdick who finished eighth and Daniel Monzo who was 18th.

The 15km men’s biathlon sitting division was stacked with US competitors, but none medaled with Andrew Soule coming closest in fourth, 6.4 seconds behind bronze. Daniel Cnossen was tenth with Sean Halsted 11th as they finished three seconds apart. Jeremy Wagner was 18th, Aaron Pike 19th, and Travis Dodson 21st to round things out for the US. In the standing division Omar Bermejo was 17th while in the visually impaired event Kevin Burton was 12th.

In the women’s super combined Danelle Umstead finished third in the visually impaired division and Stephanie Jallen was third in the standing division to give the US two more medals. Jallen beat out teammate Allison Jones for bronze as Jones finished fourth in the standing division.

In the men’s super combined Mark Bathum was second in the visually impaired division, James Stanton was 13th in the standing division, and Heath Calhoun grabbed a silver for the US in the sitting division.

On Saturday the men will be taking to the slopes for the giant slalom with 11 American men competing. Cross-country skiing will be holding the 4×2.5km mixed relay and the 4×2.5km open relay. I don’t know if the Americans will be involved, no start list is online yet. The cross-country skiing will be on NBCSN live from 3:30-5:30 AM ET.

Finally and perhaps most excitingly Saturday is the ice sledge hockey final. The US is getting a chance for revenge against Russia. The final will be shown LIVE on NBC starting at 12 PM ET.

Schedule:

• March 15th
  • 1:30 AM ET – Men’s Alpine Skiing – Giant Slalom – Run 1 – Visually Impaired
    • Mark Bathum
  • 1:55 AM ET – Men’s Alpine Skiing – Giant Slalom – Run 1 – Standing
    • James Stanton
    • Ralph Green
    • Jonathan Lujan
    • Joel Hunt
    • Tyler Carter
  • 2 AM ET – Cross-Country Skiing – 4×2.5km Mixed Relay
  • 2:45 AM ET – Men’s Alpine Skiing – Giant Slalom – Run 1 – Sitting
    • Christopher Devlin-Young
    • Heath Calhoun
    • Jasmin Bambur
    • Stephen Lawler
    • Scott Meyer
  • 4 AM ET – Cross-Country Skiing – 4×2.5km Open Relay
  • 5:30 AM ET – Men’s Alpine Skiing – Giant Slalom – Run 2 – Visually Impaired
  • 5:50 AM ET – Men’s Alpine Skiing – Giant Slalom – Run 2 – Standing
  • 6:25 AM ET – Men’s Alpine Skiing – Giant Slalom – Run 2 – Sitting
  • 12 PM ET – Ice Sledge Hockey – Gold Medal Match – USA vs. Russia