Vonn, Shiffrin and Ligety Headline US Olympic Team
Nine women and 13 men will represent the U.S. in alpine skiing at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. Olympic gold medalists Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin and Ted Ligety will lead the team which includes several athletes making their debut like Breezy Johnson and Mark Engel.
“So proud and excited to announce that I have been selected to represent my country and myself at the 2018 Olympics in Korea!” posted Johnson on Instagram. “This has been a goal of mine for a long time and I am so grateful to everyone in my life who helped me get here!”
World Cup veteran Steven Nyman was also thrilled to make the squad for a fourth time. The American Downhiller has just started racing again after a severe knee injury last season.
“It is incredible to be named to my fourth Olympic team!” Nyman said. “It is wild to grasp that this will be my fourth Olympics. It was always my dream as a kid to ski in the Olympics, and my Olympic heroes were a great influence on my life. Hopefully, our team can provide similar inspiration to future generations.”
U.S. Ski Team Head Coach Patrick Riml feels good about the mix of veterans and young blood heading into the high pressure event.
“Over the last three months of competition, our preparation for the Games has been meticulous and we go to South Korea feeling confident about our chances,” he said. “I am pleased with the strength of our team and know that every member of the staff will work hard to ensure athletes maximize their potential and execute on the plan. We also know that we are going to the Games with the cheers of the American public ringing in our ears, and that is a very proud feeling for the whole team.”
The opening ceremony for the Games takes place on Feb. 9.
Men
Bryce Bennett
Thomas Biesemeyer
David Chodounsky
Ryan Cochran-Siegle
Mark Engel
Tommy Ford
Jared Goldberg
Tim Jitloff
Nolan Kasper
Ted Ligety
Wiley Maple
Steven Nyman
Andrew Weibrecht
Women
Stacey Cook
Breezy Johnson
Megan McJames
Alice Mckennis
Laurenne Ross
Mikaela Shiffrin
Resi Stiegler
Lindsey Vonn
Jacqueline Wiles
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Release courtesy of U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Posted from SkiRacing.com