Kicking out in Saturday's giant slalom and Sunday's slalom is two-time Audi FIS Alpine World Cup overall champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) along with 2006 Olympic GS gold medalist Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA) and World Cup winner Sarah Schleper (Vail, CO).
Joining the trio in GS are Megan McJames (Park City, UT), Leanne Smith (North Conway, NH) and downhiller Stacey Cook (Mammoth, CA), who fought for the final spot via inter squad time trial earlier in the week.
"I really enjoy Aspen, especially because my friends and family are here. The 'Vonntourage' definitely is in full force and that gets me fired up to try and do well for them and for the home crowd," said Vonn, who was fourth in both GS and slalom last season at Aspen. "I feel like it's the one chance where I can really show Americans how exciting ski racing is and how well the Americans are doing."
Vonn's GS fourth last season was a career best in the discipline, but she's looking to upgrade that mark this time around. The double Audi FIS Alpine World Championship gold medalist is the only American woman to win in four different World Cup events, leaving only a GS podium off her resume.
"Last year, I felt like it was a really good result, but I think I can do more and I'm definitely hoping that this year I can do a little bit better," said Vonn.
Jumping into the slalom mix are Hailey Duke (Boise, ID), Kaylin Richardson (Edina, MN), Sterling Grant (Amery, WI) and spark plug Julia Ford (Plymouth, NH). Both Duke and Grant posted their first World Cup points at last winter's Aspen slalom and Richardson is fresh off a stunning World Cup performance two weeks ago in Levi, Finland where she stormed out of the 70th start position to finish 23rd.
While still a member of the U.S. Development Team, Ford heads into Aspen as the reigning Ski Racing Magazine Junior of the Year after nearly sweeping the top of the junior podium at the Nature Valley U.S. Alpine Championships last March.
"Aspen is so great because it's the only World Cup we get to race in our home country, but the best thing about Aspen is that it's an awesome course – it keeps coming at you the entire time," said Richardson, a two-time U.S. downhill champion. "There's a little bit of flats, it's rolly, it's steeper and something is always happening."
Recently approved by the FIS as a World Cup venue for the next five years, Aspen's storied World Cup history began in 1968, when the former mining town hosted its first World Cup race in only the second season of the tour. However, its roots in ski racing date back to 1939 when the mountain held the earliest sanctioned races. Later, thanks to the efforts of local skiing legend Dick Durrance, Aspen hosted the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in 1950.
Now open for the season, Aspen will also feature a full plate of off slope entertainment throughout the weekend.
2010 Aspen Winternational Schedule:
(all times Mountain)
Saturday, November 28
- 8:00 a.m. - 4 p.m. Free public shuttles run every 20 minutes from Rubey Park - St. Regis - Venue
- 10:00 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sponsor Village open - Gondola Plaza
- 10:00 a.m. Women’s GS run 1 - Strawpile
- 1:00 p.m. Women’s GS run 2 - Strawpile (awards ceremony immediately following)
- 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. U.S. Ski Team autograph signing - Gondola Plaza
- 6:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. Awards ceremony for giant slalom winners and presentation of Bingham Cup - Concert Stage
- 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 pm Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series featuring John Popper Project and DJ Logic - Upper Gondola Plaza
- 8:30 p.m. Fireworks extravaganza - Little Nell
- 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Free public shuttles run every :20 minutes from Rubey Park - St. Regis - Venue
- 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Sponsor Village open - Gondola Plaza
- 10:00 a.m. Women’s SL run 1 - Strawpile
- 1:00 p.m. Women’s SL run 2 - Strawpile (awards ceremony immediately following)
