“EXTRA SWEET” VICTORY FOR U.S. SKI RACERS IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PARALLEL TEAM EVENT

MERIBEL, France – Two guys and two girls competing alongside one another as teammates in a race format and atmosphere that is unlike any other in all of ski racing.

Team USA struck gold at the FIS World Alpine Skiing Championships in the team parallel event in Meribel, France, on another sun-drenched day in the French Alps on Tuesday. River Radamus, Tommy Ford, Paula Moltzan and Nina O’Brien joined forces, defeating Norway in the final to become world champions. It was a bonding affair for the teammates.

The gold medal was also redemption for Radamus and teammates considering a painful fourth-place finish in the event at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The 24-year-old racer said he couldn’t have been prouder to share the moment with his teammates.

“I think this medal means as much to me as any individual medal could to me,” Radamus said in the Meribel finish area, shortly after the U.S. team victory.

“This team has been together for a long time. We’ve competed at world championships and Olympics before, and we’ve always come up just short,” he said.

“Fourth place at the Olympics last year was especially tough for us, but we really believed in one another. Being in that start gate and knowing that it’s not just for myself and my country, but also my teammates.

“It’s a special feeling and to be able to win with this team means even more to me.”

The U.S. foursome knocked off Norway 3-2 for gold in a dramatic finale that came down to a final run showdown between three-time Olympian Ford and his veteran opponent Timon Haugan. When the Norwegian got tangled exiting the start gate, Ford had a golden opportunity to win the heat, round and gold medal. He seized the opportunity.

“It’s just cool to get the band back together,” Ford said. “We put it down this time. It’s always a pleasure to beat Norway and just ski with them.”

O’Brien, who has been striving to regain her racing form this season following a dramatic crash in the GS at the Beijing 2022 Games in which she fractured her leg and suffered multiple injuries, addressed the camaraderie within the team.

“I had a blast out there – it’s pretty cool to race with your teammates,” O’Brien said. “We’re a team every day, but there’s a pretty special feeling when you’re actually in the start pulling for each other to win and carrying each other through each round.

“It feels extra sweet to share the win together.”

Prior to Ford’s gold medal clinching run, Moltzan and challenger Thea Louise Stjernesund raced to a dead heat, each crossing the line with a time of 22.74 seconds. It knotted the score at 2-2 with only Ford and Haugan remaining to decide the final outcome.

Moltzan appeared to have injured her hand slamming a gate in the finals race.

“We were all just giving everything – Paula may have broken her hand on that run, she was pushing as hard as she could,” Radamus said. “We all had that mindset.”

Norway entered Tuesday’s race as the defending world champions, having attained victory two years ago in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. They were also the ones who edged the U.S. for the bronze medal at the Beijing Games.

A challenging course set on the lower section of the ‘Roc de Fer’ course added thrills to a few spills.

Along their path to gold, the U.S. eliminated Poland, Italy and Canada in the semifinal to reach the final against Norway. Team USA received a big scare finishing the opening round versus unheralded Poland knotted at 2-2. Tied rounds are decided by the aggregate of the fastest male and female runs. As a result, the U.S. squeaked by Poland by 0.02 seconds.

“It just shows how almost anything can happen in this event,” O’Brien said. “Whether you’re a big nation or a small nation, everyone is throwing down fast skiing and you’ve really got to risk it.”

Prior to Tuesday, the U.S. had never medaled at a nations team event over nine previous world championships at which the format has been contested. The event debuted in 2005 and has also been on the program at two previous Olympic Winter Games. However, the mixed gender event’s status remains uncertain.

Mikaela Shiffrin was not on the U.S. roster for the event as she temporarily left the world championships in France to focus on training for her upcoming events. The 2023 world championship super-G silver medalist is scheduled to compete once again in Meribel in the GS on Thursday and slalom on Saturday.

The parallel team event victory celebration for the U.S. ski racers was short-lived, as they needed to quickly move to Courchevel for an evening qualifying session for the individual parallel event.

“We have qualifying in about an hour so we’ll celebrate a little bit, but then I have to get back on a lift and go to Courchevel,” Radamus said.

“We have a big night ahead of us,” added O’Brien.