American Hannah Kearney Leads Moguls World Cup Field
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — To no one’s surprise American mogul skier Hannah Kearney (Norwich, Vt.) will wear the yellow bib, when the FIS Freestyle World Cup series visits Lake Placid, N.Y., Jan. 19-21. The reigning Olympic and overall World Cup champion secured the points’ lead on Dec. 20, in Meribel, France, when she captured her first dual moguls win of the season.
That victory has given her a 94 point edge over fellow American Eliza Outtrim (Steamboat Springs, Colo.), who sits in second place in the overall World Cup series chase with 106 points. Nikola Sudova, of the Czech Republic, is a single point behind Outtrim, in third place overall.
On Thursday, Jan. 19, Kearney will try to extend her World Cup winning streak on Whiteface Mountain, in Wilmington, N.Y., to four in a row. Last season, she raced to back-to-back wins on the 240-meter long Wilderness trail course.
Sho Kashima (El Paso, Texas) and Jeremy Cota (Carrabassett Valley, Maine) will lead the U.S. men’s moguls team next week. Kashima is currently tied with France’s Anthony Brenna, for third place in the men’s overall points chase, with 140 points apiece. Both skiers are trying to chase down Canadian Mikael Kingsbury, who sits in first place with 200 points. Cota will come to Lake Placid and Wilmington in fourth place with 90 points.
The world’s top aerial skiers will have competed just once before they soar in Lake Placid. The aerials World Cup series was slated to begin last weekend in Meiringen-Hasliberg, Switzerland, but the event was cancelled due to weather. Instead, the series kicks off this weekend in Mont Gabriel, Canada.
Following the event in Canada, these athletes will travel to Lake Placid and compete both next Friday and Saturday night. Action begins at the Olympic jumping complex both evenings at 7 p.m.
While the athletes soar 60 feet into the night air, fans can enjoy bonfires, giveaways and plenty of food and drinks provided by Centerplate. Fireworks will follow the competition and Lucid will perform live music from 7-8 p.m.
While in Lake Placid, be sure to celebrate World Snow Day. Spend World Snow Day cruising the greatest vertical drop east of the Rockies at Whiteface and catching U.S. Ski Team members and some of the best Freestyle skiers in the world compete. In honor of World Snow Day, purchase your aerial freestyle ticket at Whiteface, at our special World Snow Day booth, for a special $6 off discount to either aerials events on Friday or Saturday nights.
Tickets for the aerial competitions are $15 for adults and $9 for juniors and seniors. Saturday’s admission will include free snow tubing, from 3-6 p.m. Space is limited. A lift ticket and skis are required to view the mogul events at Whiteface.
For those who can’t make it to Lake Placid and Wilmington, the event will air on NBC, Saturday, Jan. 29, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. Check your local listings.
For more information about the FIS Freestyle World Cup, log on to http://www.whiteface.com/events/freestyle.php .
For more information about ORDA and the Olympic venues, log visit www.WhiteFaceLakePlacid.Com .
— ORDA —
Established in 1982, the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) was created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. ORDA operates Whiteface and Gore Mountain ski areas; the Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg; the Olympic speedskating oval, Olympic jumping complex and Olympic arena. As host to international and national championships, the Authority has brought millions of athletes, spectator and participants to the region, resulting in significant economic development.