A Lifetime to Reach the Podium

USSA President and CEO Bill Marolt

Feb. 22, 2011

Before last week, only five Americans had won both Olympic and World Championship gold in alpine skiing. Barbara-Ann Cochran, Phil Mahre, Picabo Street, Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn and their names legendary in the worldwide annals of the sport. Friday, Ted Ligety joined the club.

Ligety's giant slalom gold capped a three-medal U.S. performance at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships that saw some of the greatest stars in our sport's history add to their legacy of career performances.

It's one thing to win without expectation, as Ted did in the Olympic combined. It's quite another to triumph when you're the favorite. In Garmisch, he was the two-time World Cup giant slalom champion who had won the first three races of the season. Everyone pointed car crushing pressure in Ted's direction and he flat out performed on race day.

In many ways, Ted left Garmisch-Partenkirchen more a hero than Torino in 2006. In a championship event where the courses are the toughest and the competition the fiercest, there is no margin for error. Wins like that are what make true champions.

Julia Mancuso's silver in super G was simply heroic. On a broad shouldered course that was rock hard and bumpy, Julia gutted through a bone-jarring run to nearly take gold earning her seventh major event medal. A few days later, Lindsey Vonn won her seventh big event medal with silver in downhill.

Ted, Julia and Lindsey worked a lifetime to stand on the podium in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Alongside them was a team staff that worked endless hours to simply help them go faster. As the flags were raised, those were very proud moments for the U.S. Ski Team and three of its greatest stars.

Bill Marolt
President and CEO
U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association