Women's Speed Opens Chile Camp

EL COLORADO, Chile (July 26) - The Best in the World women's alpine speed team, featuring Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA), Leanne Smith (N. Conway, NH) and Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR),  started its on-snow Road to Sochi with a two-week camp in El Colorado. The training block is the first of two in Chile for coach Chip White's speed group, which placed all six athletes on the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup podium and topped the nations standings for downhill by a massive 457 point margine.

Six-time World Cup downhil champion and reigning Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO), who has made incredible progress in her injury recovery, has her sights set on returning to snow in September. St. Anton downhill winner Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, CO), who also suffered a season ending crash, is also making strides toward a strong recover. 2013 World Championships super G medalist Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) opted for technical training in New Zealand, but will head to Chile in September. 

The Audi FIS Alpine World Cup season opens Oct. 26-27 in Soelden, Austria - the official European Training Center of the U.S. Ski Team - then makes its North American swing with two weeks in Beaver Creek, CO beginning with women's speed races Nov. 29-Dec. 1 followed by the men's Audi Birds of Prey race week Dec. 6-8.