McThoughts: How American juniors are catching up
It’s no secret that ski racing is a European game. Breaking into the competitive arena in Europe is a whole different experience than doing so in the comfortable confines of North America. We’re not spilling any news here. We have long recognized the need to expose our young athletes to European competition. Recognition and action, however, are different.
In 2013 the National Training Group (NTG) engaged in a program to systematically introduce U16 racers to European competition. Through partnerships established with the Austrian and German ski federations, athletes were sent to the U.S. Ski Team facilities in Soelden for training and then were entered in five to seven starts, including the Austrian U16 Nationals and the Nations Cup, a gathering of U16s from across Europe.
American juniors also participated in the Longines Future Stars competition, held in conjunction with a World Cup stop (it was Val d’Isere in 2013 and 2014) and televised on French networks and Eurosport.
The results weren’t pretty at first. “They got crushed,” said NTG and USSA Team Academy head alpine coach Thomas Erhard.
In the third season of the program, however, the results started taking form. The U.S. was invited (for the first time) to the Hahnenkamm Juniors, a program that engages six person teams split between the genders. The Americans finished second, which was witnessed throughout Europe on ORF television.
In the German U16 Nationals, Keely Cashman claimed the GS title, with Nellie Rose Talbott in second. In the highly competitive 7 Nations Cup, Cashman was second in GS and sixth in slalom, with Bridger Gile scoring second in GS. These were the first U.S. podiums, and there were three additional top-15 finishes.
“As a group, we were far closer to the top kids in Europe than in years past,” said a pleased Erhard.
How it all translates to the more senior levels cannot yet be judged, but it appears some young skiers are getting a better start than might have been expected just a few years ago.
About the Author: Hank McKee
