Laurie Stephens Brings Home Two Medals, Thomas Walsh One At Para Alpine World Cup
by Todd Kortemeier
Thomas Walsh poses at a Team USA Beijing 2022 Olympics photo shoot on Sept. 12, 2021 in Irvine, Calif.
The world cup season, and the march to the world championships and onto the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 are underway for U.S. alpine skiers, and two of them came home with hardware from St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Two-time Paralympic gold medalist Laurie Stephens earned a silver medal in slalom and a bronze medal in giant slalom in the women’s sitting class, and Paralympian Thomas Walsh earned a bronze medal in slalom in the men’s standing class. Stephens and Walsh also recorded top five finishes in giant slalom, as did Paralympic gold medalist Andrew Kurka in the men’s sitting class. Most of the nine-member national team competed in St. Moritz.
“Today I took home third place in my first @parasnowsports Alpine World Cup Slalom race in almost two years,” Walsh wrote on Instagram on Dec. 20. “It might not be about the results at this point in my progression however it’s nice to be rewarded a little for my hard work thus far. I sure am happy that I’m headed in the right direction!”
U.S. skiers will now head home for the holidays and some training before the start of the World Para Snow Sports Championships in Lillehammer, Norway. Alpine competition begins with downhill on Jan. 13 with events continuing through Jan. 23. Team USA won three alpine medals at the most recent world championships in 2019.
Todd Kortemeier
Todd Kortemeier is a sportswriter, editor and children’s book author from Minneapolis. He is a contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.