Poised for Success in the Swiss Alps

Bennett is striving to ride the momentum from a December downhill victory in Val Gardena, Italy, while Goldberg clocked the second fastest time in Tuesday’s first training run, just .05 seconds behind Swiss star Marco Odermatt. Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 super-G silver medalist Ryan Cochran-Siegle provides Team USA with a triple threat, as he posted fifth in Wednesday’s second training.

The American downhillers are invigorated and appear confident to send it at Thursday’s first of double downhills (the first being a replacement of a cancellation in Beaver Creek, Colo.) and in Saturday’s marquee Lauberhorn Downhill. A super-G is scheduled for Friday.

“I’m super pumped for Wengen – I have the best feeling on my skis in a long time, so it’s putting the pieces together here and I think I can be super competitive,” Bennett says.

“There are certain sections that I’ve consistently done really well, but there’s also the Carousel Turn through the Hundschopf Jump and into Canadian Corner which has eaten me up in previous years,” said the tall California ski racer. “I’m approaching them with maximum focus.”

Goldberg is equally optimistic about how the course is setting up to his liking.

“Everything was great through the Hundschopf Jump and the speed was really high,” Goldberg said. “I had a really good feeling for the snow – this is one of my favorite tracks and I’m just having fun here.”

In training, Goldberg clocked the quickest fourth and fifth sectors on the Lauberhorn track – which boasts 3,372 feet of vertical drop – demonstrating that his stamina and endurance are where they need to be for the rigorous, nearly three-mile mental and physical test.

“I’ve been feeling strong this year, probably the strongest I’ve ever felt,” said the Utah ski racer and two-time Olympian. “I was very fast on the bottom and that gives me some confidence.”

Bennett, 31, maximizing speed on Wengen Lauberhorn’s long gliding sections has finished among the top ten three times, including a personal best fifth in 2019. Cochran-Siegle, 31, attained his best result of eighth in 2022. Goldberg, 32, had his top finish of 12th in 2014.

American Downhillers Bryce Bennett, Jared Goldberg and Ryan Cochran-Siegle 'Super Pumped' for Grueling Lauberhorn Downhill

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