CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — The occasion at St. Anton’s Krazy Kanguruh après-ski bar lasted into the early hours of Monday morning when the U.S. Ski Workforce’s latest standout celebrated her first World Cup victory final weekend.
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“I think we were home by 2. So not too bad,” stated Lauren Macuga, who received a super-G in Austria on Sunday. “But it’s just been crazy. Every day it settles in a little more. Like I just realized, it actually happened.”
Occurred it did. And now comes the exhausting half: backing it up.
Extra eyes will likely be on Macuga this weekend when she races in a downhill and one other super-G in Cortina. And at her first main occasion: subsequent month’s world championships in Saalbach-Hintergleem, Austria.
“It’s always interesting when you win your first race and there’s different expectations and pressure and all sorts of things change,” U.S. head coach Paul Kristofic stated. “One of the challenges is to manage all of those things and stay focused on the task. And that’s what we’re working on with her.”
At 22, Macuga is simply getting began in her profession. Her sisters are additionally on U.S. groups: Sam Macuga is a ski jumper and Alli Macuga skis moguls.
“I’m kind of just trying to treat it like normal,” Lauren stated. “I mean, I want to do it again, don’t get me wrong.”
Macuga was nonetheless racing with a helmet that had a query mark on the entrance the place a sponsor’s model may very well be throughout Friday’s downhill coaching session. However she inferred that she may need lastly discovered a sponsor.
“We’ll have to see tomorrow,” she stated. “It will be a surprise.”
Macuga can be identified for her assortment of bucket hats. She wore one that includes an American-flag design after her victory in St. Anton. On Friday, her hat had a banana design.
“It’s just too funny. How can I not?” Macuga stated.
Led by Lindsey Vonn’s document 12 wins, the U.S. group has usually fared effectively in Cortina, which may even host girls’s snowboarding at subsequent yr’s Milan-Cortina Olympics.
Jacqueline Wiles completed second within the Cortina downhill final yr for her second podium end on the premier cease on the ladies’s circuit
“She’s a natural born downhiller,” Kristofic stated of Wiles. “And this course suits her super, super well.”
Breezy Johnson additionally confirmed pace in Friday’s last coaching session by putting fourth behind solely Sofia Goggia, Federica Brignone and Lara Intestine-Behrami — three of the circuit’s greatest skiers.
Johnson lately returned from a 14-month ban after three violations of anti-doping whereabouts guidelines. She raised $150,000 to fund her personal coaching periods whereas she was out, and to rent her personal coaches.
“It was a lot of work to raise the money and figure out the budgets and stuff like that,” Johnson stated. “But in the end it was making the best out of a tough situation. And I’m really happy to be back with the girls.”
Vonn, after all, can be again, having lately come out of retirement at age 40.
In the meantime, Mikaela Shiffrin remains to be working her means again from a puncture wound throughout a fall whereas pursuing a record-extending one centesimal World Cup win in Killington, Vermont, in November.
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