BEAVER CREEK, Colo. – Utah's
Gustav Vøllo highlighted two days of giant slalom racing, placing third and fifth, as select members of the Utah Ski Team competed in Nor-Am Cup events on Monday and Tuesday at Beaver Creek.
These giant slalom events and Nor-Am Cup schedule are among an additional layer of competition for select Utes, complementing the team's traditional RMISA schedule which begins in January. A full rundown of that
additional schedule, both alpine and Nordic, is available here. The Nor-Am races pit athletes against some of the best in the world and are generally regarded at a tier of competition second to only the World Cup.
Vøllo
opened the week with bronze in Monday's competition. Fellow Utes
Raphael Lessard (15
th),
Oliver Parazette (19
th) and
Tomas Birkner (20
th) each joined Vøllo in the top-20.
Lessard took eighth place in Tuesday's GS racing, just three spots back of Vøllo. Parazette narrowly missed the top-20, tabbing 22
nd in the field.
Said Vøllo of the competition, "It has been really fun to come out here with all the boys on the team and be competitive against the best in the U.S. The hill is world class, so it has been a cool experience. Personally, I'm very pleased with my start and happy with the outcomes so far. Now I'm excited for the team to turn up for the slalom!"
The Beaver Creek stretch of Nor-Am competition now turns to slalom on December 14 and 15. Following Beaver Creek, members of the alpine team will break until the first week of January which will feature Nor-Am men's and women's slalom and giant slalom in Vermont. It'll be the final alpine action before the start of the traditional RMISA schedule.
Follow the Utes on social media (@utahskiteam).