By: USSA

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – The U.S. Freestyle Ski Team begins mid-season World Cup competition this week at the Putnam Lake Placid Freestyle Cup. Mogul athletes will take to the course at Whiteface Mountain on Thursday, Jan. 29, with the aerials competition taking place at the Olympic Jumping Complex Friday and Saturday, Jan. 30-31. Lake Placid is the second U.S. stop on the World Cup tour this season and is home base for U.S. Freestyle’s Elite Aerial Development Program.

Both the moguls and aerials teams have carried a lot of positive momentum at all levels of competition this season, and the story is no different coming into Lake Placid. Just over a week ago, Hannah Kearney (Norwich, Vt.) won the only World Championship medal she didn’t have, a gold in dual moguls, and brought her medal total up to eight, the most of any freestyle skier. The podium spots have been plentiful on the NorAm tour, with Bruce Perry Jr. finishing second at Deer Valley, Utah and Ali Kariotis (Tiburon, Calif.), Nessa Dziemien (East Hampstead, N.H.) and Morgan Schild (Pittsford, NY) sweeping the podium at Apex Mountain Resort in Canada.

The aerials team continues to put up impressive results, with Kiley McKinnon (Madison, Conn.) and Alex Bowen (Springville, N.Y.) each bringing home a silver medal from World Championships. The Putnam Lake Placid Freestyle Cup features a team event, which means there are two opportunities to get on the podium. The qualification results for Sunday’s team event will count as a World Cup result and be used to seed the teams for the final. This is the second time this year the team event has been used, the first time being at the World Cup opener in Beijing, China in December.

For a complete schedule, visit http://www.whiteface.com/events/lake-placid-fis-freestyle-cup.  Aerial tickets are $20 for adults and $16 for juniors and seniors. Also flash your Olympic Sites Passport or seasons pass to Whiteface, Gore, Belleayre or Mt. Van Hoevenberg and receive free admission.

A lift ticket and the ability to ski intermediate terrain are required to view the moguls competition at Whiteface.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Putnam Lake Placid Freestyle Cup will take place Jan. 29-31 in Lake Placid, NY.
• Both the moguls and aerials teams are coming off a successful showing at the 2015 FIS Freestyle Ski & Snowboard World Championships
• The aerial competition on Jan. 31 will be a team event, giving athletes a chance to earn two podium spots over the course of the weekend.

 

ATHLETES TO WATCH:

 

 

 

Women’s Moguls

 

Hannah Kearney (USA) – A 10-time world championship medalist

 

Justine Dufour-Lapointe (CAN) – The 2015 world champion and overall 2015 World Cup leader

 

Chloe Dufour-Lapointe (CAN) – Ranked third in overall 2015 World Cup standings

 

 

 

Men’s Moguls

 

Mikael Kingsbury (CAN) – 2015 world championship silver medalist and overall 2015 World Cup leader

 

Alexandr Smyshlyaev (RUS) – 2015 world championship bronze medalist

 

Patrick Deneen (USA) – 2015 World Cup bronze medalist (Deer Valley, Utah), finished fourth at the 2015 world championships

 

 

 

Women’s Aerials

 

Mengtao Xu (CHN) – 2015 world championship bronze medalist and overall 2015 World Cup leader

 

Kiley McKinnon (USA) – 2015 world championship silver medalist and ranked second in the overall 2015 World Cup standings

 

Laura Peel (AUS) – 2015 world champion

 

Ashley Caldwell (USA) – Ranked fifth in overall 2015 World Cup standings, finished fourth at 2015 world championships

 

 

 

Men’s Aerials

 

Gaungpu Qi (CHN) – 2015 world champion and overall 2015 World Cup leader

 

Alex Bowen (USA) – 2015 world championship silver medalist

 

Mac Bohonnon (USA) – Ranked second in overall 2015 World Cup standings

 

Hang Zhou (CHN) – Ranked third in overall 2015 World Cup standings

 

Maxim Gustik (BLR) – 2015 world championship bronze medalist

 

EVENT SCHEDULE

Thursday, Jan. 29
Single Moguls
9:05 a.m. – Ladies’ Qualifications
10:55 a.m. – Men’s Qualifications
1:30 p.m. – Ladies’ Final 1
1:55 p.m. – Men’s Final 1
2:25 p.m. – Ladies’ Final 2
2:35 p.m. – Men’s Final 2

Friday, Jan. 30
Aerials
2:55 p.m. – Ladies’ Qualifications
5:35 p.m. – Men’s Qualifications
8:15 p.m. – Ladies’ Final 1
8:35 p.m. – Men’s Final 1
9 p.m. – Ladies’ Final 2
9:15 p.m. – Men’s Final 2

Saturday, Jan. 31
Aerials Team Event
2:55 p.m. – Ladies’ Qualifications
5:05 p.m. – Men’s Qualifications
8 p.m. – Team Aerial Finals 1
8:45 p.m. – Team Aerial Final 2

BROADCAST SCHEDULE (Times EST)

Saturday, Jan. 31
3:30 p.m. – NBCSN

Sunday, Feb. 1
4 p.m. – NBCSN

Sunday, Feb. 8
4 p.m. – NBC

Media Advisory--- Photos from last year’s World Cup, courtesy of ORDA/ Whiteface Lake Placid

 -- ORDA --

Established in 1982, the New York State Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) was created by the State of New York to manage the facilities used during the 1980 Olympic Winter Games at Lake Placid. ORDA operates Whiteface, Belleayre and Gore Mountain ski areas; the Olympic Sports Complex at Mt. Van Hoevenberg; the Olympic speed skating oval, Olympic jumping complex and Olympic arena. As host to international and national championships, the Authority has brought millions of athletes, spectator and participants to the region, resulting in significant economic development.