The U.S. Ski Team continued to rack up podium finishes at an unprecedented rate Wednesday as Ski Club Vail’s Lindsey Kildow won a downhill in Val d’Isere, France, and Bode Miller prevailed in a super-G at Hinterstoder, Austria.
The team has piled up nine podiums in the past six days. Olympic giant slalom champion Julia Mancuso joined Kildow on the podium in Val d’Isere, finishing second. The day before, Mancuso won and Kildow was third.
“It’s just the buzz, everyone is saying the Americans are dominating,” Kildow said. “It’s really cool. Normally it’s the Austrians everyone is talking about. Now it’s us. I hope it stays that way.”
Kildow’s eighth career victory marked a personal milestone as it gave her 18 career podiums, surpassing her childhood idol and mentor, Picabo Street.
“She’s a legend, she dominated,” Kildow said. “She pretty much won almost every race she entered for two or three years when she was on the hot streak. To be where she was in the younger stages of my career is really confidence building. It’s a really cool feeling.”
The ski team never has come close to the kind of dominance it has displayed for the past week, reaching the podium with five racers covering all four disciplines. Also boding well for the future of the team: Every podium finisher except for Miller is under 25 years of age.
“When the men are racing, we’re always watching on TV or we’re waiting to hear on the radio how they did,” Kildow said. “That fire and enthusiasm, when your team is doing well, gets you inspired and motivated. It pushes you harder to do better.”
Seven of the nine podium finishes have come in the speed disciplines, downhill and super-G. Mancuso and Steve Nyman each scored their first career wins on the World Cup.
“The athletes are feeding off each other,” alpine director Jesse Hunt said. “When you’re going 80 mph, you need to have confidence and you need to believe. Right now we have that little edge. It’s pretty cool.”
Miller’s win puts him in the World Cup overall lead and leaves him only three behind Phil Mahre’s all-time U.S. World Cup victory record of 27.
“I can be pleased with my placing, but the run was not very good at all,” Miller said. “I hung on well and I made great recoveries, but the skiing was not my best.”
Kildow predicts a counter-attack from the powerful Austrian teams that have dominated the circuit for more than a decade.
“The Austrians are so (angry),” Kildow said with a giggle. “We’ve pretty much been shutting them out of every podium. They’re going to start getting really, really mad here soon, so we definitely have to keep working hard and try to keep skiing fast, otherwise they’re going to catch up pretty quick.”
The streak
Dec. 15: Bode Miller first, super-G, Val Gardena, Italy.
Dec. 16: Steven Nyman first, downhill, Val Gardena.
Dec. 17: Miller second, giant slalom, Alta Badia, Italy.
Dec. 18: Ted Ligety second, slalom, Alta Badia.
Dec. 19: Julia Mancuso first, Lindsey Kildow third, downhill, Val d’Isere France.
Dec. 20: Kildow first, Mancuso second, downhill, Val d’Isere; Miller first, super-G, Hinterstoder, Austria.
