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In Steamboat, we’re used to seeing mogul skiers Jaelyn Kauf and Olivia Giaccio climb the Mogul World Cup podium on a regular basis. But this weekend, Steamboat got a chance to see a new local face take to the winner’s stage.
Landon Wendler, 22, achieved a career-high third place in the World Cup on Saturday in the dual mogul competition in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The 216-meter course is the shortest World Cup mogul course on the circuit, leading to more dangerous aerials and faster times. Wendler’s only loss of the day came in the semifinals to Canadian legend and eight-time World Cup champion Mikael Kingsbury.
Wendler secured a third place on the podium with a 23-12 victory over Finland’s Severi Vierela. Wendler’s previous best finish in duals was seventh place in Almaty last season.
On the women’s side, Kauf and Giaccio placed second and third, respectively. Kauf lost 18-17 in the final to World Cup Crystal Globe winner Jakara Anthony, taking second place. Giaccio also took third place in the small final, defeating American teammate Tess Johnson in a close 18-17 contest.
The dual mogul World Cup season concludes on Saturday in Valmalenko, Italy. Kauf and Giaccio are currently the second and third-ranked female dual moguls skiers on the circuit. Wendler is ranked 16th among men.
nordic combined competition
Steamboat’s four Nordic combined athletes were in Oslo, Norway, over the weekend for the penultimate World Cup competition of the season.
Niklas Malacinski was the top American finisher in both weekend events, finishing 28th and 31st overall on Saturday and Sunday. Steamboat’s Grant Andrews wasn’t far behind, finishing 37th and 44th.
Malacinski is ranked 25th in the Nordic Combined World Cup with one tournament remaining. Andrews is 55th.
Earlier this week, the women’s team competed in the Nordic combined competition, with both Annika Malacinski and Alexa Brabec putting in stronger performances. The two have remained consistently within the top 25 all season, with Annika Malacinski finishing 20th in Norway this weekend and currently ranked 13th on the World Cup circuit. Brabec finished 23rd and 21st overall.
Both the men and women will compete in this weekend’s Nordic Combined World Cup finals in Trondheim, Norway. The mixed team event will be held on Saturday, and the World Cup series will conclude with the individual event on Sunday.
ski jumping
Eric Belshaw was the only Steamboat Springs ski jumper to compete in the latest World Cup in Trondheim, Norway, on Tuesday and Thursday.
Belshaw completed two jumps on Tuesday’s HS105 Normal Hill, each measuring 96.5 meters, placing him 28th. He continued the following day on the HS138 Large Hill with jumps of 125.5 meters and 124.5 meters to place 24th.
Belshaw is ranked tied for 37th on the World Cup circuit with a few games left in the season.
snow board
Steamboat’s Cody Winters is the only World Cup snowboarder to compete in both parallel and boardercross events on the circuit. It’s his first time since 2009.
Earlier this month, Winters finished in the top 20 twice at the Bordercross World Cup event in Spain. He finished fifth in parallel slalom in Germany on Saturday.
It’s difficult for Winters to maintain his World Cup standings as he splits his time between both sports, but he’s actively ranked on the circuit at 20th in snowboard cross and 7th in parallel slalom. There are only a few weeks left until Winters moves even higher in the World Cup standings.
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