Ryan Cochran-Siegle Lands First American Beaver Creek Downhill Podium Since 2014

For the first time since 2014, an American stood on the World Cup downhill podium in Beaver Creek, Colorado, this week.

That honor went to Vermont’s Ryan Cochran-Siegle. He took second in the downhill race, finishing behind the ever-dominant Swiss skier Marco Odermatt. Norway’s Adrian Smiseth Sejersted claimed third.

Tap or click below to watch highlights from the race. Keep reading for more.

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The men’s races at Beaver Creek are the stuff of legends. 

Known as the Birds of Prey, the course was first built in 1997 ahead of the 1999 World Alpine Ski Championships. It has since played host to several historic moments for the Americans. Team USA’s Daron Rahlves set the time record there in 2003. One year later, Rahlves, alongside fellow American Bode Miller, landed on the Birds of Prey podium, marking the first time that American men had earned the top two spots in a World Cup downhill.

The latest Birds of Prey podium finish by an American went to Steven Nyman 11 years ago. For Cochran-Siegle, Thursday’s race was understandably a special moment. 

“As an American kid growing up, Birds of Prey is such a special event,” he said, according to The Park Record. “Performing in front of the home crowd, I was just trying to ski.” 

Another American, Bryce Bennett, landed in 28th, narrowly cracking the top 30. It wasn’t his best World Cup result. According to The Park Record, he frankly described the day as going “terribly,” pointing, in part, to unsettled equipment.

Marco Odermatt enjoyed another day atop the World Cup leaderboards. He now has 48 victories to his name, two of which have arrived this season at previous races.

“That was just a perfect day for me,” he said, according to FIS. 

“I didn’t really feel so comfortable the last two days skiing down the pitch, but today the light was so much better,” Odermatt continued, addressing the mixed weather that forced organizers to push the downhill to Thursday rather than Friday. 

It won’t be the end of the Birds of Prey races. Today, Friday, December 5, the men are facing off in a super-G race. The final competition, a giant slalom, is scheduled for Sunday, December 7.

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