UPDATE 12/5: Lindsey Vonn will definitely return to the race course Friday (Dec. 6) for the first of two downhills at Lake Louise. She skipped the second training run, saying she has the course “dialed in.”

Thousands of fans were on hand as the U.S. Alpine Ski Team was named for the new season. Olympic gold medalists Ted Ligety, Bode Miller, and Lindsey Vonn were on hand, as was World Champion Michaela Shiffrin.

Soelden, Austria hosted the season’s first Audi FIS Alpine World Cup action over the weekend with Americans Ted Ligety and Michaela Shiffrin in form for the Olympic year.

Veteran U.S. Ski Team coach Forest Carey has been tabbed to leads a new World Cup Multi-Team of Ted Ligety and Bode Miller during the coming Olympic season, according to men’s alpine Head Coach Sasha Rearick.

It will be a “Welcome Home” celebration Saturday, April 6 at Park City Mountain Resort as the community celebrates Ted Ligety’s World Championship gold and World Cup giant slalom crowns. The free event begins at 1 p.m. at the resort plaza.

Ted Ligety from Park City, Utah put an exclamation point on his championship season by winning the slalom at the Nature Valley U.S. National Championships at Squaw Valley Saturday.

The World Cup finals lurk around the corner this week in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, but America’s Ted Ligety has no worries. He locked up the giant slalom title early in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia Saturday. Teen Michaela Shiffrin needs another win.

History books were re-written for the U.S. Ski Team Friday as Ted Ligety, from Park City, Utah, pulled the hat trick Friday at the FIS World Alpine Ski Championships in Schladming, Austria.

The USA’s Ted Ligety, who won the super-G last week at the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships in Schladming, Austria, won gold in super-combined (downhill and slalom) Monday. 

Early-season snowfall and cold temperature just may lead to World Cup Gold for a number of U.S. Ski Team members this season.