Val Thorens, France
posted
Dec 27, 2012
Team USA Ski Cross athlete Joe Swensson battled multiple race
delays and blizzard conditions to capture the first Audi FIS Ski
Cross World Cup podium of his career with third in Val Thorens.
"I'm so pumped about the race," said Swensson in a press
statement after the race, Dec. 19. "I really needed it because my
first two (races this season) weren't so hot. The course was long
and had a little bit of everything in terms of terrain. My skis
were flying today and I was able to get out in front most of the
time. This was a great opportunity to prove to myself that I am
capable of competing with the best of them.
Swensson's previous best result was a 12th last February.
Switzerland's Armin Niederer won the day with Canada's Brady Leman
in second.
Joe Swensson, age 26, is originally from Niantic, CT but he
calls Killington his hometown mountain, with sponsorship
from Killington Resort, Level Field Fund, USA Ski Cross,
Atomic, POC, The Basin Ski Shop, Edgewise Elite Ski Service.
Swensson is currently part of the U.S.A. Ski Cross team with hopes
of making the Olympic team.
From a young age, Swensson had success with skiing, at 14, he
decided to take the next step forward and enrolled in the Green
Mountain Valley School in Waitsfield, Vt. He then attended
Middlebury College where he received a degree in Economics in
2008. During his time there, he was named to the 2007 World
University Games Team and also competed in the 2008 NCAA Ski
Championships.
Following the end of the 2011 ski season, Joe
decided it was time to head in a different direction: Ski Cross. He
attended a Project Gold Ski Cross camp in Mt. Hood, and then spent
three weeks with the Australian Ski Cross team Down Under. These
training camps allowed Swensson to gain experience with this new
sport and also get a couple races under his belt.
The 2012 season was a success for Swensson. He was able to
move up into the top 30 on the World Cup circuit and finished 22nd
overall on the season. He looks forward to the 2013 year and, so
far, the season is looking bright.
"My favorite aspect of ski cross is that it combines Alpine and
Freestyle into the sport of skiing. It is important to be
technically sound in your turns, but at the same time you need to
be comfortable moving with the terrain and features throughout the
course," Sweensson states in his bio on joeswensson.com.
