ALPINE SKI. VAIL, Colorado — U.S. Ski Team star Lindsey Vonn holds 2010 Olympic gold and bronze medals, three consecutive World Cup overall and downhill titles, two straight World Cup super G crowns and a 2010 crystal globe for super combined — so what's left for the 26-year-old athlete to accomplish? Plenty, Vonn said Saturday just before arriving at the U.S. Ski Team welcome party in Lionshead's Vail Square.

U.S. men during the 2011 U.S. Alpine Ski Team announcement in Vail (Tom Green/Vail Resorts)

She said she's been training hard this summer and fall, and hopes to improve in giant slalom and slalom — two events she admits she's always struggled with a bit.

The 49-member 2011 U.S. Ski Team was officially announced at Saturday's Vail event, in front of a crowd of cheering fans. The event was also broadcast live at universalsports.com.

The U.S. Ski Team has been training in Vail all week, thanks to a multi-million-dollar snowmaking system that both Vail Resorts and Ski and Snowboard Club Vail helped build last year.

Before Vail installed the new system, the U.S. Ski Team members would typically train at Copper Mountain or Loveland Ski Area when in Colorado for the early season.

The 2011 U.S. Alpine Ski Team announcement in Vail (Tom Green/Vail Resorts)

Vail native, Olympian and U.S. Ski Team member Sarah Schleper said it's such an amazing feeling to be able to train at home. She said she hasn't been able to train at home since she was an early teen racing with Ski and Snowboard Club Vail.

“This early season opportunity to train here is incredible,” Schleper said.

Vail Mountain Chief Operating Officer Chris Jarnot watched Saturday's event from the sidelines with a huge grin on his face — the snowmaking system at Golden Peak is already proving to be a wise investment.

“To have this kind of energy in town around ski racing on November 6, it's just incredible,” Jarnot said.

The energy was fueled by children and aspiring ski racers like Riley Kilgore, 12, of Edwards. Kilgore attends the Vail Ski and Snowboard Academy and is a member of Ski and Snowboard Club Vail, so the event was heaven for him.

“I wanted to see the whole U.S. Ski Team,” Riley said. “[Skiing] is what I do. They're my idols.”

Riley said he's been training alongside the team members all week and it's been “really cool.”

Ted Ligety, of Park City, Utah, told the crowd he was “blown away” by how many people were there to support the team. He told everyone the team would be back in early December for the Birds of Prey World Cup races in Beaver Creek and hopes to see the same enthusiasm for the team there.

Ligety, Vonn, Bode Miller, Julia Mancuso and Andrew Weibrecht were announced as the U.S. Alpine Ski Team's headliners for 2011. New Castle's Alice McKennis is also a member of the team.

Lindsey Vonn answers the question of a young fan at the 2011 U.S. Alpine Ski Team announcement in Vail (Tom Green/Vail Resorts)

The 49-member Team features World Cup winners Schleper, Steven Nyman and Marco Sullivan, for a total of 22 Olympians.

“I'm excited about the group we've put together,” said third-year men's Head Coach Sasha Rearick. “There is an incredible diversity of experience with guys like Bode, Ted, Steven and Marco, then we have younger guys who are showing they have speed and are ready to take the next step.”

Women's Head Coach Alex Hoedlmoser said the team has the opportunity to do some great things this season, partly because of the dynamic group of skiers and partly because of a highly professional coaching staff, Hoedlmoser said.

“There aren't any excuses,” said Hoedlmoser, who enters his 14th season with the women's team. “Everyone did what they needed to do in the preparation period and we're all really motivated. I'm expecting quite a bit. It's time for some of these athletes to step up and make that breakthrough.”

Fans go crazy at the 2011 U.S. Alpine Ski Team announcement in Vail (Tom Green/Vail Resorts)

Vail hometown girls Vonn and Schleper are ready to take on that challenge.

Schleper, 31, said she knows how fast she can ski, so she's just going to focus on the technical aspects of her runs.

“I just want to race fast every time — focus on every gate, every turn,” Schleper said.

For Vonn, her focus has remained sharp, even through all of the media attention and distractions she had to deal with in the last year.

Lindsey Vonn signs autographs at the 2011 U.S. Alpine Ski Team announcement in Vail (Tom Green/Vail Resorts)

“I don't think it will be tough to find motivation,” Vonn said. “There are always things that challenge me and keep me hungry for more.”

Lauren Glendenning
Vail Correspondent
Post Independent
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
Sunday, November 7, 2010

2011 U.S. Alpine Ski Team

(Name, Team, Hometown, Club, Skis, Boots, Bindings, Date of Birth)

*Denotes Olympian

A Team

Men

Jimmy Cochran, Keene, NH, Cochran's/Mount Mansfield Ski & Snowboard Club (Voelkl, Fischer, Marker) 5/29/1981*

TJ Lanning, Park City, UT, Park City Ski Team (Head, Head, Head) 7/03/1984

Ted Ligety, Park City, UT, Park City Ski Team (Head, Head, Head) 8/31/1984*

Bode Miller, Franconia, NH, Carrabassett Valley Academy/Franconia Ski Club (Head, Head, Head) 10/12/1977*

Marco Sullivan, Squaw Valley, CA (Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol) 4/27/1980*

Andrew Weibrecht, Lake Placid, NY, New York Ski Education Foundation (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol) 4/7/1988*

Women

Stacey Cook, Mammoth Mountain, CA, Mammoth Mountain Ski Team (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol) 7/3/1984*

Julia Mancuso, Squaw Valley, CA, Squaw Valley Ski Team (Voelkl, Lange, Marker) 3/9/1984*

Alice McKennis, Glenwood Springs, CO, Rowmark Ski Academy (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic) 8/19/1989*

Sarah Schleper, Vail, CO, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol) 2/19/1979*

Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (Head, Head, Head) 10/18/1984*

B Team

Men

Thomas Biesemeyer, Keene, NY, New York Ski Education Foundation (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol) 1/30/1989

Will Brandenburg, Spokane, WA, Schweitzer Alpine Racing (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer) 1/01/1987*

Erik Fisher, Middleton, ID, Bogus Basin (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic) 3/21/85*

Tommy Ford, Bend, OR, Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer) 3/20/89*

Travis Ganong, Squaw Valley, CA, Squaw Valley Ski Team (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic) 7/14/1988

Tim Jitloff, Reno, NV, Park City Ski Team (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer) 1/11/1985*

Nolan Kasper, Warren, VT, Burke Mountain Academy (Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol) 3/27/1989*

Cody Marshall, Pittsfield, VT, Burke Mountain Academy (Blizzard, Tecnica, Marker) 11/15/1982

Steven Nyman, Sundance, UT, Park City Ski Team/Sundance (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer) 2/12/1982*

Women

Hailey Duke, Boise, ID, Park City Ski Education Foundation (Voelkl, Fischer, Marker) 9/17/1985*

Chelsea Marshall, Pittsfield, VT, Burke Mountain Academy (Head, Head, Head) 8/14/1986*

Megan McJames, Park City, UT, Park City Ski Education Foundation (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer) 9/24/1987*

Laurenne Ross, Klamath Falls, OR, Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic) 8/17/1988

Leanne Smith, Conway, NH, Washington Valley Ski Team (Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol) 5/28/1987*

Resi Stiegler, Jackson Hole, WY, Park City Ski Team (Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol) 11/14/1984*

C Team

Men

Michael Ankeny, Deephaven, MN, Buck Hill Ski Team (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer) 1/17/1991

Colby Granstrom, Lake Stevens, WA, Mission Ridge Ski Education Foundation (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer) 9/21/1990

Will Gregorak, Longmont, CO, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol) 9/30/1990

Keith Moffat, Berkeley, CA, Squaw Valley Ski Team (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic) 2/3/1991

Andrew Phillips, Sandy, UT, Park City Ski Team (Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol) 5/18/1989

Women

Julia Ford, Plymouth, NH, Holderness Ski Team (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic) 3/30/1990

Kiley Staples, Park City, UT, Rowmark Ski Academy (Head, Head, Head) 2/2/1989

Development Team

Men

Keiffer Christianson, Anchorage, AK, Burke Mountain Academy (Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol) 8/11/1992

Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Starksboro, VT, Mt. Mansfield Ski Club (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol) 3/27/1992

Nick Daniels, Tahoe City, CA, Squaw Valley Ski Team (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic) 4/5/1991

Jared Goldberg, Holladay, UT, Team Flow (Head, Head, Head) 6/17/1991

Max Marno, Steamboat Springs, CO, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol) 3/17/1991

Brennan Rubie, Salt Lake City, UT, Snowbird Ski Team (Nordica, Nordica, Marker) 4/8/1991

Hunter Schleper, Vail, CO, Iced Out Racing (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol)

Scott Snow, Sagle, ID, Independence Racing (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic) 7/8/1993

Women

Vanessa Berther, Bellevue, WA, Team Alpental Snoqualmie (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol) 2/11/1992

Rose Caston, Salt Lake City, Park City Ski Team (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic) 7/26/1992

Devin Delaney, North Conway, NH, Green Mountain Valley School (Atomic, Atomic, Atomic) 2/24/1991

Abigail Fucigna, Hopkinton, MA, Burke Mountain Academy (Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol) 1/9/1991

Abby Ghent, Edwards, CO, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (Rossignol, Rossignol, Rossignol) 9/25/1992

Lizzie Kistler, Santa Rosa, CA, Burke Mountain Academy (Rossignol, Lange, Rossignol) 11/2/1992

Anna Marno, Steamboat Springs, CO, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (Nordica, Nordica, Marker) 11/23/1992

Foreste Peterson, Berkeley, CA, Sugar Bowl Ski Team (Fischer, Fischer, Fischer) 9/9/1993