The International Ski Federation World Championship events continue for several Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club-associated athletes in Planica, Slovenia and Bakuriani, Georgia. 

In Slovenia, three of Steamboat’s Nordic athletes competed in the mixed team normal hill event on Sunday, Feb. 26. 

Team USA was made up of SSWSC’s Niklas Malacinski, Annika Malacinski and Alexa Brabec, while Benjamin Loomis of Flying Eagles Ski Club was the fourth member of the team.

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Despite jumping to eighth place, the U.S. was able to make up plenty of time in the cross country relay to pass Slovenia for seventh in the event. The team crossed the finish 4 minutes and 20 seconds behind first place Norway, but beat Slovenia in eighth by nearly three minutes.

Niklas Malacinski was back on the course on Wednesday, March 1, for the men’s Nordic combined team competition.

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Malacinski was the farthest jumping American at 120 meters and helped the team score 336.9 points, putting it in ninth for the start of the 4×5-kilometer cross country relay.

The group was able to make up one place in the relay, passing Czechia — more widely known in English as the Czech Republic — for eighth overall in the event. Niklas Malacinski skied the third leg for Team USA, completing his 5k in 12:34. 

Annika Belshaw was back on the ski jumping hill in Slovenia on Thursday, March 2. Once again, Belshaw was the top American jumper, finishing in 32nd off a 108-meter jump that earned 83.5 total points. 

Belshaw was just two places away from making the cut for a second jump on Thursday. 

In snowboard cross, Mick Dierdorff was the second finisher in his heat of the 1/16 Final in Georgia on Wednesday. He later finished third in his 1/8 final heat, coming up just short of the required top-two finish to advance.  

Also in Georgia is Riley Jacobs, who took to the halfpipe for the women’s freeski halfpipe qualifiers on Wednesday.

Jacobs did better on the second of her two runs, averaging 63.75 points. This put her in ninth overall, just outside of a top-8 spot needed to advance to the World Championship event on Saturday, March 4.

To reach Tom Skulski, call 970-871-4240, email tskulski@SteamboatPilot.com.