The last half of my season was an interesting one to say the least. Unlike last year, I was all over the map with my consistency. I would win one race just to buckle at the next. I think for next year I will try to combine strategies from my last two season to hopefully come up with consistent podium results right through the entire season.

The win in Grindelwald was more than just a gold medal in my eyes. I was hesitant to race for some reason the days before, but I managed to mentally turn this around and looked at the race as an opportunity rather than a burden. I was amazed by how much my mind set had changed the outcome for this race. In the finals I ended up leading two of my teammates onto the podium, making history.

I tried using the same approach in Meiringen, but I took it a little too easy and underestimated my competition…a mistake I will never make again. I feel like I am still a rookie and have a lot to learn over the next four years.

At the final race in Sierra Nevada, I knew my overall world ranking was on the line, with Anna Holmund from Sweden only 20 points behind (less than one result difference). I qualified second, over a second ahead of her and knew for sure that if I met up with her in a heat I would be able to out ski her to the line. I would have gotten the chance to do so in the semi’s but suffered an abrupt crash in my quarter final round. The course was poorly designed for the speed we were carrying as well as the four people that had to be on it at the same time. Everybody was overshooting features, and making risky contacts in the air. Somehow I managed to get caught up with Marion (France), who was ahead of me at the time, up an abrupt hip. The result….her skis split and popped off her feet while I ran straight into a wall, stopping dead in less than a second. I winded myself, banged up my nose, and had a hard time removing myself from the imprint I had made in the wall of snow in front of me. Like I said, out with a bang. I ended up breaking my fastest pair of skis but walked away with only a few bruises. Anna ended up winning the race and moved ahead of me in the overall standings.