By Shannon Lukens.
The U.S. Ski Jumping Team has been announced for the 2024 Ski Flying World Championships in Austria. Two Steamboat Springs athletes are on the team of the five. Decker Dean returns for his second World Championships. Erik Belshaw is competing in his first. Belshaw has the highest world ranking out of all U.S. Ski Jumping athletes right now, ranked 47th, with World Cup points. The World Championships start Jan. 25.
Press release from USA Nordic; Jan. 16, 2024.
U.S. Ski Jumping Team Announces 2024 Ski Flying World Championships Team
Park City, Utah (January 16, 2024) – Today, U.S. Ski and Snowboard announced the five athletes that will represent the U.S. Ski Jumping Team at the 2024 FIS Ski Flying World Championships in Kulm Bad Mitterndorf/Tauplitz, Austria, Jan. 25-28, 2024.
This year’s FIS Ski Flying World Championships team features four U.S. Ski Jumping Team men’s athletes. This will be the second Ski Flying World Championships for Decker Dean, after competing in Planica, Slovenia, in 2020. Andrew Urlaub, Erik Belshaw and Tate Frantz have earned their first-ever Ski Flying World Championships team nominations.
Belshaw currently has the highest world ranking out of all United States ski jumping athletes, ranked 47th, scoring World Cup points once this season after finishing 24th in the HS142 event in Ruka, Finland. Urlaub and Frantz have scored World Cup points one time each this season, with Urlaub 27th in the HS98 event in Lillehammer, Norway and Frantz 30th in the HS142 event in Ruka.
These four national team athletes will be joined by ski jumping veteran, Kevin Bickner. Bickner represented the United States at the 2018 FIS Ski Flying World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, placing 24th overall in the HS235 World Championship. Bickner is the current national record holder for ski flying, jumping to 244.5 meters in 2017 during the HS225 World Cup in Vikersund, Norway.
“I’m really looking forward to the upcoming Ski Flying World Championships in Kulm. Our juniors, Tate and Erik, have shown some really high level jumps the past several weeks, and last weekend they showed those jumps at the World Cup events in Wisla,” said U.S. Ski & Snowboard Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Sport Director Anders Johnson. “Additionally, Kevin Bickner has continued to work his way back into good shape after taking a long break after Beijing. Kevin is the U.S. record holder, so he certainly knows how to fly.”
“There is nothing more exhilarating than the Ski Flying World Championships,” said USA Nordic CEO Adam Provost. “I know the team is excited about the opportunity and I’m excited to watch them compete against the best in the world.”
Fans will be able to watch the 2024 FIS Ski Flying World Championships live on Peacock, with live results also being available on the FIS website.
2024 FIS SKI FLYING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM
(Name, hometown, ski club, birthdate, past World Championship teams)
*Denotes first World Championships team
- Andrew Urlaub* (Eau Claire, WI; Flying Eagles Ski Club; 4/12/2001)
- Decker Dean (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 8/8/2000; 2020)
- Erik Belshaw* (Steamboat Springs, CO; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; 8/23/2004)
- Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, IL; Norge Ski Club; 9/23/96; 2018)
- Tate Frantz* (Lake Placid, NY; New York Ski Educational Foundation; 3/28/2005)
2024 FIS Ski Flying World Championships Schedule
All times ET, subject to change.
Thursday, January 25th
- 8 a.m. – FIS Ski Flying World Championships HS235 Qualification – Peacock
Friday, January 26th
- 8 a.m. – FIS Ski Flying World Championships Individual HS235 Event (Rounds 1 & 2) – Peacock
Saturday, January 27th
- 8 a.m. – FIS Ski Flying World Championships Individual HS235 Event (Rounds 3 & 4) – Peacock
Sunday, January 28th
- 8 a.m. – FIS Ski Flying World Championships Team HS235 Event – Peacock