(Pictured, from left to right, Sawyer Graves, Jason Colby, and Arthur Tirone.)
Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club athletes did well at the recent Youth Olympic Games qualifier in Lake Placid, New York. The boys swept the ski jumping podium with Jason Colby in 1st place, Sawyer Graves in 2nd, and Arthur Tirone in 3rd. SSWSC’s Ella Wilson was 4th, and Haley Brabec was 5th in the girl’s ski jumping competition. In Nordic combined, SSWSC athletes Ella Wilson and Arthur Tirone both won their events, and Haley Brabec was 3rd.
Press release from Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club; Oct. 20, 2023.
Jason Colby places third in Romania. Photo credit Karl Denny.
Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Athletes Podium at Youth Olympic Games Qualifier
SSWSC athletes in solid qualifying positions for the games and SSWSC alum win USA Nordic National Championships
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – The SSWSC ski jumping and nordic combined teams competed last week, October 10-11, 2023, at the USA Nordic National Championships and Youth Olympic Games qualifier. Athletes competing against the nation’s top athletes in ski jumping and nordic combined events at the Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid, NY. It was the first of two qualifiers for the 2024 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). The Youth Olympic Games take place every four years and are limited to athletes under 18 years old. This year, it’s being hosted in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the site of the 2018 Winter Olympics. At the Youth Olympic Games qualifier, SSWSC athletes had strong results. The boys swept the ski jumping podium with Jason Colby in 1st place, Sawyer Graves in 2nd, and Arthur Tirone in 3rd. SSWSC’s Ella Wilson was 4th, and Haley Brabec was 5th in the girl’s ski jumping competition. In nordic combined, SSWSC athletes Ella Wilson and Arthur Tirone both won their events, and Haley Brabec was 3rd.
The Youth Olympic Games team for ski jumping and nordic combined has very limited spots, two per gender per sport—two nordic combined boys, two nordic combined girls, two ski jumping boys, and two ski jumping girls. Of the eight total spots, four SSWSC athletes are currently sitting in qualification position. The final qualifier is on the home venue in Steamboat Springs at Winterstart, December 9-10, 2023. With these results, Jason Colby and Sawyer Graves are currently in a solid qualification position for a spot on the Youth Olympics Game team for ski jumping. Ella Wilson and Arthur Tirone are in a strong position for nordic combined.
Ski Jumping – Boys
1st Jason Colby
2nd Sawyer Graves
3rd Arthur Tirone
Ski Jumping – Girls
4th Ella Wilson
5th Haley Brabec
Nordic Combined – Boys
1st Arthur Tirone
Nordic Combined – Girls
1st Ella Wilson
3rd Haley Brabec
Immediately following the Youth Olympic Games qualifier, Jason Colby flew to Romania for a FIS Cup. Scoring points at a FIS Cup event allows athletes to compete at an even higher level during the winter. There were two ski jumping competitions on Saturday, October 14, and Sunday, October 15, and Colby placed 5th on Saturday and landed a podium spot on Sunday, placing 3rd.
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