Fear is a foundational component of the downhill, where danger is both manifested by the rules and purified by the dynamic skill of the skiers and the exasperating inability to sufficiently convey the peril of the task.

Two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin leads the 17-member list for the U.S. Alpine skiing team nominated for the Beijing Winter Games.

Bryce Bennett added to a long list of American success in Val Gardena by winning the first classic downhill of the World Cup season.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle could be the best hope for an Olympic medal among the men on the U.S. Ski Team.