MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN, Calif. – The Olympics start in two and a half weeks. One western Montana skier already knows she will make the trip. Maggie Voisin of Whitefish clinched a spot in slopestyle and sat out the final weekend of qualifying to freshen up for the upcoming X Games and Winter Games.
A couple others from Missoula tried to help their chances on Mammoth Mountain in California.
Darian Stevens had a good showing in the final women’s slopestyle grand prix event, finishing in sixth place overall. But fellow American Caroline Claire finished on the podium in third, so she passes Stevens in the qualifying standings. The 21-year-old Montanan drops from third to fourth place. The U.S. coaches will select three or four women to make the Olympic team later this week, so Stevens is right on the bubble.
Meanwhile, Quinn Wolferman’s quick rise up the men’s rankings hit a bump. He finished in 59th- and 20th-place at two events on Mammoth Mountain. The 20-year-old from Missoula started the weekend in a tie for third but falls to fifth place in the men’s qualifying standings. As a newcomer to the World Cup scene, Wolferman is now a longshot to make the Olympics.
The U.S. team will be announced sometime this week.
Voisin earned her spot on the Olympic team by earning the required two top-three finishes in qualifying events. She won a competition at Mammoth Mountain in February of 2017. Then took back-to-back second-place finishes in Aspen, Colorado on Jan. 13 and 14. The Whitefish native holds a commanding lead in the U.S. women’s slopestyle qualifying standings.
