Mia Hunt, Annika Hunt, Justin Bigatel make the alpine Jr. World Championships team

AUSTRIA, FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships 2023, downhill training, Justin Bigatel (USA/Park City). Photo: GEPA pictures // Oliver Lerch: courtesy of U.S. Ski & Snowboard

PARK CITY, Utah — U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced the 16 athletes who will represent the United States in the 2024 FIS Alpine Junior World Ski Championships at Portes du Soleil in Haute-Savoie, France from Jan. 28 to Feb. 3. 

Three of the athletes hail from Park City: Mia Hunt, Annika Hunt, and Justin Bigatel. Two skiers represent Romark Academy in Salt Lake City and one skis for the University of Utah.

There are two separate sets of sisters on the event team this year: the Hunts and the Bococks.

The 2024 team is primarily comprised of Stifel U.S. Ski Team athletes from the C and D teams, as well as top U.S. Ski & Snowboard club program athletes from across the nation. The U.S. has a history of strong results at the Junior World Championships. In the 2022 season, Isaiah Nelson took home gold in the super-G, Ava Sunshine a silver in super-G and Park City’s Lauren Macuga a bronze in downhill. In 2023, there were multiple top-10 performances with Camden Palmquist ninth in slalom, Sunshine eighth in slalom and Macuga sixth in super-G.

Many of the athletes named have already had successful seasons. On the women’s side, both Mary and Elisabeth Bocock had their first World Cup starts and had Stifel Success Series NorAm podium results. On the men’s side, Cooper Puckett had a recent NorAm slalom podium, and Palmquist snagged his first NorAm slalom win.

“This year’s Junior World Championship team is a remarkable group of athletes who have already achieved tremendous results at the NorAm level in their young careers,” Stifel U.S. Ski Team Development Director Chip Knight said in a statement. 

“With a number of experienced athletes from prior years as well as some new up-and-coming athletes, we are confident that this group will post strong individual and team results for the U.S.”

The 2024 Junior Worlds includes team alpine combined and mixed team events, along with downhill, super-G, giant slalom and slalom events for both men and women. Live timing will be provided by the International Ski Federation (FIS).

2024 FIS ALPINE JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM

(Name, Hometown; Club; Birthdate)

Utahns in bold

Women:

• Elisabeth Bocock (Salt Lake City, Utah; Rowmark/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 9/3/2005)
• Mary Bocock (Salt Lake City, Utah; Rowmark/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 7/10/2003)
• Tatum Grosdidier (Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 7/24/2004)
• Annika Hunt (East Burke, Vt./Park City, Utah; Burke Mountain Academy; 11/30/2006)
• Mia Hunt (Park City, Utah; Park City Ski & Snowboard Team/Denver University; 1/11/2003)
• Kaitlin Keane (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 11/26/2004)
• Allison Mollin (Truckee, Calif.; Team Palisades Tahoe/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 7/7/2004)
• Liv Moritz (Vail, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/University of Denver/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 11/28/2004)
• Dasha Romanov (Thornton, Colo.; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 3/5/2003)* 

Men:

• Justin Bigatel (Park City, Utah; Burke Mountain Academy/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 4/29/2003)
• Stanley Buzek (Silverthorne, Colo.; Team Summit/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 8/18/2005)
• Camden Palmquist (Eagan, Minn.; Buck Hill Ski Team/Team Summit/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 4/15/2003)
• Jay Poulter (Stratton, Vt.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Stratton Mountain School/University of Utah/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 7/1/2003)
• Cooper Puckett (Steamboat, Colo.; Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 3/31/2003)
• Hunter Salani (Edwards, Colo.; Ski & Snowboard Club Vail/Stifel U.S. Ski Team; 2/25/2005)
• Ryder Sarchett (Ketchum, Idaho; Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation/University of Colorado Boulder; 7/28/2003)
• Mattias Wilson (Jackson, Wyo.; Jackson Hole Ski Club; 10/6/2006) 

* qualified but cannot compete due to injury.