Done partying in St. Anton, new US ski standout Macuga seeks a 2nd World Cup victory in Cortina

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CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The party at St. Anton’s Krazy Kanguruh après-ski bar lasted into the early hours of Monday morning when the U.S. Ski Team’s newest standout celebrated her first World Cup victory last weekend.

“I think we were home by 2. So not too bad,” said Lauren Macuga, who won a super-G in Austria on Sunday. “But it’s just been crazy. Every day it settles in a little more. Like I just realized, it actually happened.”

Happened it did. And now comes the hard part: backing it up.

More eyes will be on Macuga this weekend when she races in a downhill and another super-G in Cortina. And at her first major event: next month's world championships in Saalbach-Hintergleem, Austria.

“It’s always interesting when you win your first race and there’s different expectations and pressure and all sorts of things change,” U.S. head coach Paul Kristofic said. “One of the challenges is to manage all of those things and stay focused on the task. And that’s what we’re working on with her.”

At 22, Macuga is just getting started in her career. Her sisters are also on U.S. teams: Sam Macuga is a ski jumper and Alli Macuga skis moguls.

“I’m kind of just trying to treat it like normal,” Lauren said. “I mean, I want to do it again, don’t get me wrong.”

Macuga was still racing with a helmet that had a question mark on the front where a sponsor’s brand could be during Friday’s downhill training session. But she inferred that she might have finally found a sponsor.

“We’ll have to see tomorrow,” she said. “It will be a surprise.”

Macuga is also known for her collection of bucket hats. She wore one featuring an American-flag design after her victory in St. Anton. On Friday, her hat had a banana design.

“It’s just too funny. How can I not?” Macuga said.

Led by Lindsey Vonn’s record 12 wins, the U.S. team has often fared well in Cortina, which will also host women’s skiing at next year’s Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Jacqueline Wiles finished second in the Cortina downhill last year for her second podium finish at the premier stop on the women’s circuit

“She’s a natural born downhiller,” Kristofic said of Wiles. “And this course suits her super, super well.”

Breezy Johnson also showed speed in Friday’s final training session by placing fourth behind only Sofia Goggia, Federica Brignone and Lara Gut-Behrami — three of the circuit’s best skiers.

Johnson recently returned from a 14-month ban after three violations of anti-doping whereabouts rules. She raised $150,000 to fund her own training sessions while she was out, and to hire her own coaches.

“It was a lot of work to raise the money and figure out the budgets and stuff like that,” Johnson said. “But in the end it was making the best out of a tough situation. And I’m really happy to be back with the girls.”

Vonn, of course, is also back, having recently come out of retirement at age 40.

Meanwhile, Mikaela Shiffrin is still working her way back from a puncture wound during a fall while pursuing a record-extending 100th World Cup win in Killington, Vermont, in November.

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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing