"We are maximizing our opportunity for success here in @Are2019, and @valdifassa2019 at the World Junior Champs next week. "We are committed to developing our athletes in dual format events, so we can be in a position to contend for a medal in Beijing 2022." Newly-crowned super-G gold medallist Mikaela Shiffrin had already announced she would miss the team event, as well as the alpine combined and downhill, in order to concentrate on the giant slalom and slalom.
Also missing is Lindsey Vonn, who retired after winning bronze in Sunday's downhill and would have been an unlikely participant in any case. The team event involves teams of 4-6 skiers, including at least two of each sex, who compete in a knock-out format over a parallel slalom in a best-of-four format.
The 16 best nations in the FIS Overall Nations Cup standings are eligible to participate, with the pairings being made according to those rankings. The Unites States have never won a team event at world level and were beaten by Britain in the round-of-16 when the discipline made its Olympic bow last year in Pyeongchang.
But their withdrawal nonetheless remains a blow for organisers, who have touted the team event as a "gladiatorial tournament of a ski race". "While most other events are dominated by individual athletes, the alpine team event adds another dimension, with team effort and patriotism ranking higher than the individual," Are2019 organisers said.