U.S. Ski and Snowboard athletes getting busy before Olympics

The Olympic countdown has officially begun and America's athletes have been busy between competing in World Cups, training, and jetting around to an increasing number of media engagements.

Here's a rundown of what several of the top U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team athletes have been up to:

The U.S. Alpine Ski Team's speed athletes will be training at Copper and Loveland in CO, as they prep for their first World Cup of the season. (The men will head to Lake Louise over Thanksgiving, before returning to the U.S. for the American highlight World Cup event in Beaver Creek.)

The U.S. Adaptive athletes are also currently training at Copper in preparation for their season.

World Cup Overall Champion Lindsey Vonn has been training at Golden Peak in Vail. The double World Champion has been enjoying her time at home before returning to the World Cup tour which resumes with a slalom event in Levi, Finland.

The U.S. Ski Team male tech skiers have been on snow indoor in Germany, and will head to Sweden shortly to train before the Levi World Cup.

Off the hill, New York City has been a hub for action as several athletes hit the Big Apple for a barrage of media events. Snowboarders Gretchen Bleiler, Lindsey Jacobellis and Hannah Teter were gussied up for a Glamour magazine shoot, while World Champion U.S. Freestyle Ski Team athlete Ryan St. Onge appeared on NBC's Today Show.

Bleiler and St. Onge later joined aerialists Speedy Peterson, Emily Cook and mogul skier (and U.S. National Champ) Sho Kashima for the official kick-off to the Vancouver countdown, held by the USOC in Rockefeller Plaza. (Check out the fancy Ralph Lauren duds! We think Sho and Emily looked pretty snappy!)

Other athletes, including Nordic Combined World Champion Billy Demong and several members of the U.S. Snowboardcross Team have been training hard in Park City, utilizing the Center of Excellence.

Everyone is everywhere, but with the common Vancouver Olympic goal coming up just 99 days away.

photo: Emily Cook's Facebook Fan page

U.S. Ski and Snowboard athletes getting busy before Olympics

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