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2010 February

Kershaw, Grey Cap Off Strong Games for Canadian Men

As writers and commentators deconstructed the decision to sit Brian McKeever in the men’s 50 k classic on Sunday, the four Canadians in the race got down to business. It wasn’t a good day for Alex Harvey and Ivan Babikov, who were dropped from the lead pack early on. But Devon Kershaw and George Grey had a pair of strong performances, skiing at the front and asserting the team’s status as a force to be...

Freeman Ends Olympics with DNF, Southam Posts top US Men’s Result

Whistler, British Columbia – The US men’s cross-country ski team concluded a disappointing Olympics with two very different performances in the 50km classic. Kris Freeman, who inexplicably struggled the entire Games, dropped out after 20 kilometers.  He spent the first 15km with the lead pack, but was always at the back, hanging on.  He lost contact, and with a month of World Cup racing potentially ahead, he opted to save his body. “My coaches said...

Northug Claims Individual Gold, Teichmann Silver

Whistler, British Columbia – With five k to go before the finish of the men’s 50 k classic Sunday morning, the front of the pack looked remarkably similar to the way it did five k from the start. Dario Cologna (SUI), Petter Northug, (NOR), Alexander Legkov (RUS)—all the heavy hitters were there. It wasn’t until 400 meters to go that things really started heating up, when Germany’s Axel Teichmann threw down a hard attack, stringing...

div style="text-align: left;"Over 1,000 young skiers slid to the line on thursday for the Barnebirkie. Pretty impressive considering the town of Hayward has a population of about 2,500. We had a good group from the Boys and Girls Club. Beautiful wea...

After my travel nightmare getting home from Madison, I wasn’t very excited for the travel portion of my Estonian adventure.  And sure enough, it was another series of fiascos! Luckily my luggage made it to Burlington the day before I had to leave.  But my flight from Burlington also got cancelled the same day.  I [...]

After my travel nightmare getting home from Madison, I wasn’t very excited for the travel portion of my Estonian adventure.  And sure enough, it was another series of fiascos! Luckily my luggage made it to Burlington the day before I had to leave.  But my flight from Burlington also got cancelled the same day.  I [...]

Whistler, British Columbia – And so it all comes to an end.  Two weeks after the first 2010 Olympics cross-country ski race, the final event is just over an hour away – the men’s 50km classic. The weather is better today – but only in relative terms.  Instead of the heavy downpour of yesterday, the rain can be characterized as a light drizzle.  Conditions are slow again, and ski switching will again play a major...

As much as anyone might begrudge Team Canada coaches Dave Wood and National Inge Braten’s decision to sit Brian McKeever in Sunday’s 50 k classic, it’s hard to disagree with the fact that the two were presented with an agonizing choice. While starting McKeever would have meant making history—the Canadian would have been the first athlete to compete in both the winter Olympics and Paralympics—it also would have meant holding a potential medal contender out...

Ketchum, ID (for a moment) - I had a ticket for the Owl Creek Chase two weeks ago (Aspen). I went in for a check-up to get cleared to race just before getting on the plane with a no-go as the verdict. Being that I have family (basically) in Colorado,...

Ketchum, ID (for a moment) - I had a ticket for the Owl Creek Chase two weeks ago (Aspen). I went in for a check-up to get cleared to race just before getting on the plane with a no-go as the verdict. Being that I have family (basically) in Colorado,...

Ketchum, ID (for a moment) - I had a ticket for the Owl Creek Chase two weeks ago (Aspen). I went in for a check-up to get cleared to race just before getting on the plane with a no-go as the verdict. Being that I have family (basically) in Colorado,...

Ketchum, ID (for a moment) - I had a ticket for the Owl Creek Chase two weeks ago (Aspen). I went in for a check-up to get cleared to race just before getting on the plane with a no-go as the verdict. Being that I have family (basically) in Colorado,...

“The (post-Birkie) Moccasin tradition was started when Poulie was still working with Gridlock in year 2 of Factory Team. Willi Husaby suggested after the team finished that we get something refreshing after such a hard effort- “as long as it was close”, I think he said. At that time Poulie was caring those silly blue Swix shot glasses by the case in the back of the team Subies. Peppermint Schnapps was a buck a shot, I think. Players- Swenson, Nystad, Shultz, Vorde et al.”br/br/ - em Husaby on the photo below./em

The Grand Finale is finally upon us. There are only two events left to be decided; the men’s 50km mass start and the men’s gold medal hockey game. It’s not a lot of sporting action but sometimes quality is better than quantity. The men will be dealing with similar conditions to the women but without the depressing spattering [...]

Saturday’s race at Whistler Olympic Park was about 20 times as long as Kikkan Randall’s best distance. But no matter: the Alaskan more known for her sprinting put in another outstanding performance Saturday in the 30 k classic, finishing 24th—a career-best in the event. It was Randall’s first time competing in the long-distance race at the Games, and only her third time racing over 15 k on the World Cup. Coming into the Games, she...