Bjœrgen Sparkles Again in Sprint, Scott 6th

Marit Bjœrgen secured her second World Cup triumph this season by winning today's sprint competition in Clusone, Italy, She beat the runner-up, Germany's Claudia Kuenzel, by 0.4 seconds.

Bjœrgen was one of three Norwegians in the A-final. Teammate Anita Moen went out very hard, perhaps too hard, and faded to fourth in the last lap. Kuenzel held the initiative until Marit Bjœrgen made a decisive move up the last hill. The powerful Norwegian managed to hold off her strong German opponent to win her second consecutive World Cup sprint. The third Norwegian in the A-final, Maj Helen Sorkmo, finished third, 1.7 seconds behind the winner. As for other Norwegians, Hilde G. Pedersen and Ingrid Narum failed to get past the quarter-finals, wheras Bente Skari did not even survive the prologue. Reigning sprint World Champion, Finland's Pirjo Manninen, is on the comeback trail, and won the B-final ahead of Beckie Scott from Canada. Full results from the women's WC sprint in Clusone:

   1 BJOERGEN Marit 
   2  1220648 KUENZEL Claudia  GER 
   3  1041780 SORKMO Maj Helen  NOR 
   4  1002204 MOEN Anita  NOR 
   5  1255471 MANNINEN Pirjo  FIN 
   6  1128789 SCOTT Beckie  CAN 
   7  1367021 SIDKO Alena  RUS 
   8  1242958 OHRSTIG Emelie  SWE 
   9  3485032 KOROSTELEVA Natalia  RUS 
   10  1165940 HIETAMAEKI-PIENIMAEKI Elina  FIN 
   11  1094063 SMIGUN Kristina  EST 
   12  1260903 PEDERSEN Hilde G.  NOR 
   13  1113754 HENKEL Manuela  GER 
   14  1005017 VALBUSA Sabina  ITA 
   15  1355478 NARUM Ingrid  NOR 
   16  1256732 SACHENBACHER Evi  GER 
   17  1092123 RESCHWAMM SCHULZE Anke  GER 
   18  1293107 BOEHLER Stefanie  GER 
   19  1296114 KELDER Christina  ITA 
   20  1213761 KLAUS Isabel  GER 
   21  1058270 SKARI Bente  NOR 
   22  1002786 PARUZZI Gabriella  ITA 
   23  1109001 SENTELER Andrea  SUI 
   24  1305426 SKOFTERUD Vibeke W  NOR 
   25  1128886 RENNER Sara  CAN 
   26  1169432 NATSUMI Madoka  JPN 
   27  3665000 LOPATINA Viktoria  BLR 
   28  1203576 ROALDSETH Marit  NOR 
   29  1147801 BAY Tina  NOR 
   30  1138877 FOLLIS Arianna  ITA 
   31  1255665 SAARINEN Aino Kaisa  FIN 
   32  1322110 MOSKALENKO Olga  RUS 
   33  1250524 GENUIN Magda  ITA 
   34  1068455 HUBER Andrea  SUI 
   35  1139071 MORODER Karin  ITA 
   36  1254210 LAJSKAIA DENISOVA Marina  RUS 
   37  3485030 ROCHEVA Olga  RUS 
   38  3435001 KOWALCZYK Justyna  POL 
   39  1129177 THERIAULT Milaine  CAN 
   40  1222685 ROSA Anna  ITA 
   41  1215022 KOROLIK Ludmila  BLR 
   42  1351695 KOSHITA Yuka  JPN 
   43  1337824 MALOVA Ljubov