FasterSkier coverage of US Nationals is <sponsored by Atomic skis.
<
The 2004 US Cross-Country Championship starts this coming weekend, on Saturday January 3rd at the Black Mountain Venue in Rumford, Maine. Fasterskier.com covered last week <Click here who we consider the men’s favorites and medal candidates. On the women’s side it is a smaller field that will fight for the very top positions.
Women’s race favorites:
So far in the season there are two US skiers clearly ahead of the rest of the field, Rebecca Dussault and Wendy Wagner.
Rebecca Dussault is in a clear overall lead in the US NorAm SuperTour, after winning six out of the last seven races. Despite her young age (23), she is on comeback mission after having taken a few years off to start her family. She is our favorite in any of the skate races at US Nationals, but can also easily be victorious in the classical technique competitions.
Wendy Wagner will however give anyone a run for the top spot next week, especially in the classical technique competitions. Her upper body and double pole strength can enable her to pull ahead in the flat sections of the courses.