You can follow the women’s relay live, here on Fasterskier.com tomorrow at 6:30 AM Eastern Standard Time (12:30 PM European Time.) Look for that option on the right hand side of the home page.
Note: We were not able to confirm the start time when we wrote this article so please check the official World Championship web site.
You get constant updates on the position of the teams as they pass certain kilometer markers on the course. Get up early, drink lots of coffee and enjoy!
It’s expected that Russia and Norway will battle for gold in Monday’s 4 x 5-kilometer women’s relay. Marit Bjorgen has boasted that she will beat the Russians if they start the last leg together. At Fasterskier.com we believe that Russia can possibly get a gap to Norway and the other teams on the first leg, and remain in the lead, since this might be Norway’s weak link. Russia’s Tchepalova in a 5-k skate on the last leg is no easy match for Bjorgen either.
The Finns and Germans have battled sickness but might have recovered by now. It will be a big battle for second between Norway, Finland, Germany and Italy if all teams are healthy. Russia is in other word the favorite, but as they say in Norway; Relay is relay. That means that you should expect the unexpected since anything can and will happen in a relay.
Long-shot outsider: Kazakhstan.
USA has entered a team, but Canada has not. The Canadians will however race four skiers in the individual classic sprint on Tuesday.
Results from the Val di Fiemme World Cup relay on December 12:
1 100071 RUSSIA I 51:23.8
2 74588 GERMANY 51:25.2
3 74599 NORWAY 51:41.0
4 74586 FINLAND 51:41.5
5 74584 RUSSIA II RUS 52:47.2
6 74613 FRANCE FRA 53:28.2
7 74589 ITALY 53:30.6
8 74587 KAZAKHSTAN 53:42.1
9 74595 JAPAN 53:45.6
10 74585 SWEDEN 54:12.2
11 74727 GERMANY II 54:26.3
12 74590 UKRAINE 55:05.3
13 110633 POL/RUS/ITA 55:07.8
14 74592 BELARUS 55:31.9
Here is the list of teams starting tomorrow's relay. Norway’s team: Vibeke Skofterud, Hilde G Pedersen, Kristin Stœrmer Steira and Marit Bjœrgen.
1 Germany GER 1
2 Norway NOR 1
3 Russia RUS 1
4 Kazakhstan KAZ 1
5 Belarus BLR 1
6 Sweden SWE 1
7 Italy ITA 1
8 Czech Republic CZE 1
9 France FRA 1
10 Switzerland SUI 2
11 Japan JPN 2
12 Estonia EST 2
13 Ukraine UKR 2
14 Finland FIN 2
15 People's Republic of China CHN 2
16 United States USA 2
