The World Cup Drammen classic sprints got underway this morning, with thousands of Norwegian fans lining the man-made course in downtown Drammen.
Finland's Virpi Kuitunen posted the fastest time in the qualification round, which determines the top 16 racers who will advance to the head-to-head elimination rounds and compete for the top spots. Shaking off whatever it was that kept her out of the World Championship classic sprint finals, Marit Bjoergen of Norway qualified with a strong second place, just behind Kuitunen.
Canada put both of its top two skiers into the top 16, with World Championships bronze medalist Sara Renner qualifying in 7th and Beckie Scott in 10th. Also in the race today was the North American SuperTour Sprint Champion, Karin Camenisch, skiing for her home country of Switzerland. Camenisch finished 40th, roughly 11 seconds from making the top 16.
