Andrew Newell: 4th In A World Cup Race And Getting Faster

– For sure the biggest area of improvement for me this year is in fitness and strength. I jumped up just about 100 hours from last year, which was a risk, but it was something that Vidar and I thought would help me get to the next level. We have also continued our very structured strength program with Zack Wetherford. There’s a lot of innovative training that our coaches and everyone at the US ski team have come up with. We’re not afraid to try new stuff which I think is starting to give us an edge on our competition.

How did you experience the semifinal and the finale in Oberstdorf?

– My game plane in Oberstdorf was to ski from the front. We have seen in these heats of six that a lot of crazy things can go down if you get caught up with people in the pack and the course at Obertsdorf is set up well for skiing in front. I didn’t even look at who was going to be in my heats, because I didn’t care, I was just going to go out in the lead or second and giving er on the last hill, and it seamed to work for me in the semifinal. That tactic also worked ok in the final but Odd-Bjorn (Hjelmset) just had a little more up the last hill. I don’t think it should have ever come down to a lunge with Rochev, but I learned not to look next to me in the lanes in a final, just go.

Were wax and skis and issue in this race?

– It was a really tough wax day and all of out coaches and wax techs did a great job. It was a little nerve racking because up until the start of the prelim we were unable to get any wax combination to work. We ended up going on harries, and they worked well outside of the track. and then switched over to klister for the final heat.

Where are you training at the moment and what are you currently focusing on in your training?

– Right now we are training in Seiser Alm Italy for an altitude camp. we have been here just about a week and we will be heading to Davos on Wednesday. We did a little volume last week and will do some more intervals and a race this week.

The upcoming World Cup sprint race in Davos next weekend is skating and so is the individual sprint at the Olympics. How are you approaching this race and what result would be a confidence builder one week before the Olympics?

– Despite some of the classic sprinting results we have had I still think I have a better shot at a podium in a skate sprint. After training for two weeks I’m really excited to get back into racing a world cup. Right now I’m really shooting for consistent top 10s in the world cups.

What about the Olympic two-person classic sprint relay. On paper it looks like you guys have a good shoot at making it in to the finale. Can you give us an idea of what it is like to ski this event and what you feel about your chances for a good result?

– Last year I was really hurting doing some of the sprint relays, but this year I’m really into it. I think I can feel the biggest increase in fitness while racing a sprint relay because I don’t get tired anymore. Koos is in great shape and I think we have as good a shot as anyone to make it on the podium at the games. We know Sweden and Norway are going to have solid teams, but I think other that it’s wide open and we have a chance of slipping in there.