FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Kranj-Medvode (SLO)
Relay 4 x 3,3 km women and 4 x 5 km men, 05.02.2006
Relay-victories for the Norwegians
Both Norwegian teams, women as well as the men, won the cross-country relay competition at the FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships in Kranj-Medvode. The Norwegian women's with Ingunn Weltzien, Marit Liland Fredriksen, Marte Elden and Betty-Ann Bjerkreim Nilsen finished the just 5,19 seconds ahead of the team from Sweden (Emma Bergman, Anna Simberg, Anna Hansson and Charlotte Kalla). The third place took the Russian team (Nina Ryusina, Larissa Shaidurova, Tatiana Morogova and Svetlana Ovchinnikova) with 15,60 seconds behind the winning team.
The American women's team of Morgan Smyth, Sadie Bjornsen, Alexa Turzian, and Liz Stephen finished a impressive 5th, less than a minute behind the Norwegians. The Canadian team finished 12th.
The Norwegians men with Glenn Elvestad, Eirik Kurland Olsen, Eirik Saeves and the dominator of this World Championships Petter Northug wons the relay competition 14,80 seconds ahead of the Russian team (Nikolay Morilov, Yuriy Vinogradov, Andrey Parfenov and Ilia Chernousov). The third place took after a strong finish from Martin Jaks the team of the Czech Republic (Ales Razym, Jan Krska, Ondrej Horyna and Martin Jaks), 15,69 seconds behind the Norwegians.
The Canadian men's team was 10th and the Americans were 15th.
Weather: sunny, – 2°C
Quotes:
Men:
Norway:
Petter Northug: “I am very happy for my team-mates, because they really made a lot of work for me. Especially the second leg Eirik Olsen did the great job. I only had to cross he finish line. That is fantastic that I am the first athlete to won all four gold medals in junior world championships. My goal is to make a good result in next year's senior world championships in Sapporo.
Russia:
Ilia Chernousov: “This JWSC is very succesful for me. Although I won three medals I might thought to win more, but I have to be satisfied. The course is superb, today maybe even better than the other days. I would like to express my greatfulness to all the fans. They were just great”
Czech Republic:
Martin Jaks: “I am happy that we made it. The race was very tough and the German's very good. I am very satisfied with the whole championships and I am thrilled about the organization.”
Results: http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/1228.html?event_id=17492&cal_suchsector=CC
For reports from the US athletes at the Junior World Championships and U23 Championships, go to: http://www.nccsef.org/
