2006 June

Norwegian Bjœrn Kristiansen (36) is hired as new sprint coach in Estonia. Kristiansen has experience from coaching in Switzerland at Norwegian ski gymnasium (high schools where the students also get xc ski coaching). Kristiansen will not be working with the top distance skiers like Kristina Smigun, Jak Mae and Andrus Verpalu (photo). There are however several skiers with top-20 sprint World Cup results in his training group. Source: Langrenn.com

Associated Press Olympics News Wire VIENNA, Austria — The Austrian Ski Federation cleared banned Olympic coach Walter Mayer of involvement with doping at the Turin Games. An investigative commission found no evidence Mayer was behind any coordinated doping effort at the Winter Olympics in February, ski federation spokesman Josef Schmid said Friday. Mayer was banned from the Olympics following allegations of blood doping at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, but traveled to Turin for...

Alexej Prokurorov has been hired as new Russian head coach, but several of the best Russian women will be training in Julia Tchepalova’s (photo) training group.

Source: Langrenn.com and xc-ski.de Axel Teichmann did not make the German A-team for the upcoming season. The German selection criteria are tough and firm. There is no room for discretionary choices. One of the World's best skiers was, for that reason, kicked off the team. The selection criteria for making the A-team were an Olympic medal or top 10 in the overall World Cup. Teichmann was sick a lot last season and didn’t make the...