Source: US Ski Team
 – Russian Olga Savialova edged Czech Katerina Neumannova by a half-second Sunday in the women's 15K (7.5K CL+7.5K FR) pursuit at the 2007 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Kikkan Randall (Anchorage, AK) was 41st and Lindsey Weier (Mahtomedi, MN) 52nd. </p>
<p>Savialova's winning time was 41.27.5 with Neumannova taking the silver medal in 41:28.0. Kristin Stoermer Steira of Norway was third in 41:29.6.</p>
<p>Head Coach Pete Vordenberg was pleased with Randall's effort, noting sometimes it's not about the result but the experience gained for a young skier. In the 24-year-old Randall's case, she's looking to grow beyond her traditional strength in sprinting and her performance in the pursuit was one more step in that growth.</p>
<p>“This is someone who's been on the podium [third in a World Cup sprint in Russia last month] and to improve she needs to improve at [racing] distance and she's working on that. People who win these things with consistency, or are consistently on the podium, are in good control through the early rounds [of sprint heats] and don't have to stretch themselves. That means they're fit enough to ski through those,” Vordenberg explained. </p>
<p>“Yeah, the sprint is a sprint because you have to go fast, but it's also a long day of racing and you need that distance experience, too.”</p>
<p>The mass start race for 59 skiers, with 7.5 kilometers of classic technique skiing and then a 7.5K race in freestyle, was the first pursuit for Randall since she finished 54th in the 2003 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy, when it was a 10K (5+5) format. </p>
<p>“First lap today I wasn't too concerned about being conservative. I just wanted to get in there and ski with people,” she said. “I had myself well into the top 30 and that was fun. From there, I just tried to experience the rest…</p>
<p>“I went into today not with any big goals. I just wanted to experience the race, and I certainly did. I had a great time in first lap just making moves on people. I passed 15 girls on that hairy downhill just because they were snowplowing. I took a smooth outside line and started whizzing past…</p>
<p>“I wanted to ski in the top 50,” Randall said. “This is a big improvement on my 54th (from 2003).</p>
<p>“There was not a goal of being on the podium in this race. That's a totally unrealistic thing to achieve, but we're looking at 2010 – at the sprint, and this is good, in general. When she says she's having fun, that's not the same as going to the amusement park,” Vordenberg said. </p>
<p>“Maybe only a cross country racer can understand, but it's some pain and definitely battling it out with other people…not a bowl of popcorn with friends or going to the movies. It's competing against someone else.”</p>
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Randall Earns Best Worlds Pursuit Finish
FasterSkierFebruary 25, 2007
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