Randall Gears Up for Rollerski Sprint in Norway

OSLO, Norway – Kikkan Randall is among the top contenders when the 2010 Norwegian national roller ski cup gets underway in Askim (southeast of Oslo) on Sunday. Randall, who sprinted her way to a second place in the World Cup race at Holmenkollen during the pre-Worlds in March, is making headlines in Norway.

“I don’t know how she does on roller skis, but she (Randall) is known to be the female sprinter with the most spring in her legs on snow. She’s both fast and strong, and I’m really excited to see her on the start list for the opening race this weekend,” Ragnar Bragvin Andersen says to the Norwegian Ski Association (Skiforbundet). Bragvin Andersen has been Norway’s top roller ski racer for the past couple of years.

Randall will face stiff competition. Other racers include Ella Gjømle and Guro Strøm Solli, both skiers that will give her a run for her money.

The Askim event consists of two races. First, the skiers will do a 200-meter sprint course, followed by a 1230-meter steep uphill race.

Last summer marked the first season for a Norwegian roller ski cup, and the races were fairly well received. This year, Skiforbundet is hoping for even more racers. The debate over fast and slow wheels is by no means dead, but in the Cup events, the race organizers decide which wheels the racers use. In the opening race on Sunday, fast wheels are fair game.

(Source: skiforbundet.no)