December 2011 – Page 6 – FasterSkier.com

Biathletes Finish World Cup Period I With Mixed Relay, Russia Dominates

Chelsea LittleDecember 18, 2011

After a grueling early-winter schedule of three consecutive three-race weekends, biathletes around the world were ready to head home for the holidays. But they had one last little piece of business to check off their lists before they departed from Hochfilzen, Austria on Sunday: the first mixed relay of the season. Athletes had to survive a quick six kilometers for the women, seven and a half for the men, and two shooting stages each. A...

Continental Cup General News Racing

Diggins Takes the Long Road, Secures NorAm Sweep

Alex KochonDecember 18, 2011

ROSSLAND, British Columbia — Emerging from a curved and wooded downhill into the open-aired Black Jack stadium, Jessie Diggins suddenly felt an unfamiliar pang of dread. Looking around her, the Central Cross Country and U.S. Ski Team member realized she was alone and not where she wanted to be. She hadn’t lost the race, but could have been out of it entirely. The leader of Sunday’s NorAm 9.9 k freestyle mass start, Diggins immediately pulled...

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Craftsbury Eastern Cup Recap

lizkantackDecember 18, 2011

Whew! We're back from Craftsbury, VT after our first weekend of Eastern Cup racing and it was a really solid start to the season for the SMS crew. Big thanks to Crafstbury and their staff for working around the clock (literally) to make this race happe...

News Other News Racing Regional / Local

Day Two of TD Bank Eastern Cup: Brian Cook and Sophie Caldwell Shine

FasterSkierDecember 18, 2011

Craftsbury, VT – Extreme cold overnight allowed the crew at Craftsbury Outdoor Center to blow a huge pile of snow, and racers on the 1.5K artificial snow loop today were greeted with even better conditions than the day before. With almost 450 starters in today’s 4.5 and 9 kilometer freestyle events, the additional snow and slightly widened trails were much appreciated. The J2 Boys raced 4.5K with Stratton Mountain School’s Koby Gordon earning a narrow 5.3...

Canadian National Ski Team World Cup

“Overshadowed” By Crawford, Gaiazova Races to Ninth Place in Sprint, a Personal Best for Skating

Chelsea LittleDecember 18, 2011

Coming off a season in which Canada got its first-ever World Championships gold in the team sprint, the winners, Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw, are the Canadians you’d expect to see in sprint finals. But while the duo certainly haven’t been slacking on the World Cup this year, in Rogla, Slovenia it was the women who impressed in a fast and furious one-kilometer skate sprint on Sunday. 2006 Olympic gold medalist Chandra Crawford returned to...

Racing World Cup

Cologna Wins First World Cup Sprint, Primed For Tour

Topher SabotDecember 18, 20111

With two overall World Cup titles, two Tour de Ski victories, and an Olympic gold medal, it is hard to believe that there is anything Dario Cologna (SUI) has not won. But before today, Cologna had never stood atop the podium in a World Cup sprint race. On a short yet challenging Rogla sprint course, Cologna showed he is in good position to defend his Tour de Ski title. Cologna placed second in the 14km...

US Ski Team World Cup

Hamilton, Sargent Nab Career-Best Finishes in Rogla Heats; Newell Boxed Out and Frustrated

Chelsea LittleDecember 18, 20111

While Kikkan Randall fell in the sprint final (see our Full results

Racing World Cup

Falla Wins in Rogla, Crawford Back on World Cup Podium While Randall Undone By Fall

Topher SabotDecember 18, 2011

It has been three-and-a-half years since Chandra Crawford has graced the podium in an individual World Cup race, but that drought has come to an end as the 2006 Olympic Champion powered her way to second on a short yet challenging sprint course in Rogla, Slovenia. Crawford finished right on the tails of Norwegian Maiken Caspersen Falla, who laid claim to her first individual World Cup win. Ida Ingemarsdotter (SWE) finished third. Sprint Cup leader...

News Other News Racing Regional / Local

TD Bank Eastern Cup Day 1 Recap

FasterSkierDecember 18, 2011

Craftsbury, VT – Cool temperatures, a light covering of new snow, and the deep base of artificial snow on the race trail at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center today made it feel like winter for the over three hundred competitors at the TD Bank Eastern Cup Opener here today. The day featured two events, both in the classic technique. The racers who travelled from Quebec, Ottawa, New York and the New England states brought with them a...

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First Trimester Wrap-Up

FasterSkierDecember 18, 2011

The first three world cups are almost finished and I’m getting ready to head back to the States for about a week. I’m looking forward to a little rest and recovery and the fact that I’ll get to see friends and family for a week. The second week of racing here in Hochfilzen turned out [...]

Continental Cup General News Racing

Diggins, Bender Still Going Strong for CXC

Alex KochonDecember 18, 2011

ROSSLAND, British Columbia — Some 2,500 kilometers or 1,550 miles away from Wisconsin, the Central Cross Country (CXC) ski team was feeling a little travel-weary as it rolled into Rossland on Monday. After almost five weeks on the road, some of its members decided to remedy their bodies and minds with a distance ski on the Rossland-Paulson classic-only trail. A little confusion led Jessie Diggins and Jennie Bender to the wrong trail, Seven Summits, where...

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Heading Home

December 17, 2011

After the ski racing scene made a stop in British Columbia's SilverStar Mountain, I headed six hours south down the Okanogan Valley to my old stomping grounds to the Wenatchee Valley. Highway 97 might not have the most recognizable name, but traveling ...

Racing World Cup

U.S. Women Break Barriers Again in Rogla Classic

Audrey ManganDecember 17, 20111

For the umpteenth weekend in a row, the U.S. Ski Team (USST) women turned in a set of firsts on the World Cup. In the 10 k classic mass start on Saturday in Rogla, Slovenia, Kikkan Randall led the way for the U.S. in 11th (+1:13.2), her highest career classic finish. Holly Brooks, Liz Stephen and Ida Sargent had their best-ever classic distance finishes with 19th, 22nd and 38th, respectively (Sargent tied her Kuusamo classic...

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Rogla Sprints

FasterSkierDecember 17, 2011

On Sunday, the Rogla course can finally be put to its natural 2k purpose: sprinting. My picks, for whatever they're worth:

Racing World Cup

Kowalczyk Back In Front At Rogla 10k Classic

Audrey ManganDecember 17, 2011

After struggling to match her form from last winter, Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) was finally back on top of the World Cup podium on Saturday in Rogla, Slovenia for the 10 k mass-start classic distance. Throughout the beginning of the five-lap race, Kowalczyk traded the lead on and off with Therese Johaug (NOR), who ended up fading to second at 22.1 seconds back. Her teammate Vibeke Skofterud (NOR) made a late-race challenge for silver, but ended...

Racing World Cup

Harvey, Kershaw Lead North Americans in Rogla 15 k

FasterSkierDecember 17, 2011

Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw (CAN) posted the best North American results on Saturday with 10th and 16th, respectively. Andy Newell earned his first career distance points by skiing in 24th. The game plan for the Canadian men on Saturday in Rogla, Sweden was to be near the front and contest the bonus points on the third lap of the course. They’d never gone for intermediate premiums before, but wanted to experiment with the option...

Continental Cup General News Racing

Cockney Keeps Momentum Going, Wins NorAm Sprint in Rossland

Alex KochonDecember 17, 2011

ROSSLAND, British Columbia — Anyone who caught a glimpse of Jesse Cockney on Saturday probably saw him smiling — except for when he was racing, in which case he was concentrating. The first day of NorAm freestyle competition at Black Jack Ski Club started out well enough for the 22-year-old Alberta World Cup Academy skier, as Cockney won a sprint qualifier for the first time in his life. The fifth to start on a 1.6...

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Cascade Challenge Camp

Erik BjornsenDecember 17, 2011

Click here to sign up.

Racing World Cup

Northug Emerges Victor in Close Rogla Finish

Audrey ManganDecember 17, 20112

Though the men’s 15 k classic mass start in Rogla, Slovenia was contested on a 7-lap manmade loop, the final distance race in Period 1 of the World Cup provided plenty of excitement. Petter Northug (NOR) delivered what is now almost an expected sprint-finish performance, and edged out Dario Cologna (SUI) and Alexey Poltoranin (KAZ) to the line with a powerful double pole. Though the last-second victory on Saturday was typical of Northug’s style, the...

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Craftsbury Livin’ in Photographs

FasterSkierDecember 17, 2011

I’m actually in Minnesota right now, not Craftsbury–it’s funny how I always feel like I don’t have any time to write blogs when I’m in Craftsbury–but here in Grand Rapids, MN there’s plenty of time for things like that. I’m a little bummed to be missing out on the excitement of the big opening Eastern [...]

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