France's Anaïs Bescond has been training with Biathlon Canada for the past two weeks and next two to come. “I think what is really interesting for me is to share our different experience about training,” Bescond said.
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2016 June
David Norris of APU is trying to keep the momentum up and continually build on his achievements from last season. One thing he's noticed, "In the last few summers my uphill running has improved tremendously." But what came first, the hill-climb success or leaps in ski training?
Longtime Canadian World Cup skier Ivan Babikov is retiring to take on coaching responsibility for his former teammates Devon Kershaw, Lenny Valjas, Jess Cockney, and Graeme Killick. "Ivan has been in our system and his job is to execute the plans," Cross Country Canada High Performance Director Tom Holland explains.
Athletes at all levels of the competition spectrum constantly seek the missing piece of their performance puzzle. For many years now, sport psychology has played an increasing role in solving that puzzle. From the World Cup to the junior ranks, FasterSkier explores how some skiers and coaches make use of sport psychology.
USSA Releases 2016/2017 SuperTour Calendar: Opening in Bozeman, Ending in Fairbanks
FasterSkierJune 27, 2016
On Monday, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association published its 2016/2017 SuperTour calendar, which includes seven stops, not including West Yellowstone. “We’ve rotated a few sites this year and will continue to move around in the future to get the SuperTour to new places," USSA Nordic Domestic Program Director Robert Lazzaroni explains. "Moving the event around helps stimulate top-level racing in America.”
On Friday, Cross Country Canada announced its veteran skier Ivan Babikov has retired from racing to help coach the Canadian World Cup Team. Babikov will work specifically with Devon Kershaw and the men’s World Cup level athletes based in Canmore, Alberta, while also serving as B-Team coach.
Testing outfits and performance wear in the crappiest conditions, all in the name of research. Fast Big Dog presents the latest in his gear-review series: Best in Show, for a 35-45 degree run or rollerski.
Aspen Valley Seeks Admin Manager
FasterSkierJune 23, 2016
The Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club (AVSC) has an opening for a full-time Administration Manager and is seeking an energetic detail-oriented individual with a focus on customer service and a facility with databases.
After delving into the computation-and-analysis side of sports, Brayton Osgood is back and looking forward to his new position as head coach of the Dartmouth men's nordic ski team. "The opportunity to coach at Dartmouth is a fantastic one and I’m eager to lead the next generation of Dartmouth cross-country skiers," the 2003 Dartmouth grad said.
Wednesday Workout: Backyard Climbing Endurance and How to Make Your Own Wall
Gabby NaranjaJune 22, 2016
The call to climb can be strong, especially if the place to climb is located in your backyard. This week, we caught up with avid rock climber Jason Brenden for a Wednesday Workout that involves traversing the holds and building strength, all on a homemade wall. "I just didn't want to pay for a gym membership," he explained.
Mismatch Between WADA Policy and Data; Athletes Return to Training After Meldonium Positives
Chelsea LittleJune 21, 2016
The two published studies on meldonium excretion show that concentrations in urine samples fall below 1 μg/mL within a day or two -- so why did WADA suggest lifting provisional suspensions on athletes testing up to 15 μg/mL in the first two months of 2016?
Dad Knows Best: A Father’s Day Photo Gallery
FasterSkierJune 19, 2016
Happy Father's Day to all the pat-on-the-back, "go get 'em kid!" dads out there. We asked U.S. and Canadian national-team skiers to share the best advice or lessons they learned from their dad. As Ian Torchia's dad told him: "You know what happens to hot dogs, Ian? They get eaten!"
The International Association of Athletics Federations has banned the Russian track and field team from the 2016 Summer Olympics after a doping scandal. As other federations with doping problems look on, it remains to be seen whether the decision will be upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the International Olympic Committee.
We recently caught up with U.S. Ski Team member Noah Hoffman -- which is not such a easy thing to do lately as he's training big hours -- to discuss his new training paradigm and how it came to be. If you're training big hours too, this podcast serves as good recovery.
St. Scholastica Coach Salmela Swaps Skis for Running Shoes: ‘It Almost Seems Nuts’
Gabby NaranjaJune 16, 2016
After starting the St. Scholastica nordic ski team and leading it for the last 10 seasons, Chad Salmela recently made the decision to step down and take on a new role as the Saints' head cross-country running and assistant track coach.
High-quality hours and lots of them: that's a focus for U.S. Ski Team member Noah Hoffman this offseason. Currently in Park City, Utah, Hoffman began a two-week block earlier this week during which he'll accrue 53 training hours. FasterSkier got a snapshot of what Day 1 looks like.
FIS Cross-Country recently approved its 2016/2017 World Cup calendar, which includes a lot of the same historical venues plus a few new ones (i.e. Ulricehamn, PyeongChang and World Cup Finals in Tuymen, Russia). It also announced some new rules, including the latest on no-double-pole zones and team quotas.
FS Podcast: Grover Talks Budget, Veterans and What Future Success Looks Like
Jason AlbertJune 13, 2016
At the helm of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team since 2010, head coach Chris Grover sits down with FasterSkier to talk what success might look like in the future and the challenges he faces as a coach. The snow may be gone, but Grover and the team are in full preparation mode for the 2016/2017 World Cup season.
FIS, IBU Respond to Latest Documentary; Did WADA System Enable Doping Test Evasion?
Chelsea LittleJune 11, 2016
The latest documentary by Hajo Seppelt alleges that Natalia Zhelanova, the anti-doping assistant at Russia's Ministry of Sport, tipped off skiing and biathlon teams before sample collection. Did WADA's ADAMS system, where federations are encouraged to pre-register their planned tests, allow this to happen?
The College of St. Scholastica, an NCAA Division III institution located in Duluth, Minnesota, invites applications for the position of Nordic Skiing Head Coach. This is a full-time, 12-month per year position.