Nordic Nation: The Bronze-Medal Junior Worlds Relay Episode

U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Bryan Fish celebrating with (from left to right) Hailey Swirbul, Julia Kern and Hannah Halvorsen after their bronze-medal performance with Katharine Ogden (not pictured) in the 4 x 3.3 k relay on Feb 5 at 2017 Junior World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com)

On Feb. 5, the U.S. women’s team of Hailey Swirbul, Julia Kern, Hannah Halvorsen, and Katherine Ogden placed third in the 4 x 3.3-kilometer relay at Junior World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. The following week, Nordic Nation jumped through some scheduling hoops to reach all four skiers and their lead coach, U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Bryan Fish. (Swirbul was back at school in Anchorage, Alaska, Ogden home in Vermont, and Halvorsen, Kern and Fish reached in Park City, Utah.)

In this podcast episode, you’ll hear Fish describe how the team was selected as well as each athlete describe this career highlight. Scroll all the way to the bottom, below the photo gallery, to play.

Relay splits and results

The first leg of the women’s 4 x 3.3 k relay at 2017 Junior World Championships, with Germany and Russia leading and American Hailey Swirbul with the lead group. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

Hailey Swirbul (University of Alaska Anchorage) racing the first leg of the women’s 4 x 3.3 k relay at 2017 Junior World Championships at Soldier Hollow. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

This move by Hannah Halvorsen going into the final short climb of her third leg put the U.S. into third during the women’s 4 x 3.3 k relay at 2017 Junior World Championships at Soldier Hollow. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

The U.S. women’s relay after taking a historic third in the 4 x 3.3 k relay at 2017 Junior World Championships on Sunday at Soldier Hollow in Midway Utah, with (from left to right) Hailey Swirbul, Julia Kern, Hannah Halvorsen, and Katharine Ogden. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

The Russian relay team awaits their introduction to the podium as the gold-medal winners of the Junior World Championships women’s 4 x 3.3 k relay on Feb. 5 at Soldier Hollow. Italy (l) placed second and the U.S. (r) third. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

The women’s 4 x 3.3 k relay podium on the final day of 2017 Junior World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, with Russia (c) in first, Italy (l) in second, and the U.S. (with Hannah Halvorsen, Julia Kern, Katharine Ogden, and Hailey Swirbul) in third. (Photo: U.S. Ski Team/Tom Kelly)

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Jason Albert

Jason lives in Bend, Ore., and can often be seen chasing his two boys around town. He’s a self-proclaimed audio geek. That all started back in the early 1990s when he convinced a naive public radio editor he should report a story from Alaska’s, Ruth Gorge. Now, Jason’s common companion is his field-recording gear.