Hailey Swirbul (USA) – FIS world cup cross-country, 10km women, Davos (SUI). www.nordicfocus.com. © Modica/NordicFocus. Every downloaded picture is fee-liable.
Hailey Swirbul (USA) posted her first World Cup podium this weekend, on the same course where she earned her first World Cup points last season.
“WAIT, WHAT!?!? Am I seeing that right?? I came in third?? I just raced my heart out, and my skis were amazing. I am so excited,” the 22-year-old cross-country skier said after her 10-kilometer skate race in Davos (SUI) on Sunday.
For Swirbul, the podium was both a surprise and a milestone.
“A takeaway I wrote down from this weekend: I don’t have to be the strongest or the lightest or the fittest or the smartest or even the happiest to have a great race. But I DO need to focus on what I enjoy about skiing and not worry about doing things perfectly. Easy to get caught up in that mindset so I wrote it down as a lil’ reminder,” Swirbul wrote on her Facebook page on Monday.
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Additionally, Madshus biathletes pulled off a successful World Cup weekend in Hochfilzen (AUT). On Sunday, Sturla Holm Lægreid helped Norway to first place in the relay for the second time this season, his third ever World Cup victory. 45 seconds later, Roman Rees and Benedikt Doll could cheer Germany into third place.
On Saturday, World Cup veteran Anaïs Bescond helped France to second place in in the women’s relay where she skied the first leg for her team.
For the record, Lægreid also posted two individual top-10 results in Hochfilzen, coming in ninth in the 10-kilometer sprint on Friday and moving up to sixth place in the 12.5-kilometer pursuit on Saturday.
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What a way to kick off the World Cup
Inge Scheve
Inge is FasterSkier's international reporter, born and bred in Norway. A cross-country ski racer and mountain runner, she also dabbles on two wheels in the offseason. If it's steep and long, she loves it. Follow her on Twitter: @IngeScheve.
