, one day off and finally today’s (Saturday) 30-kilometer individual start freestyle race in the very tough Holmenkollen, Oslo Norway’s World famous courses. Bjorgen started this series of races with a first and a second, then began to slow down. Scott stated with an eleventh followed by a tenth place but finished up by placing 3, 2, 4!</p>
<p>Beckie’s goal in Saturday’s race was to “go for brokeâ€, which meant to place in the top or “die†trying. She knew that Bjorgen had the advantage of starting only one and half minute behind her and that she would try to catch her early in order to control the outcome of the World Cup points. Beckie’s best ever international 30-k was prior to this race a 9th place and she knew that she had to improve this considerably and at the same time beat Bjorgen in order to have a shot at the overall World Cup crown when the World Cup conclude in Asia next week. </p>
<p>Bjorgen did not finish today’s race while Beckie Scott was in medal contention the whole race and finished 4th. This also meant that only two women have raced all five of the last five races: Beckie Scott, Canada and Aino Kaisa Sarinen of Finland. European television and newspaper media calls them the Ironwomen!</p>
<p>Their results in the last five World Cup races (Mora, Borlaenge, Falun, Drammen, Oslo):<br />
Beckie Scott: 11, 10, 3, 2, 4<br />
Aino Kaisa Sarinen: 6, 11, 20, 11, 18<br />
Petra Majdik: 4, 32, 27, 1, DNS<br />
Marit Bjorgen: 1, 2, 8, 9, DNF</p>
<p>Beckie Scott was third in the overall World Cup before this week started and has now moved in to second place, only 46 points behind Bjorgen. Bjorgen’s lead was suddenly cut in half. Scott is also second in the overall sprint World Cup 32 point behind Norway’s Ella Gjomle and fourth in the overall distance World Cup. For complete World Cup standings go to <a href=http://www.fis-ski.com)
www.fis-ski.com
The World Cup concludes with races in China and Japan next week:
March 15: Changchun, China: Freestyle sprint
March 18: Sapporo, Japan: 2 person sprint relay
March 19: Sapporo, Japan: Pursuit (2 x 7.5-k women and 2 x 15-k for men)
Beckie Scott after Saturday’s 30-k World Cup race in Oslo, Norway:
“I am very happy with my 4th place here today since 30km skating races are usually not my strongest event and I do not have a great history here on Holmenkollen. I am feeling better and better with each race and think that I am close to my pre-Christmas shape so I am feeling hopeful about my chance to win the overall World Cup. Another thing that might speak for me is that the World Cup will now move on to China and Japan and we Canadians really know how to travel since we are probably the team that travels the most of all the teams.â€
