JP Le Guellec led the Canadians in 13th in Friday's 10 k sprint at the second World Cup in Hochfilzen, Austria, and Rosanna Crawford took 17th in the women's 7.5 k on a day where conditions improved then worsened with heavily falling snow and changing winds.
Some of the most-useful random knowledge you'll ever need (or care) to know about U.S. Ski Team leader Kikkan Randall. "I used to hate pink," she says of her trademark color. Randall is also Alaska's safest driver -- at least she was as a teen.
Mads Strøm of the University of Colorado and Norwegian club, Bærums Verk IF, put down a ferocious last lap to win Saturday's 15 k freestyle, the last race of the West Yellowstone SuperTour weekend. Brian Gregg hung tough for second and Sylvan Ellefson edged Matt Liebsch for third.
A look at the top 10 and some other men in Saturday's 15-kilometer freestyle individual start -- the second and last race of the West Yellowstone SuperTour.
Watching her husband in the West Yellowstone SuperTour 15 k skate on Saturday, Caitlin Gregg (Madshus/Team Gregg) had a sense it was going to be another good day. Brian Gregg placed second and Caitlin went on to win the women's 10 k individual race by more than a minute and 20 seconds. “It's incredible,” she said. “It’s so fun when this stuff happens.”
The highlight of Caitlin Gregg’s day was seeing all her Midwest fans, her Loppet Nordic Racing buddies, at the finish of each heat on Friday during the first SuperTour sprint of the season. That gave her reason to celebrate and smile every time she won, which Gregg did all morning and early afternoon in the West Yellowstone 1.3 k skate sprint.
Moving on from last season, the Canadians are a calculated bunch and ready to get the World Cup season started -- with a goal of not overemphasizing early results in order to peak for the Olympics. For the entire team, the Tour de Ski is part of the plan.
Some of the most competitive skiers in the U.S. SuperTour circuit give thanks and express appreciation for friends and family before, during and after their Thanksgiving ski sessions in West Yellowstone, Mont., one day before the SuperTour opens there on Friday.
You don't have to be a ski nerd or history buff to think this stuff is interesting. A century ago, West Yellowstone was just getting its starts as a tourist town -- one that had to deal with excessive cold and ever-piling snow. What to do? Ski!
Visitor numbers are up for the West Yellowstone Ski Festival and the Rendezvous Ski Trails are open in their entirety, but the snow is a little denser than usual. "It's definitely a little odd for here," groomer Doug Edgerton said of the manmade-like conditions that are 100-percent natural. "Historically, we’re cold and dry."
In his third season of skiing, Omar Bermejo is striving for the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. The 31-year-old U.S. Paralympics Development Team member joined the Maine Winter Sports Center this summer in an effort to make that happen and trained with teammates like Kris Freeman in Italy.
Liz Stephen tossed out all ideas of pacing and went for it in Saturday's 10 k, capturing sixth in the freestyle FIS race, and Noah Hoffman listened to his "patience" cues to end up seventh in the men's 15 k free in Beitostølen, Norway. Also on the USST, Holly Brooks came closer to the top 10 in 12th.
Placing fifth in her first FIS race of the season, Sadie Bjornsen broke up a Norwegian sweep of the top 10 on Friday in Beitostølen, Norway, along with fellow U.S. Ski Team member Kikkan Randall in 10th. Five other U.S. women finished in the top 30, and Noah Hoffman led the U.S. men in 42nd.
Norway, Russia, Germany, France: it's hard to see a biathlon race where these guys aren't on the podium. Here's what you need to know about the biggest teams going into the 2013-2014 season - injury updates, shooting problems, psychological battles, promising juniors, team-naming squabbles. Read on.
With almost the same number of athletes as last year, the AWCA in Canmore, Alberta, has fewer women this season, but coach Chris Jeffries is pleased with the team's training quality despite some injuries. "The group is very focused this year and more mature," he says.
This might be Andrea Henkel’s swan-song season, but the 35-year-old German biathlete and multiple Olympic gold medalist showed she’s in the hunt for one of her best winters yet – sweeping the opening biathlon races last weekend in Sjusjøen, Norway. We spoke with Henkel last month when she was in Lake Placid, N.Y.
With nearly 90 percent of its senior team still eligible for U23 World Championships, NDC Thunder Bay is hungry for some international starts, and new head coach Timo Puiras has a feeling it's going to be a good season.
Just over two weeks ago, the sale of Telemark Resort to the highest bidder -- somewhat of an unknown entity in the Colorado-based Newco, LLC. -- left local stakeholders wary. Would they reopen the historic resort? And what would become of the start of the American Birkebeiner?
Earlier this month, Devon Kershaw packed his bags for Europe, where he'll spend essentially six months between the World Cup, Tour de Ski and Olympic competitions. It was tough, he said, but an opportunity he couldn't pass up between seeing his girlfriend, Kristin Størmer Steira, and training with the Norwegian men's team in Val Senales, Italy.
The Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre has expanded this season with more women than men on its senior roster. Alex Harvey and Dasha Gaiazova are back from the World Cup team, and CNEPH has big goals for its younger athletes.