Sophie Caldwell and Erik Bjornsen posted personal bests in the classic sprint at U23 World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic. The Americans each made it as far as the semifinals; Caldwell finished ninth and Bjornsen was 10th.
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Audrey Mangan
Audrey Mangan (@audreymangan) is an Associate Editor at FasterSkier and lives in Colorado. She learned to love skiing at home in Western New York.
The best U23 skiers in the world are often the best of any age category, and this year's field at U23 World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic, was as strong as ever. Federico Pellegrino (ITA) and Elena Soboleva (RUS) won the U23 classic sprint on Tuesday, each in photo finishes.
The Americans at Junior World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic, this week started things off with a bang in the classic sprint on Monday, qualifying four athletes for the heats. Ben Saxton and Logan Hanneman led the way in 14th and 16th, respectively. Heather Mooney was 19th and Corey Stock 24th.
The 2013 World Junior Championships got underway on Monday in Liberec, Czech Republic. Sweden's Stina Nilsson won the first gold medal of the week by 1.9 seconds over German's Victoria Carl. In the men's sprint, Lennart Metz (GER) took the men's title over Vadim Korolev (RUS).
In a season filled with personal-bests and historic finishes for the American women, the 4 x 5 k relay in La Clusaz, France, was a reminder that not every race can be a wild success. They finished ninth out of nine teams on Sunday.
Fletcher Continues Ascent with Podium Finish in Seefeld
Audrey ManganJanuary 20, 2013
Taylor Fletcher kept on rolling in Seefeld, Austria, on Sunday with a third place in the Gundersen normal hill competition. It was his first career World Cup podium finish.
Bjørgen Untouchable As She Anchors Norway to Relay Gold
Audrey ManganJanuary 20, 2013
Things almost looked scary for Norway when Heidi Weng fell and broke a pole in the first kilometer of the 4 x 5 k relay in La Clusaz, but even the tangle couldn't stop Marit Bjørgen from finishing with a 27-second gap on the field. Finland finished second and Norway II took third.
Fletcher Finishes Just Shy of Podium with Career-Best Fifth in Seefeld
Audrey ManganJanuary 19, 2013
The top American result to come out of Europe on Saturday? Taylor Fletcher's career-best fifth-place finish in Seefeld, Austria. With a jump that put him in 28th going onto the cross-country course, Fletcher skied within two seconds of the podium, posting the fastest course time by 18 seconds in the process.
Proving once again that he can hold his own in a distance race, Andy Newell’s led the way for the U.S. men on Saturday in La Clusaz, France, with a season-best 28th place in the 15 k classic mass start. He was the only North American in the points; teammates Noah Hoffman and Tad Elliott were 68th and 69th, respectively.
Canada Chances Wax but Misses Grip in La Clusaz Classic
Audrey ManganJanuary 19, 2013
Sometimes the wrong wax call can be disastrous. The Canadian men were reminded of that in La Clusaz, France, on Saturday during the mass start 15 k classic, when they chose a mixture of hard wax and klister on a day that ended up better suited for hairies. Ivan Babikov posted the top Canadian finish in 39th.
A year after practically leaving the sport, Brittany Webster is back in action on the Canadian circuit with a new perspective on racing.
Bjørgen Returns to World Cup Action in La Clusaz
Audrey ManganJanuary 16, 2013
After taking a break from racing since experiencing an irregular heartbeat in December, Norway's Marit Bjørgen is set to return to the World Cup this weekend in La Clusaz, France, for the 10 k classic and 4 x 5 k relay.
The 2013 World Championships begin on February 20th in Val di Fiemme, Italy, and if you think this has been an exciting season so far, think again. With the U.S. selection period now closed and team naming expected by the end of the week, we consider criteria, rankings and results.
Individual wins by Rune Oedegaard, Joanne Reid and Maria Nordstroem led CU to team victory in the first NCAA invitational of the year in Steamboat Springs, Colo., this weekend.
Over the course of a trying Tour de Ski Holly Brooks learned what it means to overextend herself, and after a recovery period plans to take a brief step back from the World Cup circuit to regain confidence in smaller races.
Bad Luck Halts American Men in Liberec Semifinals
Audrey ManganJanuary 13, 2013
Simi Hamilton and Andy Newell began their semifinal in good position with the leaders in the Liberec team sprint, but got unlucky when a Finn fell in front of Hamilton before the last exchange. The duo finished fifth in the heat for 13th overall and did not advance to the finals.
Andy Newell was sixth in Liberec, Czech Republic, on Saturday for his third appearance in a sprint final this season. He was the only American to advance past the qualifier, but as this is the first World Cup since before the Tour for many, his teammates look forward to moving up from here on out.
Peterson Back on Top in Liberec Sprint
Audrey ManganJanuary 12, 2013
It's been almost a year since Teodor Peterson last stood atop a podium, but on Saturday in Liberec, Czech Republic, he finally had the race he was looking for. He out-lunged Emil Jönsson and Pål Golberg for the classic sprint win; Andy Newell was sixth for his best classic result in three years.
In the men's 4 x 7.5 k relay in Ruhpolding Martin Fourcade anchored France to a 9-second victory over Norway, redeeming themselves of their last memory of the venue. Lowell Bailey and Leif Nordgren put the U.S. in second at the halfway mark, but the Americans ended up 14th.
With Gritty Closing Speed, Blackhorse-von Jess Takes First National Title
Audrey ManganJanuary 9, 2013
With unmatched tactical intelligence, raw speed and a little inspiration, Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess won the title he's wanted for so long on Tuesday in the freestyle sprint at U.S. Nationals. Erik Bjornsen was second and Alex Howe finished third.