Can anyone touch Torin Koos? Will Sadie Bjornsen be able to keep the ball rolling? Our final set of official U.S. Nationals predictions.
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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.
Here you were thinking Torin Koos was a sprinter. Think again: he won his eighth career national title on Sunday in the 30 k mass start classic, his second of the week. He bested Erik Bjornsen and David Norris in second and third in a close, hard-fought race at Soldier Hollow.
There’s nothing like mass start classic racing on a perfectly-groomed, hard-packed course, and that’s exactly what awaits athletes at Soldier Hollow for the 20/30 k on Sunday. Can the Bjornsens both put together classic wins on the same day?
With four women starting in the top top ten spots in the 10 k classic mass start, Norway seemed to have an opportunity - albeit a slim one - to steal at least some bonus seconds from Justyna Kowalczyk. But it was to no avail as the Polish star cruised to another victory and more or less sealed her Tour title. Kikkan Randall, meanwhile, is in seventh and hoping for a better climb than she's had before.
Can't get enough of the action at U.S. Nationals? Here are some bits and pieces from top performers on Friday that didn't make the race reports.
The men's 15 k freestyle at Soldier Hollow featured everything a ski fan could ask for: perfect weather, a close finish and ideal lighting. Click through our photos to watch how the race unfolded for the top finishers.
Sprint Specialist No More, Bjornsen Claims First National Title in 15 k Free
Audrey ManganJanuary 4, 2013
Erik Bjornsen (APU/USST) took the opportunity to redeem his classic sprint race and won the 15 k freestyle at U.S. Nationals on Friday. He beat defending champ Tad Elliott by 6 seconds to claim his first career nationals podium. Matt Gelso was third.
Only minutes remain until the first starter takes off on the 5 k course at Soldier Hollow. Thermometers read - 7 degrees F early this morning and were still at -4 with only half an hour to go until takeoff. Some images from the scene
The opening event of the 2013 U.S. Cross Country Championships was as exciting as it gets, but it's a new day on Friday. The slate is wiped clean and athletes have another shot at glory in the 10/15 k freestyle.
After Race-Morning Scare Led to Missing Suits and Bibs, Canadian Men Pack Top 30 at Tour de Ski
Audrey ManganJanuary 3, 2013
After getting locked out of their bus, the Canadians didn't have a great start to the day. But for the most part they turned things around. Alex Harvey led the way in 6th and Devon Kershaw placed 12th; Kershaw complimented Ivan Babikov (21st) for attacking hard on the 15 k climb, and Lenny Valjas (25th) for finishing his longest race in years - and doing so quite honorably.
Despite illness, disrupted training and frustration with her early season, Jennie Bender (Central Cross Country) will not quit. A mere month after disappointing results in Bozeman, she came from behind on Wednesday to win the classic sprint at U.S. Nationals. Sadie Bjornsen was second and Rosie Brennan third.
It’s been exactly one month since the domestic field last met. With mere hours to go before the first contest, tension is running high as everyone waits to see who will draw first blood at Soldier Hollow.
Notes and Quotes: Oberhof Edition
Audrey ManganDecember 31, 2012
While we wait for Tour de Ski action to continue, here are a few more bits and pieces from the prologue and pursuit that took place over the weekend.
They entered the Tour with high ambitions and a fair amount of confidence, but on the whole the first two stages of the Tour de Ski in Oberhof, Germany, have not gone as planned for Kris Freeman, Noah Hoffman and Andy Newell. Freeman crashed in the pursuit after a promising prologue and leads the Americans in 58th.
U.S. Women Kick Off Strong Tour in Oberhof; Three in the Top 30 After Pursuit
Audrey ManganDecember 30, 2012
After the 9 k classic pursuit stage of the Tour de Ski, three American women sit in the top 30 of the overall standings. Kikkan Randall, following an impressive win in the prologue, leads the way in 14th, 1:48.3 seconds behind Tour leader Justyna Kowalczyk. Liz Stephen ranks 23rd and Holly Brooks sits just behind her in 25th. Jessie Diggins moved up 12 places to reach 50th at the end of the pursuit.
Commanding Pursuit Victory Puts Kowalczyk in Tour Lead
Audrey ManganDecember 30, 2012
It didn't take long for the three-time defending Tour de Ski champion to remind everyone how dominant she can be. Starting from the third position, nearly 15 seconds down to prologue winner Kikkan Randall, Justyna Kowalczyk swallowed that deficit by the third kilometer of the 9 k classic pursuit and went on to win by over 40 seconds.
Randall Stomps to Prologue Win in Tour de Ski Opener
Audrey ManganDecember 29, 2012
In the kickoff stage of the 2013 Tour de Ski, Kikkan Randall kept on rolling with a 4.4-second win in the 3.1 k prologue. Charlotte Kalla took second and Justyna Kowalczyk a close third. "I knew I had a decent chance," Randall said.
Just when you thought you couldn’t go another day without races to follow and results to check, the Tour de Ski is here to deliver a concentrated dose of cross country drama. The seventh edition of the event begins on Saturday with a freestyle prologue in Oberhof, Germany. Here's a taste of what to expect.
The curse may be broken; U.S. Nationals could take place on natural snow yet. Ten inches of new-fallen powder accumulated at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, over Tuesday and Wednesday, creating an additional three to four inches of packed corduroy on top of the artificial snow the venue began blowing last week.
The dearth of snow that characterized the 2011-2012 season continues. Barring a surprise snowstorm in Midway, Utah, in the next 12 days, U.S. Nationals will take place once again on a modified loop of artificial snow.