Brendan Green may have missed last season with a back injury, but as Canada's top biathlete in the 2012 season it's still not a surprise that he made the Olympic squad. Though he didn't compete at the Sochi warmup event last year, he was on hand to train and help with skis, so he has an idea of what he's up against.
Even if you have a wealth of international racing experience, the Olympics are a different thing entirely. Leif Nordgren and Annelies Cook, both of whom narrowly missed making the Vancouver teams, locked up their nominations for the U.S. biathlon squad based on results from the first period of World Cup racing this season.
Bryan Fletcher and Todd Lodwick narrowly missed the podium in the 2 x 7.5-kilometer sprint in Ramsau, Austria, finishing fourth for U.S. Nordic Combined's best result in a team sprint. "We train all summer and to have a result like [this] is humbling,” Lodwick says. “We’re really, really proud to put Norway in its place and to know that we are the fastest team out there, whether it’s by a second or ten seconds, it doesn’t matter."
Fresh snow couldn't keep the US women's relay from matching their best ever 4.5 Classic/Free Relay time. Randall, Bjornsen Stephen and Diggins claimed a bronze medal despite near disaster and broken ski pole. A second US women's relay team clinched 12th to close the second weekend of World Cup racing
The Canadian men showed signs of recovery and an upswing in their second weekend of racing, with Alex Harvey leading the team in 16th in Saturday's 15 k classic individual start at the World Cup in Lillehammer, Norway.
Sadie Bjornsen (USA) continued a strong start to the season, placing a career-best 7th in the 5km classic in Finland.
The first day of cross country ski racing in this season’s opening World Cup Event has come to a close. Alaska Pacific University’s Kikkan Randall claimed a silver medal in the women’s classic style sprint race in Kuusamo, Finland. Randall said she didn’t expect a podium finish, but APU Coach Erik Flora thinks she was more than prepared.
The fourth-fastest qualifier, Andy Newell went on to place sixth in the men's 1.4 k skate sprint in Beitostølen, Norway, on Sunday -- not exactly what he was hoping for, but not bad for his first skate sprint since August. Simi Hamilton qualified in 15th and had an unlucky break that put him 27th overall.
The U.S. women closed out their weekend in Beitostølen on top, with Kikkan Randall winning Sunday's 1.2 k skate sprint ahead of two Slovenians and three Norwegians, including Marit Bjørgen. Ida Sargent placed 13th and three other Americans made the top 20.
It's no secret what Team USA will be wearing at the opening and closing ceremonies in Sochi, Russia: lots of red, white and blue, some ugly sweaters, and clunky boots. But what about the race-day suits for the U.S. Ski Team?
FS staff member Emily Schwing catches up with the voices and brains of NBC's commentary at the upcoming Sochi Olympics, Chad Salmela and Rob Whitney, who will likely cover nordic, biathlon and nordic combined at the 2014 Winter Games.