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Kieran Jones
The third place by Canadians Chandra Crawford and Dasha Gaiazova in Sunday’s team sprint in Dusseldorf was a breakthrough for both women. For Crawford, it was her first World Cup podium finish in three seasons, and her first-ever in the team sprint, while for Gaiazova, it was her first-ever World Cup podium, period. FasterSkier was able to catch up with Crawford after the race to hear about the hectic racing in Dusseldorf, how she and...
Since 2002, the city sprint in Dusseldorf, Germany, has become a fixture on the International Ski Federation’s (FIS’s) World Cup calendar. One of three regular city sprints on the circuit, Dusseldorf features a flat, extremely fast, and almost dangerously narrow and twisty sprint course. Over the last eight seasons, the German city has become renown for carnage and upsets, almost as much as for cross-country skiing in a unique location and with a great crowd...
After failing to win the Overall World Cup title last season, Norway’s Marit Bjoergen continues to make a statement on the World Cup in this season. On a cold Sunday with little glide and many tactics, Bjoergen picked up yet another win, crossing the line first in the 10 k skate pursuit in the ‘Ruka Triple’ in Kuusamo, Finland. While many other skiers moved up and down the rankings Sunday, Bjoergen was consistent, leading wire...
While skiers at the first SuperTour event in West Yellowstone, Montana, were feeling the effects of cold weather this weekend, their fellow skiers on the World Cup in Kuusamo, Finland, faced similar temperatures. The official FIS press release listed the temperature in the northern Finnish town as a balmy -17 degrees Celsius, just under the legal racing limit. Despite struggling during Friday’s classic sprint, finishing 42nd and failing to qualify, on Saturday Randall bounced back,...
Widmer Makes Return to World Stage
Kieran JonesNovember 25, 2010
Phil Widmer is no stranger to sprinting at the highest levels of skiing. At 28, the Canadian has started 17 World Cups, raced at two World Championships, and represented Canada at the Torino Olympics in 2006. Despite falling short of the Olympic team last year, Widmer dominated the North American sprint scene. He finished on the NorAm podium three times, and won a SuperTour sprint before opting for surgery at the end of February to...
On the Canadian Nor-Am Circuit, things are going to be drastically different this year, both in the athletes competing, and in the events they will be contesting. Here are three things to watch for: 1) New race formats! Cross Country Canada (CCC) has gone mad for the mini-tour concept, and with three on the schedule, expect some interesting results. 2) New faces. After a home Olympics, many of the top Canadian domestic skiers, both male...
The Canadian National Ski Team (CNST), despite fielding five men with Olympic experience, started the 2010-2011 World Cup season slowly on Saturday. In the 15 k freestyle in Gallivaere, Sweden, Alex Harvey led the team, placing in 34th, while Ivan Babikov finished 54th, Devon Kershaw 58th, George Grey 78th, and Brent McMurtry 94th. “It was definitely a bit of a letdown,” said Head Coach Justin Wadsworth in a phone interview with FasterSkier. “I was obviously...
Norway Nations Cup Ranking: 1st (9899 pts) Men: 1st (5249 pts) Women: 1st (4650 pts) 2010/2011 A Team Men Tord Asle Gjerdalen Petter Northug Eldar Roenning Martin Johnsrud Sundby Kristian Tettli Rennemo Petter Eliassen Simen Oestensen Ola Vigen Hattestad Johan Kjoelstad Eirik Brandsdal Oeystein Pettersen Anders Gloersen John Kristian Dahl Women Marit Bjoergen Astrid Uhrenholt Jacobsen Therese Johaug Marthe Kristoffersen Kristin Stoermer Steira Vibeke Skofterud Celine Brun-Lie Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg Maiken Caspersen Falla Karianne Bjellanes...
Along with the rest of the Canadian National Ski Team (CNST), Alex Harvey opened his season this past weekend in Bruksvallarna, Sweden. In two races, the promising youngster with two World Cup medals to his name finished 16th and fifth. In Harvey’s first competition of the year, a sprint race, he qualified for the rounds in a strong seventh place. “It was a really good day,” Harvey said in a recent phone interview with FasterSkier. However,...
Sweden Nations Cup Ranking: 3rd (6793 pts) Men: 3rd (3535 pts) Women: 3rd (3258 pts) 2010/2011 A Team Men Emil Joensson Mats Larsson Robin Bryntesson Jesper Modin Teodor Peterson Daniel Richardsson Anders Soedergren Marcus Hellner Johan Olsson Jens Eriksson Women Lina Andersson Magdalena Pajala Anna Haag Ida Ingemarsdotter Charlotte Kalla Hanna Falk Hanna Brodin Sara Lindborg What You May Have Missed Last Season Hanna Falk coming from absolute obscurity to lead a strong Swedish women’s...
Italy Nations Cup Ranking: 4th (4956 pts) Men: 5th (2226 pts) Women: 5th (2730 pts) 2010/2011 A Team Men Valerio Checchi Roland Clara Giorgio Di Centa Giovanni Gullo David Hofer Thomas Moriggl Dietmar Noeckler Pietro Piller Cottrer Cristian Zorzi Loris Frasnelli Fabio Pasini Renato Pasini Fulvio Scola Women Elisa Brocard Virginia De Martin Topranin Arianna Follis Marianna Longa Silvia Rupil Antonella Confortolla Magda Genuin What you may have missed last season: Just how old the...
Team 5: Finland
Kieran JonesNovember 14, 2010
Finland Nations Cup Ranking: 5th (4758 pts) Men: 8th (1543 pts) Women: 4th (3215 pts) 2010/2011 A Team Men Matti Heikkinen Sami Jauhojaervi Ville Nousiainen Lasse Paakkonen Matias Strandvall Women Aino-Kaisa Saarinen Riitta-Liisa Roponen Riikka Sarasoja Kerttu Niskanen Krista Lahteenmaki Pirjo Muranen What you may have missed last season: It’s not often a country finishes fifth on the Nations Cup list and can call their season ‘sub-par,’ however Finland managed to pull it off. The...
It may be early in the season, but the top 10’s are already rolling in for the Canadian team. In the 15 k individual start freestyle race in Bruksvallarna, Sweden, on Sunday, Canada’s Devon Kershaw broke up the home team’s party, placing fourth behind Marcus Hellner, Johan Olsson and Daniel Rickardsson – three of the four members of Sweden’s Olympic gold medal 4×10 k relay team. Kershaw was 45 seconds back of Hellner, but just...
Team 6: Germany
Kieran JonesNovember 13, 2010
Germany Nations Cup Ranking: 6th (4308 pts) Men: 4th (2453 pts) Women: 8th (1855 pts) 2010/2011 A Team Men Tobias Angerer Jens Filbrich Axel Teichmann Tim Tscharnke Women Stefanie Boehler Nicole Fessel Evi-Sachenbacher Stehle Miriam Goessner Katrin Zeller What you may have missed last season: Tim Tscharnke rising to German sprinting domination. The 21 year-old kid with no previous World Cup points cruised onto the circuit and took home over 100 World Cup points, looking...
Canadians Surprise Swedes in Season Opener
Kieran JonesNovember 13, 2010
With the top Americans starting their race season yesterday in Munio, Finland with a skate sprint, the Canadians attempted to keep pace, taking part in a 1.6 k skate sprint in Bruksvallarna, Sweden. There were several top finishes by the Americans in Munio, including a win by Kikkan Randall, and the Canadians kept the ball rolling in Scandinavia with more early-season North American success. The day started out extremely promising. Dasha Gaiazova tore up the...
Team 7: France
Kieran JonesNovember 12, 2010
France Nations Cup Ranking: 7th (2477 pts) Men: 6th (1864 pts) Women: 9th (613 pts) 2010/2011 A Team Men Jean Marc Gaillard Emmanuel Jonnier Maurice Manificat Cyril Miranda Vincent Vittoz Women Aurore Jean What you may have missed last season: Maurice Manificat, or Maurice the Magnificent, absolutely exploding onto the World Cup. Manificat could very easily be labeled the most improved skier last season. It’s tough to believe that in 2008 he scored only seven...
Team 9: Switzerland
Kieran JonesNovember 10, 2010
Switzerland Nations Cup Ranking: 9th (2013 pts) Men: 7th (1729 pts) Women: 15th (284 pts) 2010/2011 World Cup Team Men Dario Cologna Curdin Perl Toni Livers Remo Fischer Women Silvana Bucher Bettina Gruber Doris Trachsel What you may have missed last season: After going from zero to hero between 2007 and 2009, Dario Cologna took a step backwards in 2010, falling to fourth in the race for the Crystal Globe. While he was still undeniably...
Slovenia Nations Cup Ranking: 10th (1890 pts) Men: N/A Women: 7th (1890 pts) 2010/2011 A Team Men N/A Women Petra Majdic Vesna Fabjan Katja Visnar What you may have missed last season: The Slovenians managed to ski their way into the top 10 on the Nations Cup with only three skiers – all female – contributing to their points total. Embarrassing for other countries? Slightly, but when the three athletes you’re facing are Petra Majdic,...
Since taking the job as the head coach of the Canadian National Ski Team (CNST), Justin Wadsworth has been a man living out of a suitcase. Upon returning to Canmore from the team’s latest camp, a three week stint in Park City, Utah, Wadsworth hadn’t even managed to unpack yet. Despite the heavy schedule, Wadsworth remained upbeat and enthusiastic – “that’s just what you gotta do,” he said in a recent interview with FasterSkier. According...