Canadian star Alex Harvey had been pondering an unorthodox plan to classic ski up the Tour de Ski’s final climb, but he pulled out after a lackluster result Saturday.
About Nathaniel Herz
Racing with Olympians: Anchorage’s Gus Schumacher, 13, Youngest at SuperTour Finals
Gus Schumacher, 13, doesn’t have any qualms about racing up — even if it is against Andy Newell. He’s met Newell and several other U.S. Olympians in person at the World Cup, but says it’s an amazing experience to race them at home at SuperTour Finals.
SuperTour Sprint: Randall Delivers Another Win for Home Crowd, Anchorage Mayor Included
With Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan shouting encouragement, Kikkan Randall won her second straight race in front of a home crowd on a sunny Sunday at Kincaid Park.
Exclusive Interview: Estonia’s (Former) Skiing Prime Minister Speaks
It’s not every day you bump into the Estonian prime minister, especially on the ski trails in Sochi, Russia. Yet FasterSkier Olympic reporter Nat Herz did just that, and asked the ski aficionado a few questions about his take on the sport.
Harvey Tripped Up in 50 k Finale, Canadians Pivot to Hockey
When Alex Harvey tripped over a pole broken by U.S. skier Noah Hoffman, it summed up the whole Olympics for the Canadian team: if one piece was there, the rest was unlucky. Harvey, Ivan Babikov, and Graeme Killick finished 19th, 20th, and 28th, while Jesse Cockney was “just thrilled to have the start.”
Russians Finally Gold on Home Turf, After Norwegian Collapse in Biathlon Relay
Russian anchor Anton Shipulin using perfect shooting and blistering skiing to emerge as the fastest of a four-man lead pack in the waning minutes of a scintallating men’s biathlon relay race, capitalizing on a stunning collapse by Norwegian anchor Emil Hegle Svendsen.
Grover: Ski Switch Sinks Stephen, U.S. Women in Olympic 30 k
A strategic decision to switch to new skis at the 10-kilometer mark let the pack get away from Liz Stephen, and she never caught up. The story was the same for Holly Brooks and Kikkan Randall, all of whom had been advised to make the exchange by the U.S. coaching staff.
Sochi Notebook: Sachenbacher-Stehle Positive Is Disappointing – But Is It Sinister?
The case of German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle seems different from other recent doping cases that involved substances with clearer benefits to endurance sports.
Sachenbacher-Stehle Confirmed Positive for Stimulant; Biathlon and XC Communities in Shock
German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle was caught using a banned stimulant at the Sochi Olympic Games, as American cross-country skier Kikkan Randall called her “the last person, really, that you would suspect.”
German Biathlete, Former XC Skier Sachenbacher-Stehle Reportedly Tests Positive – UPDATED
German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle, 33, has tested positive for the use of a prohibited substance, according the German news agency DPA.
After Classic Team Sprint Gold Three Years Ago, Canadians Get ‘Goose Egg’ in Sochi
The Canadian team sprint pair of Devon Kershaw and Alex Harvey was eliminated from the race without even qualifying for the final round. Head Coach Justin Wadsworth said: “This is the worst feeling I’ve had since I’ve been with the team.”
After Germans Crash, Young and Old Combine to Claim Gold for Finland in Team Sprint
A rookie and veteran teamed up to claim a gold medal for Finland in the men’s Olympic team sprint, after a finish that was marred by a crash in the lead pack.
Japanese Skier’s One Race at the Olympics Ends on the Start Line
Japan’s Akira Lenting, 23, got one start at the Olympics, in the men’s relay. But a bad day for the rest of his team meant that things didn’t go as planned.
Newell Out of Team Sprint with Illness; Randall Stays in for U.S. – UPDATED
Feeling under the weather, Andy Newell is no longer part of the American duo for Wednesday’s team sprint. Instead, Erik Bjornsen will join Simi Hamilton. For the women, Kikkan Randall will keep her spot despite difficult races so far this Olympics, and Sophie Caldwell, who turned in the best U.S. women’s performance ever in the individual sprint, will be her partner.
Biathlon Newcomer Sachenbacher-Stehle Nearly Cracks Olympic Podium
Germany’s Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle came a single second away from a bronze medal in Monday’s Olympic biathlon race, despite taking up the sport just a year-and-a-half ago.
Calamitous Relay Results Prompt Soul-Searching for Norway; Mock Ad for Wax Truck Put Up on Craigslist
For Norway, the country’s collapse at the Olympics has prompted fevered news coverage, and speculation that the team’s coaches, and ski technicians, could lose their jobs after the games.
For U.S. Biathletes, No Wax Truck Is No Problem in Sochi
The U.S. biathlon team grinds their skis in Sochi in a ramshackle orange shipping container cluttered with machinery and coiled extension cords—with a couple of full beer cans propping up their jury-rigged waxing bench.
U.S. Women Sparkle, Lack Spark in Sochi Olympic Relay
Medal hopefuls to start the day, the U.S. women had to reconcile with ninth place in Saturday’s Olympic 4 x 5 k relay, a result they said didn’t reflect their best day but one which indicated they were still very much a team, united in success as well as on off-days.
Slow Skis Bog Down Canadians in 15 k Classic; Kershaw Top Guy in 35th
Devon Kershaw said he felt better skiing Friday than previously at this Olympics, but it was hard to tell with too much grip on a klister day in extremely soft and warm conditions. Kershaw placed 35th, his teammate Ivan Babikov finished 39th, Graeme Killick was 65th and Alex Harvey did not finish.
Cologna Tops a Patched-Up Podium in Olympic 15 k Classic
Today’s Olympic 15 k saw a podium made of exclusively of skiers that had suffered injuries over the past year, led by Switzerland’s Dario Cologna, just three months removed from ankle surgery.