When CXC coach Igor Badamshin died of a heart attack out on the ski trails, the whole American ski community mourned - from the midwest to New England, his first home in America, and then all the way to the U.S. Ski Team in Europe and back to his homeland of Russia. Here are some remembrances of a man who dedicated so much to developing American skiing.
With a rocket-fast last lap and some unplanned help from Canada's Alex Harvey, Alexander Legkov made Saturday a little less about Dario Cologna, who returned to the World Cup after missing the first half of the season. Legkov won the last distance race before the Olympics, bringing Russia some good vibes before it hosts the Games.
Patrick Caldwell took his first skiathon by the horns on Friday at Junior World Championships, placing 10th in the 20 k event despite heavy snowfall in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
With the World Cup resuming on Saturday (after a bye weekend two weeks out from the Olympics), Toblach organizers are doing their best to remove and manage heavy snowfall. According to FasterSkier's on-site reporter Gerry Furseth, there was no official training on Friday "as the heavy snow made for unusual skiing conditions."
Some of Irina Starykh's competitors are defending her, saying the investigation is not yet complete; administrators and coaches from Scandinavia wonder how stupid you'd have to be to try doping in the leadup to the Olympics; a former IOC medical director believes Starykh's coach and team doctor are the last vestiges of the old Soviet doping system, and hopes they will be weeded out.
Laval University hosted Sprint Rouge et Or on Tuesday, the first event of its kind on the Quebec City campus -- under the lights at the football stadium -- with nearly 125 competitors going head-to-head in an elimination sprint.
Audrey Vaillancourt has spent a lot of time bouncing around different European race circuits this season. Today, she eked out a 2-second victory in the 15 k individual at Open European Championships thanks to the best shooting in the field, and among the fastest range times. It's the first time a Canadian has ever won a race at the Championships.
In a letter to the Russian Biathlon Union, Irina Starykh confirmed that the IBU had notified her of a positive "A" sample. She resigned from the team until the situation is clarified, and also so that she could attend the opening of the "B" sample. Meanwhile, Alexander Tikhonov points out that a doctor sacked in 2009 after a doping scandal was re-hired this year, and was present on the World Cup circuit.
The International Biathlon Union handed provisional sanctions to three athletes who tested positive for banned substances. Russian website Championat is alleging that two are Ekaterina Iourieva, a 2008 World Champion who has already served one doping ban for EPO; and Irina Starykh, currently the top-ranked Russian woman. Across the biathlon world, athletes expressed frustration and dismay.
Minnesota native Anna Kubek started off her week right with a sixth-place finish in the junior women's 12.5 k individual at Open European Championships for biathlon. Kubek was just 14 seconds off the podium. In the men's 15 k race, Christian Gow of Canada finished 15th.
Pam Weiss, a top American competitor in both biathlon and cross country skiing who now splits her time between Jackson Hole and teaching kayaking in New Zealand, tells us more about the wild early days of women's biathlon, based on her personal experience. Art Stegen, a former national team coach now based in upstate New York, provides commentary around the edges about why adding a women's team was the best move the U.S. ever could have made.
Days after the U.S. Nordic Ski Team officially announced its Olympic squad, several of the skiers that narrowly missed the cut have been dealing with ranging emotions -- mostly disappointment -- while U.S. Head Coach Chris Grover explains the decision to keep the team size to 14.
Jessie Diggins is a banana-bread junkie, has a healthy fear of clipless pedals, and is one of the few people who will admit they like listening to Taylor Swift. More fun facts about the 22-year-old Minnesota native headed to her first Olympics.
Following up on the Canadian Olympic team naming last week, FasterSkier caught up with four rookies who recently posted top results to earn their first trips to the Games from Feb. 7-23: Graeme Killick, Emily Nishikawa, Jesse Cockney, and Heidi Widmer.
Regardless of what happens with the official U.S. Olympic Nordic Ski Team naming on Wednesday, Caitlin Gregg says she's happy. The last four years have been about balance, Gregg explains, and a journey with her husband that she wouldn't trade for anything. "One of the greatest things though is that anticipation of not knowing that you made it," she says.
The fourth FIS points list of the season was released today providing some clarity to the naming of the United States cross-county Olympic Team. The points list serves as the third criteria for selection to the team, following World Cup ranking, and coaches discretion. With discretion as number two the points list may or may not have a role in who is selected to the team.
In the midst of Olympic team naming, a time when emotions often run high, we are reiterating our commenting policy.
Missed the action this weekend? Don't worry! FasterSkier has compiled all the top stories to make sure that you stay up-to-date with the latest in the nordic ski world.
One last video from the final day of the Seefeld Triple on Sunday, with thoughts from U.S. Nordic Combined Head Coach Dave Jarrett, Bryan Fletcher, who notched a season-best fifth overall, and Billy Demong, who skied the third-fastest time to end up 11th in the first cumulative event of its kind in nordic combined.
For the second time this season, a women's World Cup biathlon competition was called off mid-race due to deteriorating conditions. On Sunday, it was fog that enveloped the stadium in Antholz, Italy, making it impossible to see the targets on the shooting range. Megan Imrie (CAN) and Annelies Cook (USA) were on course at the time, and talk about what happened.