Last week, Brian Gregg and Matt Liebsch decided on a whim that they might as well splurge for a chartered flight to Bozeman, Mont., for the second set of SuperTour races there. This is the first part of a story about their journey, which started with a two-day drive from Montana to British Columbia and a forgotten passport.
One of the most successful men on the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Team last season, Lt. Dan Cnossen cut right to the chase when asked about his training this summer and fall. “We’re going to find out real quick when I go up against the Russians,” Cnossen says. So far, he's placed ninth and 11th at the IPC World Cup in Canmore.
Both racers and spectators had fun in the sun during Sunday's IBU World Cup biathlon pursuit races. The Tirolian Alps provided a nice backdrop as Synnøva Solemdal (NOR) and Martin Fourcade (FRA) raced to victory, with 59 other biathletes chasing each.
In mid November, national and elite teams start flocking to northern Scandinavia in search of early snow: Muonio, Bruksvallarna, Beitostolen. But what's it like if you're just a normal guy seeking some skiing of your own? Are you going to get "hupped" by an exasperated Charlotte Kalla? Simon Evans investigates this strange world, and learns something about why we love our sport.
Cold temperatures couldn't keep the Sovereign Lake NorAm classic sprint from going off on Sunday. Andrea Dupont and Patrick Stewart-Jones overcame windy and cold conditions to take victories in the classic sprints.
After spending most of last season away from the World Cup, Jeremy Teela and Lanny Barnes are back in action. Barnes says she is completely recovered from compartment syndrome surgery; Teela loves being a father, but is focusing for this season on one last push for his fourth Olympics. Both held their relay teams in the top 8 this weekend.
Action was exciting in the World Cup biathlon relays on Saturday, with plenty of lead changes, untimely penalties, and aggressive skiing. The scenery was also pretty nice, with the field snaking up long climbs and through open meadows. You're sure to find some pictures of your favorite biathletes in our photo set - and get a hankering to hit the trails yourself.
Photos from this weekend's World Cup biathlon sprints in Hochfilzen, Austria.
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
Nathan Smith notched another top-30, inching him closer to completing Olympic qualification, but other than that it was a tough day for the North American men. "I would have thought that with two penalties I would have been in the top 15 for sure," said Tim Burke, who finished 21st.
With five penalties, Lars Berger didn't stand a chance of defending his sprint win from Friday. Instead, the last three World Cup Total Score winners crowded the podium. Martin Fourcade of France timed his strike to come out as the clear winner, with Emil Hegle Svendsen and Tarjei Bø of Norway finishing second and third.
When the leaders from Friday's sprint faltered, Norway's Synnøve Solemdal was there to step in. Clean shooting over the last three bouts gave her an 11-second victory, her first since she picked up her very first win here in Hochfilzen last season.
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.
The U.S. men went for it today, and the team was in podium position for much of the first half of Saturday's 4 x 7.5 k relay competition. They ended up 11th with Lowell Bailey, Tim Burke, Jeremy Teela, and Leif Nordgren, just 25 seconds out of sixth.
The U.S. team of Susan Dunklee, Sara Studebaker, Hannah Dreissigacker, and Lanny Barnes finished eighth in the World Cup relay in Hochfilzen - the best result of any of their careers. And they did it without Annelies Cook, the team's usual number two racer. "We're on our way up," Barnes said.
The Canadian men were as high as fourth place and the women as high as sixth in today's World Cup relays, but each team accumulated penalty loops at unfortunate times which bumped them down a few places.
Aided by an early bib and a mid-race snowstorm, Lars Berger - who was left off the Norwegian national team this year - earned his sixth win but the first in three years. He beat Martin Fourcade of France, who had two fewer penalties but was stuck in slow snow conditions. Ole Einar Bjorndalen of Norway was third.
Despite a mid-race snowstorm that put later starters at a serious disadvantage, Lowell Bailey finished 16th and Tim Burke 24th in the 10 k sprint in Hochfilzen. They were the only two Americans, men or women, to qualify for the pursuit races on Sunday. "We can't control the weather," shooting coach Armin Auchentaller said.
Switzerland has never won a biathlon World Cup race - and it was especially surprising that the first victory would come from its small women's team. But Selina Gasparin has been close to the podium before and today she sealed the deal in the 7.5 k sprint, eking out a 1-second victory over Veronika Vitkova of the Czech Republic.
Because the Olympics only come around every four years, domestic races hold even more value in the months leading up to the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. In Canada, they’ll determine who will fill approximately four remaining spots on the Olympic nordic team. The fun starts this weekend at Sovereign Lake, British Columbia.