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General Interviews News Racing US Ski Team World Cup

Rested Randall Aims to Stay on Top of Sprint Standings

Alex KochonFebruary 16, 2012

When it comes down to it: health matters. That’s what Kikkan Randall and her coach at Alaska Pacific University, Erik Flora, reasoned when the U.S. Ski Team veteran decided to sit out a few races nearly two weeks ago. After feeling slightly rundown, Randall first skipped the 15 k freestyle mass start on Feb. 4 in Rybinsk, Russia. She pulled through the 15 k skiathlon the next day, but came down with a cold shortly after....

General News Racing World Cup

In World Cup Debut; Szklarska Poreba Set to Host World Uphill Trophy

Audrey ManganFebruary 16, 2012

The cross country World Cup moves to Szklarska Poreba, Poland this weekend, beginning with Friday’s skate sprint. This marks the first time Poland has hosted a World Cup event, and with the queen of the home team, Justyna Kowalczyk, only 12 points behind Marit Bjoergen (NOR) in the season-long battle for the overall World Cup title, there should be plenty of excitement for the local crowd. As part of the International Ski Federation’s (FIS) effort...

Collegiate General News Racing Results

Caldwell, Johnson, Packer, and Garrec win EISA races

February 13, 20121

EISA Race Weekend #4: February 10-11. It was the 102nd Dartmouth Winter Carnival, but without the snow to host the nordic races of the themed “Sweetest Carnival Ever” had to be moved to the Trapp Family Lodge, the same location as last weekend’s races hosted by UVM. The race line-up was in the NCAA format of 5/10 individual start skate on Friday and 15/20 mass start classic on Saturday. Dartmouth and UVM continued their rivalry...

Continental Cup General News Racing Results

Looking Back at the Last NorAm Weekend in Orford

Alex KochonFebruary 13, 2012

The field wasn’t as deep as usual and the stakes weren’t quite as high, but the final NorAm weekend at Parc National du Mont-Orford left participants with plenty to talk about. They skied atypical courses, some saw crashes and everyone braved unbearable temperatures at the two-day event. Some notched their first wins of the season; others raced with old rivals. While Kevin Sandau of the Alberta World Cup Academy had already locked up the top regional spot and...

Continental Cup General News Racing

Arritola Takes Owl Creek Chase Title

Audrey ManganFebruary 13, 20121

ASPEN, Colo. — Morgan Arritola (SVSEF) was officially back to full form on Sunday at the Owl Creek Chase. After appendicitis forced her to skip U.S. Nationals and subsequent SuperTours, she won the 21 k point-to-point mass start freestyle by nearly four minutes over Lenka Palanova (BNJRT). Chelsea Holmes (SVSEF) finished third (+4:48.6). “This was my kind of course: hard, uphill,” said Arritola. “I just went out as hard as I could—that’s kind of how...

General News Racing Results US Ski Team World Cup

Norwegians Run Away with Relay; U.S. Pulls Off Fifth

Alex KochonFebruary 12, 2012

As the sunlight sliced through rows of majestic trees in Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic, Sunday around noon, a few of the Norwegians could have afforded to soak up the scenery in the women’s 4×5 k relay. They probably didn’t, though. Marit Bjørgen finally lifted her head to look around as she entered the stadium to seal the Norwegian win. With a nearly 40 second lead, Bjørgen as the Norway I anchor threw up...

Continental Cup General News Racing

Nygren, Gelso Take Top Spots in Aspen Classic Races

Audrey ManganFebruary 11, 2012

ASPEN, Colo. — On a bluebird morning in Colorado, the Aspen Nordic Festival kicked off on Saturday with a two-stage classic day; a sprint qualifier in the morning followed by a 10 k individual start for the men two hours later. Karl Nygren (CXC) started the weekend off by posting the fastest sprint time by 2.85 seconds, followed by Dylan McGuffin (CGRP) in second and Pat O’Brien (CGRP) in third (+3.21). The 1.4 k sprint...

Continental Cup General News Racing

Bender Blows Away Sprint Field; Holmes Squeaks By For Aspen 5 k Win

Audrey ManganFebruary 11, 2012

ASPEN, Colo. — When Jennie Bender (CXC) went from sea level to over 8,000 feet in Aspen, Colo. on Thursday night, she didn’t quite know how her body would react when she began the classic sprint on Saturday. A 14.44-second victory definitely wasn’t what she expected. “I was going to take it out slower than I normally go; I wasn’t sure how the altitude would be,” said Bender. “But, I felt great—kind of surprised by...

Canadian National Ski Team General News Racing Results World Cup

Canadians Use Smarts in Nove Mesto; Kershaw Tightens Grip on Third Overall

Alex KochonFebruary 11, 20121

With every seemingly spontaneous sprint to the front of Saturday’s World Cup classic race in Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic, Devon Kershaw appeared as eager and energetic as a kid in a candy shop. Naysayers or nervous Nellies might have questioned the Canadian’s strategy in the 30 k mass start. The head coach of the Canadian national ski team, Justin Wadsworth wasn’t worried. Kershaw simply followed the plan the two carefully crafted before the...

General News Racing Results US Ski Team World Cup

Americans Place Outside the Points, Regroup for Relays

Alex KochonFebruary 11, 2012

As the saying goes, you can’t win them all and some races downright hurt. Maybe that’s not the adage, but it’s the truth. Several Americans felt an unfamiliar burn associated with disappointment on Saturday after finishing outside the top 30 in their respective World Cup mass starts in Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic. U.S. Ski Team rookie Jessie Diggins led the women’s squad, placing 33rd in the 15 k classic race. Kris Freeman was also...

General Interviews News

An Interview with Jason Cork: Diggins’ Skiing “Is Pretty Unreal”

Audrey ManganFebruary 10, 20122

When observing results like Jessie Diggins (CXC/USST)

Canadian National Ski Team General News Racing Results US Ski Team World Cup

Randall to Miss 15 k in Nové Město, Canada Brings Partial Sprint Squad; Relay Teams Undecided

Alex KochonFebruary 10, 2012

Life on the World Cup is one giant judgment call. Each day brings new decisions and, sometimes, unforeseen challenges. With little time, athletes and coaches often make up their minds and go with it. That’s about all they can do. The spontaneity often leads to uncertainty – as is the case with this weekend’s World Cup in Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic. Several teams will probably do as the U.S. Ski Team plans and...

Continental Cup General News Racing Results

Nishikawa Breaks Away to Finish Fifth in Scando Cup 30 k

Alex KochonFebruary 9, 20121

There’s something to be said about consistency. Canadians Graham Nishikawa and Michael Somppi might say it’s a little annoying. With repeat results, the two can’t be too upset with their performances in recent Alpen and Scandinavian Cup races. Both Senior Development Team skiers, Nishikawa and Somppi finished the same as they did in their previous races. At the Alpen Cup in Switzerland on Sunday, Nishikawa of the Alberta World Cup Academy was fifth in the...

General News Racing

After Double Victory at Boulder Mountain Tour and City of Lakes, Liebsch Readies for Birkie

Audrey ManganFebruary 9, 2012

In the absence of a SuperTour last weekend, many elite skiers on the domestic circuit chose to contest one of several marathons taking place around the country—notably the Boulder Mountain Tour on Saturday in Sun Valley, Idaho and the City of Lakes Loppet in Minneapolis, Minn. on Sunday. You didn’t have to take a close look at the results to notice that at least one person entered both races: Matt Liebsch (Team Strong Heart/Team...

Continental Cup General News Racing Results

Widmer, Sinnott Trail Norwegians in Scando Cup Final

Alex KochonFebruary 8, 2012

Any high-level racer will tell you experience is key, but sometimes it’s just as important to take in the moment. Ask Mike Sinnott, a member of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Gold Team who recently competed in a couple of World Cups. Six days after placing 37th in the Moscow freestyle sprints for his second-best individual World Cup result, Sinnott made his first Scandinavian Cup start this year on Wednesday in Madona, Latvia. There,...

Collegiate General News Racing Results

Johnson, Caldwell, and Patterson top weekend’s combined EC/EISA races

February 6, 20121

The third weekend of EISA qualifiers were combined with NENSA’s TD Bank Eastern Cup races and held at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. The collegiate competitors topped the combined field on each day of individual start races, with only three Eastern Cup competitors cracking into the top ten. The podium saw no new faces this weekend, as Middlebury’s Patrick Johnson took both men’s races, Dartmouth’s Sophie Caldwell won the 5k classic race, and...

Continental Cup General News Racing

Three Years After Initial Run, Experimental Sprint Qualifier Sparks Debate

Audrey ManganFebruary 6, 201220

A sprint qualifier can be defined as the preliminary stage of a sprint race in nordic skiing. In a race against the clock, competitors leave the starting gate at intervals and go as hard as they can for anywhere between 1 and 1.8 kilometers. The top 30 in most internationally sanctioned competitions, and sometimes a lesser number in other events, move onto the quarterfinals to face off against five other athletes at a time for...

General News Nordic Combined Racing Results US Ski Team World Cup

Demong Achieves World Cup Podium for First Time in Two Years; Fletchers Tally Career Bests

Alex KochonFebruary 6, 20121

When Friday didn’t go according to plan for all of the Americans on the Nordic Combined World Cup, they were happy to have Saturday to shoot for better results. When the team sprint went better on the second day of competition in Val di Fiemme, Italy, with the two U.S. teams cracking the top 10, the four members were even more excited for Sunday. If trial and error told them anything, they figured they’d have...

Continental Cup General News Racing Results

AWCA Men Work Together; Women Sweep Top 4

Alex KochonFebruary 5, 2012

The art and appeal of racing usually boils down to the unexpected. One can guess who will win, pick the favorites and anticipate the moves, but nothing is ever over ’til, well, it’s over. In two entirely different pursuit races Sunday in Cantley, Quebec, the odds and work ethic played out for the Alberta World Cup Academy (AWCA). In the men’s 30 k classic pursuit, Graeme Killick and Jesse Cockney set out to aidi teammate...

Canadian National Ski Team General News Racing World Cup

Canada Puts Two in Top Ten; Kershaw Moves into Third in World Cup Overall

Audrey ManganFebruary 5, 2012

Though it didn’t quite measure up to the standard they set for themselves on Saturday, Canada continued its strong run of World Cup performances by placing two in the top ten in the Rybinsk 30 k skiathlon on Sunday. Devon Kershaw led the way in sixth with a time of 1:20:47.1, only 9.5 seconds behind the winner Maxim Vylegzhanin (RUS). Alex Harvey was only one second behind Kershaw in eighth, and Ivan Babikov finished 19th...

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