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...
After a half hour of skiing Saturday, Kris Freeman had earned himself $500, 29 World Cup points, and one top-10 finish. By his own account, Freeman’s ninth place in the season-opening 15 k freestyle in Gallivare was “a hell of a day,” and it was the top finish for the American men. Noah Hoffman followed with a stellar 31st, while Andy Newell and Chris Cook turned in lackluster results in 87th and 102nd, respectively. Freeman...
Swedish fans must have been crushed after Norway’s Marit Bjoergen knocked off their hometown hero Charlotte Kalla in the 10 k skate on Saturday morning in Gallivare. But they must have been equally thrilled in the afternoon, when Marcus Hellner (SWE) skied to an 11-second victory over Switzerland’s Dario Cologna—finishing in the stadium that was named for him after a double gold medal-winning performance at the 2010 Olympic Games. “I felt like I had control today,”...
If there were any doubts left after last year, they’re gone now: Marit Bjoergen has it figured out. Bjoergen, who won five medals at the Vancouver Olympics, annihilated the women’s field in the 10 k freestyle in Gallivare, Sweden on Saturday morning, winning by more than 40 seconds over Charlotte Kalla (SWE) and Italy’s Arianna Follis. “She’s the queen right now,” said Kikkan Randall, who was the top American finisher in 19th. Kalla, the winner...
Former Norwegian national team coach lashes out at proficiency of Norwegian skiers in skate races. It has been more than 1,400 days since any Norwegian male other than Northug has made the podium in a skate race with interval start.
Team Canada: Picking Up Where They Left Off With five top-ten finishes in their first weekend of racing in Bruksvallarna, Sweden, the Canadian Team seems to have kept much of their momentum they brought to Whistler last February. And much of that is due to the returning members of last year’s successful Olympic squad. The Big Four on the men’s team have returned: Devon Kershaw, Ivan Babikov, George Grey, and Alex Harvey; and though the...
American ski fans can draw a few lessons from last weekend’s season-opening races in Muonio, Finland. Kris Freeman looks to be on-form. Kikkan Randall also looks fit. Ida Sargent is the next big thing. But for two members of the U.S. Ski Team (USST), Morgan Arritola and Liz Stephen, the season still appears uncertain. Each skied to lackluster results in Saturday’s 5 k classic race, while Sunday’s 10 k skate brought results that were stronger,...
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...
TRUCKEE, California – “The hope is that in the future, this can become a team on par with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation, CXC and XC Oregon,” said Ben Grasseschi, the head coach of the newly established Far West Senior Farm Team based in Truckee, California. The squad’s mission, to create a premium senior race team, is partly a personal goal for Grasseschi, who himself was left dangling after his collegiate skiing career. “I...
Petter Northug is not feeling good and will not race the World Cup opener this weekend in Gällivare, Sweden. “Petter says his legs feel heavy, and his body has not been on his side since the races at Beitostølen last weekend, and his workouts have also not been great this last week,” the Norwegian national team coach Morten Aa Djupvik told NRK.no. Northug delivered less than optimal performances at Beitostølen, and he was sick after...
When the Craftsbury Green Racing Project (CGRP) entered the nordic race scene a year ago, FasterSkier posed the question, Center’s mission statement, which includes supporting and promoting lifelong sports such as rowing and nordic skiing, using and teaching sustainable practices, and protecting and managing the surrounding land. And though all ten of the current members were selected for the team in part because they share a desire to further this mission statement and to help...
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,...
The declining number of female racers at the opening FIS races at Beito this year is concerning the officials. There were far more female biathletes at the biathlon season opener the same weekend.
Despite two sensational weeks of racing in Europe, Ida Sargent still has to head back to Dartmouth College in December to take final exams. But thanks to her stellar results, she has added a couple of stops along the way: two weekends of World Cup racing in Scandinavia. Along with Noah Hoffman, the U.S. Ski Team (USST) gave Sargent the nod to travel to Gallivare, Sweden, where the squad will contest the season’s first World...
Editor’s Note: The original version of this article listed Laura Valaas as a member of Team Endurance Professionals. According to Valaas, she was never a part of the team, despite being listed in Team Endurance Professionals marketing material. The article has been corrected, and we apologize for the error. In April of this year, Kristina Owen and Josh Korn began sharing a grand idea with some of their friends in the ski world: they wanted...
Russia Nations Cup Ranking: 2nd (7701 pts) Men: 2nd (4180 pts) Women: 2nd (3521 pts) 2010/2011 A Team Men Evgeny Belov Michael Devyatyarov Maxim Vylegzhanin Nikita Kriukov Alexander Legkov Alexander Panzhinsky Andrey Parfenov Alexey Petukhov Petr Sedov Sergey Shiriaev Ilia Chernousov Vasily Rochev Nikolay Morilov Alexey Moriakov Alexey Slepov Women Natalia Korosteleva Olga Savialova Evgenia Medvedeva Yulia Tchekaleva Svetlana Nikolaeva Julia Tikhonova What You May Have Missed Last Season Perhaps the biggest news about the...
We are excited to announce that Team HomeGrown is now blogging on FasterSkier. Sylvan Ellefson does a much better job than I possibly coud at describing the team and what they are all about – check it out here: Ke$ha Ain’t Got Nothin’ On Me
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...
BEITOSTØLEN, Norway – “It’s really too bad there weren’t more girls here,” Therese Johaug told Langrenn.com after the 10 k classic FIS race in Beitostolen on Sunday. That race had 25 Norwegian females on the result lists, while Friday’s 10K skate race featured 23 Norwegian women, and 21 completed Saturday’s sprint. “There are definitely fewer girls here than previous years,” said Egil Kristiansen, head coach for the Norwegian national team women. “Disappointingly few girls here,” said...
(Note: FasterSkier initially made an error and reported that Lanny Barnes was not re-named to the National Team. Since then, we have corrected the article – it was in fact her sister, Tracy, who was not re-named. FasterSkier apologizes for the error.) Last year was a historic season for U.S. biathlon. In late December, Tim Burke captured the yellow World Cup leader bib, and continued to wear it through part of January; it was the...