Interviews

Hilde Gjermundshaug Pedersen won two races at the recent Norwegian nationals, but got a cold afterwards and decided to skip the planned pre-Worlds altitude camp in Seisser Alm.

What have you been up to the last month? I flew back to Europe on January 12th and drove up to the Olympic courses in Pregelato Italy. I am feeling very strong despite the poor result in the pursuit at the last world cup. My entire team had terrible classic skis in that race. The wax team simply blew the wax. They admitted it and took full responsibility for it. The conditions changed right before...

Source: Langrenn.com Biathlon skier Lars Berger was by many considered a big favorite to win the Norwegian 15-kilometer championship on Thursday. He started very fast and built a lead, but couldn’t hold on to the end.

Source: Langrenn.com The Norwegian team for the individual classic sprint at the upcoming Worlds in Oberstdorf, Germany is one of the toughest one to make. Classic sprint is very popular among Norwegian skiers and the level is very high. Everyone that makes the team feel that they have a shot at the podium. Trond Iversen won last weekend’s classic sprint in the continental cup race in Oberstdorf and probably made the team.  Iversen won ahead...

Source: Langrenn.com Norwegian Kristen Skjeldal was in high spirits after his third place finish in the 30-kilometer World Cup pursuit race in Pragelato on Saturday. -It tasted very very good. It was amazingly fun, said Skjeldal after the race. He came into the ski switch in second place. Frode Estil pushed hard from the start and spread out the field. Towards the end of the first 15km he started to tire and began to get...

Source: Langrenn.com Norwegian Kristin Stormer Steira has never been known for her sprint talent, but in this weekend’s Pragelato World Cup pursuit she showed that her speed isn’t all that bad as she blew away Katerina Neumannova in the final stretch. With that she claimed her first ever World Cup victory. – I’m not very good at sprinting, said Stormer Steira to langrenn.com right before Christmas. She also didn’t feel very sure of herself before...

Jan Egil Andresen gets his breakthrough in the World Cup last weekend.

Source: Langrenn.com Anders Aukland is still bothered by a virus and might miss both the Norwegian and World Championships..

Norwegian national team member Vibeke Skofterud (24) has not raced for more than a month. She is currently hunting for a World’s-peak at altitude in Italy. Vibeke Skofterud is insecure regarding her current form/shape ahead of the Pragelato, Italy World Cup races this weekend. Source: Langrenn.com

Johan Kjolstad sensationally won Sunday’s World Cup freestyle sprint race in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. – Winning a World Cup race feels even better than winning Gold at the 2003 Junior Worlds, said Kjolstad after the race.

Source: Langrenn.com Espen Harald Bjerke was kicked of the Norwegian National team after last season but placed 4th in last weekend’s 15-kilometer classic World Cup race in Otepaa. He didn’t get serious about ski racing before in high school, but it was no coincidence that he became a cross country ski racer.

Following the recent Canada Cup in Thunder Bay, I was able catch up with Reijo Puiras, colourful founder of the famous Lappe Nordic Ski Centre, host venue for the weekend’s races. While north of the border he needs no introduction, I will simply say that he is a pillar of the Canadian cross country skiing community. He also represented Canada in international competition, notably at the 1976 Olympics. Here is what he had to say:...

Rebecca Dussault won three races at US Nationals, more than anyone else. We caught up with Rebecca to get her thoughts on her week at Soldier Hollow. You raced four races at Nationals. Among Americans, you finished 1st in three races and third in the other. That's very impressive. How do you feel about your week? I was very happy with the races. I met my goal of Grand National Champion for the second year...

Tore Ruud Hofstad has trained well over Christmas and is hoping to keep up his fitness level for the World Championships in Oberstdorf. Ruud Hofstad went back to his hometown of Hurdal for the first days of Christmas. He was in Sjusjoen to train. -I tried to train well. It is a high volume block that is very important. I’m feeling good and trying to keep my fitness up for the World Championships in a...

Andrew Johnson was the only man to win two events at this year's Nationals. We got him to answer a few questions for us before he jumped a plane to Europe. You raced three races at Nationals. Among Americans, you finished 1st in two races and third in the other. That's very impressive. How do you feel about your week? I’m happy with the week. I would have preferred racing all four distance races and...

US Ski Team member Torin Koos placed second in both the West Yellowstone skate sprint and the recent classic sprint at Soldier Hollow. Both times he placed second to fellow US Ski Team skier Andrew Newell. Koos know he will have his work cut out for him if he wants to win today's classic sprint at US Nationals. Koos has been the US Ski Team's main sprinter since he burst onto the scene at the...

For the Norwegian national team sprinter Trond Iverson the World Championship in Oberstdorf is his season’s biggest goal. He is well aware that at this Sunday’s World Cup sprint race he will have to be in top form to even be selected for a spot on the Worlds team.   Just qualifying among the Norwegians who get to ski in the classic sprint for the World Championships is a tough enough goal. Trond Iverson is...

Colorful Colin Mahood of Team XC Oregon/Rossignol is one of the most fun sprinters to watch due to an exceptionally high frequency and powerful speed-skating style technique. He also has no competition what-so-ever in the “best hair-style class”. What your race plan for this week Colin? – I’ll race three races, the 10 kilometer classic, the classic sprint and the pursuit. Your hair style makes everything else pale in comparison. What do you call it?...

John Bauer (35) has more US National Championship titles than most people, but Americans might remember him best from the 2002 Olympics at Soldier Hollow where he skied the US team into 4th place in the opening leg of the 4 x 10-kilometer relay. It’s exciting to hear from John that he is not only back in Utah to ski the 2005 US Nationals, but also is aiming for the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy....

APU skier Kikkan Randall (22) of Anchorage, Alaska is training well and making solid progress. She skied strong at the recent Continental cup series at Soldier Hollow and captured one second and two third places. She is a medal contender at any event at the 2005 US Nationals and has a good chance of making the team for the upcoming Worlds in Oberstdorf, Germany. Skiing up the long, steep hill before the famous Hermod hill...