Italian Pietro Piller Cottrer won the season’s World Cup opener’s 15 kilometer skate race at Beitostolen, Norway. Last season’s World Cup highlights included a second place in the 10k skate race in Kiruna and 4th in Davos and Kavgolovo. He was 9th in the Pursuit and 14th in the 50 K skate at the 2003 World Championship. At the 2002 Olympics he was 5th in the 30K, 7th in the Pursuit and skied on the...
The U.S. national team coaching staff tells the athletes they have to define success for themselves. Every race, domestically and internationally, they define who the U.S. ski team is and what American skiing stands for. Working with the national team from the mid-nineties on, you’ve had time to see trends, form impressions. Where do you see American skiing headed? I started working with the U.S. ski team in 1997. It was a pretty funky group...
Chris, you took over the Development team in 2003 after working with Miles Minson for several years. What are some of the ideas and objectives you’ve tried to build and instill into the program? I learned a lot working with Miles. He was always thinking about improving the basics. He made me realize it isn’t super hard to prepare people to race fast. We spent most out our time, going back, working on the fundamentals....
Excerpts from Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten article on November 21, 3003: Val di Fiemme 2003 Fifty kilometer World Champion, Martin Koukal (25) of the Czech Republic is aiming high this season. This spring he is planning on climbing the 8201-meter high Cho Oyo Mountain in Tibet. He wants to win the overall World Cup before he does that. “It was great to become the World Champion, but is has not changed me. I want to remain...
Brett Miller died on Nov. 17, 2003 in Park City, Utah, after a long battle with melanoma. Brett Miller died on Nov. 17, 2003 in Park City, Utah, after a long battle with melanoma. Brett was 26 years old. Brett moved to Park City in 1999. He loved the mountains and was a master of numerous mountain sports – Alpine skiing, backcountry skiing, motocross and mountain biking, in addition to biathlon and cross-country skiing. Before...
Norwegian Olympic sprint Champion Tor Arne Hetland felt good about his third place finish in Saturday’s 15 kilometer skate race in the Norwegian cross country opening weekend. Not much had gone right for Hetland lately. “It felt good to finally make progress and ski fast after a tough period. This is good for my confidence†Hetland failed in the prolog at the World Cup sprint opening in Düsseldorf two weeks ago and did not make...
The following are excerpts from Norwegian (tabloid) Newspaper Dagbladet on Monday November 17. Marit Bjorgen (23) can squat 160 kg (358 lbs) without problems. More importantly, she can ski faster than anyone. Two first and one second was the result in the three-day Norwegian cross country opening race weekend at Beitostolen last weekend. Both the sprint and the five kilometer were of good international caliber. She was able to showcase her muscles in both races....
23 year old Canadian Tara Whitten surprised many at the U-23 Championship last year, with a silver medal in the Sprint event. She is still not known to many here in the US. From the Canadian Team’s training camp in Canmore, Alberta, we were able to learn a few things about Tara. Tara Whitten Many of us were surprised to see your 2nd place result in the Sprint competition at last year's U-23. Have you...
Roberto De Zolt – Italian National Team Member A customs officer, Roberto De Zolt is Maurilio De Zolt’s cousin, the 1994 Olympic Relay Champion and 1987 World Champion. In 2002, Roberto won the FIS Marathon Cup and Worldloppet race La Transjurassienne in France. Age: 33 Height: 180cm Weight: 74kg Single or Married: Married Hometown and residence: Complico near Belluno, Italy Coach: Sergio Piller Sponsors: SCAME, SOLDA ski wax, FISHER, SALOMON, FILA, ASCIS, SWIX AND RUDY...
Sara Renner Canadian Sara Renner is besides Beckie Scott the only North-American Cross-Country female skier that has made it into the prestigious World Cup Red group (seeded group) the past 20 years. This group consists of the top 30 ranked skiers in the World, based on World Cup points. Last season Sara had six top-15 results in World Cup or World Championship events, mostly from Sprint races, but also in 5km and 30-km competitions. From...
Torin Koos is a member of the National A Team for the U.S.S.A. A World Cup, World Championship and Olympic competitor, Koos brings this experience to the FasterSkier sportscasting arena for the 2003/2004 season. Equipment:
From the falling lemon yellow sun one can tell the night is nearing six o’clock, time to prepare the bar-b-que. I stack briquettes, open air vents, and pour lighting fluid. Then, with a flick of a match comes the titillating whoomph of combustibles igniting. The fire burns hot, flame replaced by glowing red circles of heat. “Life’s too short for propane” I say to myself as if some creed or mantra to live by, but...
We caught up with USST coaches Trond Nystad and Pete Vordenberg after the recent 10-km running time-trial at Soldier Hollow. The coaches are confident and optimistic ahead of the upcoming World Cup opener in Norway.
Fasterskier.com has watched 23 year old Torin Koos develop from a talented junior skier and runner, to suddenly take the step into the World’s elite during the 2001 World Cup at Soldier Hollow with a 12th place in the individual Sprint competition. His vertical jumping ability, size and strength (6’2”, 175 lbs) make him a perfect sprinter. We recently talked to him from the National Team’s training camp in Fairbanks, Alaska, where they are currently...
Carl Swenson Carl is on a “performance roll†after two top 15s in the 2002 World Cup, 11th in the double pursuit and 5th in the 50 km freestyle at the 2003 World Ski Championship. The mountain bike race season is (finally) over and Carl is focusing 100% on the upcoming World Cup ski season. He might be the only athlete on the circuit that is not training traditional ski training like rollerskiing, running and...
Kris Freeman Last season Kris followed up his 15th place at the 2002 Olympic pursuit race with Gold at the 2003 U-23 Worlds in the 30-km classic race, and a phenomenal week at the 2003 Nordic World Ski Championship – a 4th in the 15-km classic (2.1 seconds from Bronze), 1st in the opening leg of the 4 x 10 km Relay and 14th in the double Pursuit. A recent 24 seconds improvement in the...
Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson skied to a strong 22nd place in the 30K skate race at the 2002 Olympics, but is not overly excited when he talks about last season’s results. At the 2003 World Championships in Italy he placed 37th in the 50K skate race and 38th in the double Pursuit – not exactly what he had planned or hoped for. Head coach Trond Nystad is quoted calling it “over-training due to lack of...
First up is…. Justin Freeman Progress In The Making For Hard Working Athlete First year US Ski Team member Justin Freeman is currently making solid progress after moving to Park City in July to train with the rest of the National team. Skiing technically better, running faster, a lot stronger, training smarter and better, are key words describing Justin Freeman according to the coaches. Fasterskier.com got a chance to ask him a few questions following...
Espen Harald Bjerke Norway National Team Member Age: 23 Height: 183cm Weight: 74 kg Single or Married: girlfriend Hometown: Lillehammer Current town of residence: Lillehammer Coach: Krister Sørgård Sponsors: Trygve Owren AS, Euroskilt AS, GjensidigeNOR, Pervco, Multichem Wallinco, Tiur Tyrived, Jan Stenerud & co inc. Can you list some of your skiing accomplishments that you are most proud of? World cup 30km mass start Otapa, Estonia, 16th classic The Norwegian Championship 3rd, 10 km classic....
Mathias Fredrikson has been in the top international picture for many years, including being a World Junior Champion. He is last year’s Overall World Cup winner.