On an unsettled night for weather where it snowed off and on during the freestyle sprint heats in Lahti, two things were settled: The U.S. Ski Team hauled in two pieces of hardware, Jessie Diggins scored silver, Kikkan Randall took bronze.
(Note: This article has been updated to include comments from Megan Bankes.) Just to review: 2004: Jean-Philippe “JP” Le Guellec becomes first Canadian to win an International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth World Championships title (in the youth men’s sprint). 2009: Kurtis Wenzel becomes second Canadian to win at IBU Youth Worlds, with a gold medal in the youth men’s sprint. 2012: Wenzel does it again as a junior, winning the 15-kilometer individual at IBU Junior...
LAHTI, Finland — Up until the final 100 meters of Thursday’s race, it looked as if the 2017 Nordic World Championships sprint title belonged to Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov. In fact, Ustiugov had won the qualifier in a time of 3:11.72 minutes, a commanding 2.7 seconds over Norway’s Finn Hågen Krogh. The Russian reigning Tour de Ski champion placed second in his quarterfinal by a mere 0.19 seconds. He was second again in his semifinal in a three-way...
FIS Nordic World Championships (Lahti, Finland): Freestyle sprints Men’s report [UPDATED] Two medals for the U.S. on Day 1. That’s exactly what happened Thursday in the first medals race of 2017 Nordic World Championships in Lahti, Finland, where American Jessie Diggins raced to second and her U.S. teammate Kikkan Randall third in the women’s 1.4-kilometer freestyle sprint final, right behind Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla, who took gold. While Falla crossed the finish line first in...
In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 19-year-old Megan Bankes, of the Biathlon Alberta Training Centre (BATC), who will be representing Canada at her fourth Youth/Junior Worlds. On Thursday, finished 2nd, it was a pretty stellar day. If I could meet one World Cup skier, it would be Laura...
In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 19-year-old Zachari Bolduc, of Team Quebec, who will be representing Canada at his second Youth/Junior Worlds in his first year as a junior. On Thursday, Bolduc led the North Americans in 34th in the
In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 20-year-old Siena Ellingson, of Minnesota, who is representing the U.S. at her fourth Youth/Junior Worlds. On Thursday, Ellingson finished 50th to lead two Americans in the
In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 19-year-old Cody Johnson, of the Outdoor Sports Institute, who will be representing the U.S. at his second Junior Worlds. On Thursday, Johnson was the top American in 50th in the
It was raining hard on Wednesday at the biathlon stadium in Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia. Like, cats and dogs, “des grenouilles” (frogs, in French), or “junge Hunde” (puppies, in German). But that didn’t stop Biathlon Canada press release. told Biathlon Canada. “It has always been my goal to be like him so to follow that path and do what he did is an amazing feeling. “The nicest message I received today was from JP,” he continued. “He...
LAHTI, Finland — Yesterday’s lick of blue sky winter sun was fleeting, as Lahti woke to overcast skies and buzz that new snow was imminent. Race time temps hovered around 24 degrees Fahrenheit, but with 78-percent humidity and a brisk wind — some would say ripping — blowing out of the west, it felt wind-brief cold. Wednesday’s kickoff events were an opportunity for volunteers, camera crews and even hundreds of local Finnish school children who...
IBU Youth/Junior World Championships (Osrblie, Slovakia): Youth individual races targeting the sprint. “I want to thank first my coaches at home, my parents who always supported me and all the team who did a great job for the race, the skis, thank you,” he told the IBU Junior Cup media. Also on Wednesday, American Vasek Cervenka, who trains with the Nove Mesto biathlon team, raced to 16th (+4:19.5) with five penalties (0+2+2+1). Also for the...
In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 18-year-old Vasek Cervenka, of Grand Rapids, Minn., who will be representing the U.S. at his second Youth Worlds. Last year, Cervenka spent the winter of 2015/2016 youth men’s 12.5-kilometer individual, the first race of 2017 IBU Youth World Championships. *** “My full...
In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 18-year-old Chloe Levins, of the Ethan Allen Biathlon Club, who will be representing the U.S. at her third Youth Worlds. On Wednesday, Levins finished 14th in the
In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 17-year-old Léo Grandbois, of Biathlon Estrie, who will be representing Canada at his first Youth Worlds. In the first race of the championships, Grandbois
In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 18-year-old Adam Runnalls, of Calgary Biathlon Racers, who will be representing Canada at his second Youth Worlds. *** “My full name is Adam Runnalls, but you can call me Adam. I was born in Calgary, raised in Calgary, and one...
In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 19-year-old Nina Armstrong, of Harvard University, who will be representing the U.S. at her first Junior Worlds. *** “My full name is Nina Joy Armstrong. I was born in Albany, N.Y., raised in Lake Placid, N.Y., and one thing you should know...
In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 19-year-old Trevor Kiers, of the Biathlon Alberta Training Centre, who will be representing Canada at his first Junior Worlds. *** “My full name is Trevor John Kiers, but you can call me Trevor. I was born in Welland, Ontario, raised in Sprucedale,...
LAHTI, Finland — Tuesday at Lahti’s venue for the 2017 Nordic World Ski Championships, the sun sets early. Although technically sunset was 5:22 p.m., the sun on this clear-sky day was still wintertime reluctant. It seemed too short a time for the sun’s transect to thaw Lahti. Temps were in the mid-to-low 20 degrees Fahrenheit. But a brisk wind called for down coats and insulated pants for those not actively skiing — in the shade, it...
Before Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins, the last time U.S. women won a championship medal in a team event was back at the first women's biathlon World Championships in 1984, by Julie Newnam, Kari Swenson, and Holly Beattie. It was a different time, says Swenson: spectators warned them that "women shouldn’t be skiing and carrying a rifle, that this was just too hard on women."
In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia. Here’s 17-year-old Anna Sellers, of the Canmore Nordic Ski Club, who will be representing Canada at her first Youth Worlds. *** “My full name is Anna Sellers, but you can call me Anna. I was born in Calgary, Alberta,...