Canadian National Ski Team – Page 33

Canadian National Ski Team Juniors Racing US Ski Team

Oestberg Takes Women’s Pursuit; Bjornsen 17th

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 31, 2011

Norway’s Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg only got one shot at a U-23 World Championship title this year, since she decided to race at Norwegian nationals earlier this week. She made the most of it, skiing to a victory in her only start in Otepaa, Estonia on Monday, in the women’s 15 k pursuit. Her teammate Britt Ingunn Nydal made a late charge to take second, just ahead of Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen, who had pushed the pace...

Canadian National Ski Team General Juniors News Racing US Ski Team

Norway Takes Women’s Relay; Americans Seventh

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 31, 2011

With a squad composed of four individual medalists, the Norwegians skied to victory in the women’s relay at the World Junior Championships on Monday. The Norwegians were trailing slightly to Germany after a tough first leg by Ragnhild Haga. But Martina Ek Hagen took over, closed the gap, and handed the race off to Heidi Weng, who broke the Russian and Swedish teams with a big attack on the skate course’s steepest, toughest climb in...

Canadian National Ski Team General Juniors News Racing US Ski Team

Weeger Wins Pursuit the Hard Way; Shields, Patterson 31 and 35

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 30, 20111

There was no doubt who was the strongest man in Sunday’s 20 k pursuit at the World Junior Championships. Germany’s Markus Weeger won the race the hard way, attacking halfway through and maintaining a 20-second advantage over a small group of chasers all the way to the line. Russia’s Konstantin Kuleev was second, outsprinting Finland’s Perttu Hyvarinen. The 19-year-old Weeger, who hails from near Nuremberg but trains in the ski mecca of Oberstdorf, collected his...

Canadian National Ski Team General Juniors News Racing US Ski Team

Diggins 12th in Pursuit After Crash; Norwegian Cousins Take Top 2

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 30, 20111

Good thing Jessie Diggins has perspective. Sure, it doesn’t hurt that she’s only 19, with plenty more international racing in her future, including a trip to the 2011 World Ski Championships later this winter. But still, some athletes would be bitter, disappointed, or downright pissed off to crash out of contention in a big race they had a shot at winning. Not Diggins, who picked herself up after a broken pole in the first kilometer...

Canadian National Ski Team General Juniors News Racing US Ski Team

Americans Struggle in Otepaa Classic Sprint Heats; Marshall 12th

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 29, 20112

The North American performance in Saturday’s U-23 classic sprint certainly wasn’t embarassing. Behind a dominating victory by Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen, Canada’s Alysson Marshall was 12th, cracking the semifinals for her first time as a U-23. And the U.S.’s Sadie Bjornsen was 11th in the prelim, ahead of one of the podium finishers. But none of the three American women who qualified for the heats in Otepaa, Estonia, made it past the quarterfinals, and there was...

Canadian National Ski Team Juniors Racing US Ski Team

Cockney Sixth in U-23 Sprint; Valjas Misses A-Final

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 29, 2011

A mix of impressive strength, clever tactics and luck took a Canadian man all the way to the finals of Saturday’s U-23 World Championships classic sprint. It just wasn’t the one everyone expected. Instead of the lanky 6’6” frame of Len Valjas gunning for a medal in Otepaa, Estonia, it was the perfectly average one of Jesse Cockney, who showed in a strong outing that what he lacks in height, he makes up with ski...

Canadian National Ski Team Juniors Racing US Ski Team

Valjas Takes Second in U-23 Sprint Prelim; Nine N. Americans Qualify

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 29, 2011

One year ago, it was an American, Simi Hamilton, who topped the men’s skate sprint prelim at the U-23 World Championships in Germany. In this season’s edition, Canada’s Len Valjas couldn’t quite match that feat, but he came darn close. In Saturday’s classic sprint qualifier in Estonia, he was second, within a half-second of Olympic silver medalist Alexander Panzhinskiy of Russia, the winner. The finish sets up Valjas well for a run at a medal...

Canadian National Ski Team General Juniors News Racing US Ski Team

Anger Takes Crash-Marred Otepaa Sprint; Two Canadians Top-30

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 28, 2011

Sure, sprinting is sprinting. But try telling that to Russia’s Elena Soboleva and Germany’s Hanna Kolb. The two were all but guaranteed medals in Friday’s classic sprint at the World Junior Championships when both went for the same track, taking a tumble that cost them the race. As the two struggled to untangle their skis and poles, Kolb’s teammate Lucia Anger skied by with two Norwegians, Kari Oeyre Slind and Ragnhild Haga. Those three took...

Canadian National Ski Team Juniors Racing US Ski Team

Bjornsen Leads 3 N. Americans in WJ Sprint Qualifier; Two More Are 31st

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 28, 2011

For the North Americans, Thursday morning’s classic sprint qualifier was a day of inches and almosts. Out of 15 U.S. and Canadian starters at the World Junior Championships in Estonia, just three cracked the top 30 and qualified for the afternoon heats: Erik Bjornsen (USA) in an impressive 10th, and Canada’s Janelle Greer and Heidi Widmer in 20th and 27th, respectively. But two more were painfully close, and ended up occupying the dreaded 31st position:...

Canadian National Ski Team General Juniors News Racing US Ski Team

Lahteenmaki Leaves Women’s 10 K Behind; Nishikawa 16th

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 27, 2011

If one of the races at the 2011 World U-23 Championships was a foregone conclusion, it was probably the women’s 10 k freestyle. The top-seeded athlete on Thursday’s start list in Otepaa, Estonia was Finnish powerhouse Krista Lahteenmaki, a World Cup silver medalist—and the results were predictable. In an effort that serves as a stark benchmark for the rest of the U-23 women, Lahteenmaki skied to the win by a full minute over Russia’s Mariya...

Canadian National Ski Team General Juniors News Racing US Ski Team

Sandau 5th, Musgrave 6th, Hoffman 9th Behind Russian 15 K Sweep

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 27, 2011

When Britain’s Andrew Musgrave came through the stadium leading the first lap of the 15 k freestyle on Thursday, it was clear that it was going to be a good day for Anglophones at the U-23 Championships in Otepaa, Estonia—even if the Russian team ultimately swept the podium. Musgrave lost his early lead, but still held on for sixth place, and was joined in the top 10 by Canadian Kevin Sandau and American Noah Hoffman...

Canadian National Ski Team General Juniors News Racing US Ski Team

Skar Wins Junior Champs 10 K; Patterson Leads N. Americans in 28th

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 26, 2011

Even by Norway’s standards, four out of six ain’t bad. After the country’s women swept the podium in the World Junior Championships 5 k freestyle on Wednesday morning, Sindre Bjoernestad Skar collected the country’s fourth medal of the day by winning the men’s 10 k event, topping Germany’s Markus Weeger and Finland’s Perttu Hyvarinen. With the first of seven events down in Otepaa, Estonia, Norway is in possession of two-thirds of the hardware. While Skar...

Canadian National Ski Team General Juniors News Racing US Ski Team

Otep-What? Who-ffman? FasterSkier’s Guide to 2011 U-23’s and World Juniors

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 25, 2011

For U.S. ski fans, this year’s World Junior and U-23 Championships, which begin Wednesday in Estonia, have the potential to be pretty sweet. On paper, the American squad is as good as any from the last five years, and deeper, too. No fewer than five of its athletes will go on to compete at the World Ski Championships in Oslo later this winter. With Estonia experiencing one of its best winters in years, and two...

Canadian National Ski Team Racing World Cup

Gaiazova Nets Career-Best Eighth in Estonia; Crawford 27th

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 23, 2011

Estonia has been good to Canada’s Dasha Gaiazova. One year after notching a career-best 12th place in the Otepaa classic sprint, Gaiazova did herself four places better in the same event on Sunday, finishing fourth in her semifinal heat and eighth overall. The result netted Gaiazova $750, and a big confidence boost as she heads home to prepare for the 2011 World Championships in Oslo. The racing in Otepaa wrapped up an exceptional two-week stint...

Canadian National Ski Team Racing World Cup

Majdic Snags Third Win of the Season in Otepaa Classic Sprint

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 23, 2011

Cue the crowd and the rock music: Petra Majdic (SLO) has won another World Cup sprint race. After leading wire-to-wire in Sunday’s classic sprint final in Otepaa, Estonia, Majdic repeated a raucous celebration that is quickly becoming her trademark—taking her third win of the year with gusto over Sweden’s Hanna Brodin and Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla. Canada’s Dasha Gaiazova skied to eighth, her career-best finish in an individual World Cup, after coming from last in...

Canadian National Ski Team General News Racing Tour de Ski World Cup

Harvey on His Tour: “I Don’t Feel Like I’m Peaked”

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 18, 2011

Alex Harvey turned heads at the 2011 edition of the Tour de Ski, capping off four top-10 finishes with 10th place overall. But the 22-year-old Canadian insists that the best is still to come, later this season. “I feel really good, but I don’t feel like I’m peaked,” he said, in an interview on his way home from the Tour. “The plan was never to be in the best shape here.” Harvey’s strong results in...

Canadian National Ski Team General News Racing World Cup

Bjoergen “From Another Planet” in Norwegian Team Sprint Win; Canadians Fifth

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 16, 2011

Norway’s Marit Bjoergen can’t have been pleased when her season-long winning streak came to an end in Liberec, Czech Republic on Saturday. But seven victories in her eight World Cup starts isn’t all that bad. After being edged out for a berth in the finals of Saturday’s freestyle sprint, everything was back to normal in the women’s field in Sunday’s classic team sprint. Led by Bjoergen and rounded out by Maiken Caspersen Falla, the Norwegian...

Canadian National Ski Team News Other News Racing World Cup

Canadian 2011 World Championship Teams Announced

Ben TheyerlJanuary 16, 2011

January 14, 2011 – Cross Country Canada is pleased to announce the World Senior Championship Team 2011 – selection synopsis to follow. The following athletes have been selected to the 2011 World Championships Team competing in Oslo, Norway from Feb.22-March 6. – Devon Kershaw (Ona-Wa-Su/NST) – Alex Harvey (Club Nordique M.S.A/NST) – Dasha Gaiazova (Rocky Mountain Racers/NST) – Chandra Crawford (Canmore Nordic/NST) – Stefan Kuhn (Canmore Nordic/NST) – Perianne Jones (Nakkertok/NST) – Ivan Babikov (Foothills...

Canadian National Ski Team Continental Cup General News Racing

Grey, Jones Win Skate Distance at Nor-Ams in Thunder Bay

Inge ScheveJanuary 10, 2011

Sunday marked the final day for the Nor-Am races at Thunder Bay, Ontario, which also doubled as Canadian World trials for Junior Worlds, U23 Worlds and the 2011 World Championships in Oslo. However, both the men’s and the women’s winners had already secured their tickets earlier in the week.

Canadian National Ski Team Continental Cup General News Racing

Canadians Distribute Tickets to World Champs

Inge ScheveJanuary 9, 2011

Winners of the NorAm sprints in Thunder Bay also secured tickets to the World Championships. The weekend series serves as World trials for U23, World Juniors and the 2011 World Championships in Oslo.

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