The Junior World Championships ended Monday with the junior relays, where Norway won the men's race and Sweden took the women's team title, and the Canadian women had the top North American finish in 10th.
The first day of the UVM Carnival and Eastern Cup in Stowe, Vermont saw some exciting action on the Trapp Family Lodge trails. Here is a look at some of the top finishers courtesy of Tamara Hitchcock.
The second day of the UVM Carnival and Eastern Cup continued in Stowe, Vermont at Trapp Family Lodge. Here is a look at some of the top finishers courtesy of Tamara Hitchcock.
While Russia stole the spotlight in the men's and women's individual classic races at Junior World Championships on Sunday, two Canadians notched top-15 career bests on the second-to-last day of the championships: Ricardo Izquierdo-Bernier and Dahria Beatty.
Two Frenchmen and two Norwegian women pushed each other to the finish of Saturday's skiathlons, the last races of U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. UVM's Scott Patterson led the North Americans in 18th and Rosie Frankowski (NMU) captured her first top 30 in 26th.
Satisfied, yet unfulfilled was the sentiment of the North Americans who competed in the 2014 U23 World Championship 10 k and 15 k classic at Val di Fiemme, Italy. With fresh snow falling on the challenging course of Lago di Tesero, the best U23 skiers from North America put their best efforts forward in an attempt to make their mark on the international stage.
Finnish skier Iivo Niskanen and Norwegian Martine Elk Hagen have continued their families’ legacies in the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme on Thursday. Tackling a course covered in fresh snow, Niskanen, brother to Finnish superstar Kerttu Niskanen, and Hagen, cousin of Norway’s up-and-coming Heidi Weng, won their respective 10 k and 15 k individual classic races on the trails of Lago di Tesero.
Jessie Diggins once again demonstrated that she’s a skier with a lot of heart at the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. On the same course where she earned a historic world championship gold in the team sprint with Kikkan Randall in 2013, the 22-year-old left the 1.2 k freestyle sprint knowing she gave it her all.
With a World Cup sprint victory already under his belt, Russia's Sergey Ustiugov racked up another U23 title and Jessie Diggins came oh-so-close, winning the women's qualifier then placing second to Germany's Elisabeth Schicho in the final. France's Jean Tiberghien won the junior men's sprint, Sweden's Jonna Sundling captured her first individual junior title, and Canada's Katherine Stewart-Jones placed 15th.
Junior Canadian women bring the heat in the opening sprints of the Val-di-Fiemme World Juniors.
After three trials races in Presque Isle, Maine - which will also host the big event itself - the U.S. has selected a team for World Youth and Junior Championships in biathlon.
Last weekend, Team Hardwood held its annual Midget Camp; it's goal: to get as many young kids as possible to fall in love with cross country skiing. With a total of 8 midget-aged athletes, 4 volunteers from Team Hardwood’s senior racing team and our Head Coach Ron Howden, one volunteer says mission accomplished.
Switzerland has a population just a bit smaller than the state of Virginia, and despite the Alps and Jura mountains faces some of the same challenges in developing World Cup skiers that you might find in North America. We chatted with Swiss U24 coach Christian Flury, formerly of Alberta World Cup Academy, about how his squad represents his country's future, and how he manages it.
Far West juniors from Truckee, North Tahoe, Sugar Bowl Academy and Mammoth programs took part in a four-day camp in the Eastern Sierra July 18-21. Camping in June Lake, participants experienced lots of sunshine and warm temperatures while putting in some high quality training.
This is the final piece of a four-part series on female nordic coaches in the U.S. Part IV gathers input from women who work with the little guys, the future of skiing, in thriving youth programs across the country. “It’s all about fun for the younger skiers," says Tamarack Gliders coach Marie French. "If we catch their interest year after year, even if it’s with a ride on the groomer or rolling around in the powder, they will love cross-country skiing and come back for more."
The third chapter in 'Part of the Team: The Impact of Female Coaches in the U.S.' takes a look at female coaches who work with U18 and U16 athletes, the kids who are in the process of choosing nordic skiing over other sports. These coaches are involved with juniors at a critical point in their development, and many discuss how they mentor their skiers and why they've stuck with that level.
Ski walking, hill bounding, and moose hoofing are a great way to incorporate ski-specific movements into a dryland workout. There are many ways to use these training tools, but I am going to recommend a favorite interval workout that touches on all three techniques: the 4’s and 1’s. This low-impact workout works great for skiers of all ages and abilities, from juniors to masters.
Vermont biathlete Tara Geraghty-Moats spent the year training at a Swedish ski gymnasium, with the goal of improving her shooting thanks to full-time coaching; it paid off with a win in the junior sprint at Swedish Championships. In a month, she'll move back to the U.S. to train with Algis Shalna and focus on the next World Juniors in Presque Isle, Maine.
Moving right along with our Skier of the Year awards, we’re delighted to introduce Junior of the Year, which goes to U.S. biathlete Sean Doherty and Canadian Anne-Marie Comeau. Honorable mentions included as well.
Some of our favorite shots from the 1-kilometer freestyle sprints at the 2013 Cross Country Junior National Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska. Special thanks to Bert Boyer and his extensive photo coverage, all of which can be viewed at higher resolution and are available for purchase at bertboyer.zenfolio.com. All proceeds go to NNF.