“All of cross-country skiing in the U.S. is really excited for this moment,” said Holly Brooks, who trains with Kikkan Randall in Anchorage and is one of her teammates at the Olympics.
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Every skier’s dream. Cross country skiing on it’s biggest stage.
Olympics Skiathlon Photos: North American Men
BrainspiralFebruary 10, 2014
Photos of the U.S. and Canadian men on the first day of the men's cross-country races at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Two Canadians finished in the top 30, and Noah Hoffman led the U.S. in 35th.
Crawford 25th in Biathlon Sprint; Four Canadian Women Forge Ahead to Pursuit
Alex KochonFebruary 10, 2014
Canada's Rosanna Crawford and Megan Imrie notched their best performances at their second Olympics in 25th and 31st, respectively, on Sunday in the 7.5 k sprint. Things came together for Zina Kocher in 32nd, and Megan Heinicke squeaked in the top 60 to also qualify for Tuesday's pursuit.
With Three Rookies, U.S. Biathletes Manage the Pressure, Put Three in Pursuit
Chelsea LittleFebruary 10, 2014
After Susan Dunklee turned in the best-ever U.S. women's performance in an Olympic sprint, Sara Studebaker clocked in at 44th and Annelies Cook in 53rd, while Hannah Dreissigacker just missed the cutoff for Tuesday's pursuit in 65th. "So actually getting there, it’s a huge feeling for me," Cook said of her first Olympic finish.
Erik Bjornsen and Brian Gregg are looking to use today's 30 k skiathlon to boost their performances later in the Olympics, where Bjornsen is focusing on the 15 k classic and Gregg on the 50 k skate. Graeme Killick of Canada, meanwhile, adjusted to not being in the front with a huge gap. Kris Freeman struggled in the skiathlon, and he and coach Zach Caldwell are doing some soul-searching to figure out why.
Martin Johnsrud Sundby held onto his medal from Sunday's skiathlon -- his first at an Olympic Games -- while the Russian ski association attempted to make a second appeal on the grounds that Sundby cut off Maxim Vylegzhanin.
With Surprise Victory, Kuzmina Repeats Olympic Biathlon Sprint Title; Vilukhina Second To Salvage Russian Pride
Chelsea LittleFebruary 9, 2014
Anastasiya Kuzmina of Slovakia hasn't won a race in over a year, but today she repeated her Olympic sprint title from Vancouver, shooting clean and skiing the fourth-fastest time of the day. Olga Vilukhina, a Russian biathlete who this season switched to the training group of Vladimir Korolkevich, which also included two athletes who recently failed doping tests, took silver.
Ultimate Comeback Kid, Cologna Captures Olympic Gold in Skiathlon Opener
Alex KochonFebruary 9, 2014
In the wrong place at the wrong time three months ago when he slipped on ice and tore ligaments in his ankle, Switzerland’s Dario Cologna made sure he was in position to do something stellar on Sunday at the first men's cross-country ski race of the Olympics. He won his second Olympic gold, beating the defending champion Marcus Hellner or Sweden to the line.
Harvey’s Pursuit Hampered by Skis with ‘No Kick and No Glide’; Hoffman Finishes 35th
Nathaniel HerzFebruary 9, 2014
Alex Harvey, the Canadian medal hopeful, placed 18th in the Olympic pursuit, hindered by a pair of classic skis that he said were both slick and slow. Noah Hoffman led Americans in 35th.
First Race Over and Done, New Olympians (and Some Veterans) Soak Up the Spirit
Alex KochonFebruary 8, 2014
For most, the Olympic experience goes much deeper than results, and that couldn't have been more true for several North Americans competing at the highest stage of their sport for the first time on Saturday. U.S. cross-country skier Jessie Diggins emerged in eighth and Canadian biathlete Nathan Smith tallied 13th to highlight the day.
Le Guellec One-Ups Previous Olympic Best with Fifth in Biathlon Sprint; Three Canadians in Top 25
Chelsea LittleFebruary 8, 2014
Setting out on the last loop of today's 10 k sprint, Jean Philippe Le Guellec of Canada as sitting in fourth - all he had to do was make up a couple of seconds to earn a medal. But on Sochi's treacherous and brutally difficult course, Le Guellec gave it his all and still ended up fifth. It bettered his previous record for a Canadian men's Olympic performance by one spot; teammate Nathan Smith placed 13th.
Burke, Bailey Missing Top Gear in Sochi Olympic Debut
Chelsea LittleFebruary 8, 2014
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On the eve of the Olympics, the air of excitement and anticipation among the Norwegian cross-country team was wiped out by the death of Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen’s younger brother, Sten Anders. Together, their women overcame adversity and put three in the top four of Saturday's skiathlon, with Marit Bjørgen leading the charge.
While the 15 k skiathlon, the first cross country ski race of the Olympic Games, could have been a warm-up, it turned into much more for the U.S. women: Jessie Diggins rocketed her way into eight, the best finish ever by a U.S. woman at the Games, and Liz Stephen placed 12th.
After all the buildup and accompanying action of Saturday’s cross-country and biathlon competitions, the first of the 2014 Winter Olympics, there was plenty to talk about on Saturday. Here are some of the soundbites that didn’t make the race reports.
The first three of the 36 cross-country skiing medals at stake at the Sochi Olympics are up for grabs Saturday, as racing begins here with the women's 15 k pursuit. Four Americans and three Canadians are entered in the event, which will have the athletes racing four 3.75-kilometer laps on trails at the Laura Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon Center --a massive Olympic complex installed at the top of a ridge in Russia's Western Caucasus Mountains over the last five years.
Biathlon Preview with Rosanna Crawford: Olympians Ready for Unique Features, New and Old, of Sochi Courses
Chelsea LittleFebruary 7, 2014
Canada's Rosanna Crawford says that some features of the Sochi course have stayed the same since the World Cup visited last year: the big climbs, the shooting range with an easy approach and huge retaining walls which cut the wind. But as Max Cobb explains, some changes have been made to the courses as well based in part on Organizing Committee layout errors.
FasterSkier caught up with U.S. Ski Team member Noah Hoffman to talk about everything from his training to his mentality and goals before the Olympics. Hoffman plans to compete in four events: the 30-kilometer skiathlon, 15 k classic individual start, 4 x 10 k relay, and 50 k freestyle, respectively.
With the Winter Olympics set to kick off in earnest with the Opening Ceremony on Friday night, the Canadian National Cross-Country Team is ready to go in the mountain village of Krasnaya Polyana, where it's been training for the last few days. This is the story of how their team grew by two just a few weeks before the Olympics, shortly after the official nomination.
For Canadian Skiers in Sochi, a Team is a Family
Seth AdamsFebruary 6, 2014
The Canadian Olympic Team gave a press conference today in Sochi, discussing how their past experiences have shaped their arrival at this Olympics and what it means to be a team.