Olympics – Page 3 – FasterSkier.com

Athletes weigh in on NY Times statement that Diggins looks like a “sprite” relative to her competition

Rachel PerkinsFebruary 11, 2022

On February 8th, cross country skiing made the New York Times headlines as Jessie Diggins collected an historic bronze medal in the 1.5-kilometer freestyle sprint. No American woman had ever won an individual medal in cross country skiing, and no American cross country skier of either gender had won multiple Olympic medals. Diggins had earned gold in 2018 racing the freestyle team sprint with partner, and current NBC analyst, Kikkan Randall. Normally, attention given to...

Biathlon Olympics Racing

(Press Release) U.S. Qualifies All Four Women for Olympic Pursuit

FasterSkierFebruary 11, 2022

Susan Dunklee (Craftsbury, Vt./Craftsbury Green Racing Project & USBA) set the pace for the rest of the U.S. women’s team during Friday’s 7.5-kilometer sprint at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games. Dunklee’s top-30 performance at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Center led the way for all four American women to qualify for Sunday’s 10km pursuit, the first time that has happened in U.S. Biathlon Olympic history. She used clean shooting to finish 27th in the field of 89,...

Canadian National Ski Team Olympics Racing

(Press Release) Olympic Rookie Olivier Léveillé Leads Canucks in Individual Classic Cross-Country Ski Race at Beijing

FasterSkierFebruary 11, 2022

The youngest member on Canada’s Olympic cross-country ski team, Olivier Léveillé, battled to a 29th-place finish at the Beijing Olympics on Friday. The 20-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que. found his groove while steadily working his way around the 15-kilomtetre course to finish in the elite group of 30 with a time of 40:52.0. “It is always hard to ski at altitude, but I felt good today,” said Léveillé. “Sometimes you feel like you are stuck in a gear,...

News Olympics Racing

(Results Brief) Niskanen strides away with gold medal; Bolshunov 2nd, and Klæbo 3rd; Patterson top US skier in 38th

Rachel PerkinsFebruary 11, 2022

In what might be the rematch of the games, Finland’s Iivo Niskanen faced Alexander Bolshunov of the Russian Olympic Committee in the 15-kilometer individual start classic event. In the opening event of the Games, the 30 k mass start skiathlon, Niskanen and Bolshunov raced together to set the pace well off the front of the men’s pack for the first 15 k, raced classic, but Niskanen could not hold the effort in the freestyle half....

Community News Olympics Racing

U.S. coaches face “impossibly hard” choices for women’s relay selection

Nathaniel HerzFebruary 10, 2022

ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA — American cross-country ski coaches face a high-stakes dilemma over the next 24 hours as they choose which members of their deep, talented women’s team will race Saturday’s four-person relay at the Beijing Olympics. The U.S. women have a fair shot at a medal in the event, in which each woman skis a five-kilometer leg. But don’t envy the American coaches, who are still pondering which of six athletes will fill the last two...

$For Patterson, 11th-place Olympic finish caps “insane” recovery from late summer wrist fracture$

Community News Olympics Racing

For Patterson, 11th-place Olympic finish caps “insane” recovery from late summer wrist fracture

Nathaniel HerzFebruary 10, 2022

ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA — Even Scott Patterson wasn’t totally certain he was the right guy for the American Olympic team in Beijing. The veteran Alaska cross-country skier broke his wrist in August, derailing his training and throwing his participation in the Games into limbo. When he finally made it to Europe to race on the top-level World Cup circuit, he placed fourth-to-last in his first event back. “I was a little bit questioning,” said Patterson. “The last...

News Olympics Racing

Johaug Wins Second Gold in a Close Race; Diggins Leads Americans in 8th

Ella HallFebruary 10, 2022

This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and the A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com. Thursday morning saw the third women’s cross-country race in the Zhangjiakou stadium. On the docket, a 10-kilometer individual start classic with two laps of a challenging 5 k course. After a...

Community Doping General News Olympics Racing

Bolshunov has never tested positive. But the shadow of Sochi still hangs over his Olympic win.

Nathaniel HerzFebruary 10, 2022

ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA — Russia, and its flag, are officially barred from the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, a ruling that stems from continuing doping violations following a massive, state-sponsored scandal at the 2014 Games in Sochi that included cross-country skiers. But other Russian cross-country skiers are still competing here, under the flag of their country’s Olympic committee. And on Sunday, in their first race of the Games, Russian men took the top two places. Star Alexander...

Canadian National Ski Team Olympics Racing

(Press Release) Dahria Beatty Beaming in 18th with Career Best Olympic Result

FasterSkierFebruary 10, 2022

Canada’s Dahria Beatty was beaming after cracking the top-20 for the first time in her two trips to the Olympic Winter Games, finishing the women’s individual start 10-kilometre classic cross-country skiing event in 18th spot. Feeding off career-best Olympic performances in her first two starts, the 27-year-old put down a memorable performance, skiing twice around the demanding five-kilometre loop in a time of 30:00.2. “I definitely feel like I am in the best shape of...

Olympics Racing

(Results Brief) Johaug Takes Gold By Narrow Margin Ahead of Finns; Diggins 8th, Brennan 13th

Rachel PerkinsFebruary 10, 2022

Stay tuned for in-depth race coverage, coming soon. The third women’s cross country ski competition of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games featured a 10-kilometer interval start classic competition. Starting as the second athlete in the seeded group in bib 36, Therese Johaug (NOR) set a high bar, her tempo quick and her breathing labored as she worked every meter of the course to finish in 28:06.3. The next two seeded bibs, both of Finland,...

Multimedia Olympics Photo Gallery Racing

Inside the Medal Ceremony: Jessie Diggins brings home bronze.

Rachel PerkinsFebruary 9, 2022

The first. With a perfect storm of tactics, technique, and peak race form, Jessie Diggins fought to the line to finish third behind Swedish sprint phenoms Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist in the women’s 1.5-kilometer freestyle sprint. This historic result makes her the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in an individual cross country ski event. “It’s overwhelming, but in a good way,” Diggins said in the press conference. “It’s just really emotional...

Lifestyle Olympics Racing

Brennan breaks out with near-medal in Olympic sprint

Nathaniel HerzFebruary 8, 2022

ZHANGJIAKOU, CHINA — Rosie Brennan brought two left boots to her cross-country ski race at the Olympics on Tuesday. Then, she crashed. Just speed bumps on her way to history. Brennan’s fourth place in Tuesday’s sprint, in the skating technique, was overshadowed by her teammate Jessie Diggins’ bronze — only the third Olympic cross-country skiing medal in U.S. history, and the first individual medal for women. But Brennan’s result is arguably just as big of an...

Olympics Racing

Diggins Writes History as First American Woman to Earn Individual Olympic Medal With Bronze in the Freestyle Sprint

Rachel PerkinsFebruary 8, 2022

This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and the A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com. The History: A survey of the last five Olympic cycles shows a clear trend in American women’s sprint results: upward. In the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, no Americans...

News Olympics Racing

Klæbo Defends Olympic Gold as Americans Soar to New Heights in the Freestyle Sprint

Ben TheyerlFebruary 8, 2022

This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and the A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com. During the American broadcast of the 30-kilometer Skiathlon on Sunday, NBC Analyst Chad Salmela made the comment that race represented the “old-school” of long-burn, grind-it-out ski racing. That...

Olympics Racing

Hannah Halvorsen’s Olympic experience ended in three minutes. It was still “perfect.”

Nathaniel HerzFebruary 8, 2022

Hannah Halvorsen made her appearance at the Olympics just two years after sustaining life-threatening injuries when a car hit her in an Anchorage crosswalk. Two years ago, Hannah Halvorsen sustained life-threatening injuries when a car hit her in an Anchorage crosswalk. On Tuesday, she raced at the Olympics in China. Her Games are likely over after a single three-and-a-half-minute qualifying sprint race — her qualifying time wasn’t fast enough to earn a spot in the medal...

Canadian National Ski Team Olympics Racing

(Press Release) Dahria Beatty Skis to Second-Straight Olympic Best Result Graham Ritchie finishes as top Canadian male in Olympic debut, placing 34th

FasterSkierFebruary 8, 2022

Dahria Beatty turned in another Olympic best result with a 25th-place finish in Tuesday’s free technique cross-country skiing sprint race. The two-time Olympian was the lone Canadian to qualify for the head-to-head heats with the quickest 30 athletes. The 27-year-old clocked the 28th fastest time around the challenging 1.5-kilometre course that spirals throughout the Zhangjiakou National Cross-Country Ski Centre. Beatty, who hails from Whitehorse, had her day come to a halt after a photo finish...

Biathlon Olympics Racing US Biathlon

(Press Release) In Race of Her Life, Deedra Irwin Posts Top Finish Ever by an American Biathlete

FasterSkierFebruary 7, 2022

BEIJING, China (Feb. 5, 2022) – Things don’t always go according to plan, but occasionally someone can exceed even her wildest expectations. Such was the case for Deedra Irwin of Pulaski, Wisconsin, who on Monday turned in the best Olympic performance ever by an American biathlete, finishing seventh in the women’s 15-kilometer individual event at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre northwest of Beijing. “I was trying to focus on just working on everything I’ve worked on this week,”...

Olympics Racing The Devon Kershaw Show

The Rumble at The Wall: Kershaw vs Harvey

FasterSkierFebruary 7, 2022

Who’s going to win the races? This was the topic of much enthusiastic speculation on the final pre-Olympic episode of the Devon Kershaw Show. Here are the compiled podium picks from Kershaw and special guest Alex Harvey, based on what was known about Covid presences and absences as of last Sunday (as host Nat Herz will be on the ground reporting, he remained professionally agnostic on the question of predictions during this show). Picks are...

Olympics Racing

Bolshunov Dominates Men’s 30 k Skiathlon to Win First Olympic Gold; Patterson Matches Olympic Career Best in 11th

Rachel PerkinsFebruary 6, 2022

This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and the A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com. On the heels of the women’s opening Olympic race, a colorful lycra field in their Sunday best lined up to race the men’s 30-kilometer skiathlon. While the women raced a...

Biathlon Olympics Racing

(Press Release) U.S. Equals Best Mixed Relay Finish at Olympics

FasterSkierFebruary 6, 2022

BEIJING, China (Feb. 5, 2022) – The American quartet of Susan Dunklee Craftsbury, Vt./Craftsbury Green Racing Project & USBA), Clare Egan (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Craftsbury Green Racing Project & USBA), Sean Doherty (Center Conway, N.H./National Guard Biathlon & USBA) and Paul Schommer (Appleton, Wis./Team Crosscut & USABA) finished seventh in the mixed relay Saturday as the Beijing 2020 Winter Games biathlon competition got underway at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Center. The result tied the best-ever finish for Team USA in an Olympic mixed relay, equaling...

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