US Ski Team – Page 57

Koos and Sargent Lead US in Strong Beito Sprint Showing

Topher SabotFebruary 11, 2011

A large contingent of US skiers took part in a classic sprint event in Beitostolen, Norway as World Championships approaches. The races featured large fields, consisting mainly of Norwegians, including several members of the World Championship team. The Americans fared well right from the start, sending four women and three men to the heats. Sadie Bjornsen, Jessie Diggins, and Ida Sargent placed 4th through 6th respectively in qualification, while Liz Stephen was 30th for the...

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US, Canada Prepare for World Champs in Norway

Topher SabotFebruary 10, 2011

One year ago, the US and Canadian Olympic teams were in Whistler, British Columbia getting ready for the 2010 Olympic Games. This year, there are obviously no Olympics, but with medals on the line at the only marginally less prestigious World Championships, North American athletes are gearing up for the highlight of the season. Both team have arrived in Norway, and many of the skiers are looking to a series of FIS races in Beitostolen...

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From Team Smigun to Team USA

Nathaniel HerzFebruary 9, 2011

Traces of skiing legends are all over Otepaa, Estonia, where American athletes were contesting the cross-country World Junior and U-23 Championships in late January. Framed posters of the country’s Olympic medalists were scattered near the entrance to the venue, in the “Park of Estonian Skiing Heroes.” Jaak Mae’s Mercedes Benz was parked across the way. But inside the American service cabin, in the guise of a pudgy, unassuming figure at one of the wax tables,...

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Hanneman 9th in Swedish Sprint Race

Inge ScheveFebruary 4, 20115

The first day of the Nordic Junior Competition in Örnsköldsvik (SWE) featured classic sprints for both men and women, and Logan Hanneman (FAST) was third in the B-final. The Americans qualified three women and three men for the heats.

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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:...

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Otepaa World Junior Sprint: Will Anyone Double-Pole?

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 27, 2011

The question may not have been burning on Thursday, but at the very least, it was smoldering: Would any of the junior men attempt to double-pole Friday’s classic sprint? At last weekend’s World Cup races on the same course in Otepaa, Estonia, Norway’s Eirik Brandsdal double-poled through his qualifier and all three heats to edge out his teammate, Ola Vigen Hattestad, for the win. Only a handful of others tried the maneuver in the preliminary,...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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US Ski Team Members Headline World Championship Team

Topher SabotJanuary 13, 2011

On Wednesday the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) announced a squad of 14 skiers to attend World Championships in Oslo, Norway at the end of February. That is one more than attended the 2009 edition in Liberec, Czech Republic. The team is split evenly between men and women – seven of each gender will have the opportunity to compete against the best in the world’s greatest ski nation. The selection of the team...

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Discretion Plays Big Role in Worlds Selections, But No Outcry

Nathaniel HerzJanuary 13, 20115

Just before the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) named its team traveling to the 2011 World Championships in Oslo, Brian Gregg got a voicemail from U.S. Ski Team Head Coach Chris Grover. Gregg, a strong domestic skier on CXC’s Team Vertical Limit, was ranked eighth nationally, and had a shot—albeit a small one—at being selected to the group heading to Worlds. But the news from Grover was disappointing: Gregg’s results had been good, but...

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