Australian XC Ski Team Report
FasterSkierDecember 27, 2009
HomeCategory
World Cup
The cream of the crop. The best in the world compete all winter long on the World Cup. We follow them at every stop with article and results. We also post occasional reports from North America’s best as they travel the globe.
In exactly nine days, the fourth edition of the Viessmann FIS Tour de Ski performance by Craft Sportswear will get underway. For the first time this exciting race series will start on New Year’s Day in Oberhof, Germany. This season, the three Oberhof Stages will be followed by a sprint in Prague. After a rest day the Tour will continue with another premiere, an A to B race from Cortina to Toblach with a 17...
World Cup Rankings: Norway Leads the Way
Topher SabotDecember 22, 2009
At the end of the first World Cup period, Norway is clearly the top nation on the circuit. In addition to leading the Nation Cup, Norway also has the overall individual leaders for both men and women. Nation Cup The Nation Cup rankings are determined by the total World Cup points scored by a nation – both genders combined. Norway, the perennial winner, already has a lead of over 1100 points. Russia is second and...
US and Canada Four Each in Red Group
FasterSkierDecember 22, 2009
With the end of the first World Cup period comes updated “Red Group” lists from FIS. The Red Group consists of the top-30 men and women in both distance and sprint. Ranking is based on World Cup points and includes races from the previous twelve months. Racers in the Red Group have travel and lodging expenses covered by World Cup event organizers, so this is a big deal for National Governing Bodies. The Red Group...
Earlier this month, Olympic Medalist Julia Tchepalova (RUS) was spotted skiing in Davos, Switzerland during the week leading up to the World Cup events there. Tchepalova is currently prohibited from starting FIS sanctioned events due to doping violations, and a two-year ban is pending. She was seen training on the Davos trails wearing a generic uniform, very similar to the Swiss National Suit. One report had her training with the Russian Team, though this was...
In 22nd place, Alex Harvey was today’s top American racer in the 30km classic race at Rogla. Taking 35th place in the sprint race yesterday, Harvey was just 1.67 seconds out of qualifying rounds. A native of Quebec, Harvey has been racing on the Canadian National Team since 2007. You have had a really solid weekend of racing – are you feeling like you are coming into your race form? I am really happy with my shape right now. I am...
Rogla, Slovenia – The US Ski Team did not have a great day on the trails today, but still managed to turn in some solid results. Andy Newell set a personal-best with a 41st in the men’s 30km classic mass start, and Kikkan Randall finished 30th in the women’s 15km event. Neither, however, were thrilled with their performances. Lars Flora was 47th, and Kris Freeman dropped out due to blood sugar issues. Solid For Newell...
Rogla, Slovenia – Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) added 125 World Cup points to her season total with a victory in the women’s 15km classic mass start this morning. Kowalczyk finished 4.6 seconds clear of Marit Bjoergen (NOR), the winner of yesterday’s sprint. Bjoergen edged out Anna Haag (SWE) in a photo finish. There were two intermediate sprints with 15,10, and 5 World Cup points awarded to the to the first three. “I did not plan to...
Rogla, Slovenia, Petter Northug (NOR) erased any doubt that he is the best all-around skier on the World Cup this season, following up his victory in yesterday’s sprint with his trademark late surge to capture the 30km Mass Start in Slovenia. Northug added to his overall World Cup lead on the 2.5km course. Racers did a total of 12 loops and bonus World Cup points were awarded every 7.5km. “I feel very happy about my...
Tim Burke made history this morning as the first American to lead the overall IBU World Cup points list. Burke started in 8th place in today’s pursuit ranked second, but skiied with fire to end the race in 6th – enough to bump Christoph Suman (AUT) off the top of the leaders list and take the coveted yellow leaders jersey. Today’s 12.5 km pursuit was the third of three races in Pokluka, Slovenia Burke had three penalties in a...
Newell Cracks Final, Finishes 6th
Topher SabotDecember 19, 2009
Rogla, Slovenia – Andy Newell (USA) had his best day of the 2010 season, ripping through the qualifier and skiing to his first Finals appearance since last year. Despite fading in the homestretch, Newell ended up in 6th. Petter Northug (NOR) cemented his place as the man to beat in any discipline, taking the victory ahead of Thobias Angerer (GER). Newell won the qualifier by an impressive 2 seconds over Nikolay Chebotko (RUS), in a...
“I guess that’s the best team result I’ve seen so far”, head coach Per Nilsson couldn’t help smiling after today’s sprint competition in Pokljuka, Slovenia. With three US athletes starting in tomorrow’s pursuit there are plenty of things to be happy about – or to even pray for. Burke has Chance on Yellow Bib Tim Burke’s eighth place in the sprint competition would already be amazing without the fact that he has a great chance...
Bjoergen Edges Kowalczyk, Wins Sprint
Topher SabotDecember 19, 2009
Rogla, Slovenia – Marit Bjoergen (NOR) won her first World Cup sprint since 2006, defeating Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) on a snowy day in Slovenia. Kowalczyk had the upper hand in qualification, posting the fastest time, 1.5 seconds up on Evgenia Shapovalova (RUS), and 3.5 ahead of Lina Andersen (SWE) in third. But Bjoergen, who qualified 4th, won when it counted, capturing her second sprint podium of the season. “I’m happy with my victory today,” said...
Rogla, Slovenia – On a cold, snowy day, Petter Northug (NOR) won the World Cup classic sprint on a long challenging course at altitude, adding to his overall World Cup lead. Andy Newell (USA) won the qualification round by two seconds, with Northug nearly nine seconds back. But with heat times pushing the four minute mark, distance skiers fared quite well. “It was a pretty long sprint, so those guys [distance skiers] were getting stronger...
Today’s sprint was the second of a three-race IBU World Cup event in Pokljuka, Slovenia. Russia swept the day in both women’s and men’s events, as Svetlana Sleptsova and Ivan Tcherezov won their respective fields. Tcherezov shot cleanly in both stages and took the win over Domi Landertinger (AUT) by 11 seconds. In third by 42 seconds was Thomas Frei (SUI) with one penalty. Tim Burke of the U.S. had another stellar result, placing 8th with two penalties and finishing...
RAMSAU, Austria (Dec. 18) – The U.S. Ski Team’s Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, CO) battled for the lead in a FIS Nordic Combined World Cup in Ramsau, before losing out in a five-skier sprint for third, finishing sixth. His teammate Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, CO) was seventh as France’s Jason Lamy Chappuis picked up the win. Lodwick, who was seventh after the jump, started 22 seconds back in the 10K cross country but quickly moved...
Weekend Preview: Races and More Races…
Topher SabotDecember 18, 2009
Yet another big weekend of racing is already underway, with a Nordic Combined World Cup this morning. In addition to two more NoCo races, you can take your pick of World Cup XC, World Cup Biathlon, NorAm sprints, and US Biathlon World Team Trials. Add to that a bevy of regional events and if it was on cable, your weekend would be set. Just a quick overview this week… World Cup Cross-Country The cross-country World...
Russian skiers Elena Vedeneeva and Dimitry Osinkin have been red flagged by FIS and are not permitted to start any FIS-sanctioned events. Vedeneeva were suspended for refusing an out-of-competition doping control, while Osinkin has retired. The issue came to light at last weekend’s La Sgambaeda Ski Marathon, the first event in the FIS Marathon Cup. Vedeneeva’s situation appears somewhat complicated. When doping officials showed up at her house in October, they were allowed in, but...
Today the U.S. Nordic Combined World Cup Team – Billy Demong, Todd Lodwick, and Johnny Spillane – gave a teleconference from Ramsau, Austria, where they are preparing for this weekend’s World Cup events. They gave insights about the upcoming Olympic trials in Steamboat Springs, their World Cup schedule this season, how they’ve come back from summer injuries, what they are doing to prepare for the Olympic Games, and their excitement for the team’s strength as...