Pirjo Manninen of Finland was fastest in the women’s prolog in the first World Cup sprint race of the season in Dusseldorf, Germany. Anna Dahlberg of Sweden was second fastest while sprint queen Marit Bjorgen of Norway was fourth. 1 Manninen Pirjo FIN 1:41.02 0.00 Qualified 2 Dahlberg Anna SWE 1:41.23 +0.21 Qualified 3 Saarinen Aino Kaisa FIN 1:41.47 +0.45 Qualified 4 Bjœrgen Marit NOR 1:41.83 +0.81 Qualified 5 Follis Arianna ITA 1:42.04 +1.02 Qualified 6 Mischol Seraina SUI 1:42.35 +1.33 ...
Startlist for Saturday’s World Cup sprint prologs in Düsseldorf, Germany You can follow the races live on the internet here:
The World Cup gets underway this coming weekend with sprints in Düsseldorf, Germany. The Scandinavian teams for the sprint World Cup opener were named last week. The United States will not send a team to the sprint opener, but with join the World Cup in November. Norwegian Men: HÃ¥vard Bjerkeli, Tor Arne Hetland, Trond Iversen, John Kristian Dahl, Johan Kjœlstad, Krister Trondsen, Arve SkÃ¥ren, Boerre Naess Norwegian Ladies: Marit Bjoergen, Hilde G. Pedersen, Vibeke Skofterud,...
The official 2005 Oberstdorf, Germany World Nordic Ski Championships' web site will at any time give you the exact number of days, hours, minutes and seconds to the opening day. You can also “tour†the course profile and map-outline of each of the 13 competition tracks. The site also offers ticket, lodging, webcams, schedules, hotels and photo information in a number of languages including English.
The ski season is quickly getting closer. Here is the Norwegian team selection for the World Cup opener in Düsseldorf, Germany. The sprint races in Düsseldorf will be held October 23 and 24. Individual sprint and sprint relay is on the agenda. The Norwegian results in Düsseldorf last year were not great. Best male skier in the individual race was 9th for the men, and Marit Bjorgen lost her only World Cup sprint race last...
Each nation can only enter one team at next years two person sprint relay at the Worlds in Oberstdorf, Germany. The race will this time be held in the freestyle (skating) technique.  The situation in Norway is that not only are all the sprinters drooling to make one of the two legs, but some members of the regular team are also feeling that they have a chance at qualifying for what’s called “the hardest team...
Here is the “unofficial†World Cup schedule for the 2004/2005 season. Please note that this is not a final list. This schedule will be discussed at the upcoming FIS conference in May – June. Date Site Nation Women Men 23.10.2004 Düsseldorf GER Sprint F Sprint F 24.10.2004 Düsseldorf GER Team Sprint F Team Sprint F 20.11.2004 Östersund SWE 10 km F 15 km F 21.11.2004 Östersund SWE 4×5 km M 4×10 km M 26.11.2004 Kuusamo...
Norwegian newspaper VG reports: The cross country sprint racers have long ago captured Düsseldorf, Stockholm and Drammen. They are moving into Prague, Bern and Goteborg as well this winter. Norway’s dominating sprint-queen Marit Bjorgen is getting a chance to capture (the hearts of) more of Europe’s big cities. Former Olympic champion and member of the FIS cross country committee, Vegard Ulvang (Norway) is skeptical to this development. “These are interesting projects but I have some...
According to the official prize money lists for this season’s FIS Cross-County World Cup races, the women are making more than the men. The top three women, Marit Björgen, Gabriella Paruzzi och Valentina Schevchenko made more money than the best of the men, Rene Sommerfeldt.
“It’s a small sport; don’t make it smaller by forcing specializing. Make it longer and change the prolog,” suggests Hetland.
Marit Bjoergen — 23 years old – celebrated last weekend after her seventh straight World Cup Sprint victory. The World Cup trophy is now hers to keep, after outclassing her competitors. Last weekend’s final victory in Pragelato, Italy, netted her about $20,000 — adding up her sponsorship bonuses and the FIS price money. Had she been an alpine skier, five miles up the hill from Pragelato, in Sestrieres, her win would have put about 10...
Arguably the two best skate skiers on the World Cup circuit, Hoffman and overall World Cup winner Rene Sommerfeldt finished one and two in today’s free technique 30-km race in Pragelato, Italy. A strong Italian team had three skiers in top 6, while Norway surprised by finishing 4, 7 and 8th – their best World Cup results in a skate race this year. The best North American finish came again from Carl Swenson in 31st...
After four second-place finishes in World Cup races, Sabina Valbusa finally climbed to the top of the podium. In the final World Cup race of this season, she led the entire race, and won with an almost 30 seconds margin to 2002 Olympic Champion Julia Tchepalova, RUS and Katerina Neumanova, CZE. Beckie Scott continued to show great skiing in 7th place, while US Rebecca Dussault scored her first ever World Cup points in 28th place....
Marit Bjoergen, Norway and Thobias Fredriksson, Sweden are winners of this year’s FIS Sprint World Cup. Canada’s Beckie Scott is in a best-ever 6th place, and Sara Renner in 23rd place. The top-30 best skiers will comprise next year’s World Cup Sprint Red Group, which get priority seeding in races, as well as travel, accommodation and food paid for by the World Cup Organizers.
Beckie Scott 2nd, Andy Newell 15th in Sprint competitions at 2006 Olympic venue in Pragelato, Italy. Beckie Scott is ending up the World Cup season in prime shape. After a 4th place in last weekend’s World Cup sprint in Lahti, she advanced two spots in today’s race outside Torino, Italy. Marit Bjoergen won her 7th consecutive World Cup Sprint race.
Pragelato, ITA-Canada’s Beckie Scott added a sliver lining to her season on Friday, finishing second in a cross-country ski sprint competition at the World Cup Finals in Pragelato, Italy, the race site for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Her best performance of the season was also the first podium result of the year for Scott, and it bumped her into sixth-place in the overall World Cup sprint standings for the 2003-04 campaign, the highest she has ever finished...
The FIS World Cup Final is in Pragelato, Italy this weekend. Prestigious overall titles, Red Group positions for next year – being on the money list, bragging rights, getting a psychological advantage before next years World Championship is all at stake this final weekend. The skiers have left their classic skis at home. It’s all about skating with a skate sprint on Friday and 30 (men) and 15 (women) kilometer skating on Saturday. German Rene...
With recent poor results in the Holmenkollen 50-km Frode Estil was far from confident before last Sunday’s 15-km World Cup race in Lahti. But he won anyhow. Sunday’s victory was Frode Estil’s second this year. The first one came in Otepää, Estonia on January 10th. The following weekend he got second in Nove Mesto, but it since has been harder to measure up for Estil. Perhaps the 70-km long Marcialonga affected his good shape and...
Media coverage of World Cup skiing is always based on athletic results and stories – and should be. However, sometimes it also behooves to look at what it takes to organize large events, perhaps just to appreciate all the work and effort that is behind successful events. The athletes are the actors, but the volunteers and event organizers make it all happen. I write this article on the airplane back from three weeks of attending...
Canada’s Sara Renner was just 75 seconds off the gold-medal pace while finishing 23rd in a World Cup cross-country ski distance event on Sunday in Lahti, Finland. The 27-year-old from Canmore, Alt., who is recognized more for her sprinting abilities, has been consistently placing in the top-25 in the distance disciplines this winter. Renner finished the 10-kilometre course with a time of 30 minutes 15.5 seconds. “The field is so tight out here, and the...