It's tough to swallow getting destroyed by Norwegians week after week. Reese Hanneman is still absorbing a huge jump in training hours from the summer and fall, but also: "I think people really underestimate how hard it is to go from racing well in the U.S. to racing well here on the World Cup.”
Check out the quotes that didn't make it into our race reports this weekend, from FasterSkier's on-site coverage from the Davos World Cup 1.3 k sprint.
Which Norwegian and by how much? That seems to be the ongoing question in the beginning of the 2014/2015 World Cup season, with Norwegian dominance for both the men and women since the first race in Ruka, Finland. Sunday in Davos, Switzerland, it was Ingvild Flugstad Østberg who came out on top in the 1.3 k freestyle sprint - and it wasn't even close.
Three women in the quarterfinals and one just barely outside? U.S. Ski Team coach Matt Whitcomb was thrilled with Ida Sargent's and Sophie Caldwell's quarterfinal appearances and pleased to see Kikkan Randall a bit more like herself, he also stayed realistic: "I wouldn’t use any other word that celebrates it more than [good]."
DAVOS, Switzerland— “I’ve been feeling pretty good this season,” U.S. Ski Team veteran Andy Newell says after the finish of today’s skate sprint. “I think I was carrying a little bit of fatigue just from the fall training, but still I think I’m a top 15 World Cup sprinter right now, I just haven’t had a chance to show it.” He was one of the 15 best sprinters in the world today, qualifying in 15th...
It has been a year and a half since Lenny Valjas last made an appearance in World Cup sprint heats. Let that sink in. The tall Canadian is thrilled that not only is he back and feeling like himself, but he didn't just squeak in - he qualified tenth and missed a lucky loser spot in the semifinals by just 0.03 seconds.
Finn Hågen Krogh had what he called a perfect race Sunday in Davos, Switzerland. After placing third in the qualification round of the 1.3 k freestyle sprint, the Norwegian rapidly progressed through his quarterfinal, semifinal, and ultimately the final to earn his first World Cup victory and another Norwegian podium sweep.
Photos from an exciting day of World Cup racing in Davos, Switzerland. Take some lessons in classic technique from the best!
Photos from an exciting day of World Cup racing in Davos, Switzerland. Take some lessons in classic technique from the best!
Before Saturday, Canada's Alex Harvey had never cracked the top 30 in a distance race in Davos, Switzerland, and Emily Nishikawa was shooting for her first career top-30. Both checked off those markers in the men's and women's classic distance races on the first day of the Davos World Cup.
Liz Stephen wants to ski like skiing really matters: "I was focused on that aggression, and wanting to win more than I’ve ever wanted to win." That took her to 20th place in the 10 k classic, leading teammates Jessie Diggins and Sadie Bjornsen who all finished within a few seconds. Erik Bjornsen led the U.S. men in 48th place in the 15 k classic.
Martin Johnsrud Sundby had 99% decided to use skate skis in today's 15 k classic World Cup race in Davos. But then at the last second, he changed his mind. The choice worked, and he earned a 6.6-second win over teammate Didrik Tønseth. Dario Cologna went with skate skis and finished third.
Whether Therese Johaug is a better skate or classic skier is more or less a moot point now that she's claimed her second win of the season in another 10 k classic. Johaug beat teammate Marit Bjørgen by more than 42 seconds again on Saturday at the Davos World Cup to quiet anyone who doubted her in that distance technique.
The World Cup races in Davos, Switzerland, have been shortened due to lack of snow, but the OC has been working hard, spending 70+ hours transporting snow from up high to the race course below. They host this weekend's classic-distance races and freestyle sprints, as well as next weekend's World Cup after the La Clusaz races were canceled.
A transcript (find a link inside) of the German documentary which exposed systematic doping in Russia reveals an even worse situation than imagined: how easy it is to purchase cheap EPO without a prescription; how Russian officials threaten that any athlete who goes to the press might "have an accident". Plus, we talk to Lowell Bailey, Nathan Smith, and Max Cobb about the situation.
What does a World Cup racer do after, say, a mini tour for recovery? We asked Canada's Alex Harvey, who placed 10th overall in last weekend's Lillehammer triple. He opted for an hour-and-15-minute run on Monday in Davos, led by coach Tor-Arne Hetland, who lives in Davos.
The first individual IBU World Cup race took place a week ago in Östersund and wrapped up this past Sunday. Here, we recap everything from biathlon in Sweden and at home in Canmore, to the Lillehammer mini tour and nordic-combined competitions, and second U.S. SuperTour stop in Bozeman, Mont.
Alex Harvey skied a strong 15 k pursuit Sunday to improve his standing to tenth in the Lillehammer World Cup mini tour. Teammates Ivan Babikov and Devon Kershaw overcame low rankings to place 28th and 41st, leaving the Canadians confident but wanting more as they prepare for newt weekend's World Cup races in Davos, Switzerland.
A tough mini-tour in Lillehammer came to a close today with siblings Erik and Sadie Bjornsen leading the U.S. Ski Team.
Finn Hågen Krogh had reason to believe he cold hold off Norwegian teammate Martin Johnsrud Sundby in Sunday's 15 k classic pursuit, the final stage of the Lillehammer mini tour. And Johnsrud, who won every tour last winter, had a feeling he could catch Krogh, but got a little nervous when it took longer than he expected.