U.S. Nordic Combined's Bryan Fletcher and Billy Demong post season-best results at the first-ever Nordic Combined Triple in Seefeld, Austria, this past weekend from Jan. 17-19. "I think that the best is yet to come,” Demong says.
The US men's team faced fatigue and fickle conditions on Sunday's 15 k classic mass start race in Szklarska Poreba, Poland. Noah Hoffman led the US men's results in 19th, with Andy Newell 27th, and Erik Bjornsen 40th.
Fog blanketed the hillsides of Szklarska Poreba, Poland, as the men of the World Cup lined up for the start of the 15 k. In a field that lacked the esteemed Scandinavian racers, the predictions of who might win were about as unclear as the visibility on course.
It’s not easy being Justyna Kowalczyk — always breaking trail, always having the weight of Poland on her, and in a classic distance race at home on her birthday without any Scandinavians in the field? Forget about it. She was easily the favorite for Sunday’s World Cup 10 k classic mass start in Szklarska Poręba, Poland. That didn’t make winning any easier.
Sunday's 10 k classic mass start in Szklarska Poreba, Poland was another great day for the US women. Liz Stephen had a breakthrough performance, finishing sixth, a career best for her and a major milestone in her development as a classic skier. Ida Sargent too had an excellent day, placing ninth, her career best distance rac
On the second day of the inaugural three-day Nordic Combined Triple, several top skiers, including Jason Lamy-Chappuis, Akito Watabe, Tino Edelmann, and Mikko Kokslien, chat on camera and dish about their favorite U.S. athletes.
The U.S. women took advantage of a weakened field to place five skiers in the top15. Perianne Jones led Canada in a tenth.
Alex Harvey rocked the men's A-final in Szklarska Preba, Poland to to take his first individual World Cup win, besting Josef Wenzl of Germany and Baptiste Gros of France. Andy Newell, after finishing second in the qualification round, crashed in the A-final to finish sixth.
Kikkan Randall made a statement out of Saturday's freestyle sprint in Szklarska Poręba, Poland, winning each of her heats, including the final, with some tactical smarts on a flat-and-fast course. Another American, Jessie Diggins notched a career-best sprint result of fifth, and five Americans landed in the top 15.
It was a spectacular weekend for sprinting as the World Cup continued in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic with both a individual and team sprint. FasterSkier was also on site at the 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships in Midway, Ut., which concluded with a classic sprint on Friday.
Sunday's classic team sprint in Nove Mesto was destined to be a showdown between Finland and Norway. Saarinen led the race for Finland in the final lap until a burst of speed from Østberg on the final climb secured a Norwegian victory.
Twenty-five days before the Olympics open in Sochi, Russia, Nikita Kriukov couldn’t have timed Sunday’s 6 x 1.6-kilometer team-classic sprint victory much better. The 28-year-old Russian’s execution was right up there as well. Meanwhile, Simi Hamilton and Andy Newell teamed up for one of the best U.S. men's team-sprint finishes in recent memory.
Americans Andy Newell and Simi Hamilton were both left wanting more after being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the freestyle sprint in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic.
Sergey Ustiugov won wire-to-wire, pacing the field in qualification and every heat to grab the as World Cup raciing continued in Nove Mesto, Czech republic. Federicao Pellegrino (ITA) was second and Alexey Petukhov took third.
Just three days ago Caitlin Gregg was winning the U.S. National Championship 20 k by a stunning three-and-a-half minutes, while husband Brian battled to second in the men's 30 k.
The story of the day for the Americans may have been Kikkan Randall, but Sophie Caldwell quietly turned in another strong performance, earning points in her fifth consecutive World Cup sprint.
Noah Hoffman was the last American left in the Tour de Ski. Bad ski choice got him off to a slow start, but he powered up the immense climb to find himself in a career-best 25th.
Martin Johnsrud Sundby led the final stage of the Tour de Ski and never looked back as he skied to his, and Norway's, first victory in the event's history. Sundby, who has skied in every Tour de Ski, called his feat a "dream come true" and, overcome, said, "I have a great feeling, deep into the soul." Chris Jespersen of Norway, skiing in his first Tour de Ski, captured second place. Of his effort on the big climb, he said, "towards the end I thought, 'Now I die.'”
Therese Johaug became the first Norwegian to win the Tour de Ski, overtaking teammate Astrid Jacobsen on the Final Climb up Alpe Cermis for the victory in the eighth edition of the event. Heidi Weng placed third to give Norway a podium sweep.
Alex Harvey can walk away from the 2014 Tour de Ski with his head held high. After finishing fifth in the 10 k individual classic on Saturday, Harvey ranked fourth in the overall Tour standings.