USSA Names Cross Country Athletes for 2011 World Championships

Ben TheyerlJanuary 12, 20119

January 12, 2011 (Park City, UT) – World Championship silver medalist Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) will lead a strong 2011 U.S. Cross Country World Championship Team to compete at Holmenkollen in Oslo beginning Feb. 24. Randall is one of 14 athletes named Wednesday to compete in the biennial Championships.

The International Ski Federation’s 2011 Nordic World Ski Championships are especially important this year, taking place in the heart of nordic skiing and in its most prestigious venue, Holmenkollen. The Feb. 24-Mar. 6 Championships will captivate the heart of Norway, the birthplace of nordic skiing and home of the sport’s most passionate fans.

Randall will be joined by U.S. Ski Team veterans Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, VT) and Kris Freeman (Andover, NH), who are all expected to be in the medal hunt in Oslo.

“We will be going to Norway with a group of athletes who have all earned this honor with strong performances this season,” said Nordic Program Director John Farra. “It’s a special honor for each of these athletes to be able to compete in Norway.”

Among the 14 athletes named to the Team are nine Olympians as well as several U.S. champions. Randall, who is currently ranked third in the World Cup sprint standings, will lead the stacked group with the Championships opening with her best event, a free technique sprint. Olympian Newell, who sits in seventh in the World Cup sprint standings, will also be going head-to-head with the world’s best sprinters as he looks to earn his first World Championship medal.

“We are naming a Team for Oslo blending veterans and promising young talent. And everyone is skiing fast,” said Head Coach Chris Grover. “We’ve had a great start to the World Cup season and had strong performances by athletes at our U.S. Championships in Maine.”

The recently-concluded U.S. Cross Country Championships in Rumford, ME were an important element of team selection. Veteran Torin Koos (Wenatchee, WA) led with two titles, while Olympians Liz Stephen (East Montpelier, VT), Holly Brooks (Anchorage) and Lars Flora (Anchorage), along with Sadie Bjornsen (Methow, WA), Jessie Diggins (Afton, MN) and Tad Elliott (Durango, CO) all raced their way to U.S. titles and spots on the Team.

While Randall and Newell will be among favorites in the sprints, Freeman, ranked 14th in World Cup distance standings, will have his sights set on the 15k classic. The three-time Olympian has finished one spot out of the medals twice in the event at World Championships (2003, 2009) and is hoping third time is a charm.

“This Oslo World Championship team clearly represents the future of U.S. cross country ski racing,” said Grover. “We have a great combination of athletes who will be looking to make their first mark on the World Championship stage and those who are in the hunt for a medal at Holmenkollen.”

The USA athletes will compete in Oslo over the course of 11 days with 10 races. Event techniques, classic or free, will flip from those used at the Olympics in Vancouver. The Championships will close March 6 with the men’s 50k free.

U.S. teams for ski jumping and nordic combined will be named next week.

2011 U.S. Cross Country Ski World Championships Team
(both hometown and ski club indicated)
* Indicates Olympian
** Indicates student in U.S. Ski Team partnership with Westminster College

Men
– Tad Elliott (2/7/1988; Durango, CO) Central Cross Country
– Lars Flora (1/6/1978; Anchorage) Alaska Pacific University *
– Kris Freeman (10/14/1980; Andover, NH) Andover Outing Club *
– Simi Hamilton (5/14/1987; Aspen, CO) Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation *
– Noah Hoffman (8/1/1989; Aspen, CO) Aspen Valley Ski Club **
– Torin Koos (7/19/1980; Wenatchee, WA) Methow Olympic Development *
– Andy Newell (11/30/1983; Shaftsbury, VT) Stratton Mountain School *

Women
– Morgan Arritola (5/13/1986; Fairfield, ID) Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation *
– Holly Brooks (4/17/1982; Anchorage) Alaska Pacific University *
– Sadie Bjornsen (11/21/1989; Methow, WA) Alaska Pacific University
– Jessie Diggins (8/26/1991; Afton, MN) Central Cross Country
– Kikkan Randall (12/31/1982; Anchorage) Alaska Pacific University *
– Ida Sargent (1/25/1988; Orleans, VT) Craftsbury Green Racing Project
– Liz Stephen (1/12/1987; East Montpellier, VT) Burke Mountain Academy * **

2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Cross Country Schedule
Holmenkollen Ski Stadium
Oslo, Norway

– Thurs., Feb. 24 – Men’s and women’s free sprint
– Sat., Feb. 26 – Women’s 15k pursuit
– Sun., Feb 27 – Men’s 30k pursuit
– Mon., Feb. 28 – Women’s 10k classic
– Tues., Mar. 1 – Men’s 15k classic
– Wed., Mar. 2 – Men’s and women’s team classic sprint
– Thurs., Mar. 3 – Women’s 4×5k relay
– Fri., Mar. 4 – Men’s 4×10k relay
– Sat., Mar. 5 – Women’s 30k free
– Sun., Mar. 6 – Men’s 50k free

release by USSA

Ben Theyerl

Ben Theyerl was born into a family now three-generations into nordic ski racing in the US. He grew up skiing for Chippewa Valley Nordic in his native Eau Claire, Wisconsin, before spending four years racing for Colby College in Maine. He currently mixes writing and skiing while based out of Crested Butte, CO, where he coaches the best group of high schoolers one could hope to find.

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9 comments

  • tclaynm@juno.com

    January 12, 2011 at 6:45 pm

    Interesting! If I had to take a guess for the relay picks, I’d go with…
    Men:
    1. Freeman CL 2. Flora CL
    3. Hoffman FR 4. Elliot FR

    Women:
    1. Bjornsen CL 2. Brooks CL
    3. Stephen FR 4. Randall FR

    Overall, great picks for both teams. Seems like it was mostly pretty obvious choices. Bummer to see James Southam, Brian Gregg, and Caitlan Compton not be there, but it’s really hard to argue with those team choices.

    It’s going to be very interesting to watch. Best of luck to all of them!

  • appleski

    January 12, 2011 at 7:08 pm

    Sadie Bjornsen instead of Caitlin Compton??? Is Chris Grover f*ckin retarded???

  • nordicguy

    January 12, 2011 at 7:42 pm

    Based upon this years results, no.

  • fontana92

    January 12, 2011 at 9:40 pm

    It says in the article that they tried to blend youth & experience. They did a good job.

  • Swede-ski

    January 12, 2011 at 11:31 pm

    Congratulations to Sadie Bjornsen on a killer racing year with APU… she clearly deserves her spot on the world championship team!

  • birkieturkey

    January 13, 2011 at 12:40 am

    “We have a great combination of athletes who will be looking to make their first mark on the World Championship stage and those who are in the hunt for a medal at Holmenkollen.”

    So Grover – where does Flora fit in? An old man that hasn’t scored a world cup point in forever? Does he “clearly represent the future of U.S. cross country ski racing”? It would have been better to bring someone younger with hope in their future, rather than someone you hope might make the top 70 if they have a good day.

  • Zach Hudson

    January 13, 2011 at 1:20 am

    Flora made both A finals in the sprints won the classic and missed a win by .1 seconds in the skate at Rumford, he dominated the pre-christmas supertour and nor-am schedule. Lars earned his spot on this team and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the top 30 in any of the distance events in Oslo.

  • fontana92

    January 13, 2011 at 4:39 am

    “We are naming a Team for Oslo blending veterans and promising young talent. And everyone is skiing fast,” said Head Coach Chris Grover. Lars qualifies under “veteran” and “fast.”

  • tclaynm@juno.com

    January 13, 2011 at 12:44 pm

    It’s hard to argue with the team picks. It’s understandable to react to them, but every single pick has a water-tight case as to why the choice was made for them to be on the team. I’ve scratched my head about a few team choices in the past, but this is a solid and logically chosen team.

    @appleski: how could you argue that Sadie Bjornsen didn’t deserve a spot? What I’m particularly psyched about is that we have a US female hopeful who appears to be quite strong in classic. Getting this World Champs experience will no doubt be “money in the bank” for her future development.

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