Mikey Sinnott grew up in Sun Valley, came up through the junior ranks, excelled at Junior Nationals and reached the highest levels of elite competition on the World Cup. After missing the Olympics last season and feeling like he never hit his stride, Sinnott, 29, had some decisions to make this spring: to keep racing or embark on a new path.
Regardless of what happens with the official U.S. Olympic Nordic Ski Team naming on Wednesday, Caitlin Gregg says she's happy. The last four years have been about balance, Gregg explains, and a journey with her husband that she wouldn't trade for anything. "One of the greatest things though is that anticipation of not knowing that you made it," she says.
Jennie Bender rose from fifth to first in the final stretches of Sunday's 1.5 k freestyle sprint to complete the Bridger Ski Foundation's podium domination at U.S. Cross Country Championships at Soldier Hollow.
Photos of some of the top finishers in the U.S. Cross Country Championships men's freestyle sprint on Sunday. Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess of the Bend Endurance Academy won it by nearly two seconds in 2:41.37 to advance to the heats, which start at 1 p.m. MST.
Fairbanks native Becca Rorabaugh (APU) pulled off the best result of her career in Saturday's 10 k classic individual start, winning the first race of U.S. nationals on an unforgiving 2002 Olympic course by 14 seconds over Caitlin Gregg.
In what was a flawless day at Soldier Hollow, Erik Bjornsen of Alaska Pacific University and the U.S. Ski Team achieved his second national championship in the 15 k interval start in the first day of racing at the 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships. He finished 0:14 ahead of Reese Hanneman (APU) who placed second. Kris Freeman of the Maine Winter Sports Club finished third, 0:22.8 back from Bjornsen.
With the first race of the 2014 U.S. Cross Country Championships taking place Saturday, FasterSkier took to the trails of Soldier Hollow to preview the course and get a sense of how racers were feeling about it. Between wax testing, tactic planning, and pickups, athletes expressed excitement about Saturday's 10 and 15 k classic races.