Sweden's Charlotte Kalla won the last World Cup before 2015 World Championships by more than 36 seconds over Norway's Marit Bjørgen, leading from start to finish for the clear-cut victory. It was her first World Cup win since March 2010, and Bjørgen locked up her fourth Overall World Cup crown.
Marit Bjørgen took her 90th World Cup win in Sweden today, and the 12th of this season. Confidence boosted, she plans to start six competitions at World Championships - but says that she thinks six gold medals is a goal too many.
Charlotte Kalla dominated distance racing, while Hanna Falk claimed a sprint title and a place on the World Championships team. In the men's field, Marcus Hellner, Emil Joensson and Tobias Peterson made arguments that they are returning to form- but Calle Halfvarsson scored a big victory in the 15 k.
After individual racing was completed at their national championships - you can find the results inside - Norway named a 23-member team for World Championships in Falun, Sweden. It includes season-long favorites as well as Kristin Størmer Steira and Astrid Jacobsen, who only just returned to the World Cup.
Norwegian ski star Petter Northug has been sentenced to 50 days of jail, among other punishments, for driving while intoxicated, crashing his car, and then lying to police about what happened. It's unclear how this will affect his quest for gold at Falun World Championhips in February.
Despite being diagnosed as a diabetic when he was a kid, Robin Bryntesson is still one of the top skiers in the world. And one of the busiest: in the summer he runs a camp for children with diabetes, he's constantly producing funny videos, and his downloadable technique app just went live.
From his home in Ruffieux in south-eastern France, Canadian head wax tech Yves Bilodeau talks about retiring from racing and taking a new role as wax technician in 1995, reflects on what he called the “Sochi drama,” and explains who he’ll be working with this World Cup season.
With two biathlon gold medals under his belt from Sochi, France's Martin Fourcade is setting his sights on competing in both skiing and biathlon World Championships in 2015. It's not an easy team to join: the French men took bronze in the 4 x 10 k relay in Sochi. So Fourcade is joining them for training camps.
Still craving more of the World Cup? Here are some comments from a few of the U.S. skiers who closed their international-racing seasons at World Cup Finals last Sunday in Falun, Sweden. (And don't fear, Spring Series is almost here!)
Liz Stephen led the U.S. in 15th to get closer to her overall World Cup and distance-ranking goals, and Noah Hoffman tried to ski more conservatively than usual to secure points in 18th. Kikkan Randall placed 20th and Sadie Bjornsen was right behind in 21st in Saturday's skiathlon at World Cup Finals in Falun, Sweden.
Reese Hanneman came within 0.45 seconds of becoming the third American man to make the World Cup heats this season, and Jessie Diggins was just over a second shy of qualifying in her first race back since getting sick post-Sochi. The two logged top-40 results again on Saturday, along with Ida Sargent, in the World Cup Finals skiathlons.
Norwegians Marit Bjørgen and Ingvild Østberg took the top two spots in the classic sprints in Sweden today, with Americans Kikkan Randall and Sophie Caldwell making the final heat. Randall walked away with the heavy crystal Sprint Globe from the overall World Cup sprint win, while Bjørgen is now only three points behind teammate Therese Johaug for the overall World Cup chamionship.
Seventeen weeks and 120 days after the World Cup season started in Gällivare, Sweden, it ended in Sunday in Falun. For most of the Canadians who finished outside the top 30, it could not have come soon enough. Head coach Justin Wadsworth and team veteran Devon Kershaw reflect on the season.
We know, we know: it's FAHL-IN. But still. The World Cup wrapped up with spectacular races and plenty of sun in Stockholm and Falun, with Justyna Kowalczyk and Petter Northug winning the season-long titles and Kikkan Randall taking home not only the Sprint Cup but also third place in the overall. Plus, racing on this side of the pond at Whistler and Craftsbury.
Kikkan Randall did just what she needed to on Sunday, finishing 7th in the 10 k skate pursuit with the second-fastest course time to hold onto third place in the overall World Cup standings. Three other Americans finished World Cup Finals in the top 30 to end the season "better than I could have imagined," Randall said.
While Noah Hoffman skied his way into the points with the 22nd-fastest time of the day, Andy Newell and Torin Koos ended up just outside the top 30 in the season-ending mini tour standings. All three men feel like they've proven something this season, including this weekend in Falun.
It wouldn’t quite be accurate to call Marit Bjørgen’s World Cup Finals pursuit performance on Sunday a formality. Sure, Norway’s 12-time World Champion started the 10-kilometer freestyle race a full minute and 20 seconds ahead of the field, with teammate Therese Johaug being the only one that could potentially test her. And yes, chances were Johaug would never catch her, but there’s always several races within a race – and Bjørgen had one going from the start.
Petter Northug, Jr., joined rare company on Sunday in becoming the second Norwegian in history to win more than one overall World Cup crystal globe. He kept Alexander Legkov and Dario Cologna at bay with his victory in the 15 k pursuit at World Cup Finals to finish off a memorable season in Falun, Sweden.
The Canadians missed the wax in the men's race on Saturday and ended up with Alex Harvey posting the team's top finish of 30th. "That combination of not-perfect bodies and bad skis is not so much fun," head coach Justin Wadsworth said.
Kikkan Randall led three American women into the top-30 in the third stage of World Cup Finals on Saturday, a 10 k mass start classic. With 19th place on the day she moved into 15th in the mini-tour, and if she maintains that position in Sunday's pursuit she'll be able to hold off Marit Bjørgen in the overall World Cup standings.