Rock-solid and fast conditions on the second day of the Lillehammer mini tour didn't work to the Canadians' favor, with Alex Harvey struggling with his left leg about 3 kilometers into the 10 k freestyle and Ivan Babikov feeling like he couldn't turn it into high gear.
Jessie Diggins demonstrated that the US Ski Team still has what it takes to post a top result Saturday as she skied to 15th place in the World Cup 5 k freestyle interval start in Lillehammer, Norway. Along with Sadie Bjornsen and Liz Stephen, Diggins broke into the top-30 to set up the women's team for strong results in Sunday's classic pursuit.
Martin Johnsrud Sundby is back in the Overall World Cup leader's bib after a 2.2-second win over teammate Finn Hågen Krogh on Saturday in the men's 10 k freestyle at the Lillehammer World Cup. For Sunday's pursuit, he'll start 20 seconds behind Krogh, who leads the mini tour after two-straight podiums.
While Alex Harvey was the only Canadian to make the heats on Friday, at least two of his teammates -- Perianne Jones and Jess Cockney -- were less than a second off the mark in the World Cup skate sprint in Lillehammer.
Almost all of the participants in the Birkebeiner, one of the largest ski marathons in the world, had reached the start in Rena on Saturday when race organizers were forced to cancel the race due to wind gusts that reached 50 miles per hour in the mountains. Since then, the decision has caused nothing but grief as many in Norway are fiercely critical of the cancellation.
A look back to the second weekend of World Cup racing in Lillehammer, Norway. This past weekend proved to be exciting, with the 10 and 15 k classic races on Saturday and the relays on Sunday. Take a look to see some shots from both days.
Fresh snow couldn't keep the US women's relay from matching their best ever 4.5 Classic/Free Relay time. Randall, Bjornsen Stephen and Diggins claimed a bronze medal despite near disaster and broken ski pole. A second US women's relay team clinched 12th to close the second weekend of World Cup racing
While the Norwegian women's team seized a predictable victory in the Lillehammer World Cup 4 x 5 k relay on Sunday, Finland and the U.S. duked it out for second, with a late crash taking the Americans out of the running for their best-ever relay result.
The Canadian and American men's relays fell short of their goals on Sunday, placing 14th and 17th, respectively, in the 4 x 7.5 k Lillehammer World Cup, but both are optimistic about the future.
Four races into the 2013/2014 World Cup season and American Sadie Bjornsen already has two top 10's and the recognition that comes with it. Bjornsen placed seventh in Saturday's 10 k classic in Lillehammer, Norway, leading three U.S. women in the top 30.
The Canadian men showed signs of recovery and an upswing in their second weekend of racing, with Alex Harvey leading the team in 16th in Saturday's 15 k classic individual start at the World Cup in Lillehammer, Norway.
Out of 17 Norwegians in Saturday's World Cup 15 k classic race, Pål Golberg wasn't the favorite. The 23 year old ended up notching his first World Cup victory in Lillehammer, and lesser-known teammate Didrik Tønseth surprised (himself) in third.
It can be hard riding so much success. Noah Hoffman came down a bit from a stage win in the Kuusamo Ruka Triple to place 41st in the Lillehammer World Cup 15 k classic on Saturday. He led the American men, with Kris Freeman in 75th and Mikey Sinnott in 81st.
Despite the Scottish location, Andrew Young grew up skiing the way many readers probably did too: in a club, with friends, trying to get fast enough to beat their older sisters. After becoming the youngest man to race a World Cup in 2008, Young relocated to Norway for better training and coaching, and is a lock for his second Olympics this winter.
For over 20 years now, women have had their own race at Birkebeiner Skistadion - and while there's serious competition, there's also a whole lot of fun the week before the Birkebeiner proper. The 4,000 women of the Inga-Lami spend more money than the 16,000 Birkebeiners combined, making women-only ski races not only a great party, but also a good investment.
You might think that Norway's 54k Birkebeiner, one of the most famous and tradition-laden marathons in the world, has always been popular. But despite being situated in a ski-crazy country, the 17,000-entrant cap was only reached in the last decade, and demand is growing more every year. Here's how the race got so popular, and how it's continuing to grow as an event despite the cap.
Lee-Steve Jackson's two top-60 performances highlighted the first period of World Cup racing for Great Britain. But for him and other team leaders like Amanda Lightfoot, much has changed; both now train in Lillehammer, and have less support on the World Cup. FasterSkier talked to them in Ostersund, Sweden, earlier this winter.
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Members of the Visa Women’s Ski Jumping Team will make history Saturday by competing in the first-ever International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cup competition held for women’s ski jumping. Jessica Jerome, Sarah Hendrickson, Alissa Johnson and Abby Hughes (all of Park City, UT) will represent the U.S. in Lillehammer, Norway. Lindsey Van, 2009 World Champion, is recovering from ankle surgery in October and will not compete this weekend. Organizers are expecting nearly 50 jumpers from...
US Nordic Combined Team seems to be making a pattern of improving on the second day of a World Cup weekend. Bryan Fletcher finished 26th in Lillehammer Sunday, after a 44th place on Saturday.