On a sunny afternoon in Kincaid Park, several World Cup skiers, including three Olympians and three Alaska Pacific University members, took the time to chat on camera between training and testing on Friday.
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Liz Stephen
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.
Randall, Bjornsen Capture Top-14 Distance Career Bests in Holmenkollen 30 k
Alex KochonMarch 9, 2014
Teammates on the U.S. Ski Team and Alaska Pacific University, Kikkan Randall and Sadie Bjornsen tallied the best distance results of their respective careers on Sunday at Holmenkollen, the ultimate distance race of the season. Randall worked her way up and attacked late to finish 12th, and Bjornsen skied consistently with a pack of Norwegians to place 14th.
The Weekend Roundup is back! Just because the Olympics are over doesn't mean the season is finished. Catch up with the renewed World Cup action in Lahti, Finland, the IBU Youth World Championships, and the Vasaloppet.
Kikkan Randall was the top American in today's World Cup freestyle in Lahti, Finland skating her way to 21st place. Noah Hoffman was the top American man, finishing 24th on the icy course.
A strategic decision to switch to new skis at the 10-kilometer mark let the pack get away from Liz Stephen, and she never caught up. The story was the same for Holly Brooks and Kikkan Randall, all of whom had been advised to make the exchange by the U.S. coaching staff.
Both Susan Dunklee and Megan Imrie turned 28 years old this week - but how do you celebrate a birthday at the Olympics, when you are still training and recovering for a few of the most important races of your life, maybe even one that night? With a little creativity, and help from your friends.
Medal hopefuls to start the day, the U.S. women had to reconcile with ninth place in Saturday's Olympic 4 x 5 k relay, a result they said didn't reflect their best day but one which indicated they were still very much a team, united in success as well as on off-days.
On the eve of the Olympics, the air of excitement and anticipation among the Norwegian cross-country team was wiped out by the death of Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen’s younger brother, Sten Anders. Together, their women overcame adversity and put three in the top four of Saturday's skiathlon, with Marit Bjørgen leading the charge.
While the 15 k skiathlon, the first cross country ski race of the Olympic Games, could have been a warm-up, it turned into much more for the U.S. women: Jessie Diggins rocketed her way into eight, the best finish ever by a U.S. woman at the Games, and Liz Stephen placed 12th.
The first three of the 36 cross-country skiing medals at stake at the Sochi Olympics are up for grabs Saturday, as racing begins here with the women's 15 k pursuit. Four Americans and three Canadians are entered in the event, which will have the athletes racing four 3.75-kilometer laps on trails at the Laura Cross-Country Ski and Biathlon Center --a massive Olympic complex installed at the top of a ridge in Russia's Western Caucasus Mountains over the last five years.
After World Cup Break, Bjørgen Tallies 36-Second Win in Toblach 10 k; Five U.S. Women in Top 22
Alex KochonFebruary 1, 2014
The Toblach World Cup 10-kilometer classic individual start on Saturday provided a few takeaways exactly one week out from the Olympics. Bjørgen made a statement with a definitive win, Kowalczyk missed the podium for the first time in a 10 k classic since 2009, and the U.S. women put four in the top 20, five in the top 22, in a classic distance race.
The U.S. Cross-Country and Nordic Combined teams officially announced their athlete selections for the 2014 Winter Olympics, which start in just over two weeks in Sochi, Russia.
Happy Birthday to Her: Kowalczyk Wins Big at Home by 42 Seconds in Poland 10 k Classic
Alex KochonJanuary 19, 2014
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
The U.S. women took advantage of a weakened field to place five skiers in the top15. Perianne Jones led Canada in a tenth.
Hoffman Climbs His Way to Career-Best 25th in Tour de Ski Finals in Val-di-Fiemme
Seth AdamsJanuary 6, 2014
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.
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.
Diggins 10th in Stage 6 of TdS, Best Classic Result Ever, Stephen 21st, Hoffman Hungry for Hill Climb
Pasha KahnJanuary 4, 2014
Saturday's Tour de Ski stage 6 individual classic race saw Jessie Diggins notch her best ever classic race. Diggins came in 10th, while Liz Stephen finished a solid 21st, and Noah Hoffman in 47th had an off day.
Therese Johaug, second overall in the Tour de Ski, skied a dominating race that was far and away faster than any of her competitors. Johaug's performance went a long way toward her goal of being the first to the summit of the Alpe Cermis on Sunday.