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.
Sweden's Stina Nilsson surged past Norway's Ingvild Flugstad Østberg to win the World Cup women's 6 x 1.2 k freestyle team sprint in Otepää with the same crew that won the Olympic bronze medal at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Marit Bjørgen's gotten used to winning opening mini tours in Kuusamo, and she seems to have no problem getting off to a strong start in the first of three races in Lillehammer, either. "It is always fun to win," she told NRK after her second-straight World Cup sprint win in Friday's 1.3 k freestyle sprint.
In the middle of the day under the lights in Finland, Marit Bjørgen opened the season with a result that likely only surprised herself. "I am grateful to win today,” she said. "It’s still a sprint." Two other Norwegians joined her in the final, as did Slovenia's Katja Visnar, American Ida Sargent, and Russia's Natalia Matveeva -- but not Justyna Kowalczyk.
In the final two days of the 2014 Blink Festival Americans Lowell Bailey and Tim Burke jumped onto the podium in the biathlon mass start and sprint races.
Maiken Caspersen Falla and Ingvild Flugstad Østberg emerged with Norway's first gold and silver in the same event of the Olympics on Tuesday, topping the podium in the women's freestyle sprint. Slovenia's Vesna Fabjan captured third, and Sophie Caldwell emerged in sixth for the U.S.
If anyone was going to deny Kikkan Randall of her third-straight skate sprint win, a feat that hasn’t been achieved on the World Cup since Marit Bjørgen's similar winning streak in 2006, it was most likely going to be Bjørgen. The 33-year-old Norwegian stayed calm and collected to do so, leading three Norwegians in the top four as Randall finished fifth in Sunday's Toblach sprint.
Sunday's classic team sprint in Nove Mesto was destined to be a showdown between Finland and Norway. Saarinen led the race for Finland in the final lap until a burst of speed from Østberg on the final climb secured a Norwegian victory.
Finland's Aino-Kaisa Saarinen and Anne Kyllönen dominated Sunday’s 1.25-kilometer classic team event at the World Cup in Asiago, Italy, giving a lesson to more than 20 other teams on how to get out front and stay there, beating the likes of Norway on the way.
Poland's Justyna Kowalczyk remained unbeaten in the classic technique this season, skiing to an uncontested win in the World Cup sprint in Asiago, Italy. Anne Kyllönen of Finland finished second with Norwegian Maiken Caspersen Falla in third.
Biathletes and cross-country skiers alike from Europe and beyond descended on Sandnes, Norway, for the annual three-day Blink Ski Festival from Aug. 1-3. The rollerski mass starts, hill climbs and sprints saw some close finishes, new winners and record crowds.
The Queen is back — as new snow fell in Val di Fiemme, Italy, on Thursday, Norwegian superstar Marit Bjørgen won the classic sprint by over two seconds to claim her ninth career World Championships gold medal. Ida Ingemarsdotter took silver and Maiken Caspersen Falla was third; Justyna Kowalczyk left the venue empty-handed after a disastrous fall in the final.
Two 22-year-old Norwegians, Maiken Caspersen Falla and Ingvild Flugstad Østberg, topped Sunday's World Cup team sprint podium, beating Sweden's Ida Ingemarsdotter and Stina Nilsson by half a second in the 6 x 0.85 k skate sprint. The U.S. women with Sadie Bjornsen and Ida Sargent ended up seventh after hanging in third.
It took Finland’s Mona-Liisa Malvalehto 67 World Cup starts to achieve her first podium, but she did it in winning fashion Saturday in the classic sprint, ahead of Justyna Kowalczyk, Maiken Caspersen Falla and Dasha Gaiazova. A mother with a musical background and reality show title, Malvalehto won the first of two sprints in Liberec, Czech Republic.
An abnormally high pulse in training Saturday morning prompted Norwegian Marit Bjørgen to go to the hospital, and on Sunday, the defending World Cup champion was discharged after being examined for cardiac dysrhythmia, also known as arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat.
Kikkan Randall nearly pulled off what appeared impossible — breaking away on the climbs and holding on to the lead in the women's skate sprint. Maiken Caspersen Falla responded and bested Randall in the homestretch.
Justyna Kowalczyk is back on top of the World Cup podium, skiing away from the field to win the women's 10k classic mass start in Canmore, Alberta. Anne Kylloenen earned her first World Cup podium, while Maiken Caspersen Falla, took third for her first distance top-3.
Nobody really knew what to expect when Québec City hosted its first World Cup last weekend. Between the spectators, course and conditions, everything was a bit of a surprise. International athletes and coaches sum up their experiences.
With her sixth individual World Cup victory in the bag, Kikkan Randall says the novelty hasn't worn off. In fact, Saturday's 1.6 k freestyle sprint win will be one of her most memorable with one of the best crowds she's ever seen.
Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins made it three weekends in a row with a U.S. podium, winning the team sprint in Quebec City over Germany and Norway. The win was a first in a team event for the American women.