At the 2009 World Championships in the Czech Republic, Finland’s Matti Heikkinen combined a well-timed peak with a great pair of skis to take bronze in the 15 k classic, on a challenging wax day. That medal was Heikkinen’s first time on the podium in an international race. Since then, he’d finished in the top three a few times more—twice on the World Cup, and also in a couple of stages of the Tour de...
Daniel Rickardsson, the Swede who taught everyone a lesson on how to race a 15K classic interval start when he won the 15K by almost a full 30 seconds during the World Cup in Drammen eight days ago, is ready to get even with the Norwegians from Sunday’s pursuit.
Norway fields one hot medal contender for the 30K pursuit: defending world champion Petter Northug, as well as three proven distance racers. But more surprisingly, sprinter Eirik Brandsdal rounds out the 5-person squad.
One might say that a Swede winning a World Cup race on Norwegian soil would be reason for a national day of mourning. But despite Sweden getting the best in this stage of the great Nordic skiing rivalry, the unflagging good cheer of 15,000 Norwegian ski fans indicated otherwise. Daniel Rickardsson (SWE) turned in a dominating performance before a boisterous crowd in the last distance World Cup race prior to the start of the World...
Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeseth (NOR) thinks the conditions reported from Kuusamo, Finland, caused many skiers to withdraw from the FIS Norway Cup/BUL-sprint events at Gålå, Norway, this weekend.
The Norwegian women dominated the World Cup opener Nov 20-21, and the Norwegian men want revenge on the Swedes. However, will likely have to achieve the task without reigning World Champion Petter Northug in the Kuusamo (FIN) mini-tour.
Marit Bjoergen showed no ill-effects from an illness that kept her out of the first two FIS races in Beitostolen, Norway. She skied to a convincing 51.4 second victory over teammate Therese Johaug, who won Friday’s skate race by 40 seconds. Bjoergen led at every time check, demonstrating strong early season form in the 10km classic event. “It’s not surprising there are such differences early in the season,” said Bjoergen to the Norwegian newspaper Afternposten, discounting her...
OSLO, NORWAY – Norwegian national team racers object to FIS plans of introducing alpine cross-country races.
SWEDEN - Two of the biggest favorites for the Oslo 2011 World Championships are choosing different ways to peak for the events in February/March: Charlotte Kalla (SWE) chooses to race the Tour de Ski again, while rival Marit Bjoergen (NOR) chooses the same plan as she did for the 2010 Olympics and skips the Tour.
NORWAY - Langrenn.com’s exclusive interview with Nikolay Pankratov from September 2, 2010, reveals a universe of difference between Norwegian and Russian training culture.
NORWAY – When Russian skier Nikolay Pankratov was caught on the Swiss border with intravenous equipment and 22 vials of actovegin, nobody was more shocked than Martin Johnsrud Sundby. The Norwegian national team member has spent much of his summer training with and getting to know the Russian skier during his extended training stay in Norway.