Matt Whitcomb led the women's U.S. Ski Team to new heights this winter on the World Cup and at World Championships, earning him FasterSkier's inaugural Coach of the Year award.
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U.S. Women’s Team Grows to Seven; Caldwell Nominated after Breakout Year
Audrey ManganApril 24, 2013
The U.S. Ski Team formally announced its 2013-2014 nominations on Monday, and seven women in total were named to the squad. In contrast to the men's team there were no cuts, and the addition of Sophie Caldwell reflects an expected expansion of the U.S. women's World Cup quota by one more spot in both distance in sprinting.
It's been a week since World Cup Finals wrapped up in Falun, Sweden, and the dust has more than settled on the international season. The American women had their best run yet: World Championships gold, all six athletes in the top ten at some point and another sprint crystal globe in the bag. When asked to recall their personal season highlights, these were among the moments they pointed out.
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.
The American women were back on form on Friday for the 2.5 k prologue at World Cup Finals. Kikkan Randall led the way with a third-place finish, and behind her in seventh and eighth, respectively, Holly Brooks and Jessie Diggins were ecstatic to have confidence-building races towards the end of the season. Liz Stephen was 20th for a total of four women in the top-20.
So much has happened since November that it’s easy to forget that, prior the first World Cup of the season, Kikkan Randall didn’t know whether she’d even come close to matching her performances from the season before. Well, she did: after finishing the last sprint of the season on Wednesday in Stockholm, she was awarded the second sprint globe of her career.
Before Andy Newell got a medal for finishing fifth in the overall sprint rankings this season, the race that took place in front of the Royal Palace in Stockholm was not quite what the U.S. was looking for from the final sprint of the year. Newell led the way for the men 11th but was aiming for the finals. Ida Sargent posted the top women's finish in 20th and Kikkan Randall was 22nd.
Liz Stephen's ninth-place finish highlighted the U.S. team’s day at Holmenkollen on Sunday, but right along with her Jessie Diggins and Holly Brooks toughed out their own races to finish the 30 k feeling relatively good about the effort. Diggins was 30th and Brooks finished 35th.
After making no ski changes and competing with the first chase group for most of the women's 30 k freestyle at Holmenkollen, American Liz Stephen notched another career-high on Sunday in Oslo, Norway, with a ninth-place finish. Though happy with the result, Stephen was a bit frustrated with how the ski change tactics played out.
Sadie Bjornsen notched a career-best ninth-place finish in the Lahti, Finland, freestyle sprint on the same day her teammate, Kikkan Randall, secured the crystal sprint globe for the U.S. "She almost stole the show, in a way," said USST women's coach Matt Whitcomb. Seven American women in all competed on Saturday; Jessie Diggins followed Bjornsen in 25th.
Demonstrating once again the power of a goal and unwavering belief in it, Stephen achieved exactly what she set out to do on Tuesday in the World Championships 10 k individual freestyle by finishing fifth, a career-best. "I'm pretty ecstatic," Stephen said. "I'm so lucky to be part of something so big right now."
Athletes and staff each have roles to play on race day, and on Sunday at World Championships every one of them was executed perfectly to help Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall to earn an historic gold medal in the team sprint. The wax, the skis — and that replacement pole!
WIth a more experienced team than they've had before the Americans are approaching the next six races at World Championships more calmly than they have in recent years. On the eve of the classic sprint Kikkan Randall said she wants to perform well on Thursday, "but there’s not really big expectations on it. I’m feeling excited to race and see what’s in the tank."
Diggins Leads Three in the Top-20 In Davos for U.S. Women
Topher SabotFebruary 18, 2013
Jessie Diggins finished 14th, leading a trio of U.S. women in the top-20 in the final World Cup race before World Championships.
Newell Rises to Fourth in Davos Sprint, Second in World Cup Sprint Standings
Alex KochonFebruary 16, 2013
US Ski Team member Andy Newell came one step closer to a World Cup podium on Saturday, placing fourth in the 1.5 k classic sprint in Davos, Switzerland. While he was 3 seconds off the mark, Newell isn't too worried: he's still got World Championships and an overall sprint title to chase. Teammate Simi Hamilton notched a season best of 13th, and Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess and Erik Bjornsen learned some lessons.
Kikkan Randall was eighth to pace three American women to the top 30 in classic sprint in Davos, Switzerland, on Saturday. "It’s the kind of day we wanted to have before going to world championships," said USST women's coach Matt Whitcomb.
Liz Stephen was eighth in the 15 k skiathlon in Sochi, Russia, on Saturday. It was the best regular-season result of her life, but she wasn't quite happy with it. She wants a World Cup podium, and at 25 seconds out of third on the grueling Olympic course she's getting oh-so-close.
Randall and Sargent Pace Seven Americans in Sochi Heats
Audrey ManganFebruary 1, 2013
Seven Americans landed in the heats in the freestyle sprint in Sochi, Russia, on Friday. Kikkan Randall calmly won her third sprint of the season and Ida Sargent was sixth in her first appearance in a World Cup final. La Clusaz is but a distant memory.
In a season filled with personal-bests and historic finishes for the American women, the 4 x 5 k relay in La Clusaz, France, was a reminder that not every race can be a wild success. They finished ninth out of nine teams on Sunday.
Andy Newell got the U.S. men's relay off to a strong start Sunday, tagging off to Noah Hoffman in fourth. Hoffman rose to second, but two crashes on his last lap proved too much to overcome and the Americans finished 10th, a season best that left the team wanting more.