After impressive seasons and groundbreaking results at World Championships from Rosie Brennan and Graeme Killick, the American and Canadian have earned the title of FasterSkier's Breakthrough Skiers of 2015.
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Rosie Brennan
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) announced its cross-country team nominations for the 2015/2016 season on Thursday, naming 16 athletes to the team, four more than the previous year.
Babikov, Gregg Ski to 50/30 k Victories at U.S. Distance Nationals (Updated)
Lander KarathMarch 26, 2015
Thursday's SuperTour Finals action welcomed the 30 and 50 k U.S. Distance Nationals, where Canada's Ivan Babikov won over Colorado's Rune Malo Ødegård and USST/SSCV's Noah Hoffman, who claimed the title of national champion. Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) won the 30 k by just under three minutes over USST/Burke's Liz Stephen.
A trio of Americans finished in the top 20 of the final women's World Cup race of the season, a 30-kilometer freestyle mass start in Holmenkollen, Norway. Liz Stephen led the U.S. team in ninth, Jessie Diggins took 14th, while Caitlin Gregg capped off an eventful World Cup season with a 19th-place finish.
Three in Top 20, U.S. Women Prove Their Mettle With Gritty Results in Worlds 30 k
Lander KarathFebruary 28, 2015
Whether it was Sadie Bjornsen leading the race at 5 k, Liz Stephen scoring the best result ever for a U.S. woman in a World Champs 30 k by finishing 11th, or Rosie Brennan outsprinting Justyna Kowalczyk for 16th, the American women ended World Championships on a high note.
A Russian racer skied over Sadie Bjornsen's tips 2.5 kilometers into the 4 x 5 k relay, but the Americans fought back strong to finish fourth. "We all skied the best we possibly could today," said Liz Stephen. "I’m already dreaming for the next chance at a podium.”
Stephen Leads North Americans in 11th in World Champs Skiathlon Despite Fatigue
Lander KarathFebruary 21, 2015
Liz Stephen was the top North American in Saturday's 15 k skiathlon after she raced to 11th behind winner Therese Johaug. She said the result was unexpected given remaining fatigue from the prior week's training.
World Champs Rookies: 10 Questions with Rosie Brennan
FasterSkierFebruary 16, 2015
Alaska Pacific University’s Rosie Brennan answers 10 questions as she looks to build on a successful season at the 2015 World Championships in Falun, Sweden as part of FasterSkier’s series on World Champs rookies.
American Jessie Diggins finished 17th after posting the fifth-fastest time at the 1.8-kilometer mark, while Liz Stephen -- who finished fifth overall in the 2015 Tour de Ski -- took 26th. Rosie Brennan came in 32nd and was just a few seconds from cracking the top 30, while Kikkan Randall finished 33rd.
Hamilton Takes 11th, Newell 12th to Lead Americans in Östersund Sprint
Colin GaiserFebruary 14, 2015
Simi Hamilton made it to the semifinals in Saturday's World Cup classic sprint in Östersund, Sweden, to end up 11th overall, and Andy Newell took 12th for his best result of the season. Sadie Bjornsen and Sophie Caldwell made it to the quarterfinals as well and ended up 22nd and 20th overall, respectively.
This Monday the USST announced 16 cross country athletes will represent the U.S. at the 2015 FIS Nordic World Championships in Falun, Sweden. Headlined by defending World Champions Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins, a mix of veterans and newcomers will take on the world's best.
Facing a lack of snow? Writing your training plan for next year? Here are some bounding tips from three-time 2015 national champion Rosie Brennan that will whip you into shape.
‘The old Jessie is back’ as Diggins Skis to Fifth in Rybinsk Skiathlon
Lander KarathJanuary 25, 2015
USST athlete Jessie Diggins earned her second fifth-place of the weekend in the 7.5 k + 7.5 k skiathlon in Rybinsk, Russia. Diggins led the USST women to place four skiers in the top-20 with Liz Stephen in seventh, Sadie Bjornsen in 13th, and Rosie Brennan in 20th.
Russian Yulia Tchekaleva won the women’s 15-kilometer skiathlon Sunday by 15.6 seconds, earning her first-ever World Cup victory and delivering her best result of the season on home turf in Rybinsk, Russia.
Öberg Takes First World Cup Win, Diggins Claims Fifth in Rybinsk Sprint
Lander KarathJanuary 24, 2015
It was a day of firsts for Jennie Öberg of Sweden who had her first World Cup sprint final, podium, and win in Rybinsk, Russia. Jessie Diggins skied to her best result of the season, taking fifth. The USST women placed and addition three skiers in the top 13.
Stephen Earns Historic Podium in Rybinsk; Jacobsen Notches First Win in Seven Years
Lander KarathJanuary 23, 2015
Liz Stephen marked yet another historic race with a second place in the 10 k freestyle in Rybinsk, Russia. The 27-year-old not only earned her first-ever World Cup podium, she also notched the best finish by an American woman in a World Cup distance race.
In her second-ever team sprint (and first one since 2009), Rosie Brennan teamed up with Ida Sargent to advance to the final, where they placed sixth of 10 teams. The U.S. women's first team, Sadie Bjornsen and Sophie Caldwell placed 11th, as did the U.S. men's second team (Erik Bjornsen/Matt Gelso), and Andy Newell and Simi Hamilton ended up 19th after a late semifinal crash.
Sweden’s Nilsson Snags Team-Sprint Victory Over Norway
Inge ScheveJanuary 18, 2015
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.
Three Americans made the quarterfinals on Saturday in the second World Cup classic sprint of the season: Sadie Bjornsen, Simi Hamilton and Andy Newell. None of them advanced to the semifinals, and while it wasn't a bad day, most were left wanting more.
Ever since the season started in West Yellowstone, Rosie Brennan's been on a roll. On Saturday, she achieved her seventh-straight podium, and third-consecutive win out of four races at U.S. nationals, becoming the first skier to do so since Kikkan Randall won all four nationals events in 2010.