The narrow course set up on the streets of Milan, Italy delivered yet another exciting World Cup day of racing on Sunday in the team sprint event. For the American duo of Simi Hamilton and Andy Newell, however, it was unfavorably so. Coming into the exchange zone on the third leg of the semifinal, Austria I’s Harald Wurm pushed Hamilton, sending him to the ground and ruining the Americans’ chances of advancing to the finals....
So far this season, Sadie Bjornsen has been on a quest to make the heats in a World Cup sprint. And while her silver medal with Kikkan Randall in the team sprint in Dusseldorf, Germany was more than she had expected, she still hasn’t crossed her original goal off the list. Today in Milan, Italy, Bjornsen came the closest she’s ever been to the quarterfinals, finishing 31st in the qualifier. That put her just 0.14...
North Americans Each weekend seems to be an interesting mix of results for the North Americans. Starting with the women (Davos result circled in blue): Compared to this season, that was an off day for Kikkan, but compared to last season that was pretty typical. Part of me wonders if she dialed it back a [...] Related posts:
American and Canadian women have become a World Cup force to be reckoned with. It seems there was something to the North American Women’s Training Alliance after all. Kikkan Randall (USA) won her second individual sprint in as many weekends. Canada did something it’s never done before in Davos and sent all three women to the heats. U.S. Ski Team (USST) Head Coach Chris Grover probably put it best with his take on the American...
Holly Brooks (USA) continued her meteoric rise from participant to contender on the World Cup circuit, skiing to 13th place in the 15km freestyle in Davos, Switzerland. With teammates Liz Stephen and Kikkan Randall placing 21st and 27th respectively, the US women finished the day with an unprecedented three skiers in the top-30. Brooks started quickly, clocking as the race leader at the two kilometer mark when she came through as the 31st starter. And...
For North American ski fans, here’s a look at who to watch for this weekend in Davos, Switzerland. Saturday’s 15/30 k—long awaited as it is one of only two such distances on the entire World Cup schedule—begins at 6:15 am EST with the women’s 15 k. The men’s start follows at 8:00 am EST. Women It says quite a bit about U.S. skiing these days that Kikkan Randall also featured prominently in our raw Swiss...
After a weekend of city sprinting in Germany, including gluhwein, spills, and DSQ’s, the FIS World Cup heads to Davos, Switzerland, this weekend for another pair of skate races. Saturday sees a rare beast on the World Cup — a long distance individual start skate race (15 for the women, and 30 k for the men) — while Sunday features what might be the most intense sprint of the World Cup season. While Dusseldorf...
This past weekend in Dusseldorf, Germany, Kikkan Randall and Sadie Bjornsen made US skiing history when they paired up to finish second in the World Cup Team Sprint. Just the day before Randall won the individual sprint. We caught up with Randall and Bjornsen as they prepare for this weekend’s races in Davos, Switzerland.
For some cross-country skiers on the World Cup circuit, the news that Saturday’s individual races would be shortened wasn’t all that disheartening. Sadie Bjornsen, who made her first World Cup podium in Sunday’s team sprint with U.S. teammate Kikkan Randall, tried to contain herself. Instead of a 15 k freestyle in Davos, Switzerland, the women will race 10 k. The men’s skate race was cut from 30 k to 15 k. “Sadie just did a...
For the second straight day of sprint racing in Dusseldorf, Germany, the American women brought the fireworks. During the second day of World Cup racing in Dusseldorf, the Norway I team of Mari Eide and Maiken Caspersen Falla took the win. In a surprise move, United States I featuring Sadie Bjornsen and Kikkan Randall crossed the line second, 1.6 seconds back of the Norwegians. The bronze medal went to Natalia Korosteleva and Natalia Matveeva of...
In addition to Kikkan Randall (USA) and Chandra Crawford (CAN) who placed 1st and 4th respectively in the freestyle sprint on the streets of Dusseldorf, Germany, six other North American women raced, with Canadian Perianne Jones and American Sadie Bjornsen just missing out on the heats. Jones, in 32nd was just .23 seconds out of a spot in the heats. “It went by really fast,” Jones told FasterSkeir after the qualification round. “I have a...
Editor’s Note: There has been significant confusion regarding results for today’s World Cup races. The FIS website lists overall standings for the three-race mini-tour. Kikkan Randall is 5th in those standings, and finished 12th in today’s 5km freestyle. There are, Kikkan Randall concedes, downsides to success. But they’re pretty miniscule. For one, the American skier’s expectations have been raised since notching her first-ever distance top ten in Sjusjøen, Norway last weekend, and then skiing to...
Less than one week after arriving in Europe, the U.S. Ski Team’s (USST) Kikkan Randall had the best distance performance of her career—8th place— for the opening World Cup in Sjusjøen, Norway. On a four-lap 10 k course, Randall finished +58.2 back from the winner, Marit Bjoergen (NOR), and was less than a second behind Therese Johaug (NOR), who finished 7th. “I felt like [my race] would have been a success if I was around...
With the biggest squad in recent memory, the U.S. Ski Team (USST) looks to continue building on last season’s results on the World Cup this year, starting with the salvaged opener on November 19. Mild weather put the Americans’ travel plans in limbo last week, delaying their arrival to Europe. With their planned tune-up race in Beitostølen, Norway canceled, Saturday’s race in Sjusjøen will be the first time most of the U.S. contingent puts on...
Under two years apart in age, Sadie and Erik Bjornsen have always been competitive siblings. But as two of the newest members of the U.S. Ski Team (USST), they don’t seem too worried about upstaging each other. On the contrary, Erik made the decision to join his older sister at Alaska Pacific University (APU) this May at his sister’s encouragement. The Winthrop, WA natives have cut strikingly similar career paths so far. Both dominated the...
On October 8, 25 elite female athletes from six different sports will come together in Park City for the fourth Fast and Female event in the US this year, and the first one in the States to include athletes from sports outside of cross country skiing. On Saturday afternoon from 1 to 4 pm at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) Center for Excellence, girls ages 9 to 19 will be joining top biathletes,...
MarweRollerSkis.com 2011 Team Marwe Kikkan Randall-#1 ranked skier in the US; World Cup Winner! Andy Newell-#1 ranked skier in the US; #5 ranked Sprinter in the World! Sadie Bjornsen-2011 World Championships 9th Place, 2011 US Nationals 10k Classic Champion Jessie Diggins-2011 World Championships Team, 2011 US Nationals Skate Sprint Champion Simi Hamilton-2011 World Championships Team, 2010 Olympian Liz Stephen-2011 World Championship Team, 2011 US Nationals 20k Skate Champion Tim Burke-2-Time Olympian, 2010 Biathlon World...
FasterSkier Rookie of the Year It is hard to define a “rookie” in cross-country skiing. First year on the World Cup? First season as a senior? First year in college? First year skiing? We keep it loose and give the award to skiers who take a major step forward while moving up to a new level of competition. Rookie of the Year (women): Jessie Diggins (USA/CXC Elite) The choice for the female Rookie of the...
The following is the USSA’s list of nominations for the 2012 U.S. Cross Country Ski Team. The nominations include those athletes who qualified based on published selection criteria. The USSA will announce the actual team roster later this spring, naming those athletes who accept the responsibilities of being a part of the U.S. Ski Team and who are planning to compete in the 2012 season. Athletes nominated to the 2012 U.S. Cross Country Ski Team...
The U.S. Cross-Country Ski Team (USST) for the 2011-2012 season is expected to be announced in a few hours, according to John Farra, the program’s director. The nominations haven’t been made public yet, but in making them, Farra and Chris Grover, the USST head coach, have faced a familiar dilemma: add a number of athletes to the squad, and dilute an always-tight budget, or preserve the higher levels of support that come with a smaller...