There's a reason APU ventures to Park City each summer, and it's all about transitioning and revving up for the season ahead. “Whether it's the altitude or not, I think everyone here has gotten two weeks of incredible training,” U.S. Ski Team and APU skier Holly Brooks said. “It's hard to say from a physiological standpoint, but I think it's been a really productive camp either way.”
At long last, the final video from U.S. nationals in Soldier Hollow (and you thought we forgot about the women's skate sprint).
The final day of the 2013 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championship proved to be one of the most exciting as racing continued with the skate sprints. After the day of racing it was Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess who was strongest down the finish stretch to earn the top step on the podium and the national crown.
Distance guys made the final, favorites got eliminated early and at the end of it all, Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess (Bend Endurance Academy) drew on the inspiration of an emotional week to pull off his first career national championship. Our photos from throughout the day.
With unmatched tactical intelligence, raw speed and a little inspiration, Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess won the title he's wanted for so long on Tuesday in the freestyle sprint at U.S. Nationals. Erik Bjornsen was second and Alex Howe finished third.
All six of the female finalists in the U.S. nationals skate sprint had a pretty good sense how the last race around Soldier Hollow would play out. Caitlin Gregg threw them for a loop, but Sadie Bjornsen responded, edging Sophie Caldwell and Jennie Bender for the win.
On an overcast morning before the freestyle sprint kicks off at Soldier Hollow, volunteers work hard on course preparation, coaches dial in wax and athletes arrive at the venue for one more nerve-wracking race. Some images from the final hours before the start.
Can anyone touch Torin Koos? Will Sadie Bjornsen be able to keep the ball rolling? Our final set of official U.S. Nationals predictions.
30 kilometers. Six laps. 18.6 miles. Ninety-plus minutes. Whichever way you cut it, the men's mass start classic race at U.S. Nationals was one long race. Our images from throughout the day.
The 2013 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championship continued on the trails of Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah with the senior women's 20 k classic mass start. The lead pack was established early with just six women in contention for the national title throughout the majority of the race. On the course's final major climb, Hermode's Hill, it was Sadie Bjornsen (USST/APU) who attacked, opening up a sizable gap by the time she entered the stadium. Check out our footage of the action.
Here you were thinking Torin Koos was a sprinter. Think again: he won his eighth career national title on Sunday in the 30 k mass start classic, his second of the week. He bested Erik Bjornsen and David Norris in second and third in a close, hard-fought race at Soldier Hollow.
A two-time runner-up at this year's nationals, Sadie Bjornsen proved to herself that she can achieve gold, winning her second national title in three years in her first-ever 20 k. Bjornsen skied away from the pack late, beating teammate Kate Fitzgerald by nearly 13 seconds.
The action at the 2013 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championship heated up this morning when the senior men started off the day with the 30 k classic mass start. Six laps of the challenging 5 k loop at Soldier Hollow made for an exciting race as eighteen skiers were together in the lead pack for the majority of the race, but during the final kilometers only a handful of men were in contention for the national title. As they climbed Soldier Hollow's fabled Hermode's Hill for the final time it was Torin Koos (BSF) who made a decisive move to claim the national title with Erik Bjornsen (USST/APU) and David Norris (MSU) finishing second and third respectively. Check out our footage of the race.
Last night it was just a bit overcast which kept things from getting as clear and cold as it has been recently, but it was still 4f at the venue 2 hours before the start, so the snow was still cold. Although the conditions were slightly different (no hoarfrost that needed to be skied in for example), our wax tests (both kick and glide) showed that the same products that had been performing the past two days continued to.
Soldier Hollow gets busy as athletes arrive for the mass start classic race and coaches make last-minute adjustments to kick and glide. Some scenes from the stadium.
There’s nothing like mass start classic racing on a perfectly-groomed, hard-packed course, and that’s exactly what awaits athletes at Soldier Hollow for the 20/30 k on Sunday. Can the Bjornsens both put together classic wins on the same day?
Dan Cnossen and Beth Requist claimed national titles Saturday in the 15- and 9-kilometer sit-ski competitions, respectively, at U.S. nationals in Soldier Hollow. A rookie herself, Requist beat a crew of newbies while Cnossen defended his title.
The men's 15 k freestyle at the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships at Soldier Hollow in featured fierce racing on a challenging course. The 15 second interval individual start format kept a steady stream of racers, and as the top seeds came to the finish line it was Erik Bjornsen (APU/USST) that posted the fastest time and earned the national title. Watch our footage of the action.
Can't get enough of the action at U.S. Nationals? Here are some bits and pieces from top performers on Friday that didn't make the race reports.
Friday's 10- and 15-kilometer freestyle races at Soldier Hollow were hardly walks in the park. Racers had to tackle a modified 5-kilometer course, which some thought was harder than the Olympic 5 k. Photos from some of the top women on the two-lap sufferfest.