“If they wanted a fair race, there’s no way it would start today,” was what Tim Burke said of the crazy conditions in Oberhof, Germany, for the World Cup sprint. While no North Americans made the top 30, Lowell Bailey (USA) led the way in 34th and Christian Gow of Canada placed a solid 48th in his individual World Cup debut.
Almost all of the participants in the Birkebeiner, one of the largest ski marathons in the world, had reached the start in Rena on Saturday when race organizers were forced to cancel the race due to wind gusts that reached 50 miles per hour in the mountains. Since then, the decision has caused nothing but grief as many in Norway are fiercely critical of the cancellation.
Whistler, British Columbia – Conditions at Whistler Olympic Park – the venue for cross-country skiing, biathlon, nordic combined and ski jumping have been predictably unpredictable. The variable snow in Whistler has been a major topic of conversation among teams and service personnel over the last several years. The US invested significant resources into a program set up to prepare skis – both in terms of structure and wax – specifically for this venue. Last year...