January 26, 2015 (Antholz, Italy) – The winds really picked up for the women’s 4x6km IBU relay in Antholz, Italy that made shooting incredibly challenging. Despite the stormy conditions, the German squad took top spot, with the Czech Republic in second and the Ukraine in third, while Team Canada finished 10th and the USA in 12th.

Laura Dahlmeier (GER) © Nordic Focus

Despite two penalties and 10 spare rounds, Germany finished 35s ahead of the Czech Republic, who received no penalties, but used up 15 spares. The Ukraine racked up one penalty and took nine spares.

Canada’s Megan Heinicke, Julia Ransom, Rosanna Crawford, and Audrey Vaillancourt set a time of 1:22:18.0 in their relay effort.

“I think we can all be proud of our efforts today! The wind was quite tricky with huge gusts coming from every direction,” said Ransom. “I learned that sometimes it’s just not worth losing time waiting for the wind to settle down. Days like today you have to gamble a little. This was the first time us four girls have been a relay team together. This is a great starting block and I believe good things are going to come from this team!”

Audrey Vaillancourt at the finish ©

Team USA had a great start with Susan Dunklee (USA) cleaning in prone and using three spares in standing. She skied into the exchange zone with leader Eva Puskarcikova of the Czech Republic, and tagged off to Hannah Dreissigacker (USA) in second place, just 3.2 seconds out of the lead.

“It was an awesome experience to be tagged off to in second, but I have to say I was expecting something like that to happen,” Dreissigacker said.

Susan Dunklee (USA) © Nordic Focus

Dreissigacker stayed right on the tail of the Czech Republic’s Gabriela Soukalova on the first loop as they entered the prone stage together. While Soukalova needed just one spare in prone, Dreissigacker used two but still remained only 8.9 seconds back in second place as they headed out for the second loop. The gusty winds at the standing stage of the second leg got the best of Dreissigacker as she used three spares and had to ski three penalty laps, which dropped the team to 12th.

Hannah Dreissigacker (USA) Nordic Focus

“It was such an awesome opportunity for me to ski with Soukalova, the leader, for that first lap,” added Dreissigacker. “I was happy with prone shooting. Then, when I came in for standing, it got so windy and I missed the very small window right away to get some shots off before it was too windy. I stood there for so long in the crazy wind, along with everyone else, and my legs got really shaky and I just felt like I had no chance to hit my shots in that wind. It was bad luck, but I am also replaying in my head all of the things I should have done differently. Then I had three penalties, which was a real bummer, but on the whole, I took away some really positive experiences. Getting tagged off to in second and being able to hold that all the way until standing shooting… that was really fun.”

Annelies Cook (USA) turned in the fourth-fastest time on the third leg of the relay and moved the team up to 11th. She needed three spares in prone but just one spare in standing. Clare Egan (USA), competing in her first World Cup, brought the team home in 12th with a time of 1:24:16.8/5+18.

Clare Egan USA 2015-01-25 at 10.25.56 AM

“We ended a wild week with some wild wind today,” said Dunklee. “Conditions in the range were a lottery with gusts coming from any direction. I think Hannah and Clare saw some of the most challenging of anyone during their standing stages. The wax technicians did an amazing job with the skis today and we had the best material of any team out there.”

Results here.