November 29, 2014 (Kuusamo, Finland) – Following today’s FIS XC World Cup Ruka opener we caught up with the USA’s Ida Sargent and Kikkan Randall along with Alex Harvey, Andy Newell and Simi Hamilton for their take on the racing and their results.

Ida Sargent © Nordic Focus

Ida Sargent
It feels great to have the first race done!  Normally I would like to do a few races before the first World Cup so I think I was extra nervous before this one but also really excited! I felt better and better as the day went on. My training has been good and I have felt like I was in a good place so I just had to be confident with those feelings going into the season.

The conditions today were really tricky because the tracks were glazed and washed out so it was really hard to get kick but then it got powdery at the top of the hills so hard to not ice there. It was far from perfect out there and you just had to find a balance between enough kick and fast skis.

I was fighting the tricky snow a bit in the beginning but able to relax later on and just do the best that I could.  Our techs did an awesome job and I was really happy with my skis especially for such tricky conditions.

I was always starting in the outside track which made it really hard to get into a good position because it has a much wider line going into the first corner. So I was always at the back and just tried to be patient and move up when I could. I felt really good during the first couple of heats and struggled to find openings on the hill but just tried to go as hard as I could and fight for every second.

This was my second sprint final and first ever in a classic so I was really excited. The final was fast and fun and I felt like I was right in it until I lost a little momentum going over the top of the climb. I was met in the finish area by hugs from all of my teammates and was so very thankful for their support and to be part of such an incredible team!

Today was a blast and I’m really excited about the races ahead!

Kikkan Randall © Nordic Focus

Kikkan Randall
It felt great to get the first race of the season under the belt today here in Ruka.  The conditions were quite challenging with temperatures right around the freezing mark. The tracks were getting quite glazed and blown out while the tracks up the main climb remained powdery. It was a total gamble to go with either strong kick or good glide.

We saw quite the variation in skis today. Mine were solid in the qualifying round, I was able to run all the way up the climb and didn’t ice too badly. I was very satisfied with how I felt in the qualifier.

I felt like I skied strong in the quarterfinals but made some wrong tactical choices.  I got stuck behind Hanna Falk from Sweden going up the big climb and lost some momentum when I had to stand up to avoid stepping on her tails. My skis iced over the top and I again lost some valuable momentum before the final turn. My energy was good in the rounds and I was disappointed to have my day end early after the quarterfinal.

It was really encouraging to see Ida Sargent make the final today for a career best World Cup finish. With five skiers in the top 30, it was a solid day for the team.

Now looking forward to testing out the distance shape in tomorrow’s 10km.  I can’t believe I’m saying this but actually hoping for slightly colder weather tomorrow for better tracks.

Alex Harvey © Nordic Focus

Alex Harvey
Yes, good race for me, and most important was the great improvement compared to last year where I was 38th in the sprint! The goal is always to ski faster than the guys around me in a sprint heat whether it’s Petter Northug or my own teammates.

“My skis were good in really hard conditions with glazed tracks and fresh snow outside of the tracks. My klister froze a bit up the last big hill in my quarter final so I stumbled a bit over the top and lost 5-10 meters but I was happy to be able to come back from 5th to 3rd in the last 200m after the miscue.”

Simeon Hamilton
“I’m definitely happy with how the day went… not ecstatic because obviously it’s always better to ski further into the rounds, but my effort in the qualification leaves me feeling confident that I’m becoming a better and better classic sprinter.

Historically I haven’t raced well in Kuusamo and so to be able to qualify with a decent result tells me that my fitness and speed are pretty good right now and I don’t have to worry too much about ‘racing into’ classic sprint fitness as we get into the first part of the season.

We’re all super pumped for Ida… she raced great and her enthusiasm from the day has been contagious for all of us that weren’t completely satisfied with the day.

Andrew Newell
It was a great day for Ida – that’s her personal best World Cup finish!

For me the day was a little frustrating with skis being a bit slick in the qualification so I lost some seconds. I re-tested and switched skis for the heats and ended up opting for more kick. In the past the Kuusamo ‘drag race’ has really come down to the big uphill and I wanted to make sure I had enough grip.

The skis worked great until we came over the top of the hill into the stadium and then they were just too sticky on the dryer snow. So it was frustrating to be running on stilts a little. My fitness has been feeling good so I’m not too worried about the result as it’s just the first race of the year.