December 21, 2011 – DIGGINS Again – Jessie hasn’t lost a race since the first race in Yellowstone, and the 10km (the last race before the Xmas break) in Rossland was the icing on the cake. She won by over a minute after having taken a wrong turn on her first lap that cost her time. It is time for this lady to set her sites on bigger things – she is definitely ready to be in Europe – but, has to make a short stop in Rumford, Maine in very early January for the National Championships. I wonder if Las Vegas has a betting line on the Nationals, as I know where my money would be.

Sprinting Qualifiers Format Only – There have been three of these already this year and I know the intent is to help the skiers improve their FIS and National points. So, you do the qualifier and forget about the heats – BIG MISTAKE in my estimation. Our NA skiers already show a big enough deficiency in heat racing internationally, where they are more famous for failing or falling out of the heats earlier than their qualifying time indicates they should finish.

They need the experience of the heats, learning to develop their race strategies over and over and then using these strategies and tactics while racing the heats. They cannot get enough of these experiences. They also need to learn how to deal head on with the rough stuff that occurs, especially in Europe. I can’t tell you how many times I would tell our rookies what was about to happen to them racing internationally only to have them come crying to me after the race saying they got elbowed, step on or shoved. Too late I’d say – take care of it in the race – because they are going to do it again. I think the associations should take the steps to stop this.

If you feel too many skiers have nothing to do and need to race more, have an A and a B series of sprints and do what ever you need to do to have them culminate – have the A final skiers race against the B final skiers or just have A final results and B final results. Sixty skiers going at it – double the number of skiers – that’s a real positive – you’re still going to get those all important points. I know it is a long day – but every racing day is a long day – every one is out there – use the time to make more skiers better. Right now this is wasting a great learning opportunity. Our skiers need a more positive outcome.

When YouThink It Can’t Get Any Better – It Does – Kikkan’s best ever distance classic result an 11th place in the 10km; the 2006 model of Chandra Crawford reappears on the podium; and her teammate Dasha Gaiazove breaks into the top 10; the amazing Simi Hamilton after having struggled to find the start line this early season lays down a 7th qualifying time and finishes 10th over all in the men’s sprint; while Ida Sargent qualified 30th but, was as I feel, a success because in the heats she moved to 25th place (a best ever); and the best of all was Andy Newell’s 24th place in the Men’s 15km classic – his first WC distance points race. This was a tough race, very fast paced and Newell was only 24 seconds out overall. I haven’t even mentioned that Harvey was 10th, Kershaw 16th and Babikov 22nd – also nothing to be sneezed at. Nor did I forget the rest of the ladies as they were breaking barriers as well – Holy Brooks in 19th (another race in the teens effort), Liz Stephen in 22nd and Ida Sargent in 38th all classic best finishes for them all. HOLY COW!!!

Future Team Sprints – after this weekend how many potential medals are there in team sprint events with NA teams that have these skier combinations – Randall and Brooks, Newell and Hamilton, Kershaw and Harvey, Crawford and Gaiazova…and we haven’t seen everyone yet that could make the options different or maybe even better than these. This is when you like being a coach, the challenge is to pick the best or right combination.

Bring on the Tour de Ski – and the US Nationals, of course, after a Merry Christmas to you all!