February 16, 2006 – Today’s 10K classic race saw difficult conditions, with plus 4 temperatures and rain on the lower part of the course, and some snow falling in the upper sections. Coach Dave Wood characterized it as “an incredibly good race for Sara”, who in the past has been stronger at the shorter distance events, and is now able to maintain her speed over longer distances.

Renner got off to a great start and led through the first half of the race, but struggled a bit on some steep climbs at 8K to eventually settle for 8th place at the finish. She dropped 20 seconds to the leaders on the last 2K which made the difference between 8th and a medal.

Estonia’s Kristina Smigun captured her second gold of the Olympics with Norway’s Marit Bjoergen and Hilde Pedersen in second and third.

It wasn’t such a great day for Beckie Scott who had some waxing difficulties and therefore struggled during the race finishing 30th. To make a bad day worse, Scott was eventually disqualified for leaving the course and not re-entering at the same point. The skiers were supposed to ski a lap of the stadium before the finish and Scott first started down the finish lane before realizing her mistake, then cut over to the lap lane. The rules require that she should have backtracked to the start of the lap lane and continued to the finish.

But as Coach Dave Wood says: “Now, when we have only one in the top 10, we’re (ticked) off,”. “It shows how far we’ve come, and we’re not finished yet. Beckie, she’s not a quitter. This only drives her.” Look out for Scott in the sprint and the relay.

Milaine Theriault skied a steady race finishing 46th, and Amanda Ammar finished a respectable 54th in her Olympic debut.

The women will now prepare for the upcoming 4 X 5km relay.
Results:
www.torino2006.org/ENG/IDF/CC/C73A_CCW010101.html

Results

1 SMIGUN Kristina EST 27:51.4
2 BJORGEN Marit NOR 28:12.7
3 PEDERSEN Hilde G. NOR 28:14.0
4 STEIRA Kristin Stormer NOR 28:21.0
5 NEUMANNOVA Katerina CZE 28:22.2
6 MAJDIC Petra SLO 28:22.3
7 SAARINEN Aino Kaisa FIN 28:29.6
8 RENNER Sara CAN 28:33.0
9 KUITUNEN Virpi FIN 28:51.4
10 BAUER Viola GER 29:03.6

46 THERIAULT Milaine CAN 31:30.4
50 WAGNER Wendy Kay USA 31:41.0
53 RANDALL Kikkan USA 31:49.7
54 AMMAR Amanda CAN 31:51.7
57 LARSON Abby USA 32:09.0
59 WEIER Lindsey USA 32:43.3
Disqualified SCOTT Beckie CAN