March 10, 2008 (Anchorage, Alaska) – The USSA Junior Olympic Program is celebrating its 41st year in 2008 and is being hosted by Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage (NSAA). The Junior Olympics, also known as the JO’s features 409 Nordic ski racers from across the U.S. who are set to take to the Kincaid Park trails starting with today’s sprint races and ending with this coming Saturday’s freestyle relays.

Despite the unseasonably warm weather, the JO’s are still a go thanks to the diligent work of the NSAA volunteers and the groups newly acquired $300,000 Piston Bully 600. With the high day-time temperatures and below freezing overnight lows the new trail grooming machine has been busy breaking up the “skating rink” like trail surfaces leaving them race ready. However, today’s sprint racecourse had to be changed due to puddling water in some areas. The week long forecast shows high temperatures hovering at or just above the freezing mark.

The Junior Olympics are often seen as an opportunity for junior racers to grab the attention of US Ski team in hopes of receiving invitations to USST training camps and team trips. The Junior Olympics provide a perfect performance marker for young athletes to gage where they stand at a national and in some cases international level.

Results from today’s sprints have not been posted and can be found here. The next race on the schedule will be the classic mass start race on Wednesday, March 12,