February 22, 2010 (Whistler, BC) – Another cloudless day saw fierce competition as snow conditions stayed flying fast, with the Germans skiing fastest over the 1.430 km course – each team raced six laps for a total of 8.58 kms. The race saw plenty of crashes, particularly in the shady corners that remained very icy. Germany’s Evi Sachenbacher-Stiehle and Claudia Nystad won the gold in 18:03:7, with the Swedish team of Charlotte Kalla and Anna Haag, who have dominated podium finishes for the women, scooping silver 0.6 seconds back in a near photo finish.
Russian skiers Irina Khazova and Natalia Korosteleva skied to the bronze, four seconds back. Italy took 4th, Norway 5th while the American team of Kikkan Randall and Caitlin Compton, who had the race of their life after a crash, placed 6th. Canadian veteran Sara Renner, who took the silver in this event in 2006 with Becki Scott when it was a classic race, and Daria Gaiazova finished a strong seventh, 48.1 seconds back.
The qualifying round seeded eighteen teams in the semi-final. With two freestyle skiers per team skiing a total of three 8.58 km races in one day, countries fielded their endurance athletes more than their sprinters. The semi-final saw France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Russia, Finland, Japan, the Ukraine and Switzerland in the first heat. The French team of Karine Laurent Philippot and Laure Barthelemy had the fastest time, finishing in 18:42:2. Italy’s Magda Genuin and Arianna Follis were next 0.8 seconds back, with Germany’s Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle and Claudia Nystad taking the third fastest time in 18:43:5. It seems they were saving the best for last.
The second semi-final saw the great Swedes turn in a phenomenal time of 18:35:9 with Norway a distant second 11.3 seconds back. The Americans were a strong third place, 13:0 back, while Canada took fourth, 19:0 behind. With three to automatically qualify and the next four fastest teams to also move onto the finals, Canada had a few minutes of jitters before they were assured of a spot.
“It was a great race and we worked very well together,” Nystad said of her effort with her teammate Sachenbacher-Stehle. “We did everything right and at the right time. I really liked this race.” She added that during the race she, “decided to just try everything, give it all I’ve got. I had no feelings, just a plan.”
Sweden’s Kalla had a similar plan. “I wanted to go as hard as possible to make the others even more tired than I was, but it was a tough final.” Her teammate Haag, who had to sprint to the finish against Nystad said, “I really tried to beat her, but she is really good. I wanted to go ahead, but it was impossible. In the beginning of the last few metres I thought ‘maybe I can take it’, but there wasn’t enough distance left. She [Nystad] was too strong today. Claudia is one of the best sprinters in the sport. We went for gold, but we are really satisfied with silver.”
American Compton talked about being involved in another skier’s fall. “It was kind of bad luck. I went down and then it was difficult to be in the thick of things again. There was a lot of energy trying to catch up,” She paid tribute to teammate Randall as the Americans cemented sixth place with Randall skiing the anchor leg. “Kikkan’s last lap was phenomenal. In the final we knew it was going to be more difficult.” Meanwhile Randall said she was “happy to win the sprint” against Canada. “There was a big gap to make up on the last lap, but I was feeling stronger and stronger, so I did it. We were coming on stronger and stronger.”
It was Renner’s second last race of her final Olympics, after competing for Canada in four Games. “It was a good race for Dasha and I. We did all we could. In the Nordic world, to place in the top ten, well, all we can ask of ourselves is to do our best. It’s balls to the wall. People all over the world cross-country ski. All you need is snow—you can do it in your backyard. I really believe in our team. I know the effort it takes to win a medal. There’s not much space between that and seventh.”
Renner wouldn’t have missed these Games for anything, but she readily acknowledges there is life after sport. “I’ve been thinking about these Games for four years, but I was with Aria [her daughter] and I had to leave her for one night—she didn’t want me to leave. I said ‘in one week we’ll be looking at tidal pools in Tofino, and she said that’s a good deal mom.’”
Gaiazova backed up Renner’s analysis of the race. “It went well, it was really hard and it was my first time doing a relay. We just pushed and gave 100 percent. We really wanted to give the USA something to compete against, and we did give them a run for their money.”
Full results here.
Results
1. Germany (Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle; Claudia Nystad) 18:03.7
2. Sweden (Charlotte Kalla; Anna Haag) +0.6
3. Russian Federation (Irina Khazova; Natalia Korosteleva) +4.0
4. Italy (Magda Genuin; Arianna Follis) +10.5
5. Norway (Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen; Celine Brun-Lie) +29.1
6. United States (Caitlin Compton; Kikkan Randall) +47.9
7. Canada (Daria Gaiazova; Sara Renner) +48.1)
8. Finland (Riitta-Liisa Roponen; Riikka Sarasoja) +52.9
9. Poland (Kornelia Marek; Sylwia Jaskowiec) +55.4
10. France (Karine Laurent Philippot; Laure Barthelemy) +1:00.5