December 16, 2007 (Rybinsk, Russia) – Eleven months ago, Alaskan Kikkan Randall skied to the first World Cup podium by a U.S. woman, finishing third in Rybinsk. Sunday, she topped that one big time, skiing off with the first World Cup win by an American woman.

She said two lessons played into her victory – one from last year and another from the semifinal round of Sunday’s action, which took place under a cloudy sky with temperatures at 32 degrees F.

“Last year [when she was third], I was too tentative to make a move on the uphill. This year, I figured ‘No guts, no glory’ and was ready to make the move,” the two-time Olympian said.

Randall’s preseason training regimen – with the U.S. Ski Team and her club program at Alaska Pacific University Nordic – has increased her fitness and her endurance, she said. That, in turn, has boosted her confidence. Coach Justin Wadsworth said she had been storming through workouts in Switzerland before coming to Russia.

“Her skate workouts over the last couple of weeks have been really good. I had a lot of confidence for Kikkan. All through the [finals] rounds, she was dominant. You really had to be patient,” Wadsworth explained, “because there was a strong head wind on the back part of the course. You didn’t want to lead in the wrong places,” he said.

Randall said, “I knew the speed was there, and I knew the course could work for me. I wanted to go for the win and not just settle [for another podium or top-5]. I stayed relaxed and was thinking good, positive thoughts.”

Randall qualified second over the 1.2 km freestyle course, which featured a lot of flat and one big hill, then she overpowered the finals heats. In the medal round, she and Norway’s sprint world champion, Astrid Jacobsen, dueled as they went into the hill. And then Randall dropped her.

According to Randall, she watched Jacobsen break away from the others in the semifinal heat on the hill “and I made a note. I thought maybe I could try that.” She pulled up alongside the Norwegian as they climbed the hill and when Jacobsen didn’t make any move, Randall turned on the jets and skied off to the win.

Canadian Chandra Crawford, who has trained off and on with Randall in recent months, was 16th.

“Astrid tried to drop the pack halfway through the loop and Kikkan hung with her. Then she passed her going up the hill and never looked back,” Wadsworth said. “It was pretty exciting.”

“Really, it was just another race, but coming to Russia and being here a couple of days, the anticipation definitely built up,” Randall said. “I was really happy with my qualifying, being second. I knew the speed was there.”

Wadsworth said headwinds hit at one point on the back end of the 1.2 km loop, so skiers had to watch their tactics.

Randall, who turns 25 on New Year’s Eve, has raced in the last two Olympics and already held the U.S. women’s mark for best Olympic performance (ninth in the sprint at Torino in 2006) and best World Cup showing, her third-place result last Jan. 21 over the same Rybinsk course.

Anders Gloersen led Norwegians into the top five places in the men’s sprint. American Andy Newell was seventh with Sean Crooks of Canada 22nd.


Results

Women

1. Kikkan Randall (USA)
2. Astrid Jacobsen (Nor)
3. Natalia Korosteleva (Rus)
4. Magda Genuin (Ita)
5. Vesna Fabjan (Slo)

16. Chandra Crawford (Can)

Full women’s results here.

Men

1. Anders Gloersen (Nor)
2. Ola Vigen Hattestad (Nor)
3. Oeystein Pettersen (Nor)
4. Tor Arne Hetland (Nor)
5. Johan Kjoelstad (Nor)

22. Sean Crooks (Can)
40. Drew Goldsack (Can)
41. Torin Koos (USA)
46. Chris Cook (USA)
53. Devon Kershaw (Can)
66. Kris Freeman (USA)

Full men’s results here.