January 01, 2013 (Midway, UT) – Over 430 U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association cross country athletes from around the nation will test their skills on the 2002 Olympic trails as Soldier Hollow plays host to the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships beginning Wednesday. The weeklong Championships feature racing on Jan. 2, 4, 6 and 8th. Action opens with classic sprints on Wednesday. It’s the second major nordic event held at Soldier Hollow in two weeks, following the FIS Nordic Combined Continental Cup. One of the most noted cross country venues in the nation, Soldier Hollow last held the U.S. Championships in 2006.

Soldier Hollow... © USSA

Highlights
– Over 400 USSA cross country athletes will take part in the 2013 U.S. Cross Country Championships at Soldier Hollow near Midway, UT
– Soldier Hollow was the cross country venue for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
– The U.S. Championships open Wednesday, Jan. 2 with classic sprints, with freestyle distance on Friday, Jan. 4, classic distance Saturday, Jan. 6 and freestyle sprints to close on Tuesday, Jan. 8.
– The Championships are the final domestic qualifier for the World Championship Team that will compete in Val di Fiemme, Italy in February, and also count towards valuable SuperTour points.
– SuperTour leaders Erik and Sadie Bjornsen (both WInthrop, WA) will be among the favorites. Sadie Bjornsen is returning from a successful performance in Canada with World Cup points in both sprint in Quebec City and distance in Canmore.
– Also among the favorites will be Skyler Davis, coming off a personal best in Canmore, and three-time U.S. champion Tad Elliott (Durango, CO).
– The Championships will also be final selection events for U23 World Championships, FIS Junior World Championships and U18 Scandinavian Championships.
– Soldier Hollow last hosted the Championships in 2006.

2013 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships
Soldier Hollow, Utah
(Times subject to change)

Wednesday Jan. 2
1:00 p.m. – Men’s and women’s classic sprint heats

Friday Jan. 4
10:00 a.m. – Women’s 10k freestyle, individual start
12:00 p.m. – Men’s 15k freestyle, individual start

Sunday Jan. 6
10:00 a.m. – Mens 30k classic, mass start, women’s 20k classic, mass start

Tuesday Jan. 8
12:30 p.m. – Men’s and women’s freestyle sprint heats

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