December 15, 2013 (Davos, Switzerland) – The USA’s Kikkan Randall was in control until the final moment as Norway’s Marit Bjoergen snuck by her with a well-timed lunge to win the 1.5km FR women’s sprint in Davos by half a boot. Top qualifier Denise Herrmann (GER) scored her second career podium taking home the bronze.

Randall knew Bjoergen and the others were coming as she hit the straightaway to the finish where she rarely gets caught. “I accelerated hard out of the turn and did my best to keep the power up and my technique together.  I could tell Marit was coming up beside me and I had a little bobble about 10m before the finish that lost my advantage.  I tried to get it back with a good lunge but it wasn’t quite enough this time,” Randall told Trax post race.

The final played out the way Randall expected until she almost collided with a Swedish skier. “Yeah, I tried to come up the high side through the lap but Eriksson was just ahead and her line ran me into the V boards. Luckily I didn’t crash and I could change direction and still have a chance to get the lead before the hill. Unfortunately that move probably cost me a little bit for my next acceleration.

“While I really wanted to win here today this close finish is really good for my motivation and training focus from now until Sochi.  I doubt Bjoergen and I will line up again before then so I have to work hard and be ready to ski faster on the finish stretch next time,” she added.

Creating huge buzz in the US camp were Jessie Diggins and Sophie Caldwell who skied like veterans in their quarterfinals both winning and advancing to the semis. Diggins has been in the limelight several times but Caldwell is earning her spurs on the World Cup circuit, yet showed she’s plenty savvy and plenty fast too.

The pair landed in the same semi final heat and were in the mix and just when Diggins was making her move on the final time up the climb she suddenly went down and it was game over. Caldwell was behind and came in 5th to finish 9th overall while Diggins was 6th and ended up 12th overall.

We caught up with Caldwell for her take on her stellar day…

“The skate sprint course here is definitely a little easier and shorter than the classic course we did last year, but I still think it’s pretty tough. There is one V1 hill on the course, but we do two laps, so we go up it twice and then there is a long downhill, but it has two corners you have to work around and then a long very gradual up/flat through the stadium. My legs did not feel awesome today, I think probably something to do with the altitude, but I figured everyone else was feeling a little of the same thing! I tried not to blow up on my first lap because I did that last year and although my legs still flooded, I was able to keep it together enough to have a strong finish. I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the line in my qualifier,” explained Caldwell.

Despite a bad start in her quarterfinal she aced it moving up thru the ranks near the end of the second lap and acclerating in the finishing straight for a superb heat victory.

“I had a terrible start in my quarter final, I’m not sure what happened! I tried to stay relaxed and recognize that it was a two-lap course where I had plenty of time and space to move up. I tried to ski the corners really well and always hug the inside…so that’s where I did a lot of my passing. My legs didn’t feel great going up the hill, so I tried to push hard over the top and between the draft and fast skis, I didn’t have a problem keeping up on the downhill,” commented the Stratton Mountain skier.

The semi final didn’t play out the same way and Caldwell was caught behind as Diggins tried to take over the lead on the final climb but crashed… still a good day at the office for the SMS teammates.

“Our semi was tough and Jess had a little tumble on the hill which unfortunately took her out of the running, but we were just psyched to be there. It was pretty cool toeing the line next to my teammate and one of my best friends who I train next to all year round – I think that calmed my nerves a little. I didn’t have a terrible start, but it was nothing special and then I just struggled to make my way to the front of the pack after that. I was in last going up the final hill and didn’t get in the pack going down it, so I ended up in 5th,” added Caldwell.

Randall was stoked to see her teammates racing fast and smart. “Awesome to have the team ski so well today too.  It was a super tight qualification so it was awesome to get four girls in the top 30. Almost thought we might have more than one American in the final. Just a little more experience for those girls and they’ll be right in there.”

It was a tough day for Canadians Dasha Gaiazova in 42st and Chandra Crawford in 43rd as both hoped to advance and will have to focus on the Asiago classic sprints next weekend. For the remaining US skiers Holly Brooks just missed out qualifying in 33rd while Ida Sargent was 41st and Rosie Brennan was 61st.

Women’s Qualifications here.
Women’s Final here.