Kikkan Randall (USA), the 2009 Nordic Worlds freestyle sprint silver medalist, had a fine day placing 8th overall a new US Olympic record, and the only North American woman to make it to the semis. Randall’s 9th in the 1.1km freestyle sprint at Torino in 2006 was the previous best result by a US woman. “My goal going in today was to make the top 12, and I did that,” said Randall.
But it was Bjoergen’s day in the classic sprints. “I didn’t feel any pressure from the Norwegians, because last year hasn’t been so good for me. Before the Olympics I was not a favourite, but I made a very good attack. I was the first in the stadium—it was a very good day.
“I wanted to win the gold – I’ve dreamt about it for a long time. I knew I could take it but it would be hard. Now I have won everything you can win in cross-country skiing,” she added, meaning she had already won world championship and world cup titles. Bjoergen said the Norwegian wax team, which has 40 technicians on it, “is doing a very good job.”
Justyna Kowalczyk (POL), who had criticized the 10km course as unsafe two days earlier, took the silver while sprint World Cup leader, Slovenia’s Petra Majdic earned the bronze by putting in a super-human effort. Earlier in the day she came off the track altogether, falling down a steep embankment during the warm-up and was visibly injured. She somehow endured and had to be helped to the winner’s podium.
Kowalczyk said, “Silver here is good because in this event at Torino in 2006 I won the bronze. I am really happy with a silver medal on this track this morning. It is a big surprise for me.” She was referring to how quickly the snow conditions changed and how it was necessary to use different skis and klister even from heat to heat.
Majdic still had to be helped into the press conference, but was elated nonetheless with what she had accomplished. “This is gold with diamonds on it. I won a medal when I go for the qualification race. I thought when I fell, ‘It’s over. I can hardly breathe’ but I worked for twenty-two years for this”
She said the corner where she fell was “really icy and not secured. It pulled me down, and I fell three metres. There was water and rocks. I managed to turn a little around, but one ski and both poles broke. They really had to help me. It was more than three metres. “But another second part of me said, ‘I want to go to the start.’ I didn’t want to hear that I had finished the race.”
Majdic qualified 19th, 9.79 seconds behind Bjoergen. She won her heat in the quarter-final and was fourth in the semi, which should have put her out of the running, except that her time of 3:41.2 was fast enough to qualify her as a “Lucky Loser.”
“It was the first time for the coaches from all nations were cheering for me,” she said of her races, still wincing as she spoke. “I don’t know how many pills I take, but when the pills go I think it will be really painful. In two days it was only be worse. I may prepare for the 30km. It’s the only possible race,” said Majdic referring to the final women’s event on February 27th.
Anna Olsson of Sweden was fourth, Italy’s Magda Genuin took fifth, and Bjoergen’s teammate Celine Brun-Lie was sixth.
It looked like American Kikkan Randall would make it into the finals after have a fast enough time in her quarter-final as a “Lucky Loser” to make the semis, but she finished fourth in the first semi-final heat, 6.6 seconds behind Bjoergen for 8th place overall. She was the lone North American to make it beyond the quarter-finals. “I felt really good out there, even on the last stretch. Overall I gave what I had—in a sprint you have a split second to make a decision and I think I made the right ones out there,” said the freestyle world championship silver medalist. “As soon as Torino [in 2006] was over I started building upper body strength, and today I dialed in the feelings I needed.”
Canada’s Sara Renner, who two weeks ago won a bronze medal in this event at the Canmore World Cup, had really bad luck in the qualifier when she caught Dandan Man of China who would not get out of the track. “There was only one track and she wouldn’t get out of it. In a race where it’s seconds and you have to get out of the track and go around, it’s difficult. [It cost me] probably 2 to 5 seconds. I think I’ll take a bit of reflection from that. There is lots of racing left here.” Renner placed 34th and was followed by other North Americans Holly Brooks (USA), who placed 38th and Perianne Jones who placed 41st in the field of 46.
Daria Gaiazova, representing Canada at her first Olympics was philosophical and optimistic after not moving beyond the quarter-finals and 22nd place. She placed 5th in her heat, 2.5 seconds behind Justyna Kowalczyk, who won it. “I was hoping for a top 12 and I felt excited, really great. There was lots of love from the fans and the course is fantastic, amazing. I felt really good, with a good pace and I thought ‘I can keep this’ but on the downhills it started to stretch out. I am going to look at the video analysis to see what I did wrong.”
Teammate Chandra Crawford who finished 13.5 seconds behind Olsson of Sweden her quarter-final was as optimistic as ever. One year ago Crawford underwent surgery on her left leg and had to deal with plenty of other injuries during the four years since she won the freestyle sprint gold in Torino. “I gave it my all to try to stay with the big dogs. It was a fast race today, and like you know, classic is not my forte.”
Full Results here.
A Final
1. Marit Bjoergen (NOR) 3:39.2
2. Justyna Kowalczyk (POL)+1.1
3. Petra Majdic (SLO)+1.8
4. Anna Olsson (SWE) +2.5
5. Magda Genuine (ITA) +9.9
6. Celine Brun-Lie (NOR) +12.3
8. Kikkan Randall (USA)
22. Daria (Dasha) Gaiazova (CAN)
26. Chandra Crawford (CAN)
34. Sara Renner (CAN)
38. Holly Brooks (USA)
41. Perianne Jones (CAN)