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January 27, 2017 – A pre-pre-Olympic classic sprint, was held as the Korean National Championships in Pyeongchang, Korea. The event was a night sprint, with 41 racers, using the course for the upcoming World Cup at the beginning of February. The snow was mainly man-made with fast, icy conditions, and 2 large climbs, temperatures were -15 deg. C.
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“It was fun to race in the Korean Nationals. The sprint day was very well organized and there was a good turnout of skiers. It was nice to see the enthusiasm of the young Koreans. The course is long and challenging. It was a great opportunity for me to race the WC course ahead of next week and get a feel for the demands of the climbs, best lines for the descents and a handle on the tactics.
“The Koreans were racing fast at the beginning of each heat but this is a course that favours endurance with a substantial climb near the end. The last climb ends with a steep herringbone pitch before you drop back down a twisty descent into the stadium. It will be a critical section in the World Cup next week.
“I was happy with the body felt, particularly with racing the day after arriving. I plan to race the 10km classic as well.”