December 10, 2009 – Hey, it’s that time of year again to fire up the grapevine and talk just between us, ok? Had a nice email from Alex Harvey today saying that the mini-camp they had in Livigno, Italy was a big success. With good training and a weekend off and things went well.

He told me, “The hotel we stayed in was amazing, the food was delicious and the snow conditions were perfect. We had time to regroup and keep training for the Olympics.” The Canadian team is now in Davos at altitude, but Livigno was even higher, so the gang feels good.

I also asked Alex about the “slow to start” part of his skiing, which we have discussed a number of times. “I know I am not in top form but the first bloc of racing gave me a good push for fitness,” Harvey tells the Grapevine, and what’s more….”I need more races but I want to start fighting from now on.” I think he’s right on.

The Grapevine cannot confirm but has heard that when Canadian coach Inge Braten fell on the ice at Kuusamo he was chatting by phone with Team Leader Dave Wood, who was still in Canada and trying to get to Finland at that time. We understand that Wood’s trip over with Sara Renner to Kuusamo was an exceptionally difficult journey. We are happy to hear that Braten is on the mend… best wishes!

US Coach Pete Vordenberg checked in today to report great conditions in Davos. He wrote, “Šthe weather has been all over the place, and is not for certain, but we hear snow might be coming.” He said that everyone was healthy and that Kris Freeman was feeling great. He also said that the team was “getting massage support from Brett Hanson out of Sun Valley and that we should be as fit as can be.”

It was an amazing weekend when Tim Burke had two podiums for the USA Biathlon squad in Ostersund, Sweden. The USA boys finished a strong 7th in the team relay event. Burke’s silver and gold were a powerful statement that he’s ready for the Games. The other thing that caught my eye was that the relay team from France simply stunned Norway by winning the team event in Sweden.

Chandra Crawford must certainly be pleased to have qualified for the Olympic team with her strong 12th place results at the Dusseldorf sprints, in the 800 meter world cup sprint, held before thousands of fans.

In Kuusamo, no big surprise that the men’s race was won by Norway’s Ola Vigen Hattestad, but how about the results in the sprint for women? The dominant sprinter Petra Majdic (SLO) who has won just about everything in sprinting, got nipped at the line by her world cup nemisis, Poland’s Justyna Kowalczyk. Question…could it be a sign of things to come ?

In Dusseldorf, 20 year-old Swede Hanna Falk, won individual sprints for her first-ever world cup victory along the banks of the River Rhine. Majdic did not make it on beyond the quarter finals.

German Timo Edelmann, 24, took his first world cup win ever in Lillehammer last week. Jason Lemay-Chappuis of France continues to hold the overall combined points race.

The first jumps on the sparkling new Holmenkollen hill are just three and a half months away.

Ticket sales for the Holiday 4 Hill tournee have gone thru the roof according to German sources. “This week we have sold double the number of tickets of last week, that is related to the success of the German jumping team,” said Stefan Huber, the GC of the Oberstdorf Committee.

Until next time…