December 11, 2010 (Sovereign Lake, BC) – Conditions were good for the opening of the Haywood NorAm and Tech Sprint circuit at Sovereign Lake Nordic this morning. Mild temperatures and a little humidity made waxing a little challenging for some teams, but those at the top had everything dialed.

The women kicked things off, with Perianne Jones (CAN) as the first starter in the 1.4km classic sprint on a revamped course at Sovereign Lake. She set the bar high, but was eventually knocked to third by Sadie Bjornsen (USA) in 1st and Holly Brooks (USA) in second.

On the men’s side Drew Goldsack (CAN) continued his dominance, taking the qualification win with Alberta World Cup Academy teammate Graham Nishikawa (CAN) in second and the USA’s Mike Sinnott in third.

The new course (map available here) has a bridge into the stadium and a very technical final corner where athletes make 270 degree turn under the bridge and into the final 100 meters to the finish.   That corner will certainly be a challenge in the heats this afternoon.

Look for athletes who can ski comfortably and smooth on the first two climbs and drop the hammer in the final stretch, though as with all sprint heats, staying on your feet will be a major factor.

Open Women’s Qualifications HERE.
Open Men’s Qualifications HERE.