December 9, 2005 – The Nordic ski world has landed at Sovereign Lake, B.C. for the 2005 Viessmann FIS World Cup, hosted by the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club and the racing begins on Saturday, Dec. 10. The USA has a strong contingent here and we caught up with the US Team coach, Trond Nystad, and veteran team members, Carl Swenson and Wendy Wagner.

Trond, Wendy, Carl, welcome to Vernon, B.C. Trond, how long have you been head coach of the US Team?

TN: Just after the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake, but I came to the States in 1990 and raced as a college athlete. I coached at Northern Michigan University for two years, moved to Denver University and coached there for eight years, then onto the US National Team.

How do you feel the US team is developing over the years as we approach the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver?

TN: Obviously we want to build our organization for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics so we are continuously looking for ways to develop. We’re under the funding umbrella of the United States Ski Team which includes alpine and snowboarding. We are, I am sad to say, the ugly stepchild. It is unfortunate that our funding was cut last year and we had to eliminate our women’s team and our development team, so we have five guys on the National Team and that’s it.

Trond, what plans do you have to improve funding and sponsorships?

TN: Currently the alpine program is the bread winner and we receive our funding from that program and its sponsors. We are hoping for good results this season and at the Torino Olympics so we can attract our own sponsors. With the 2010 Games on North American soil, sponsors may be more enticed to come on board because of the exposure they will receive. Then we can all be on the same page, decide that we want to be one of the best nations in the world and go from there.

You have brought a large contingent of racers to the Canadian World Cups at Sovereign Lake and Canmore, how will that help the development of the team?

TN: All lot of skiers will get exposure at these World Cups, some for the first time, and last time. For some skiers it will be a way to realize that they need to train harder and get motivated for themselves and to get their communities motivated. It will definitely be an eye opener for a lot of the team.

Wendy, how did the cut in funding of the women’s program affect you and your team mates?

WW: It was so disappointing, frustrating, stressful, very emotional, but there are a lot of us fighting to improve that situation. Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.

How do you financially afford to stay on the race circuit this season?

WW: Ah, the good old credit card, my savings and my sponsors assistance. It is tight but I can make it work.

Are you hopeful about qualifying for the US Olympic Team?

WW: Yes, I am sitting in a good position right now and believe that I will do well enough at our national championships in early January at Soldier Hollow to qualify. I plan to peak for the Torino Olympics.

How about you Carl?

CS: Based on last season’s results, I have qualified for the Olympic team so I can focus my training towards our best performances at the Games. Those athletes, both men and women, who need to perform well at the US Nationals in order to qualify are in juggling act because they need to peak for Torino. It is a comfortable feeling knowing that I’ve qualified for the Olympics and can focus attention on this race season to prepare for Turino.

Carl how valuable are these World Cup Races in Canada to the U.S. cross-country ski team?

CS: Extremely important. It is essential to the development of the sport and exposure of our athletes to compete at international events on our own continent. The trails here at Sovereign Lake are world class, it is an exciting time and we, the athletes, are pumped. This will have wide reaching, positive effects on the future of our sport.

What are your plans after this race season?

CS: This may be my last season, I may hang ’em up, I’m going to see how the season goes and decide then.

WW: Same with me, I’ve been on the race circuit for 10 years and with the current funding situation, it will be difficult to continue. I am hopeful that funding will improve and will do what I can to assist that process. Time will tell, let’s see what happens at the end of this season.