February 24, 2017 (Lahti, Finland) – The USA’s Sophie Caldwell, Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall were on the start line for the historic 3-strong A-Final in the women’s Freestyle Sprint at the 2017 Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland on Thursday – an . Diggins took home the silver and Randall the bronze in a powerful display of resounding sprinting prowess as Lahti2017 got underway. We caught up with Caldwell and Randall for their take on the day.

Stina Nilsson leads Sophie Caldwell © Nordic Focus

How did it feel to qualify all the American women for the heats, and have three in the finals?
SC: Any day that we have all the girls qualifying for the heats is a good day, but I think that has become a norm for our team, which shows just how far we have come! We have five girls who have consistently been qualifying for sprint heats this season, which is right up there with the other top nations. To have three girls in the final was a dream come true. We made up half of the final and had more skiers from the U.S. than any other nation. We did a little team cheer before the heat and were all really excited to be there.

What was it like racing with Jessie and Kikkan in the final?
SC: As soon as the gun goes off, you don’t really notice what suit the other skiers are wearing. Of course we all try to look out for each other and try not to make any moves at the cost of a teammate, but when you’re racing, you’re all doing the same thing regardless of how many teammates are in your heat with you.

How is it to have Kikkan back in the mix with you?
SC: It’s really inspiring to watch the progress Kik has made. She’s one tough cookie and has come a long way since the beginning of the season. It’s takes a big person to persevere through some disappointing results and still believe in yourself and that’s exactly why she’s our team leader.

What was your strategy moving through the heats?
SC: My strategy through the heats was to conserve energy when possible and position myself towards the front of the pack going into the downhill to take advantage of the slingshot.

How do you feel going into the rest of the races in Lahti? Hungry for more?
SC: I was really encouraged by yesterday and am happy with my individual result, but most importantly for the result as a team. It was an incredible day for U.S. skiing. I don’t know if I will have any more races in Lahti, but if they call on me, I’ll be ready, and if not, it will be nice to enjoy a week or two of training and cheering on my teammates!

Kikkan Randall (USA) © Nordic Focus

Interview with Kikkan Randall

How does it feel to be back in the mix?
KR: GRRRRREAT!!!  My shape has been slowly coming back around through the season. It’s been a long road since the start of the season but the plan and the patience paid off. I didn’t have a great start in any of my heats so I had to come from behind every time. But it was great to feel my strong climbing gear come through in the final!

How did it feel to qualify all the American women for the heats, and have three in the finals?
KR: Definitely one of the coolest sprint finals I’ve ever been in. We had a great team moment before we headed to the start, the three of us plus Matt and Chris. We knew we would be going for our best results individually but also looking out for each other along the way. A pretty cool example of how teamwork can benefit in individual races!

How’s your energy feeling going into these champs?
KR: I had good feelings coming out of the sprint in Otepaa so I was confident and excited for the sprint to kick off the World Champs. But in sprinting anything can happen. So I just tried to focus on doing one round at a time.

What was your strategy heading through the heats?
KR: I wanted to try and get out faster than I did to get a position in the top 3-4 before the big climb. But each time I had to work my way up on the last climb. We knew the final downhill could be important tactically so I just tried to be in a good position to capitalize on the draft. As it worked out however, the finishing stretch ended up being an important place to make moves.

How do you feel going into the rest of the races in Lahti? Hungry for more?
KR: Getting a taste of satisfaction from good performance definitely makes you want more of it! I’m hoping to now find some improved performance in the distance races as well and I would love to earn a spot on our 4x5km relay.

Sprint race report here.

Diggins (l) and Randall celebrate at the finish © Ahvo Taipale