March 6, 2008 (Drammen, Norway) – The US National Team’s Kikkan Randall provided us with the inside scoop on yesterday’s 2008 World Cup 1.4km Classic Sprint in Drammen, Norway. Randall finished 33rd in the event. Read on for the full story.

Cliff Notes
Classic city sprint in Drammen, Norway. Over 50,000 people came out to watch. Snow is packed on the city streets forming a loop around a historic city church. Rock bands are playing trail-side. It’s a pretty sweet race venue.

Unfortunately I had some tough luck today. My pole strap came undone in the first 50m of my qualifying round and having to ski without my strap threw me off just enough to miss the top thirty by four tenths of a second. I finished 33rd. Otherwise my skiing felt strong.

This race concludes my 2008 World Cup season. I still have a few more weeks of racing in North America before the season is totally finished, capping it off with US Distance Nationals in Fairbanks during the last week of March.

The Full Story
Every year Drammen, Norway hosts a classic sprint race in the middle of their city. Snow is trucked in and laid on the streets, and it’s actually clean, white snow compared to most city sprints (no gravel and ice like Stockholm). The race always happens midweek and yet there are still over 50,000 people packed along the 1.4km course that goes up and around a historic church. It’s one of the most exciting atmospheres on the World Cup tour.

I did my first Drammen sprint at the end of the 2006 season following the Olympics. It was one of the biggest crowds I’d ever seen packed into such a tight area. I didn’t qualify for the heats, finishing in 39th place, but I watched the race action from the sidelines and looked forward to another shot the following year. Last season I competed in Drammen for my second time, determined to make it into the rounds. Despite a valiant effort however, I finished 34th place, less than a second out of the top 30. Chandra Crawford (who had finished 38th to my 39th the year before) also just missed qualifying along with an Italian friend of ours, Magda Geniun. We all vowed to make it in 2008.

Coming into this year’s Drammen sprint, I was counting on the third time being the charm! The course was in the best shape I’d ever seen it, my skis were running well and I felt good about my chances. So I lined up as bib #3 and took out onto the course as if it was mine to take.

I built good momentum over the first few meters and then began to double-pole up the gradual slope that serves as both the start and finish area. I had only made it 50m up the track when my right hand pole strap came flying loose. I panicked for a second and then just gripped the pole with my whole fist. It wasn’t ideal but I continued on. I pushed hard up and over the top of the course and then quickly tried to refasten my pole strap as I headed down a long tucking section.

I thought I had it fixed when I came around the next turn and started double-poling aggressively, but my pole strap came undone again, and this time I almost lost my pole. I was able to grab it just as my hand slipped out of the strap. I kept up my momentum as best as possible, clenching the pole with a tight fist while the strap flapped wildly in the wind. I powered up and over a bridge and tried to reattach the Velcro down the other side. It was halfway on as I powered the rest of the way to the finish. I crossed the line 3rd( out of 3), 8 seconds back.

While the rest of the women finished, I jogged around the finish area listening intently to the announcer. My name began to slip down the list, but it was holding for a while in the late twenties and I thought I might still have a chance! Then finally I heard him say, “And Randall is out of the top thirty.” When results were posted, I ended up 33rd for a second time, just four tenths of a second out of the top 30. Shut down again!!! My Italian friend Magda had a similar fate, finishing 32nd. Chandra however managed to make it on in 23rd place, breaking her own Drammen curse.

This year’s Drammen result was particularly frustrating because I was skiing strong enough to get into the top 30. It just took a silly problem like my pole strap coming loose to throw me off just enough to loose the precious fractions of a second needed to advance to the rounds. I had even checked my straps (like I always do) right before the start, but I guess my strap was getting old and worn and the Velcro wasn’t strong enough anymore. Needless to say I will be replacing that strap!!!

This experience has proved to me once again the high-level of racing on the World Cup. There is no room for error. While I’ve had some incredible success this year, there is still plenty of room for improvement and many big goals to strive for.

With the conclusion of the Drammen sprint, my 2008 World Cup season has come to a close. I had originally intended to stay in Europe for two more weeks to race the Holmenkollen and Bormio World Cup distance races, but have decided to head back to North America. In two weeks I will be racing at the Canadian National Championships (on the 2010 Olympic courses) and then I will finish off my season in Fairbanks, AK at the US Distance Championships during the last week of March.

It’s been wonderful to share this year with you and I look forward to sending out the final reports in the next few weeks!

Cheers,
Kikkan 🙂