February 24, 2009 (Liberec, Czech Republic) – Kikkan Randall (USA) has added to the American medal count scoring silver on Tuesday in the women’s 1.3km Sprint competition won by Italian speedster Arianna Follis with Pirjo Muranen (Fin) in 3rd. Randall qualified 7th and proved once again that she’s ready for the podium.

Randall took it to the “A” final field leading all the way until the final 150m coming into the homestretch. It was a strategy that worked well for her all the way through the rounds keeping her out of trouble. It was obvious from her semi-final heat that she would be a medal contender as she easily separated herself from the pack and cruised into the “A” final with a ski length or two to spare.

“It feels amazing. I’ve known in the back of my heart all along that it was possible,” said Randall. “Considering where I was eight months ago – in the hospital with a blood clot – it feels incredible. I’m just so happy. I felt really relaxed and really strong out there and I just made it happen.”

In the end Follis was the best skier today. She looked strong through each round and proved to be too much for Randall over the final meters of the race. Muranen made it close at the line but Randall was able to hold her off to secure her historic Nordic World Championship silver medal – the highest medal for a U.S. cross-country skier at Worlds. The two were neck and neck with the scoreboard initially showing Randall bronze, but then changing it to silver thanks to a daring lunge by the U.S. skier. The best previous US placing was Bill Koch winning bronze in the men’s 30km at the Nordic Worlds in Oslo, Norway in 1982 (thanks to John Estle from Sport Alaska for correcting us.)

“With it constantly snowing and raining today, coming into the last hundred meters it was really bumpy. The balance was all over the place,” Randall added. “I had gone all out up until that point and I was trying not to think of anything else except getting to the finish line. Luckily I lunged at the finish. I didn’t know whether I was bronze or silver either, but it came out in my favor. I worked really hard for that.”

Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla looked strong today but two falls in her semi-final – she stepped on her own pole twice – cost her a spot in the “A” final. She easily won the women’s “B” final.

Andrew Newell (USA) placed 12th overall after qualifying 2nd in the men’s 1.6km Sprint race won by Norway’s Ola Vigen Hattestad who is on fire this season. Johan Kjoelstad (Nor) took the silver and Nikolay Morilov (Rus) the bronze. The top Canadian was Alex Harvey in 28th.

It was a tough today for Sweden’s top male sprinters as well as medal favourite Emil Joensson got caught napping in his quarter-final and suddenly found himself in 5th place, whereas he had been leisurely controlling the heat moments earlier. Despite making it close at the line he was third in his semi and due to the slow pace – that he set – the lucky losers both went through from other heats.

Qualifications women here.
Qualifications men here.

Final results women here.
Final results men here.

Qualifications (brief)

Women

1. Natalia Matveeva (Rus) 2:45.50
2. Arianna Follis (Ital) 2:47.42
3. Pirjo Muranen (Fin) 2:47.92
4. Charlotte Kalla (Swe) 2:48.57
5. Marthe Kristoffersen (Nor) 2:48.82
7. Kikkan Randall (USA) 2:50.19

Men

1. Johan Kjoelstad (Nor) 3:02.05
2. Andrew Newell (USA) 3:03.95
3. Alexey Petukhov (Rus) 3:03.97
4. Nikolay Morilov (Rus) 3:04.30
5. Emil Joensson (Swe) 3:04.97

27. Alex Harvey (Can) 3:09.39
30. Philip Widmer (Can) 3:09.78

Finals (brief)

Women

1. Arianna Follis (Ital)
2. Kikkan Randall (USA)
3. Pirjo Muranen (Fin)
4. Natalia Matveeva (Rus)
5. Ida Ingemarsdotter (Swe)

29. Daria Gaiazova (Can)
40. Elizabeth Stephen (USA)
42. Laura Valaas (USA)
53. Morgan Smyth (USA)
55. Perianne Jones (Can)
63. Shayla Swanson (Can)

Men

1. Ola Vigen Hattestad (Nor)
2. Johan Kjoelstad (Nor)
3. Nikolay Morilov (Rus)
4. Dario Cologna (Sui)
5. Marcus Hellner (Swe)

12. Andrew Newell (USA)
28. Alex Harvey (Can)
30. Philip Widmer (Can)
37. Chris Cook (USA)
43. Torin Koos (USA)
44. Garrott Kuzzy (USA)
48. Sean Crooks (Can)