February 15, 2010 – This has been a fun effort and not an easy one. I spent way more time doing this then I thought I would, but FIS
Marty Hall © Kathy Hall
helped out dramatically with all of its scoring systems. I wish any of you entered in the SkiTrax 2010 Fantasy Contest all the best. My competition is to see who wins – me or Sports Illustrated – let’s get it on!
Monday, Feb. 15
Women’s 10 km free:
1. Bjorgen – Norway
2. Kalla – Sweden
3. Khazova – Russia
Men’s 15 km individual free:
1. Hellner – Sweden
2. Heikkinen – Finland
3. Northug – Norway
Wednesday, Feb. 17
Women’s individual sprint classic
1. Kowalczyk – Poland
2. Falk – Sweden
3. Majdic – Slovakia
Men’s individual sprint classic
1. Hattestad – Norway
2. Joensson – Sweden
3. Cologna – Switzerland
Friday, February 19
Women’s 15 km pursuit (7. 5km classic and 7. 5km free)
1. Kowalczyk – Poland
2. Saarinen – Finland
3. Bjoergen – Norway
Saturday, February 20
Men’s 30 km pursuit (15km classic and 15km free)
1. Northug – Norway
2. Bauer – Czech Republic
3. Cologna – Switzerland
Monday, February 22
Men’s Team Sprint free
1. Sweden
2. Russia
3. Norway
Women’s Team Sprint Free
1. Slovenia
2. Sweden
3. Norway
Wednesday, February 24
Men’s 4x10km relay classic/free
1. Russia
2. Norway
3. Sweden
Thursday, February 25
Women’s 4x5km relay classic/free
1. Russia
2. Norway
3. Sweden
Saturday, February 27
Women’s 30km mass start classic
1. Kowalczyk – Poland
2. Stoermer – Norway
3. Majdic – Slovenia
Sunday, February 28
Men’s 50km mass start classic
1. Northug – Norway
2. Teichman – Germany
3. Bauer – Czech Republic
US XC Team – when it comes to the Olympics and the World Cup they’re a three-person team right now – Newell, Randall and Freeman. All three are legitimate top 10 finishers in their best events and therefore have good medal potential. But, with such a thin team there are too many things that have to go right for them to make the podium. Koos is like lighting, you just never know when he is going to strike – so, expect the unexpected from him. Any other surprises in this group will be the shining of Holly Brooks as a new distance/sprinting phenom if she continues to pursue her career full time.
Canadian XC Team – I can say the exact same for this team as I did for the US, only Canada is deeper in both sexes and therefore has more potential to reach the podium. I liked the men’s team chances in the relay, until Alex Harvey threw a curve ball into the mix in Canmore. I think Crawford and Gaiazova can make the top ten in the Team Sprint, but no higher. Both will struggle with the multiple laps back-to-back to medal. If there’s a surprise skier it is Kuhn in the sprints.
One thing to remember, there are only four entries per event, not like the World Cup where some nation’s have 6-8 entries that gives the lesser teams more depth to fight their way through. Also, it’s easier for those big teams to slip-up on picking the 4 best skiers for the day.
Finally there will be a number of days where both teams, US and Canada, will not fill their quotas in races as these teams are too small. I hope they try to fill every spot they can as these guys might be future Beckie Scott’s and Sara Renner’s, when you think back to Nagano and what they didn’t do there.
I wish all of North America’s racers all the best, bring your best game and fight to the death.
