May 26, 2017 (Portoroz, Slovenia) – SkiTrax‘s Peter Graves caught up with Chris Grover, head coach of the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team, during the FIS Calendar Conference at the Grand Hotel Bernardin in Portoroz, Slovenia.

In this interview, Grover talks about the conference including the various discussions and meetings taking place pertaining the World Cup schedule, regulations, quotas etc. and how they might impact the US team.

The FIS Conference began on May 24 and continues through May 28, with discussions on both cross-country and alpine ski operations, scheduling etc.

Grover, has been the US XC Ski Team head coach since 2010, and began his coaching career in 1993 as an assistant coach at the Stratton Mountain School before moving west. He currently lives with his family in Hailey, Idaho.

Interview with Chris Grover

May 12, 2017 (Quebec City, QC) – Laval University’s Montmorency Forest, the world’s largest research and teaching forest, makes headlines once again this year with its famous Boreal Glide! Skiing begins here on October 27th, exclusive in Northeastern North America.

For the fifth year, our technical team has prepared thousands of cubic meters of artificial snow and stored it under tons of wood chips throughout the summer. Our artificial snow reserve, under production since February 2017, has been monitored and cared for daily by our maintenance team. Result: we will be able to cover a ski run of between 2 to 2.5 kilometres starting October 27. To maximize the quality of the snow and permit skiing until the arrival of natural snow, snow cannons will also contribute to snow production.

The Boreal Glide is now part of the Quebec City region’s winter destination activities, welcoming, in addition to cross-country ski lovers, hundreds of skiers from American and Canadian university programs and ski clubs of all calibre to prepare their season.

In order to take full advantage of the resources, our lodge can welcome 150 visitors and provides fireplace-equipped lounges, entertainment theatres, classrooms and a cafeteria serving a varied menu with a boreal flavour!

You can reserve now for your colleagues and yourself: info@foretmontmorency.ca or 418-656-2034.

May 09, 2017 (Õsaf, Iceland) – The recent Iceland Loppet, the final the final race of the Worldloppet 2016/17 Series, featured an international field with many US and Canadian skiers making the journey including NNF Executive Director David Knoop. Other notable Americans on the start line were Caitlin and Brian Gregg who finished second and fourth overall respectively in the 50km CL. Knoop was 11th in the 25km F race on April 27 and crossed finish line in 79th as the 15th best American in the 5okm CL on April 29. SkiTrax caught up with him post-race for his take on the popular post-season loppet – results here – photos here.

Was this your first time in Iceland? How did you like it?
Dave Knoop: This was not my first time in Iceland. Each time I go to Iceland I seek out a few select places to explore off the beaten path. This place is fascinating, like one giant National Park. I have taken a lot of pics and they are so fun to remind me that I wasn’t dreaming

Was this your first time skiing the Fossavatn, or have you done this race before?
DK: Did it last year, this year it was Thursday 27th for the 25k skate event and Saturday 29th was the big enchilada 50k classic race. They also have a 25k classic race, which I did last year.

What did you think of the race course?
DK: The course is straight up totally legit and has it all, climbs, rollers, descents, beauty, love it. Yet the majority of skiers are probably over 40 or 45 years of age. Lots of very experienced European masters skiers as well as people who just want to participate in the race.

What did you think of the course conditions, snow and grooming?
DK: You’re in Iceland, about 100 miles south of the Arctic circle, the weather is always wild as it borders two climate zones, i.e. Greenland arctic and The Gulf Stream Atlantic current. This means lots of wind, it’s spring, a ton of snow already on the ground, but lots of temperature variation all over the course due to elevation and wind. The grooming is very good but you have to remember it is spring conditions, the snow is very different this time of year. For classic you have to decide if you have good klister skis and knowledge of klister prep or it’s just better to go with a no kick wax type of ski, like Rossignol R skins or Madshus Nanosonics. The grooming is excellent.

What are your thoughts about race staff and organization?
DK: The race organization is top notch and they have been putting this race on for something like 75 years.

Did you ski the race with anybody?
DK: No for a variety of reasons I pretty much skied it alone.

What did you ski on?
DK: For skating a warmer grind with some structure is very good. Race temps usually hover at about 32F at the start, the temps can be cooler up top but still spring conditions. The skate race usually starts in the early evening as the sun doesn’t go down until around 10:30 pm or so.

For classic, that was a difficult decision, last year I raced on Rossi R-skins and nailed it saw lots of people midway scraping a giant glob of ice and fresh snow off the klister which wasn’t working. This year it was forecast to be colder but it wasn’t. I used klister skis because they kicked well and were faster at the start. They worked really well until I had skied off the klister and then I had no kick half way through the race. Basically I was left with slippery AND slow gliding skis. A guy on R skins passed me on the 7k downhill, THAT wasn’t fun!

What wax did you use?
DK: Honestly a mix of stuff for both skate and classic. Sometimes you nail it other times you get nailed 😉 Next year I’ll go back to the R skins unless is in the low 20s which I doubt will happen in late April.

Was double poling ever a strategy you considered for this race?
DK: Because I am still recovering from a stroke, I need to be a bit conservative in my race strategy. In the 25km skate event I skied in some pre-planned heart rate zones and backed it off if I revved too high. In some situations I should have V2 skied but kept it dialed back a notch in V1. The race went OK, I was happy with it.

In the 50k Classic race, my strategy was to get out with a good group of skiers and be in a group of fast skiers to share the work with. I knew the heart rate zones would be lower because it was a 50k classic event on a challenging course. I found that group and they were all very good knowledgeable skiers, very polite, good tactics and experience working together, leading, drafting, etc. We were kicking and striding and the group finished in around 3:10 to 3:15. Unfortunately I lost that group and was passed by many skiers and had to double pole where I could when the klister came off. Double poling is not the right strategy for this course, a good tempo of kick and stride is more effective and efficient on many parts of the course. My finish time was about 3.5 hours.

How did you feel about the new back-pack policy this year?
DK: The race required you to wear a back pack with clothes for emergency conditions. I also packed a lunch in there just in case things didn’t go well, I have never raced a 50k classic event and wasn’t confident of my stamina in a post-stroke situation. Sure enough when the klister came off at about 20k, I was skiing hard and was just flopping around expending energy and not being efficient. So I stopped had a nice lunch for 10 minutes, relaxed, then got re-focused on finishing the race once the original race plan was blown. Taking a few minutes like that is something I have never done but was very effective in getting good food in me and some attitude adjustment for the struggle that lay ahead.

Last thoughts?
DK: The Fossavatn is becoming more well known in the U.S., even Brian and Caitlin Gregg decided to jump in at the last minute after I had expounded to them all April how I excited I was to return. In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger….. “Ahll…be bahck !”

May 07, 2017 (Eau Clair, Wisconsin) – The CXC Awards Dinner recognized four of the central region’s outstanding ski community members at the inaugural CXC Congress weekend in Eau Clair, Wisconsin. The honored members of the ski community who have persistently committed their time to the sport of cross-country skiing each gave inspirational accounts of their experiences as participants of the ski culture in the central region.

John Hugus Leadership Award
Ben Popp, American Birkebenier Ski Foundation, Hayward (WI)

John Hugus was remembered for his commitment to skier development as Ben Popp, executive director of the American Birkebenier Ski Foundation (ABSF), was honored for his own leadership. Ben’s charismatic manner and general enthusiasm for skiing and the ski culture has been evident throughout his time at ABSF and did not slow as he accepted his Leadership award. Ben’s dedication to providing ski opportunities to skiers’ of the central region goes beyond the winter months and the famed Birkie with events and programming that instill the Birkie spirit everyday.

Igor Badamshin Coach of the Year Award
Kris Hansen, Stillwater Nordic Ski Team, Stillwater (MN)

The Igor Badamshin Coach of the Year came to a well deserving recipient from Stillwater (MN), – Kris Hansen. Kris’s lengthy list of statewide success with the Stillwater High School Girls Team has been a true testament of a coaching philosophy that works. Upon receiving the award Kris recalled the importance of core values of the Stillwater ski team (team work, respect for others, personal accountability and the love for the process) and how these values are part of the success Kris has witnessed over the past 20 years (including, but not limited to 16 of the last 20 Section Championships and 15 of the last 20 Conference Championships and, of course, fostering Jessie Diggins at the start of her skiing career).

Wayne Fish Volunteer of the Year Award
Joe Kelsey, Cable (WI)

The Wayne Fish award was presented to Joe Kelsey of Cable, Wisconsin. Joe’s unyielding commitment to volunteering at events in the Cable area are fundamental to the central ski community at large. Joe, considered the ultimate “behind the scenes hero” is a man who arrives at a race venue before the sun rises and leaves well after the sun sets. Joe has volunteered at countless events including Junior Nationals, Junior National Qualifiers, IPC World Championships, IPC World Cups and the American Birkebeiner.

Tony Wise Lifetime Achievement Award
Ahvo Taipale, Finn Sisu, St. Paul (MN)

The recipient of the inaugural Lifetime Achievement award was Ahvo Taipale of Finn Sisu in St. Paul, Minnesota. Ahvo accepted the award from longtime friend and last year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Dennis Kruse, who honored Ahvo for his consistent generosity and tireless talent in providing educational opportunities to anyone interested in cross country skiing. Ahvo, who has operated in numerous roles within the ski community since moving to the U.S. was recognized for his frequent contributions to the central region’s ski community that have allowed it to excel.

May 06, 2017 (Boston, MA) – Over the past four years, the Eastern Mass Bill Koch League (EMBK), the premier junior cross-country ski club in the greater Boston area, has hosted Olympian Noah Hoffman for several dryland training practices.

In a session on May 6, Hoffman led the athletes on a warm-up jog followed by mobility and core strength exercises. He then demonstrated a technique progression for both classic striding and various skate techniques. The packed hour and a half finished up with agility drills and games.

“I love coming to the EMBK practices. Watching these athletes work hard and have fun energizes me and reminds me that skiing is just a sport, it’s supposed to be fun,” said Hoffman after the event.  “When we’re playing Wolves and Reindeer or Ultimate Frisbee, I think I’m having as much fun as the kids.”

The skiers then had the opportunity to ask Hoffman questions and get his autograph. The training sessions are in partnership with his title sponsor, the Boston-based Thoughtforms Builders.

May 05, 2017 (Norway) – Therese Johaug was notably absent on the roster of the recently announced Norwegian team for the 2017/18 season but the currently banned Norwegian star is slated to return in mid-to-late November when her sanction apparently ends and she will likely have a spot on the squad according to an Inside the Games report.

“Therese is not part of the team now,” said Vidar Löfhus, national team manager in an interview with Norwegian station TV2. “But she will step into the squad when she has served her sentence.”

Yet Johaug’s situation is far from clear. While supporters hope her ban for testing positive for anabolic steroid clostebol while training in Italy in September of last year, will end in Nov. as handed down by the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports’ (NIF) Adjudication Committee, the International Ski Federation (FIS) feels her 14-month sanction was too lenient and has launched an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Johaug claims to have used the banned substance inadvertently via a sun cream despite packaging clearly marked with the word “doping” that was wrongly given to her by a team doctor. Apparently the the Olympic gold medalist and seven-time world champion has a long-term contract with the Norwegian Ski Federation.

Read more here.

April 26, 2017 (Yukon) – Talented Yukon cross-country skiers Emily Nishikawa, Dahria Beatty and Knute Johnsgaard, all members of Canada’s national ski team, are the first recipients of a new Northern Exploration and Sport Development Fund, established by RyanWood Exploration of Dawson City, Yukon reports CBC.ca.

In total the athletes will receive $70,000 to pursue their careers to the next level, as they compete to make it to the next Olympics. Local supporters Cathy Wood and partner Shawn Ryan are behind the initiative. “Sports — and youth sports in particular — is very dear to my heart,” said Wood – read more here.

April 26, 2017 – In this edition of Talkin’ With the Gravey Train, our host Peter Graves talks with the remarkable John Morton, a two-time US Olympian in Biathlon and also a Team Leader for the US Team at the Olympic Games. “Morty” lives near our studio and was kind enough to drop by for a chat.

Morton, a Walpole, NH native, has seen the sport from about every angle and his depth of knowledge shows. He was a member of the ski team and graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont and a member of the USA Biathlon National Team. He served in the US Army in Vietnam and was released from active duty with the rank of Captain in 1972.

Later the talented Morton spent eleven years at the helm of the Dartmouth Big Green’s Nordic program, where he produced a number of US Olympic athletes. Shortly thereafter, he wrote the award winning book, Don’t Look Back, sparkling with great stories and personal reflections on a lifetime spent in competitive sports at the highest levels.

At the Salt Lake City Olympic Games, Morton served as the Chief of Course for Biathlon competitions and in 2008 was inducted into the US Biathlon Hall of Fame. His resume is a never-ending list of contributions to the sport he is so passionate about.

Morton turned his talents to trail design, establishing Morton Trails, and is known globally for his work, designing more than 100 trails in the USA and around the world for more than two decades. Chances are good you’ve skied on a John Morton-designed trail.

In this interview Graves talks to Morton about the rise in fortunes of the US Biathlon team, coming off a superlative season, his views on trail design and where the sport is headed.

Interview with John Morton

April 23, 2017 – The Czech Republic’s best cross-country skier, Lukas Bauer, already announced before the start of this season that it would be his last. Bauer competed at five Olympic Winter Games, 11 World Championships and 19 World Cup seasons. During his long career Bauer won 18 World Cups, two silver FIS World Championship medals and three Olympic Winter Games medals. In 2008 and 2010, Bauer won the FIS Tour de Ski and secured the overall FIS World Cup title during the 2007/08 season. Watch a video of Bauer’s career here.

April 22, 2017 (Toronto, ON) – Canada’s sport community has renewed its confidence in Tricia Smith as President of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC). Members of the COC Session, comprised of sport leaders, athletes and coaches, voted unanimously to give Ms. Smith a second term.

A prominent leader in the Olympic Movement, Smith was overwhelmingly elected as COC President in November 2015 after having served as Vice President since 2009, and briefly as Interim President. She has since been elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and appointed to the IOC’s Medical and Scientific Commission, and Legal Affairs Commission.

The Session also elected seven members to the COC Board of Directors. Four current members were re-elected including: two-time Olympic medallist and marketing executive Therese Brisson; corporate director Chris Clark; sport executive Kevin Gilmore; and lawyer and Paralympic coach Peter Lawless. Business leader Maureen Kempston-Darkes; corporate director Karen Rubin; and three-time Olympic medallist and humanitarian Mark Tewksbury were elected for a first term.

Tricia Smith, a lawyer and businesswoman based in Vancouver, has had a successful and multifaceted career in sport. A four-time Olympian in rowing, Smith captured a silver medal at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games. She has also won seven world championship medals as well as a gold medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games.

For nearly 30 years, she has served the COC in various senior and executive capacities. Since she first became involved in the COC Athletes’ Council in 1980 as rowing’s representative, Smith has been a member of the Executive, Team Selection, Games, Governance and Compensation Committees. She was Canada’s Chef de Mission for the 2007 Pan American Games.

Smith was a key member of the international team of the Vancouver 2010 Bid Committee. She is the Vice President of the International Rowing Federation (FISA) and has played a strong role in FISA’s anti-doping policies as a Member of the Executive Committee.

Smith was nominated by the IOC Athletes’ Commission to the Board of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport. She is now Deputy President of the Ordinary Division and Chair of the Commission for CAS Membership. She is a partner and Deputy Managing Director at Barnescraig & Associates, a risk management and adjusting firm.

QUOTE:

“I am honored to be entrusted to lead our great sport movement and I thank everyone for their support. The next four years are about being the best Olympic Committee we can be. That means being the best partner and providing the best support to our sport system for the benefit of our athletes and coaches in Canada and internationally.”

– Tricia Smith, President, Canadian Olympic Committee

April 21, 2017 (Atlin, BC) – Alain Masson, a former Olympic skier, had a close encounter with a pack of wolves while skiing alone last Sunday reports CBC. Masson lives in the Yukon, but was skiing on frozen Atlin Lake in northern BC when the incident happened.

“Too close for comfort,” is how Masson describes what happened. He first saw the pack of wolves in the distance through his binoculars, counting a dozen of them. Masson thought he could simply resume his ski, then realized they were running toward him.

The former Olympian knew it was pointless to try and outrun the wolves, so he stood his ground and was soon surrounded by the pack. Despite his fear, Masson tried to remain positive and made noise, waving his ski poles in an effort to make himself look bigger. He told himself that unprovoked wolf attacks on humans are rare.

At the closest point, the wolves were about 50 metres (165 feet) away and eventually, most of them pulled away. Masson cautiously started skiing again, but was still trailed by two large wolves for about 1km.

Masson was skiing an 80km solo loop around Teresa Island where it is common to see moose or caribou on this large lake near Atlin, BC.

Read more here.
Watch interview with Masson here.

April 16, 2017 (Albuquerque, NM) – Late last week the University of New Mexico’s VP of Athletics, Paul Krebs, delivered some somber news that the men’s and women’s ski programs would no longer be supported due to budget cuts. Apparently the state and UNM are under the gun and “This is truly a last resort for us.” said Krebs in the official release which will accrue a saving of $600,000.

Meanwhile Locals have rallied behind the Lobos UNM ski team with a 6,000+ strong petition signed and several campaigns to save the programs which are claimed to bring in revenues of $524.1 million to the state – read more in the Sangre de Cristo Chronicle here – see the petition here – and official release below.

Lobos to Discontinue Men’s and Women’s Skiing

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Vice President for Athletics Paul Krebs has announced that due to impending budget cuts and rising costs, The University of New Mexico will reduce its sports programs from 22 to 20 with the decision to no longer sponsor  the men’s and women’s ski programs.  The decision will save the department approximately $600,000 per year in operating budget, scholarships and salaries.

“This is a very difficult decision to come to,” said Krebs.  “The University of New Mexico, as well as our entire state, is in very tough and challenging economic times. This is truly a last resort for us. Taking away opportunities from our student-athletes is never good.  The members of our ski teams have been tremendous student-athletes.”

Scholarships will be honored through undergraduate degree or exhausted eligibility for any student-athletes that wish to continue their education at UNM provided they remain eligible in accordance with UNM and NCAA rules.  Lobo athletics will also assist any student-athlete wishing to transfer to another institution.

Complete Release here.
FAQ Regarding Decision here.

April 08, 2017 (Scandinavia) – For the second time this season a group of skiers from Team Hardwood headed to Scandinavia to race and train. Departing directly after the Canadian National Championships in Canmore, the team composed of Joey Foster, Jessica Roach, Shilo Rousseau, Zoe Pekos, Alec MacLean, Hannah Story-Korman and coach Jack Sasseville flew to Gothenburg Sweden and then drove to race in the Norwegian Championships in Gaalaa, Norway.

The group arrived with just one day of training before competing with the best skiers in Norway in a Team Sprint on Thursday March 30, a 5 or 10 km skate race on the 31st and the Tre-topper loppet on April 2. (This was a very special race where the skiers climbed over 900 meters in 15 km up and down 3 mountains.

The main purpose of the trip was to give these up and coming young skiers the international experience that they will need in the future if they are to help the next generation of Canadian skiers to be competitive on the world cross country ski scene.

Skiing against the likes of Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Marit Bjoergen, Johannes Klaebo and Petter Northug gave this group of junior and U23 skiers some incredible international racing experience. Living and travelling in a nation where cross country skiing is the #1 sport also gave them the experience that they will need in being prepared to travel and live in Europe.

After the first week the group then drove to Bruksvallarna, Sweden for three more races against top international competition. These races saw them race with Dario Cologna from Switzerland along with top Swedish skiers led by Stina Nillson. Johannes Klaebo and Niklas Dyrhaug also made the trip over from Norway.

The skiers competed in an individual sprint race, a 100 meter sprint race and a 31 km loppet in the mountains around Bruksvallarna.At the end of the trip everyone agreed that this experience will help them in the future to be better international skiers. In North America we have to be prepared to race in Europe if we are going to be successful skiers. The World Cup takes place primarily in Europe and most of the races that count are there.

Team Hardwood is committed to providing these racing experiences to the skiers on the team. Next season the team will travel to Norway and Sweden in the late fall and early winter for racing and training as well as to other races in Europe and across North America throughout the winter.

March 23, 2017 (Sapporo, Japan) – The Para-Nordic World Cup Finals concluded on March 22 in Sapporo, Japan. The finals, which spanned five days, saw strong performances from North Americans in several events throughout the competition.

On Sunday March 19 Canada’s Chris Klebl of Canmore, Alberta won a silver medal in the Men’s 5km Sit-Ski competition. His second podium of the season, Klebl finished with a time of 14:24.9 at 13.2 seconds behind race winner Maksym Yarovyi of the Ukraine. Germany’s Martin Fleig won the bronze medal with a time of 14:30.7.

“Racing well today was a bit of a surprise as we don’t ski this distance often, and it is usually not my best. But I liked the course here. We made some adjustments to the skis from yesterday and things came together well,” said Klbel.

Also on Sunday, American Oksana Masters took a silver medal in the Women’s Sitting, in a time of 8:20.2. Germany’s multiple Worlds medalist Andrea Eskau won the event with a time of 8:07.8, with her teammate Anja Wicker completing the podium with a time of 8:57.1.

In the Men’s Visually Impaired, USA’s Jacob Adicoff and guide Sawyer Kesselheim won the title in a time of 13:00.9 ahead of Ukraine’s Iurii Utkin (13:48.2) and Iaroslav Reshetynskyi (13:51.3) in third.

Moving forward to March 21, Canada’s Mark Arendz of Hartsville, P.E.I. added a silver medal to his season collection in the Men’s Standing 12.5km Biathlon race. Arendz posted a time of 30:31.2 on the firm snow conditions in Sapporo.

“Overall I’m pleased with the day’s effort. I was able to keep the speed up after a long season and lots of racing,” said Arendz.

The event was won by Benjamin Daviet of France, who finished with a time of 30:13.5. Norway’s Nils-Erik Ulset, finished in third spot with a time of 30:44.4.

In the Women’s Sprint Biathlon, world title holder Masters finished on the top step of the podium, posting a time of 34:45.4 ahead of Germany’s multiple world and paralymic champion Andrea Eskau (35:29.3) who finished second.

On the final day in Sappora, May 22, Canada’s Emily Young and Arendz both claimed silver medals in their respective disciplines.

Vancouver’s Young gained her first biathlon medal of her career in the Women’s 6km Sprint, shooting clean with a time of 18:41.8.

“On the start line today, I knew I could give it everything for six kilometres and so I did. I trusted my abilities and the process (coach) John Jacques and I have been focusing on and it worked,” said Young.

Ukraine’s Oleksandra Kononova won the event with a time of 18:12.9 despite missing two shots, while her teammate settled for third with a time of 18:50.9.

Arendz won his second straight silver medal at the World Cup Finals in the Men’s Sprint. Arendz missed a shot a shot during his second trip to the range, but rallied on the final lap from third place to take silver with a time of 18:45.3. With this second place, Arendz secured his second place in the overall Parap-Nordic World Cup Biathlon standings for the third time in his career.

Daviet shot clean in the final event of the season to take the gold medal with a time of 17:49.6 and reinforced his lead in the overall standings. Reptyukh hung on for the bronze medal with a time of 19:32.5 despite missing two targets in his final round of shooting.

Masters again found herself on the podium today in the Women’s Biathlon Sprint, finishing with a time of 20:41.0. Eskau took the win, shooting clean, with a time of 20:33.8, while Wicker stopped the clock with a time of 21:51.7, good enough for third.

Full results and final rankings are available at World Para Nordic Skiing’s website here.

March 22, 2017 (Canmore, AB) – Emily Nishikawa and Evan Palmer-Charrette celebrated national titles in the Buff Canada sprint races at the 2017 Ski Nationals in Canmore, Alta. on Wednesday afternoon.

Emily Nishikawa left little doubt she is the woman to beat in Canada after sprinting to her second-straight national title in as many days.

The Whitehorse-based Olympian stomped some authority on the top women in the country in the head-to-head heats of the 1.3-kilometre classic-ski sprint race.

After qualifying third for the round of 30 in the head-to-head heats, the 27 year old was on a mission for gold while leading the country up and down the steep hills of the Canmore Nordic Centre. Nishikawa cruised through her opening two heats before topping her World Championship teammates in the finals.

“It was another great day. The conditions got slower and slower as the day went on. I really was just trying not to get tripped up in the deep snow, but I’m so honoured and thrilled to win,” said Nishikawa, who has taken on a heavy race load over the last month with the World Championships followed by the World Cup Finals last week in Quebec City.

“I am so excited and so exhausted. This is my fifth race in six days. It has been a lot, but I couldn’t be happier. There has been so many highlights of the season, and to finish it here in Canmore with two national titles is pretty exciting.”

Nishikawa opened a sizeable lead on the 2016 women’s sprint champion, and fellow Whitehorse resident, Dahria Beatty who battled to a silver medal. Katherine Stewart-Jones, of Chelsea, Que., locked up the bronze.

The next generation of cross-country ski athletes were also doing battle at the Canmore Nordic Centre.

Vancouver’s Annika Richardson handily won the junior women’s sprint event. North Vancouver’s Katie Weaver was the next best finisher in second. Lisle Compton, of Kenora, Ont., skied onto the bronze-medal step of the junior women’s sprint podium.

Later in the day, Evan Palmer-Charrette of Thunder Bay, Ont., was crowned Canadian Champion after placing third in the men’s race.

Germany’s Moritz Madlener was first to cross the line, while his fellow University of Denver teammate from Norway, Dag Frode Trolleboe, finished second.

The 22-year-old Palmer-Charrette, who won his quarter- and semifinal heats, earned the Canadian title as a result of finishing as the top Canuck.

“I am so happy. I had surgery on my shins in the summer and I was really motivated to get back so I trained really hard to get here,” said Palmer-Charrette, who qualified for the head-to-head heats with the top-30 in 17th spot. “It has been a great year and awesome today.”

Antoine Briand from Skibec was the second best Canadian male, while Knute Johnsgaard, of Whitehorse, was the third-best Canadian after finishing fifth overall in the final heat.

Etienne Hebert, of Varennes, Que., was crowned junior men’s sprint champion. The member of Canada’s Junior World Championship Team this year edged out Nicolas Beaulieu, of Orford, Que., and Larkin Wasmuth, of the Fort Saskatchewan Nordic Ski Club, at the finish line. Beaulieu placed second, while Wasmuth was third in the photo finish.

Result here and here.

March 22, 2017 (Oslo, Norway) – American Lowell Bailey finished a storybook historic season this past weekend with a career-best 8th overall in the men’s World Cup overall rankings. The Lake Placid, N.Y.  athlete became the first American to win an IBU World Championship title claiming historic gold in the men’s 20km Individual at the 2017 Biathlon World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria. Later he added two silver medals at world cup events.

At the final event of the season in Oslo, Norway, the men’s 15km Mass Start, Bailey was 15th with two penalties as Martin Fourcade of France shot clean for the victory. Andrejs Rastorgujevs of Latvia finished second for his first-ever podium suffering two missed targets at 17.4 seconds back, while Austrian Simon Eder rounded out the podium in 3rd with one miss at 32.4 seconds behind Fourcade.

“I felt really good on the track and I was able to stay on pace with the leaders of the race,” said Bailey. “Knowing this, I felt that if I put together a decent performance on the range, I could make a play for the podium. Coming into the first standing, (Anton) Shipulin just pulled over and would not lead me in, and knowing the pace of everyone else behind me, I just decided to take the lead and shoot on point one. I felt composed in the shooting, but unfortunately not all the targets went down. That being said, my approach all season has been to be decisive and focused in the range; it didn’t go as well as it did for me at world champs, but I’m still happy with my ski speed, and the fact that I was able to pull off a top-15 in a tough field, at the end of the season.”

Fourcade took the overall Men’s World Cup title again with 1,322 points. The Frenchman also won the overall titles in the men’s Mass Start, Pursuit, and Sprint rankings. Russian Anton Shipulin finished second to Fourcade in the World Cup overall with 918 points, also finishing second overall in the Pursuit and third overall in the Mass Start. Johannes Thingnes Boe of Norway rounded out the World Cup overall in third with 812 points.

Bailey previous best overall finish was 14th during the 2011-12 campaign – he was 17th last season. “As much as I would have liked to stay at the top of the race , I’m satisfied with how the day ended; I was able to hang on to my eighth-place overall ranking,” said Bailey.

“This was a huge goal for me heading into this last world cup. After Friday’s disappointing sprint, I was not that optimistic about my prospects, but I was able to put a decent performance together in the pursuit, gain a few  points, and hold my spot in today’s mass start.”

Tim Burke (USA) finished 46th overall followed by Scott Gow of Canada in 50th, Leif Nordgren (USA) was 57th, Christian Gow (Can) was 59th, Sean Doherty (USA) was 71st, Brendan Green (Can) was 76th, Paul Schommer (USA) was 92nd and Russell Currier (USA) finished 96th.

In the overall Sprint standings, Bailey finished 9th while Austrian Julian Eberhard finished second to Fourcade and Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway finished 3rd. Germany’s Arnd Peiffer claimed 2nd overall in the Pursuit rankings followed by Shipulin in 3rd and Bailey in 11th. In the Mass Start overall Simon Schempp of Germany followed Fourcade with Shipulin third and Bailey 16th, insuring the American a top-20 finish overall in each division this season.

Full Men’s 15km Mass Start Results here.
Men’s World Cup Total Score here.

March 22, 2017 (Oslo, Norway) – Following a superb season the USA’s Susan Dunklee finished a career-best 10th overall as the IBU World Cup wrapped up this past weekend at the Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. Dunklee, from Barton, Vermont won historic silver in the Mass Start women’s race at the 2017 Biathlon World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria, becoming the first American woman to win an individual medal at an Olympics or World Championships in biathlon.

The final women’s race of the season, the 12.5km Mass Start, was won by Norway’s Tiril Eckhoff with one penalty for her second victory of the season. Gabriela Koukalova (Czech Republic) finished second at 22.6 seconds back also with one penalty, followed by Finland’s Kaisa Makarainen in third with two penalties. Dunklee finished 20th with five missed targets as the lone North American on the start line.

“It’s been an incredible honor to be part of this team during this special year,” said Dunklee, also the first woman, and second athlete after Lowell Bailey, to qualify for the next US Olympic team in 2018. In addition she won silver with Bailey in the single mixed relay at Kontiolahti, Finland – the USA’s first team medal in 23 years.

“We have staff who have worked hard for decades believing that our athletes could one day reach this level. Now we have new training ideas for how to improve over the summer and plenty of motivation to keep the momentum rolling,” added Dunklee who also races for the Craftsbury Green Racing Project.

After 26 events, Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier took the overall World Cup title with 1,211 points also claiming the Pursuit title. Koukalova was second in the overall with 1,089 points, also taking home the Sprint and Mass Start globes. Makarainen rounded out the overall World Cup final podium with 971 points.

Dunklee finished with 596 points improving on her 14th place finish from last season for a career best 10th. Rosanna Crawford was the top Canadian in 50th with 112 points, while other North Americans included Clare Egan (USA) in 56th with 86 points, Julia Ranson (Canada) in 59th with 77 points, Joanne Reid (USA) in 84th with 21 points and Megan Tandy and Emma Lunder (both Canada) in 85th and 86th,and with 21 and 20 points, respectively.

Dahlmeier was second in the overall Sprint standings behind Koukalovawith Makarainen third while Dunklee was the top North American in 10th. Koukalova and Makarainenn were second and third respectively behind Dahlmeier in the Pursuit series with Dunklee 11th. The Mass Start final overall saw the same protagonists with Dahlmeier second behind Koukalova and Makarainen third with Dunklee 11th again.

Full results here.
Overall World Cup standings here.

March 21, 2017 (Ottawa, Ontario) – Recipients of the 11th annual Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA) PRESTIGE Awards stretched right across the country from Vancouver, British Columbia to Saint John, New Brunswick. The awards recognize events from local to national to major international championships and tournaments and also honour outstanding volunteers and organizations, who work to bid, host and stage sport events across Canada.

“Each one of our PRESTIGE Award recipients has made a meaningful contribution either personally or as part of an organization to keeping Canada a world leader in bidding and hosting events,” said Rick Traer, CEO, Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance. “We are proud to honour the 23 finalists from across the country, and the eight events, sponsors and communities who were announced as recipients.  Congratulations to everyone and thank you for ensuring the sport tourism industry continues to grow and have a significant impact on our economy.”

Recipients were announced on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 during the 11th PRESTIGE Awards gala luncheon sponsored by Saskatoon Sports Tourism at the CSTA’s annual Sport Events Congress  at the Westin Ottawa Hotel.  A special CSTA Lifetime Achievement Award was also presented to Don Schumacher, the longtime leader of the National Association of Sports Commissions in the USA for his leadership and dedication to sport tourism.

2017 PRESTIGE Award Recipients

CSTA Canadian Sport Event of the Year Award (Group A: budget greater than $1 million) presented by Laval SportCité

Ski Tour Canada 2016
(Gatineau, Que., Montreal, Que., Quebec City, Que., Canmore, Alta.)
Over 12 days, 400 of the world’s top cross country skiers, from 25 nations, took part in the first World Cup Cross Country Finals ever staged outside of Europe. Combining city park races in such iconic locations as the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, Mont Royal in Montreal, and Jacques Cartier Park in Gatineau with Alberta’s spectacular Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park, Ski Tour Canada 2016 showcased our ability to stage a massive multi-site event. Featuring ski expos at each stop that engaged people of all ages, it also generated awareness of Canada’s winter sport communities world-wide. The Ski Tour Canada 2016 had an operating budget of $8.3 million. Live-streamed in Canada, it reached an international audience of over 52 million viewers.

CSTA Canadian Sport Event of the Year Award (Group B: budget less than $1 million) presented by Laval SportCité

Canadian Track and Field Championships and Selection Trials for the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (Edmonton, Alta.)
The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Selection Trials hosted the deepest, most talented pool of Canadian Track & Field athletes ever to compete for berths in the 2016 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio. The event surpassed all expectations for the 1,135 athletes, 235 coaches, and 135 officials and was run on an overall budget of $513,383. Over 18 Edmonton/Alberta organizations partnered with TrackTown to be part of the Olympic dream and to showcase the City of Edmonton with over 250 volunteers helping to stage the event. Hundreds of young athletes from over 15 Edmonton and area local Track and Field Clubs attended and volunteered at the Trials, sparking their own internal Olympic flames.

CSTA International Sport Event of the Year Award presented by Tourism Toronto

2016 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship (Kamloops, B.C.)
For the first time Hockey Canada hosted the IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championships west of Manitoba, holding the 2016 event in Kamloops, B.C. It powerfully promoted and strengthened female hockey and skills development throughout B.C.’s interior and beyond. By announcing Team Canada’s roster at a local elementary school, children became immediately engaged in the championships, as did the local community. Key partnerships were formed with a mosaic of community groups reaching wide demographics and socioeconomic status from the Japanese Cultural Association to Kamloops Minor Baseball.

CSTA Canadian Sport Event Sponsor of the Year Award presented by Adup Display

Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC)
HSBC Canada Sevens (Vancouver, B.C.)
Through its investment as the title sponsor of the HSBC Canada Sevens, HSBC has had a profound impact on the sport of rugby not only in B.C. but across Canada. It has made the growth of grassroots rugby development a central pillar of its sponsorship objectives and as a result, has provided a platform for growth that would not otherwise exist. Encouraging employee engagement created opportunities for staff to experience the event at a deeper level through direct participation in the staging of two HSBC Youth clinics. And by investing in video and other shareable online content, it promoted the game globally.

CSTA Sport Event Volunteer of the Year Award presented by CBC Sports

Bill MacMackin; East Coast Games, Athletics New Brunswick, Saint John Track Club (Saint John, N.B.)
As if serving as the President of the Saint John Track Club for over a decade, coaching at the Saint John High School and sitting on the board of Athletics New Brunswick wasn’t enough for Bill MacMackin, he managed to take the East Coast Games from an idea on paper to reality. His vision was to bring together seven separate sporting events into one multi-sport manufactured event, with the critical mass to draw increased sponsorship, attendance and media attention. Three years later, the East Coast Games, under Bill’s guidance and leadership, brought together 2,200 athletes, 1,500 parents and resulted in $800,000 in economic activity.

CSTA Sport Tourism Champion Award presented by ConnectOnCampus

Candice Stasynec, Executive Director, Edmonton Events (Edmonton, Alta.)
For nearly 40 years at the City of Edmonton, Candice Stasynec has provided leadership and support to high profile projects and events. Along the way she built strong relationships locally, nationally and internationally.  From running event operations at Commonwealth Stadium to being an integral member of a major event bid or local organizing committee, her passion for sport and the tangible community benefits they bring was always evident. Her impact on the not-for-profit sport community was immeasurable as in 2016 alone she provided consultation, support and help to secure funding for over 15 associations. Her legacy will be seen in the long-term strategy for Edmonton Events that she helped to create.

CSTA Sport Tourism Organization of the Year Awardpresented by WestJet

Sport Hosting Vancouver (Vancouver, B.C.)
The Sport Hosting Vancouver partnership is a first of its kind in the City of Vancouver to actively review, assess and establish a framework for the sport hosting profile in the region. It unites all sport hosting stakeholders, providing a responsive, streamlined approach to attracting major events and making them successful on every level. In 2016, Vancouver hosted the inaugural Americas Masters Games, along with such diverse events as the HSBC Canada Sevens rugby tournament, the Little League Canadian Championships, and the Subaru 5i50 Vancouver Triathlon to name just a few. With City approval of a Major Event Acquisition Fund, Vancouver will host many more successful sport events in the years to come.

CSTA Sustainable Sport Event of the Year Awardpresented by Edmonton Events

2016 Alberta Summer Games (Leduc, Alta.)
Environment sustainability at the 2016 Alberta Summer Games, including widespread education ahead of time, was a key objective of the event from the very beginning. With 11 of the 14 sports taking place within a very close proximity, transportation was reduced significantly right from the start. The food centre had an active waste diversion plan, with the result that 89 per cent of waste was sorted into organics and recycling, rather than landfill. Disposable water bottles were discouraged, with water refill stations readily available. Installing Canada’s largest commercial roof-top solar array on the Leduc Recreation Centre created a legacy that will be felt in Leduc for many years.

March 18, 2017 (Quebec City, Que.) – The USA’s Sadie Bjornsen was the top North American women in 15th as Norway’s Marit Bjoergen continued her unbeaten streak in classic technique distance races this season taking the win by just 0.6 seconds over teammate Heidi Weng. Finland’s Parmakoski claimed the final podium spot at 2.77 seconds back.

Teammate Jessica Diggins was also in the points placing 27th at 1:06 minutes back while the top Canuck was Emily Nishikawa who skied to 37th place.

“It was really fun and I was doing really well for the for two laps, maybe two and a half laps, but I made a mistake when I decided to go with the leaders,” said Bjornsen. Indeed, Bjornsen was sitting just six seconds back of Bjoergen and Weng after her first lap.

She said she blew up on the last climb at the end of the second lap and grip also became a problem as her new classic skis have proven to be problematic. “Classic used to be my really strong point. I’ve kind of struggled with classic this year. I’m fighting with my skis these days,” explained Bjornsen.

The 71-strong women’s field started the second day of racing with clear skies and virtually no wind on the mainly open 3.3 km course that racers covered for three laps. Intense sunshine greeted skiers for the 10:40am start as temperatures were still below zero – perfection in other words.

A break formed with Bjoergen leading the pace with Weng and Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg in tow. They were joined by Parmakoski and now there were the four protagonists with the chasers behind scrambling for the remaining top-10 spots.

The foursome would never be caught as Oestberg struggled with the pace at the end and only Weng could match Bjoergen with Parmakoski settling for third and Oestberg fourth. The chase group at 17.79 seconds back was led by Germany’s Nicole Fessel, who took fifth over Charlotte Kalla of Sweden by 0.9 seconds.

Bjornsen has had a stellar season, starting with a bronze in the 5km freestyle in Toblach, Italy, a silver in the 4x5km relay in the Nove Mesto WC, and a bronze at the Lahti World Championships in February in the Team Sprint with Diggins.

“I’ve had a strange season,” continued Bjornsen. “The highs have been really high and the lows really low. More than ever though, I know what I have to work on-what I can do in the summer to change. We knew that Kikkan [Randall, who didn’t race in Quebec] was good, but really we didn’t know that we could be good as well. With so many of us in the sprints [yesterday], we’ve given each other such a lift.”

Canada’s Nishikawa was hoping for a top-30 result. “It was a pretty good day,” she said. “Perfect tracks; it actually couldn’t be any better. I focused on technique-skiing smooth and relaxed. I love classic, but I hope I break into the top 30 next year.”

While she’s headed to Canmore for the national championships, she not sure she’s racing. “Everyone’s a bit tired by now. I didn’t have a great summer because I was injured for most of it. I had abdominal muscle problems because my hips were out and they became miss-aligned. It took a lot of physio and work to get back on track.”

Other North Americans were USA’s Sophie Caldwell, who finished 38th at 5 seconds behind Nishikawa. Canada’s Cendrine Brown was next in 41st. “I felt like I had good energy at the start, but there was a little pile up at the first hill. We were very fast on the descent, but then we kind of piled up at the climb right after. No one fell but I missed being in the first pack that way. I managed to catch the second pack, and 41st is a good finish for me on the world cup.”

The USA’s Caitlin Patterson was 44th at 2:39:9 minutes behind followed by teammates Elizabeth Guiney in 45th at 2:48:3 minutes back while Kaitlynn Miller finished 47th at 2:46:5 minutes back to round out the top 50.

Full results here.
Mini Tour Standings here.

March 18, 2017 (Quebec City, Que.) –Canada’s Alex Harvey looked destined for another podium in Quebec City in men’s 15km CL mass start as massive crowds cheered him on to a fourth-place finish. Norway’s Johannes Hoesflet Klaebo claimed the victory for his first distance World Cup win taking the final sprint to the line over teammate Nicholas Dyrhaug with Russia’s Alexander Bessmertnykh third on the podium.

“It was amazing today. The crowds was great and bigger than yesterday,” said Harvey. “Anytime you have the #1 bib at home is something special. You can’t be on the podium every race. Anytime I’m in the top ten, I’m really happy.”

Klaebo, who leads the Quebec City mini tour, is a wunderkind who only turned twenty in October 2016 and is the youngest ever to win the Sprint Cup crystal globe. “The plan was to ski in the front to get as many bonus seconds as possible for the overall position. It will be a tough battle on Sunday,” said Klaebo.

Brilliant sunshine was the order of the day as a mini-Norwegian army was up front surrounding Harvey as Norway’s Sjur Roethe placed 5th with Swiss legend, Dario Cologna, in sixth. Cologna turned 31 this year and he and Klaebo are eleven years apart, but were separated by less than two seconds at the finish in the lead group of 22 skiers.

Fellow Canuck Devon Kershaw skied to 28th place at 1:08 minutes back, the second North American. “I’m a little frustrated because I had a good body, but broke a pole near the start and fell back to the sixties. I’m happy that I could work my way back up into the points but I felt better than my result today. The crowds were awesome. I don’t think we’ve ever had crowds like this in Canada. The venue is fantastic here and bring the skiing to the people, I tip my hat to the organizers. They did a great job and it is a great event.”

The top American was Erik Bjornsen in 31st just out of the points at 1:16:8 minutes back. “It’s so fun to be racing here in North America. I love having people cheering for me and I really feel like we have a lot of fans out there. It felt like it was rally car racing at the start. There were people snapping poles and falling all over the place. I went out hard because I needed to get into position. Starting with bib #55 was not ideal. I worked real hard on that first lap and I definitely paid for it a little bit, but I knew that’s what I needed to do.”

Canada’s Graeme Killick was just behind Bjornsen in 32nd followed by a posse of including Americans Mathew Phillip Gelso in 37th, Andrew Newell in 45th, Scott Patterson in 46th, Noah Hoffman in 48th, Benjamin Lustgarten was 49th and David Norris rounded out the top 50.

Klaebo has a 22.8-second lead coming into Sunday’s free technique 15 km pursuit start competition to end the 2017 FIS Cross-Country World Cup season. Dyrhaug is second at 0.5 seconds ahead of Harvey is third.

“It’s doable and tomorrow [the pursuit] will be a real man hunt with Klaebo. I don’t expect any help from Dyrhaug,” said Harvey. “We’ll see who wakes up the best tomorrow. Of course I know the course well as I used to race here as a kid – both for running and cross-country skiing.”

Full results here.
Mini Tour Standings here.

March 18, 2017 (Oslo, Norway) – Lowell Bailey overcame three penalties on the range to move up 21 spots in the men’s 12.5-kilometer pursuit at the BMW IBU World Cup 9 Saturday at Holmenkollen Ski Stadium. Recording the ninth-fastest range time and ninth-quickest course time over the final loop helped fuel Bailey’s ascension up the standings as he finished 23rd in the 56-man field, 2 minutes, 32.3 seconds back.

“I’m happy with the race, considering it started out pretty rough with the first two misses,” said Bailey. “I just read the wind wrong and didn’t correct enough. After that, I tried to keep my head in the race and make the best of it. I was happy with my skiing and glad to clean the last stage; this brought me up nine spots and I was able to gain another in the last loop. Now, it’s just one race to go. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Russia’s Anton Shipulin, with just a single penalty, moved from third at the start to win the final pursuit of the season, crossing the line in 32:11.9. Martin Fourcade of France and Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Boe battled for much of the last loop until Fourcade pulled away on the last big uphill to finish second, 5.7 seconds behind Shipulin. Boe was 21.6 seconds back in third. Both had two penalties on the range.

Sean Doherty (Center Conway, N.H.) suffered six penalties on the range to place 46th, 4:05.6 off the pace.

Men’s results here.

Women’s 10km Pursuit
In the women’s 10km pursuit held earlier in the day, Susan Dunklee suffered an uncharacteristic 10 penalties on the shooting range. She finished 37th (+4:00.2) after starting the day in seventh place. Although her shooting let her down, Dunklee was fleet on the tracks, posting the fourth-fastest course time in the field.

Finland’s Mari Laukkanen won the women’s pursuit for her second career victory, just 24 hours after her first career victory in the sprint. Her wire-to-wire victory in 29:33.3 with just a single standing penalty, put Laukkanen 26.6 seconds ahead of clean-shooting Gabriela Koukalova of Czech Republic. Justine Braisaz of France finished third, 1:01.4 back with four penalties.

Clare Egan (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) placed 41st with four penalties, 4:13.9 back.

“Today, Mari Laukkanen put an exclamation point on her first-ever victory from yesterday, and the rest of us just tried to hang on,” said Egan. “I am satisfied with my race even though the result was not what I was hoping for, and that’s how I would summarize my entire season as well. I’ve made a good step forward but my competitors also work hard all summer and we seem to improve at a similar rate.”

Egan also touched on her teammate Dunklee’s day in Oslo.

“It is a testament to her fighting spirit that she notched the fourth-fastest ski time – one of her best ranks of the season – and never gave up despite suffering a biathlon blowout on the range. Just last year I watched Ole Einar Bjøerndalen, the King of Biathlon, miss 10 out of 20 in a mass start and finish last. Then he cleaned the next mass start and was back on the podium, that time at world championships, and that’s why he’s the king. Bad races happen to the best and Susan is no exception, but not everyone fights through till the end no matter what.”

Women’s results here.

The BMW IBU World Cup 9 concludes on Sunday with the men’s and women’s mass start races. Dunklee will compete in the women’s 12.5km mass start beginning at 6:15 a.m. EDT, followed by the men’s 15km pursuit with Bailey at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Both races will be <http://teamusa.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4e13d7cca44417f617184bfd1&id=346ec9a6a3&e=856d06ac85>streamed live on Eurovision. The broadcast schedule for NBC’s UniversalHD channel’s same-day coverage is also listed below with all times shown as EDT.

March 17, 2017 (Quebec City, Que.) – Fans got what they came for as local hero, Alex Harvey, was unstoppable claiming gold today in dominating fashion in the men’s 1.5km freestyle sprint on Day 1 of the World Cup final races in Quebec City.

Record breaking snowfall earlier in the week, blue skies, sunshine and thousands of crazy ski fans graced the Plains of Abraham were perfect conditions for Harvey to “be on a cloud” as his legendary father Pierre declared post-race. The Plains of Abraham may be renamed the Plains of Alex one day.

Norway’s Finn Haagen Krogh took second while France’s Richard Jouve landed third on the podium as the USA’s Simi Hamilton settled for fourth despite fine skiing throughout the day to make the final.

“Go Alex” slogans were everywhere; even the cowbells had the phrase written on the side. Yet Harvey seemed to thrive with the pressure, acknowledging the crowd graciously  with each appearance as he moved through the qualifications, with the fourth fastest time.

He dominated his quarter-final heat from the sound of the gun and won his semi as well. The final was more challenging but Harvey was in the zone taking the finishing sprint in style for the “YES” victory where he said later he “was floating” to finish.

“It’s important to go through to the first place in the heats,” said Harvey, who just couldn’t stop smiling after such an incredible race. “You want to create a fast pace. I was feeling good.” But, he added, “It takes a lot of things to win – great equipment, really good body, it all worked today.”

Harvey and Hamilton led an incredible North American contingent as Canada’s Jesse Cockney skied to 10th overall with a brilliant and patient ski in the quarter-finals, waiting for others to wear themselves out at the front before making his move in the finishing straightaway. The competition was just that much stronger in the semi, but with a second top-12 WC sprint placing this season, Cockney is in the running for the 2018 Olympic team.

“I am definitely bummed about how the day ended for me, but as the dust settled it’s been good to remind myself that 4th is a great result and I worked as hard as I could to achieve it,” said Hamilton. “Being just shy of the podium is a tough pill to swallow, but the hardest part for me is knowing that I did not ski the final 100 meters anywhere close to how I know I could have skied them, and I feel like I mentally unraveled in the final seconds to give away 3rd place. I know I can improve how I finish, and I’m really motivated to work towards that goal this training season.”

Len Valjas finished 19th, while new Canadian team members Julien Locke and Bob Thompson followed in 20th and 30th respectively. Five Canadians qualifying for the sprint world cup heats speaks to the success of the men’s program. Americans Andrew Newell, Erik Bjornsen and Cole Morgan were 31st, 33rd and 34th, just missing the cut.

Harvey’s memory of last year’s Quebec City sprint also helped. “Last year I saw Finn (Haagen Krogh) out of the corner of my eye go by me,” Harvey added, saying it happened in the last part of the straightaway before the finish. “I was making sure the race wasn’t going to slip through my fingers again.”

This time, Harvey said, he knew he needed to strategically place himself in a position as the racers made the last corner to the finish in which he could keep an eye on everyone. With Haagen Krogh taking second, Harvey’s strategy certainly worked. While Jouve was third and Hamilton fourth, Norway’s Sindrew Skar Bjoernestad was fifth and France’s Lucas Chanavat sixth.

As the younger Harvey struck his classic “guitar” stance, his father Pierre ran to congratulate him, and admitted his son had it over him when it came to race smarts. “I was a guy who liked to work hard. For me, the harder it was, the better I did. Alex is smarter; he knows tactics,” said Harvey senior.

Pierre also cautioned people not to necessarily believe that his son’s smiling, generous presence shows how nonchalant he is. “He’s nervous; he just doesn’t show it. You need to have some pressure to really go fast.” But the senior Harvey also talked about what it felt like to watch his son win at home. “I saw him once in Sweden win, but that was it. To win here, it’s one of the greatest feelings you can have. We say we are ‘on a cloud’. I don’t think it translates to English properly. Usually you finish the season and you’re sick. Today was the opposite of that. When you’re in front, your head almost starts spinning because you say, ‘Holy smokes, I may win it!’ Then the race isn’t so hard anymore,” commented Pierre.

Jesse Cockney, like Harvey had a perpetual smile after the race, and like Harvey used smart tactics, particularly in the quarter-finals where the field had a significant headwind coming out of the start – a wind that picked up later in the afternoon. “You can see how wide open the start is, but the finish has a tailwind.” Cockney stayed in behind the leaders as his heat commenced but didn’t lose contact. As he came around the last turn to the finish, Cockney sailed into position, picking off skiers one by one to take second in his quarter final. “This is really big for me,” he noted. “I’m still not a qualifier specialist – still not there to attain it internationally, but I’m doing it domestically.” But it’s that domestic scene he says is helping him so much. “We have five guys training together. To have that kind of commitment in the summer is great.”

It appeared the French team was celebrating nearly as much as the Canadians with Richard Jouve, who qualified with the 10th fastest time, and then took his first podium finish of his career with the bronze medal. After the race he said he loved everything there was about Quebec, the snow, the course, the city and the people.

The battle for the men’s sprint globe was decided in the men’s semi final when both Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway and Italy’s Federico Pellegrino didn’t advance to the final. Pellegrino needed 38 points to overtake Klaebo and only managed to pull by 6 points making Klaebo the youngest ever sprint crystal globe winner. Pellegrino took second in the sprint overall and Norway’s Sindre Bjoernestad Skar took third in the overall standings.  The top 5 men were all separated by just 77 points.

“It has been a very good season. Winning the World Cup is completely unreal. It’s a big dream come true. I did not realize this before the season,” said Klaebo.

Qualifications here.
Final results here.
Men’s standings here.

March 17, 2017 (Seefeld, Austria) – US skier Caitlin Gregg (Loppet Nordic Racing) won the women’s 2.5km Prologue Freestyle at at the final round 6 of the FIS OPA Continental Cup 2016/17 held this morning in Seefeld, Austria with a time of 6:23.7.

It was a double podium day for the USA skiers as Hannah Halvorsen (APU Nordic Ski Center) finished second in the women’s U20 category behind Germany’s Antonia Fraebel

Gregg was followed by German skier Elisabeth Schicho with a gap of 1.5 seconds while Sofie Krehl also from Germany was third. Fellow American Anne Hart (Stratton Mountain School) finished 14th.

Among U20 women skiers was Lauren Jortberg (Dartmouth Ski Team) in 20th followed by Maddie Donovan (Ski and Snowboard Club Vail) in 33rd.

Logan Hanneman (APU Nordic Ski Center) led the Americans in the men’s 3.3km race finishing 15th behind winner Jean Tiberghien (FRA). In the men’s U20 race Ben Ogden (Stratton Mountain school) placed 25th as Janosch Brugger (GER) took the win.

No Canadians were officially present but Canadian-born Heidi Widmer, competing for a Swiss team, finished 25h the women’s race.

Events continue over the weekend with Individual classic races on Saturday and Pursuit skate race on Sunday. The OPA Continental Cup is one level below the World Cup.

Results (brief) link to full results below

Women
1. Caitlin Gregg (USA) Loppet Nordic Racing 6:23.7
2. Elisabeth Schicho (Ger) SC Schliersee +1.5
3. Sofie Krehl (Ger) SC Oberstdorf +2.8

Men
1. Jean Tiberghien (Fra)  La Feclaz 7:30.1
2. Paul Goalabre (Fra) Armees-EMHM SC Queyras +1.9
3. Maicol Rastelli (Ita)  C.S. Esercito +4.9

15. Logan Hanneman (USA) APU Nordic Ski Center +15.2

U20 Women
1. Antonia Fraebel (Ger) WSV Asbach 6:38.5
2. Hannah Halvorsen (USA) Sugar Bowl Ski Team and Academ +4.8
3. Laura Chamiot Maitral (Fra) C.S des saisie +6.4

U20 Men
1. Janosch Brugger (Ger) 7:37.0
2. Luca del Fabbro (Ita) GS Fiamme Gialle +0.8
3. Martin Collet (Fra) Chamon +1.7

25. Ben Ogden (USA) Stratton Mountain School +28.4

Full results here.

March 09, 2017 (Drammen, Norway) – Canada’s Alex Harvey raced to a top-10 in the men’s 1.2km CL Sprint in downtown Drammen finishing 8th on the day as Norway went 1-2 with Eirik Brandsdal taking top honours over teammate Johannes Klaebo. Sergey Ustiugov of Russia landed on the podium in third.

With temperatures were hovering around zero skiers tackled the famous Drammen city course that ends with an uphill sprint to the steps of a historic church.

The USA’s Andy Newell was the lone U.S. man to make the head-to-head rounds as the top North American qualifier in 13th followed by Harvey in 18th and Lenny Valjas in 21st. Haywood NorAm leader Russell Kennedy finished 63rd.

Newell went up against race winner Brandsdal in his quarterfinal and came from behind to finish third behind two Norwegians, but the heat time was too slow to make it through as a Lucky Loser.

World 50k champ Harvey and Valjas drew the same heat with Harvey passing Norway’s Timo Bakken for win. Valjas fought from the back to seemingly grab second by half a boot length over Russian Alexander Bolshunov, but was relegated to last in the heat as the jury felt there was some obstruction versus the Russian in the final few metres – watch here and see if you agree.

In his semi Harvey seemed to run out of steam skiing near the back of the pack and finished 5th which became 4th when Finn Krogh of Norway was disqualified. Harvey is 4th in the overall World Cup ranking.

Qualifications here.
Final results here.

March 08, 2017 – This past Sunday, as I was getting ready to go for a ski I sat with my phone continually updating the Live FIS site as I followed the World Championship Men’s 50km F race from Lahti, Finland. The last checkpoint before the finish was at 48.2 km and it showed Alex Harvey near the lead, as he had been all day.

As I was waiting for the skiers to ski the last 1.8km I couldn’t help but think back to another 50km race back in 1988 that I had the privilege to watch in person in Oslo, Norway.

On that day Alex’s father, Pierre won the 100th edition of what is likely the most prestigious single day race in the world – the Holmenkollen 50km Classic.

In those days the 50km was an interval start race over a 25km course. The skiers started one by one every 30 seconds. Pierre got out to a very fast start and by the end of the 1st lap of 25km he was the leader by 30 seconds over the 2nd place skier Vegard Ulvang (Nor), who had started 30 seconds in front of him. They were now skiing together and we all believed that as long as Pierre stayed with Vegard that he would win the race.

However, at the back of the field an Italian skier, Silvano Barco, had started to make his move forward and by the time Barco reached my timing station at the 13km mark on the course he had closed to within 30 seconds of Pierre and was gaining fast.

I frantically called to our other coaches on my walkie-talkie to let them know of the situation but the only one who could hear me was our head waxer, John Plummer, who was in the wax room and rushed out to let Pierre know. Head coach, Marty Hall who was in the stadium, got wind of Barco via a PA announcement and sent a message to Senior Team Coach Laurent Roux who was able to inform Harvey. With three km to go Pierre put in a final push to the finish and ended up winning by 13 seconds. It was the greatest win of his career and one of my best memories as a coach with the National Team.

For a larger version of this rare and historic 100th Holmenkollen Diplom 1888-1988 click here.

Sitting in the locker room on Sunday the seconds ticked by slowly as I waited for the moment that I could refresh my screen and see the final results. When they flashed on the screen showing that Alex had won I screamed YESSSS! and started running around the room.

Alex said that this was the greatest race of his life. He said that he had been feeling good all week but was missing the magic. For the 50km F finale he had the magic and will forever be a World Champion in an individual event. He and his father are the two greatest male skiers in the history of xc skiing in Canada. What a tradition.

The famous Holmenkollen 50km Classic in Oslo, Norway, is coming up this weekend on March 11 and we look forward to adding another chapter to the Harvey Tradition – bonne chance Alex.

March 07, 2017 (Colorado Springs, Colorado) – Notable performances during February from biathletes Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, N.Y.) and Susan Dunklee (Barton, Vt.), along with the bobsled team of Elana Meyers Taylor and Kehri Jones earned Best of February honors for the Team USA Awards presented by Dow, the United States Olympic Committee announced today. Bailey, Dunklee and the bobsled duo are among the qualified athletes and teams that are eligible for Best of the Year honors in 2017.

Bailey made history on Feb. 16 when he became the first American to win a biathlon world championship, taking the gold medal in the men’s 20-kilometer race at the IBU World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria. Just five days after becoming the first athlete to qualify for the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team (his fourth), Bailey struck gold in 48:07.4, finishing 3.3 seconds ahead of five-time world medalist Ondrej Moravec of Czech Republic. Bailey also finished fourth in the sprint, sixth in the pursuit and sixth in the mass start events, all career bests at his 11th world championship.

Dunklee made history on Feb. 19 when she gave Team USA its first-ever women’s individual medal at a world championship by taking silver in the women’s 12.5-kilometer mass start at the IBU World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria. Four days after qualifying for her second Olympic team, Dunklee crossed the finish line in 33:18.4, propelled by a perfect performance on the shooting range, hitting all 20 targets. She was only 4.6 seconds behind Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier, who dominated the women’s competition with five gold medals.

Meyers Taylor drove to her fourth and fifth consecutive gold medals in February, the final of which was her second world championship title in Konigssee, Germany. The title is Meyers Taylor’s second in her career, and earlier in the month she won the world cup race in Igls, Austria.

In addition to Dow, the presenting sponsor, the Team USA Awards are supported by DICK’S Sporting Goods.

About the Team USA Awards
Each National Governing Body may nominate one female, one male and one team per discipline. An internal nominating committee selects five nominees from both the male and female categories, and three from the team category to advance to the voting round. Votes received from NGB representatives and select members of the media account for 50 percent of the final tally, with the other half determined by online fan voting via TeamUSA.org/Awards.

Each of the five monthly men’s and women’s finalists, and three team finalists automatically qualify for consideration for the 2017 Team USA Awards presented by Dow Best of the Year. Visit TeamUSA.org for a complete list of monthly finalists from the 2016-17 qualification period, which runs from October 2016-September 2017. The 2017 Best of the Year Awards will be held in December.

March 04, 2017 (Lahti, Finland) – American Jessie Diggins finished a career best 5th in this event, followed by a phenomenal 13th place performance by world championships rookie Chelsea Holmes.

The Norwegian women put on another clinic today in Saturday’s 30km freestyle mass start – the final race for the women at these world championships. Marit Bjoergen claimed her fourth gold medal of the championships, leading a Norwegian sweep of the top four.

Diggin’s 5th place is the top American finish in the women’s 30k, topping Liz Stephen’s 11th place in the 2015 Falun world championships. In this 30k, Stephen finished 25th (+3:09.4), and teammate Caitlin Gregg was 36th (+5:03.7).

“This was by far my best ever 30k, and I had so much fun I was actually smiling during the race! It was an icy fast course with big climbs and my skis were absolute rockets thanks to our service team,” said Diggins who was ecstatic about her 5th place finish – the first non-Norwegian.

Canadian Cendrine Browne, 23, proved again that she belongs with the elite of the sport, finishing 26th at 3:16.0 behind Bjoergen. After the race, she commented, “”I really surprised myself today. I had the legs, the power and the shape so it was an awesome race.” Browne’s teammates Dahria Beatty, Emily Nishikawa, and Katherine Stewart-Jones finished 34th (+4:45.2), 40th (+6:41.5), and 41st (+7:18.6) respectively.

Bjoergen stayed at the front a large group of women for the first half of the race, sharing the lead with Finland’s Krista Parmakoski and Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla. American’s Jessie Diggins and Chelsea Holmes remained with the lead pack of 13 through 15km, with teammates Liz Stephen and Caitlin Gregg, as well as Cendrine Browne less than a minute behind at the halfway point.

Over the next 10km Bjoergen and Kalla began to string out the field with a punishing pace at the front, dropping Holmes out of the lead pack, but retaining a train of 10 athletes – including Diggins – through the 25km mark. The lead group continued to thin over the last 5km, with the Norwegian pushing the pace, and Diggins holding tough on the back of the pack.

Bjoergen again dropped the hammer on the last series of climbs, and with Kalla losing a pole on the climbs, three Norwegians – Bjoergen, Weng, and Jacobsen – broke away, leading teammate Ragnhild Haga, Diggins, and Parmakoski. Bjoergen was never challenged in the finishing lanes, and it was a race for silver between Weng and Jacobsen, with Weng winning in a photo finish.

“I felt like I had so much positive energy today and I don’t think I’ve ever felt more powerful or energetic during a 30km before,” added Diggins. “I stayed near the back to avoid wasting energy as people were moving positions in the last lap, and waited to try and move when we got closer to the inevitable sprint out.”

US women’s coach Matt Whitcomb was also enthusiastic about the day, “These two (Diggins and Holmes) were fighters today. It was incredible to watch their races unfold.” He added that, “today capped a World Championships to remember for the women’s team.”

Sunday is the final race of these championships, with the prestigious men’s 50km freestyle mass start on the docket.

Results here.

March 04, 2017 (PyeongChang, South Korea) – American Susan Dunklee had another strong showing on Saturday at next year’s Olympic venue, placing 5th in the women’s 10km pursuit competition. Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier was perfect once again, skiing strong and shooting clean to claim the gold medal in 1:12.6 over silver medalist Kaisa Makarainen of Finland.

Makarainen has two misses on the range, both in the first standing stage, but skied fast to move up from her 4th position at the start. The bronze went to France’s Anais Bescond, who missed only one shot and skied well to move up from 8th. Bescond crossed the line at 6.3 seconds behind Makarainen.

Coming into the last shooting stage, Dunklee was still in the medal hunt, but after missing her last shot she was relegated to a battle for 4th with Norwegian Tiril Eckhoff. Eckhoff who ultimately edged Dunklee at the line by half a second. “I missed that last standing shot…that was a bummer,” said Dunklee.

Talking about her last lap, Dunklee commented, “Honestly, that last hill on the steep section, that’s the best I’ve felt all season, attacking on the last loop, I was able to dig into that sprint or jump-skate mode for that last pitch. That was a good feeling, I’ve missed that.”

“It wasn’t a bad performance, but it didn’t feel like a good performance, either. I’ve got to be really happy to get a top five with three misses. I’ll take that,” she added. Dunklee had the second-fastest shooting and range time, which helped her maintain her position despite her three misses on the range.

Canada’s Rosanna Crawford had a great day on the tracks, moving up from 30th to finish in 19th (+2:49.1), with two misses coming in the prone shooting stages. Crawford had almost called it a season after a disappointing world championships.

“I had some long talks with my coach about continuing on the season,” said Crawford. “I really wanted to go home right away, but we decided it would be good to see the Olympic venue and that we needed a fourth woman to take part in the relay. So I was feeling really drained and frustrated by the end of World Championships. But a bit of time away from the team, where I got to enjoy just skiing and seeing a new part of world, really helped bring my mood around.”

Crawford’s teammate Megan Tandy also cracked the top-30, finishing 30th after starting in 39th. She finished at 3:26.2 back with two misses as well on the range. Also skiing for Canada, Julia Ransom finished 44th (+4:18.4) with four missed targets while Emma Lunder was 49th (+4:49.6) with two misses.

Skiing for the USA, Clare Egan moved into 16th position by the halfway point of the race, but missed three targets in her first shooting stage. She ultimately finished in 36th (+3:41.9). After the race Egan said, “I have some work to do on staying calm and focused on the shooting process, rather than the potential outcome when the race is going well for me. That distraction certainly played a role in my misses today, as I was in sight of the top 10 when I came into shooting three.”

Joanne Reid, America’s third qualifier for the pursuit, finished in 52nd (+4:53.4) with five misses on the range.

March 03, 2017 (PyeongChang, Korea) – Lowell Bailey from Lake Placid, N.Y. continued his winning ways on Friday by winning the silver medal in the men’s 10-kilometer sprint at the BMW IBU World Cup 7 in PyeongChang, Korea.

Bailey shot clean to finish 40.7 seconds behind Austria’s Julian Eberhard and 4.7 seconds ahead of France’s Martin Fourcade. He has missed only one shot in his last five races, all top-six performances.

Results here.

March 01, 2017 (Lahti, Finland) – Erik Bjornsen finished strong in 18^th in the men’s 15km classic race interval start at FIS Nordic World Championships in Lahti, posting the best World Cup distance result of the US XC ski men’s team this season. Bjornsen was also the top North American matching his sister’s performance in yesterday’s women’s 10km classic race – Sadie was 23rd – but managed to move the needle even higher claiming a top-20 finish.

The win today went to Finnish hometown favourite Livo Niskanen, who specializes in classic events. The partisan crowd was stoked to see him prov his strength today with a gold medal performance by a decisive 17.9-second margin over race favourite Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway. Fellow Norge skier, Niklas Dyrhaug, took the bronze medal, finishing 31.3 seconds behind Niskanen.

Bjornsen has been a standout for the US men’s team at these championships, teaming up with Simi Hamilton to take 5^th place in the men’s classic team sprint. Today’s top-20 solidifies his place at the top of the US distance skiing hierarchy.

“I’ve had this race on my radar for over a year now,” Bjornsen shared in an interview with Trax after the race. “15km classic has always been my favorite discipline.” For the past year, he has been targeting the classic team sprint and the 15km classic, and said that “it all came together here, and I was able to come up with my best result at world champs.”

He was also enthusiastic about the upward trend of US skiing, pointing to the stellar performances on the women’s side. As for the men, he’s optimistic about podiums at next year’s Olympic Games, “we’re excited to be battling with the best.”

Erik Bjornsen Interview by Ahvo Taipele/

Bjornsen’s teammate Kyle Bratrud had a solid day, finishing 33^rd at 3:11.5 back. Canadian Devon Kershaw was right on his heels as the top Canadian finishing in 35^th at 14 seconds behind Bratrud.

American Andy Newell – known as a sprint specialist – finished 50^th (+4:21.7), followed by teammate Benjamin Lustgarten in 55^th (+4:56.9).

Canadian Knute Johnsgaard was close behind Lustgarten in 56^th (+5:00.7), and Jesse Cockney was 65^th (+6:20.7) out of 83 finishers. Tomorrow the relays begin for more excitement at the Worlds.

Full results here.

February 28, 2017 (Lahti, Finland) – We caught up with the USA’s Sadie Bjornsen who took home a bronze medal at her debut World Championship in the women’s Team Sprint competition with Jessie Diggins who put in a stellar anchor leg besting Sweden’s Stina Nilsson at the line. At the post-race press conference Diggins credited Bjornsen for giving her the extra push to dig deeper adding that the team events mean more to her. It was a historic day marking the USA’s first classic technique FIS Nordic Worlds medal since the two disciplines were established. The bronze was also the third Worlds medal for the USA – a new high. Bjornsen recently earned her first individual World Cup podium in the 5km F Individual start at the Tour de Ski in Toblach, ITA, sharing it with Diggins as well. The talented skier who hails from Winthrop, WA shared her thoughts on this special day in her stellar career.

“Gosh, what a magical and incredible day. I didn’t sleep a wink last night, still in disbelief and with so much excitement! I have believed this was possible since this summer when I started setting my heart on it.

Jessie has made some incredible improvements to her classic skiing, and is now a threat in every race she steps foot in, so I knew we were prepared and ready to fight! The team sprint course here is one of the most challenging I have seen. Simply because of the amount of climbing and herring bone that is required, which has never been much of a strength for either Jessie or I.

We tried to focus on the parts that we were good at, and run with those. The key for us today was to never give up hope. We kept fighting in the moments that others maybe would have counted us out. In both the semi’s and finals, we just tried to stay in contact with the front of the group, and be ready to respond to any sort of surges that were going to come our way.

The finals were very challenging from the start. The pace was fast, and skiers were out for blood! We managed to avoid any sort of trouble (minus an exchange zone tumble with me), and I think that was really crucial for us.

We also had just incredible skis out there today, so the stars truly aligned! Jessie was absolutely amazing on that final leg giving just every last bit of her energy and then out sprinting Stina at the line. I think we both knew this could be possible, but to actually ski that perfect day is the tough part!

I am just so excited that we achieved this in classic skiing, because we haven’t had the success in classic yet that I think we are capable of! Not only that, on a very tough course with challenging conditions. I just have to give so much credit and thanks to the amazing techs that gave us fantastic skis, the incredible coaches that have helped us reach this level, and all the other supporters and teammates!

It is a feeling I just want to share with everyone! Standing on the awards podium last night in the center of Lahti brought tears to my eyes. Winning a word championship medal is a dream come true. I am now just looking forward to bringing this momentum an excitement into the second half of this championships!”

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.

Interview with Sophie Caldwell

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!

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.

February 24, 2017 (Hayward, Wisconsis) – After days of unseasonable weather, rain, and a predicted snow storm front missing the Hayward and Cable areas, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation regretfully announces the cancellation of the 2017 American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, and Prince Haakon cross-country ski races.

The American Birkebeiner is North America’s largest cross-country ski race which runs from Cable to Hayward, Wisconsin, finishing on the snow-covered Main Street of Hayward. After record high temperatures and over 1.5 inches of rain, race officials closed the Birkie Trail from Cable to Hayward 8-days ago to preserve the trail for this week’s originally planned races. Shortly thereafter, Lake Hayward was deemed unsafe for use in the ski-race which caused race officials to focus contingency plans on the Birkie Trail from the American Birkebeiner Trailhead, east of Cable, WI, to the OO Trailhead, east of Seeley, WI.

After discussion with a wide constituency of key stakeholders including emergency and medical officials, trail crew, and others, the ABSF board determined the greater ski course was unsafe for a timed race. Areas of the Birkie Trail were lacking snow, icy, or simply unsuitable for use. As always, the safety of event participants is first and foremost in the minds of ABSF officials, followed by a goal of creating the best possible participant experience for all. Both things are weighed and considered with each and every decision the ABSF makes.

“While we know Birkie, Korte, and Prince Haakon skiers are disappointed with this announcement, I am confident that the ABSF staff did everything within their power to preserve the trail for a safe race,” said Ben Popp, ABSF Executive Director. “We know that the Birkie is so much more than a race to so many. Birkie skiers are passionate about the overall experience. It is in that Birkie Fever spirit that we’re excited to celebrate the love of Nordic sports with skiers and spectators alike at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead. It’ll be a Birkie celebration like none-other!”

In lieu of the annual iconic ski race, the ABSF looks forward to celebrating the inaugural use of the American Birkebeiner Trailhead and start area with BirkieStock 2017 – a Birkie celebration unlike any other!

Skiers, spectators, friends, and the general public are invited! Beginning at 9:30am on Saturday, February 25, 2017, buses will begin transporting riders from the Como Parking Lot, off of Highway 63 and south of Cable, WI, to the American Birkebeiner Trailhead. For those anxious to get some time on their skis, the trail crew is creating an estimated 5K loop for skiers to ski once, twice or as many times as they’d like! Live music begins at 11:45am and plays to 5:00pm. Festival goers can visit the Birkie soup tent, try a Birkie Brew-ski, watch the Nordic World

Championships on the jumbo screen, grab a brat, visit the Birkie Store, and more! Plus, we’ve moved the On Snow Ski & Bike Demo from Sunday, February 26, to Saturday, February 25, so guests can try out the latest ski gear and fat bikes!

More details will be announced on www.Birkie.com at 1:00pm today.

Weather Impact to American Birkebeiner Race Events Over the Years
– 1981 – Elites only race 6 laps around 8K track around Mt. Telemark due to weather
– 1981 – Snow arrives two weeks late, citizen skiers complete Birkie race on March 7th
– 1983 – Open water on Lake Hayward, race is started on Duffy’s Field (Race direction Hayward to Cable)
– 1984 – Due to lack of snow, race is started on Duffy’s Field (Race direction Hayward to Cable)
– 1985 – Due to lack of snow, race is started at Rosie’s Field (Race direction Hayward to Cable)
– 1991 – Due to Lack of snow, race is started at Rosie’s Field, ironically, 8” of snow fell the morning of the race (Race direction Hayward to Cable)
– 1998 – The race finished at “OO”, Barnebirkie was a foot race.
– 2000 – Birkie race canceled for lack of snow
– 2002 – Race finished in Duffy’s Field after rain on both Friday and Saturday
– 2007 – With temps of 52º and rain, the Birkie race was shortened to 25K for lack of snow; only elite skiers were timed, open ski for citizen skiers

February 23, 2017 (Lahti, Finland) – Canada’s Alex Harvey raced to a strong 12th-place finish in the men’s 1.6km Freestyle Sprint on the opening day of the 2017 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. Andy Newell led the American men in 21st.

Federico Pellegrino of Italy was crowned the winner after making an explosive move in the finishing lanes to take the gold over a disappointed Sergey Ustiugov from Russia. Third went to Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway.

Harvey posted the 13th-fastest qualifying time in soft and slow conditions to move onto the quarterfinals. The talented lone Canadian to qualify was joined by two Americans – veteran Newell and rising star Simi Hamilton.

With fresh snow falling between the qualifier and heats, racing in the quarterfinals put tactical skiing skills at a premium. This played to Harvey’s strength, who skied in the back of his quarterfinal until the final climb, where he blasted around the competition to win his heat and move into the semifinals.

“I felt great all day,” Harvey said after the race. “The qualifier, I may have gone out a bit too easy in the first half, but I had a lot of punch on the last climb.”

In his semifinal, Harvey tried the same tactics as he did in the quarterfinals, but the slow new snow on the outside of the tracks didn’t allow him to move past his competition. Harvey finished 5th in his semifinal, but was given a yellow-card for obstructing Norway’s Emil Iversen, relegating him to last place in the heat.

“I kept getting pinched on the inside of the last corner all day,” Harvey said. “I had a lot of power, but with the fresh snow it was really tough to go outside the race line. It was key to be out front, but that is not really in the cards for me to be in the lead. The sides were quite slow today, so with my style of racing, it was quite hard coming from the back.”

The A-Final was hot from the gun, with Italy’s Pellegrino chasing Ustiugov from the get-go with Russian leading into the final corner as Klaebo sat third. In the dash to the line Ustiugov could not hold off a surging Pellegrino who took the outside lane and made good as he claimed the men’s world champion Sprint F title.

Hamilton of the U.S. qualified in 11th, but crashed out of his quarterfinal on the final descent. In an email after the race, Hamilton said, “I didn’t ski the final climb like I wanted to and got stuck behind Jouve over the top. He was fading and there was no way of getting around him around the corner, so I just focused on taking as much speed down the descent as I could in hopes of getting a sling-shot past him and catching Pellegrino and Klaebo. As I moved past Jouve when we were coming over the Lahti Curve bump, I took a hard skate with my right leg and I think I hooked my tip in the deep powder that was outside of the skied-in downhill track. At least I think that’s what happened… it unfolded so fast and that’s my best recollection of how I went down.”

Hamilton added that “…seeing three of our girls in the final was insane, and walking away from the day with two medals is still something that’s still soaking in. I’m so proud of those girls.”

Newell qualified in 20th, but was also knocked out in the quarterfinals. After the race, he told Trax, “The quarterfinal for me was a tough one, super close but just not close enough. It was a really fast-paced, tight heat and I just wasn’t able to make enough passes from the back.” Newell ended the day in 21st overall.

He added that, “These championships don’t seem much different than any of the other ones but our expectations as a team have increased over the years… so we’re not going to be satisfied without some big results.”

Erik Bjornsen of the US finished the qualifier in 36th (+12.59), missing the top-30 by 2.22 seconds. Fellow American Cole Morgan, at his first-ever World Championships, finished in 54th (+18.41).

For the Canadian team, Jess Cockney was 47th (+16.82), Len Valjas was 48th (+17.16), and Knute Johnsgaard was 53rd (+18.39).

Results here.

February 23, 2017 (Lahti, Finland) – Americans Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall led Team USA’s charge with an emphatic statement taking silver and bronze respectively in the women’s 1.4km F Sprint, the opening race of the 2017 Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. Teammate Sophie Caldwell joined them on the start line for the historic 3-strong A-Final finishing sixth.

Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla was unstoppable in her quest for gold making a high-tempo move on the final climb to drop the rest of the field. Diggins used a slingshot tactic down the final downhill to move around Sweden’s Ida Ingemarsdotter who was fading, and put on a fast finishing sprint to comfortably secure the silver medal.

“I hope this inspires people back home,” said Diggins, thinking about the 10,000 skiers who will be competing in this weekend’s Slumberland American Birkebeiner in northern Wisconsin. “If a girl from Minnesota who just loves to dance and wear sparkles and be silly can do it, they can too.”

Randall skied in the back half of the final for the majority of the race, but made a very strong move in the finishing sprint to pass both Swedes, Ingemarsdotter and Hanna Falk, in the final 100 meters to take bronze at 3.8 seconds back.

“It’s very encouraging to know it’s only been 10 months and I’ve been able to come back to top form,” said Randall. “I was able to train well through my pregnancy and it’s great to see it all come together here.”

With about 15cm of snow falling the night before the race, and more falling throughout the day, the conditions were soft and challenging. Many of the top women made their moves on the final steep uphill, where slower tempo and tired legs dropped many skiers off the back.

In the opening quarterfinal, Caldwell skied a strong race against Sweden’s Stina Nilsson to finish second and advance to the semifinals. Randall, who qualified 10th to lead the USA, was slotted into the second heat where she faced a torrid pace from  Falla and Falk. Randall had been running fourth with about 400 meters to go when she made an inside move on third placed Swiss Laurien van der Graaf.

It was a narrow section of the course and Randall was unable to make the pass as Van der Graaf pinched her down. The American was unable to regain the momentum and finished fourth – still in a Lucky Loser position after two heats. But officials ruled that van der Graaf has obstructed Randall, relegating her to last in the heat and moving Randall to third. That bump allowed Randall to advance to the semis.

In her semifinal heat, Randall skied together with Caldwell. Coming into the stadium, the two were running fourth and fifth behind Nilsson and Russia’s Natalia Matveeva, but Nilsson cut down on Matveeva causing both to crash. Randall, who had been directly behind, had just moved inside to pass and was able to lead Caldwell through a gap to finish second and third with Caldwell surviving to move into the finals as a lucky loser.

Ida Sargeant was the fourth American starter, and qualified for the heats in 27th. However, Sargeant got tangled up in a key section of the course in her quarterfinal, ultimately finishing 24th on the day.

“I was pretty disappointed with my race but so excited for the awesome racing by the team! To have two on the podium and three in the final is amazing and I couldn’t be more proud of the hard work by everyone,” she added, “We have a really strong team and believed that a day like today was possible.”

Diggins, meanwhile, skied strong, winning both her quarterfinal and semifinal heats. “We’re not a country historically known for cross-country skiing. But we’ve created this women’s team together and worked so hard – and that teamwork really shows. We can be stronger together than we can as individuals.”

Indeed, it was almost unbelievable to see three stars and stripes suits where you would normally see at least three red suits of Norway.

Canada had three women on the start line as Dahria Beatty finished the qualifier in 37th at 3.67 seconds outside of a top-30 qualifying spot. Cendrine Browne finished in 48th (+20.42), and Katherine Stewart-Jones was 58th (+26.29) out of 107 starters.

“I was definitely way more nervous over the last 24 hours than I have been for any World Cup this year. It is just a bigger atmosphere,” said Beatty. “I felt really good in my race prep yesterday. When I got out there today I just didn’t have that extra snap, but it was still really exciting to have raced in my first World Championships.”

The impact of two Americans in the medals on day one set the mood for the Championships. “We had a great team moment with Matt (Whitcomb, coach), myself and the three women prior to the final,” said Head Coach Chris Grover. “We discussed strategy and the women were adamant that they all needed to ski aggressively but also look out for each other in the final. That’s the power of the team.”

“It’s a great boost to the athletes and especially to the service team,” he added. “This marks six years in a row where the women have been on the podium in a freestyle sprint in Lahti. It helps us set a tone for the Championships. We know people are fit enough to reach the podium on the right day and we know we can make skis here as great as any other nation.”

Results here.

February 23, 2017 (Osrblie, Slovakia) – It was gold again for Canada today in the junior women’s 12.5km individual competition at IBU Youth/Junior World Championships in Osrblie, Slovakia. Megan Bankes out of Calgary started 19^th, and with perfect shooting her time of 37:22.0 held up through 67 finishers. Julia Schwaiger of Austria finished in 2^nd at 47.9 seconds back. Schwaiger had a single penalty in the final standing stage, which was enough to put her behind Bankes despite her very fast skiing. The bronze medal went to Germany’s Anna Weidel, also with a single penalty coming in the first standing stage. Weidel finished 1:20.0 behind Bankes.

Bankes was one of five women to clean all 20 targets, but none of the other clean shooters had the ski speed to match her. Bankes joins her Canadian teammate Leo Grandbois on the top step of the podium – Grandbois handily won yesterday’s youth 12.5km individual race.

Emily Dickson of Canada was the next North American in 28^th. Dickson had a single penalty, and finished 4:21.3 back. Nadia Moser of Canada finished in 41^st with four penalties, 5:55.8 back. Canadian teammate Charlotte Hamel did not finish.

For the US, Siena Ellingson finished 50^th with four penalties (+7:11.5), and Nina Armstrong was 65^th with eight misses (+14:15.3).

Full results here.

CCC Report – Canada’s Megan Bankes Fires into History Books with Biathlon Gold at Junior World Championships
-Bankes becomes first Canadian woman to win Junior World Championship title
 
BRESNO-OSRBLIE, SVK.-Megan Bankes became the first Canadian woman ever to win a gold medal at the Biathlon Junior World Championships.

The Calgary teenager put together a perfect day of shooting and skiing to win the junior women’s 12.5-kilometre individual biathlon race with a time of 37:22.0 on Thursday in Bresno-Osrblie, Slovakia.

“It is pretty exciting. This is the first time I’ve shot 20 for 20. It never crossed my mind but to be the first Canadian to win is very cool,” said Bankes. “There are so many great athletes before me and with me, and such a great support team that makes this possible. The wax techs did such a great job so it is a pretty great feeling.”

It is the second-straight day a Canadian has climbed to the top of the podium at the Youth and Junior World Championships in biathlon.  Leo Grandbois, of Sherbrooke, Que., won the youth men’s individual race on Wednesday. Never before has Canada won back-to-back gold’s at the premiere international youth and junior event.

“I watched Leo yesterday and gained a lot of inspiration from him,” added Bankes. “I saw how calm he was on the range and just felt if he can do it then I can too. I just wanted to go out there – shoot clean and ski fast.”

The 19-year-old Bankes was one of four athletes in the 67-woman field to shoot clean in her four bouts on the range.

“I shot with a lot of confidence today. It came really easy,” said Bankes. “I had an early start bib so had to wait around a bit, and was nervous waiting for the other girls to finish. I kept peaking at the results, but I was the only one who shot clean and skied fast so I knew I had a pretty good chance at winning.”

The young Canuck finished 48 seconds ahead of Austria’s Julia Schwaiger who skied to the silver medal at 38:09.9 (0+0+0+1). Germany’s Anna Weidel stopped the clock at 38:42.0 (0+1+0+0) for the bronze medal.

Bankes was riding a load of confidence coming into her fourth Youth/Junior World Championships, and first as a junior, after winning the silver medal at the Junior IBU Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic just two weeks ago.

“After I got the silver, I knew if I shot and skied well, I could get a medal here,” said Bankes. “It takes a long time to get to this point. I think having been here four times now I have the experience to do this. I have everything around me here that I need to be successful. I’m just going to try and recover now, and continue to try and shoot clean and ski fast in the sprint.”

Other Canadian performances included: Emily Dickson, of Prince George, B.C., in 28th at 41:43.3 (0+1+0+0); Nadia Moser, of Whitehorse, in 41st at 43:20.8 (2+0+0+2); and Charlotte Hamel, of Sherbrooke, Que., did not finish.

Only two Canadians have ever climbed onto the top step of the Junior World Championship podium. Calgary’s Kurtis Wenzel won the individual title at the 2012 Junior Worlds in Kontiolahti, Finland. Wenzel also had a gold in youth racing at the 2009 World Championships in Canmore, Alta.,

Jean-Philippe, Que. of Sherbrooke, Que., was the first Canadian to be crowned World Champ when he won the youth men’s sprint race at the 2004 World Championships in Haute Maurienne Vanoise, France.

Zachari Bolduc, of Ste. Sophie, Que., was the top Canadian in the junior men’s 15-kilometre individual race. Bolduc clocked a time of 44:01.9 for 34th place (1+0+0+1). Trevor Kiers, of Timmins, Ont., was 54th at 45:38.8 (1+1+2+1). Jules Burnotte, of Sherbrooke, Que., was 55th at 45:44.6 (2+0+1+2), and Edmonton’s Pearce Hanna finished 65th with a time of 46:55.2 (1+2+2+2).

The Youth and Junior World Championships continue on Friday with the youth sprint races.

February 11, 2017 (Hochfilzen, Austria) – The USA’s Lowell Bailey, a 3-time Olympian, put together a phenomenal performance today for the best-ever finish by an American in a 10km sprint at a world championships with a fourth-place result on Saturday at the IBU Worlds in Hochfilzen.

Bailey shot clean and skied fast to finish 29.5 seconds out of first, and only 6.4 seconds off the bronze medal position. His fourth is the third-best American finish overall at the IBU World Championships – previously Josh Thompson won silver in the men’s 20km individual in 1987 and Tim Burke achieved the same result in 2013.

Benedikt Doll of Germany shot clean to take the gold in a time of 23.27.4 for his first individual World Championships title. Doll unseated Martin Fourcade (Fra) and then waited for Johannes Thingnes Boe, who also shot clean, as the Norwegian battled through the final kilometers, but crossed the line 0.7 seconds short settling for second. Fourcade struggled on the range as did most of the French team and others today, missing one shot in prone and one in standing, yet still skied fast enough to hold on to the bronze.

Warmer weather of 5 degrees Celsius greeted the men as 102 athletes took to the course for the race start while sunshine continued to grace the venue for a third day in a row.

Although he planned on retiring after last season, Bailey said, “Through a twist of fate I ended up being able to continue, and I’m really glad I was able to.” His second-fastest time on the range put him in a strong position, as only four out of the top ten shot clean.

“My strategy was to just stay aggressive and decisive with the shots. This is a tricky range but I felt confident with how I was reading the wind,” he continued. Bailey will be right in the mix for the medal hunt in Sunday’s 12.5km Pursuit race. “The pursuit is one of my favorite races. There’s a lot of tactics and, of course, the shooting is really important. I’ve trained my whole career for this so I’m really happy to be there.”

Six other North American men finished in the top-60 in today’s Sprint, and will join Bailey in the Pursuit. Canadian Scott Gow had a solid 25th place finish, with a single miss in both prone and standing to finish at 1:22.4 behind Doll.

“My skiing was very strong, probably the best of the season and despite my shooting was able to get into the top-30 today which is the minimum I was hoping for,” said Gow. “The range was very manageable. The wind was slightly variable, but for the most part easy to control. The nerves got the best of me, and I was not able to get out of my own head in both of my misses.”

Finishing one place and 1.9 seconds behind the Canuck was Lief Nordgren of the USA with a single miss in standing. Christian Gow, younger brother of Scott, shot clean for a 32nd place finish at 1:30.6 back.

The final three North American athletes to qualify for the Pursuit were all bunched within less than three seconds of one another. Brendan Green of Canada missed only one shot in prone, clocking in 1:36.4 back for a 38th-place finish.

Sean Doherty finished in 39th and 1:37.7 back, missing two in prone and cleaning in standing. This was Doherty’s career-best finish in three appearances at the World Championships, but he remains wanting. “Today’s race was a tough one. It’s frustrating to throw it away on the range when the skiing is going well, but I’m looking forward to hunting people down tomorrow,” said Doherty.

American Burke finished in 40th at 0.9 seconds behind Doherty having missed two shots in standing and struggled with his skiing, commenting, “I felt very empty today. Hopefully I will feel better with each race.”

Macx Davies of Canada finished in 79th position with a time of 26:20.8, with two misses in prone and one miss in standing.

Results here.

Racing continues tomorrow with both the men’s and women’s Pursuit competitions.

February 11, 2017 (Finsterau, Germany) – Canada’s Mark Arendz struck gold on the opening day of the 2017 World Para-Nordic Ski World Championships, winning the men’s 7.5 kilometre standing biathlon race on Saturday in Finsterau, Germany.

The two-time Paralympic medallist from Hartsville, P.E.I. enjoyed a perfect day of skiing and in his four rounds of shooting on the range to clock a golden time of 30:39.3.

“I have left the last few World Championships wanting more, especially after my success in Sochi, so there has been a lot of work to get this,” said Arendz, who added the warm weather and hard-packed snow were conditions that suited his strengths. “To accomplish this in my first race is a huge confidence boost as I head into the rest of the week. It is a fantastic way to kick off the week.”

It was just the second World Championship title for the 26 year old, and first podium at the premiere international race in a non-Paralympic year in three years. Arendz won a gold in a biathlon sprint race, along with two bronze in 2013.

“The biggest change for me has come from my approach to shooting,” said Arendz, thanks to a recent coaching change. “My new (shooting) coach has really brought my shooting back to the level that it once was. I was repeating too many bad habits, so the key was to rebuild the shooting from the ground up. Today, I proved the shooting is once again back on top.

“Shooting clean at major events is key. I controlled what I could on the range. On the course, I worked on areas where I am stronger and held a consistent pace.”

Arendz finished 25 seconds ahead of the silver-medal winner from France, Benjamin Davlet, who stopped the clock at 31:14.3 after missing two shots on the range (0+0+1+1). Grygorii Vovchynskyi, of the Ukraine, was third with a time of 31:22.8 (0+1+0+1).

Germany’s Martin Fleig set the time to beat at 37:31.0 (1+0+0+0) in the men’s 12.5 sit-ski biathlon competition. Competing in just his second year against the world’s top Para-Nordic skiers, Collin Cameron finished in fifth place. The Sudbury, Ont. resident missed just one shot in his second round of shooting to finish with a time of 40:02.0 (0+1+0+0).

U.S. Army veteran Andy Soule from Pearland, Texas finished sixth and being in the mix for a podium spot as four men battled for the bronze throughout the race. Derek Zaplotinsky, of Smokey Lake, Alta., placed ninth at 43:05.8 (1+0+3+0).

The USA’s Oksana Masters from Louisville, Kentucky finished seconds away from a podium finish in the 10-kilometer women’s biathlon sitting race. After nearly a two-month break from international competition, Masters returned to competition in strong fashion as she was less than five seconds back from third place.

Meanwhile, Brittany Hudak was the top Canadian woman in the 6-kilometre standing biathlon race. Hudak shot clean while skiing to eighth place with a time of 36:39.2. Vancouver’s Emily Young struggled on the range, missing five targets, dropping her to 10th place at 39:28.2 (0+2+0+3).

Oleksandra Kononova, of the Ukraine, won the division with a time of 31:41.5 (1+0+1+1).

February 11, 2017 (Toronto, ON) – We are excited to announce that the SkiTrax FIS Fantasy Lahti 2017 Contest is launching soon as the biggest event on the ski calendar, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, are around the corner being held Feb. 22-Mar 5 in Lahti, Finland.

The Lahti 2017 Contest is part of the original concept for our FIS Fantasy Nordic contests first launched with the Tour de Ski during the 2008/2009 season so don’t miss your chance to enjoy fabulous top level xc ski racing and the chance to win fabulous prizes – check out our Fantasy WCup Contest underway here.

We are still finalizing things and thanks to our great sponsors so far including Salomon, Marwe, Bjorn Daehlie, Cross Country Canada and High Peaks Cyclery with more to follow.

SkiTrax is North America’s leading Nordic skiing publication and the official magazine of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) and Cross Country Canada (CCC).

February 10, 2017 (Hochfilzen, Austria) – American Clare Egan delivered a career-best 20th in the women’s 7.5km Sprint today at the IBU Worlds in Austria with clean shooting and fast skiing to finish at 1:12.4 behind winner, Gabriela Koukalová of the Czech Republic. It was Koukalová’s first World Championships gold medal.

Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier set the time to beat early on but settled for second while Anais Chevalier of France took home the bronze for her first individual World Championships medal as well at 25.1 seconds back. Rosanne Crawford was the top Canuck and second North American with one penalty finishing 26th.

It was another sunny afternoon in Hochfilzen, with good shooting conditions and hard tracks. Egan, out of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, skied well and shot clean matching the top six women of the day on the range – only 14 athletes in the 101-woman field managed to hit all targets. Her previous best result at World Championships was 40th in the sprint competition in 2015.

Egan found some redemption after a disappointing leg in the Mixed Relay yesterday, saying that the relay “…was one of the more brutal failures of my biathlon career because I felt like I let so many people down.” Today she tried to mentally reset, “I made a good plan, I stuck to it, and it worked. I hit all my targets and finished 20th, an improvement of twenty spots from my previous best World Championships result.”

Her teammate Susan Dunklee, always a contender for a top spot, was close behind Crawford in 29th (+1:27.4). Dunkley skied fast but suffered on the range, missing once in prone and twice in standing. After the second shooting stage Dunklee left the range in 47th position, but skied the 6th fastest time on the final loop to move up 18 places.

Koukalová knew what she had to do as Dahlmeier had finished before the Czech star had left the gate.. She flew through the three 2.5km loops and shot clean believing she was helped as the course began to ice when the sun dipped below the horizon for the later starters. “I could feel that every loop it was getting faster and faster,” said the winner.

American Joanne Reid finished 49th at 1:57.6 back. Reid had two penalties on the range, one each in prone and standing. Megan Tandy and Julia Ransom finished one spot and four seconds apart, in 64th and 65th respectively. Tandy had a single penalty in prone to finish 2:20.9 back, and Ransom had two penalties in standing at 2:24.7 back.

Maddie Phaneuf of the USA finished 78th with two penalties in standing at 2:56.6 behind. Canada’s Emma Lunder rounded out the North American contingent today in 85th missing three in prone to finish at 3:10.1 back.

The top 60 finishers from today’s Sprint qualify for Sunday’s 10km Pursuit race. Egan, Crawford, Dunklee, and Reid all performed well enough to move on.

Competition continues tomorrow with the Men’s 10km Sprint competition.

Results here.

February 09, 2017 – Team USA skiers and sibs, Caitlin and Scott Patterson from Anchorage, Alaska, showed their fine form at the PyeongChang World Cup in South Korea this past weekend. The duo had strong performances in the women’s and men’s Team Sprints – career-first for both – and the Patterson’s were up to the challenge showing their prowess in the discipline at the 2018 Olympic test event.

Caitlin, who races on the Green Racing Project team at home, and teammate Liz Stephen raced to a hard fought fourth place, missing out on the podium by 0.35 of a second against their fellow USA I team of Sophie Caldwell and Ida Sargent who won the bronze. Caitlin was also a stellar 4th in the women’s 15km Skiathlon for her best ever World Cup result behind Stephen who landed on the podium in second. Meanwhile Scott, who races for APU at home, and teammate Matt Gelso ripped it up as well skiing a solid semifinal to make it into the final round. They concluded their Team Sprint debut with a solid ninth.

SkiTrax spoke to both Caitlin and Scott about the PyeongChang World Cup, and this is what they had to say:

Caitlin Patterson

Fab day for USA in Korea – wow you and Liz had a barn-burner race against US-1 no less.
CP: Yes, that was a pretty incredible day to cap off a fantastic weekend of racing!
Sorry it’s taken me quite a while to get back to you – it was a very quick turnaround after the team sprint to a long travel day returning to the US.

First tell us about winning your Semi…
CP: Throughout both rounds, Liz and I knew that it was to our advantage as predominantly distance racers to tire people out by pushing the pace. So in the semi, after a chill first lap, it happened that Liz tagged off to me in the lead of the pack, and I just ran with it. I pushed the pace from the front in order to string out people behind, and each leg after that we built our lead a little with both of us skiing from the front. Since only top 2 teams advanced automatically to the final, we wanted to ensure that we’d be in it, so we won the semi. At the time, I knew that I needed to push the pace and went for it, but looking back, it’s kind of incredible that I was able to personally do that in a World Cup team sprint! Of course if I could have been even stronger, we might have dropped more teams, but overall I’m really proud of how both Liz and I skied. We put everything out there.

Were you nervous as we believe this your first World Cup Team Sprint ?
CP: This was definitely my first World Cup team sprint. In fact I think I’ve only ever done 3 team sprints on skis, and the most recent of those was in 2012 at Canadian Nationals. It was quite the experience top partner with Liz in Pyeongchang, especially to cap off a tough 3 days of racing. It was really fun, and makes me wish there were more opportunities to team sprint on the racing calendar!

Both US teams were in the running – that had to feel good.
CP: It was great fun to have two US teams in the final, pushing each other and the rest of the teams. It’s such a hectic event that I didn’t feel like we were actually able to work together, but I still did enjoy the few moments of skiing with Sophie during my legs.

How tiring is the course – looks tough and “hilly” ?
CP: The course was in nice shape, there was a bit of fresh snow on top of the grooming when we arrived, but after some skiing the trails glazed and sped up a bit. It’s quite a challenging sprint course, particularly that second large uphill. Especially after a few laps, it was difficult to get my legs working very well to crest the hill at high speed. And then the challenge continues, because while the downhill into the stadium is very skiable in training, it’s not so easy on lactate-flooded legs. In the classic sprint I fell during my quarterfinal on the downhill, but luckily I was able to stay on my feet for the other two races. I’ve seen quite a few of the World Cup sprint courses now, and I think this has to be one of the very hardest out there, especially when on the team sprint day we raced it 6 times each!

Read more about Caitlin Patterson here.

Scott Patterson

Great skiing by you and Matt Gelso – making the final had to feel good.
SP: In the semi the pace felt somewhat relaxed but we were still moving. There were enough weaker teams and tired racers that by the third lap gaps had formed. We would have liked to get an automatic berth in 4th but 5th was good enough.

Would love some comments on the semi and your race in the final.
SP: In the finals we went out hot from the gun. Russia and Norway both pushed the pace. On my first leg I was caught a little further back than I liked and held up a bit by some of the other teams that were clearly tiring. From there we had lost the lead group but had a good battle with Germany and a few other teams. I would have like to be battling for first but I think gelso and I put out a pretty good show.

Tell us about the venue – the course – conditions.
SP: Over the 3 races we saw warming temperatures. By the team sprint it was somewhat glazed underneath with new snow falling. This was quite a contrast to the first few days of testing with cold manmade. Overall the courses are quite good. The sprint course is very challenging and the skate has some good hills and nice flow. The classic is a little dull and could potentially be doubled poled so it could use a little work in my opinion.

Was this your first WCup Team Sprint ? Were you nervous ?
SP: This was my first World Cup team sprint and first team sprint race since 2012 so I didn’t really know what to expect. I wouldn’t say I was nervous. Just a little lost. However once things got going I settled in quickly. We do lots of team sprint workouts on eagle glacier in the summer to make intervals a little more fun. This just upped the seriousness a bit.

Are you feeling more “at home” on WCup ?
SP: I am feeling a bit more at home on the World Cup. Obviously this one wasn’t quite the usual European crowd but it was a good confidence builder.

How inspiring is it to see Caitlin doing so well ?
SP: Of course it is awesome to see Caitlin doing well. We both were a bit dissapointed with nationals for various reasons and it is sweet to both be racing fast again.

Read more about Scott Patterson here.

February 01, 2017 – Norway’s Sveriges Television (SVT) Sports Expert, Anders Blomquist, voiced his criticism last week of both Norwegian Nordic skiing star, Therese Johaug, as well as the Norwegian Ski Federation. Blomquist believes that a serious misstep was taken when Johaug, who is currently provisionally suspended after testing positive the anabolic steroid clostebol, failed to attend a mandatory anti-doping education seminar. Johaug ingested trace amounts of the banned substance when using a topical lip balm while training in Italy – read more here.

Anti-Doping Norway’s education program called “Clean Practitioners” or “Ren Utövare” is mandatory, and while Blomquist acknowledges that it is the athlete’s responsibility to attend, in this case Johaug, he also criticizes the Norwegian Ski Federation for not ensuring such a high-profile star be allowed to forgo the program.

Quoted in a SVT article posted on January 25, Blomquist says, “It is remarkable that a nation with such high-profile practitioners, and which traditionally is very critical of other in doping matters, failed to ensure that the training [was] undertaken.”

Johaug has been in trial proceedings throughout last week, but yesterday was reported to have been testing out the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic venue with coach Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass. If Anti-doping Norway’s suggested 14-month suspension is approved (read more here), Johaug would be able to compete on December 18^th of this year, enough time to qualify for the Olympics.

Read the SVT article with Blomquist (in Norwegian) here.

Read the SVT on Johaug training (in Norwegian) here.

January 31, 2017 (Soldier Hollow, UT) – The USA’s Cole Morgan raced to a top-10 finish claiming 9th in the U23 Men’s Classic Sprints behind winner Fredrik Riseth from Norway who claimed a decisive victory with a 1.05-second margin over Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov. Norwegian Joachim Aurland took bronze at 2.3 seconds back. The top Canadian was Evan Palmer-Charrette in 33rd.

It was another sunny day, with temperatures near -8 C for the start of the qualifiers at 10am, and rising to -2 C by the finals. The challenging three-climb course kept almost all of the men competing on kick wax, and forced many into a herringbone at the top of the final climb. While it was important to have good kick for the three climbs, the final descent offered the chance for a slingshot maneuver, and fast skis made the difference in a number of heats.

In the qualification round Bolshunov and Russian Andrey Sobakarev took the top two spots. Three Americans made the top 30 to advance to the heats, led by Morgan in 11th. Patrick Caldwell was 20th, and John Hegman was 23rd. Callan Deline finished on the wrong side of the bubble in 31st, a mere 0.14 seconds out of the top 30. The three Canucks racing stacked up within half a second of one another with Palmer-Charrette in 33rd, Julian Smith in 34th, and Scott James Hill placing 35th.

The men’s heats were hotly contested, with the decisive move often coming on the final climb of the course, and plenty of double-pole drag races into the finish. In the first quarterfinal, Morgan went hard from the gun, double poling to 2nd place, only 0.85 seconds behind Russian Bolshunov.

Caldwell raced to fourth in the same quarterfinal as Morgan, crossing the line at 6.17 seconds back. Morgan was the only skier to double pole the course. Hegman raced well in a challenging fifth quarterfinal, finishing in 6th at 5.71 seconds behind Norway’s Chrisander Skjoenbe Holth.

Morgan was the lone American in the semifinals, where he placed 5th in a fast first semifinal after fading on the final two climbs ending up as the top North American finishing 9th overall.

The A Final was a showdown between Norway and Russia with three Norge skiers and three Russians toeing the line. When the dust settled it was Norwegian Riseth taking a decisive victory over Bolshunov with Aurland giving Norway the bronze as well. Russian Andrey Sobakarev was in contention for the win until the final 50m, when he fell while switching to an outside track, eventually finishing 6th.

Racing continued today at the World Junior and U23 World Ski Championships being held at Soldier Hollow, UT with the U23 men’s and women’s CL sprints. –

Qualifications here.
Brackets here.
Overall here.

January 31, 2017 (Soldier Hollow, UT) – Rising Canadian star, Dahria Beatty, led the North Americans in 12th as Anna Dyvik of Sweden blew apart the field in the U23 women’s CL Sprint A Final for the win. Norwegian Thea Krokan Murud utilized fast skis and strong double poling to lock up the silver, as Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist won a tight race for bronze.

It was another sunny day at Soldier Hollow, with temperatures near -8 C for the start of the qualifiers at 10am, and rising to -2 C by the women’s final.

The challenging three-climb course kept all of the women competing on kick wax, and forced most into a herringbone at the top of the final climb. While it was important to have good kick for the three climbs, the final descent offered the chance for a slingshot maneuver, and fast skis made the difference in a number of heats.

In the qualification round, Dyvik led a Scandinavian-heavy top 10 as seven North Americans led by the USA’s Kelsey Phinney in 6th made the top 30 and advanced to the heats. Beatty was 8th, Nicole Bath (US) claimed 14th, Jesse Knori (US) was 19th, Jennifer Jackson (CAN) finished 22nd, Corey Stock (US) was 26th, and Katherine Stewart-Jones (CAN) raced to 28th. Maya MacIsaac-Jones was less than 4 seconds out of the top 30 finishing 32nd in the qualifier.

North Americans raced well in the quarterfinals, but struggled to match the pace set by the Europeans as Beatty was the only one to make the semis. She finished 3rd in her quarterfinal at 2.45 seconds behind Norway’s Murud, but was fast enough to advance as a Lucky Loser. Fellow Canuck, Stewart-Jones, was in the same quarterfinal but was knocked out finishing 5th.

American Nicole Bathe finished 4th in her heat at 7.14 second behind Sofie Krehl of Germany. The USA’s Phinney and Stock placed 4th and 5th respectively behind their heat winner Lotta Udnes Weng from Norway. Phinney looked to be in good position before losing kick on the final climb, and dropping to 4th on the downhill into the finish. American Knori and Canadian Jackson raced well with Knori 3rd and Jackson 5th behind winner Tiril Udnes Weng of Norway.

In her semifinal Beatty struggled to maintain contact on the climbs, finishing 6th at 8.04 seconds behind Norway’s Murud to claim 12th overall. Knori was the top US skier in 15th overall, Jackson finished 21st, Stock was 22nd and Stewart-Jones was 24th on the day.

After an intense day of racing top qualifier Dyvik of Sweden skied her way to gold as she was one of only a couple of women to stride the entire final climb, which is where she made her break. Murud claimed the silver and Dahlqvist put another Swede on the podium capturing the bronze. Norway’s Lotta Udnes Weng was taken out of contention by a fall part way through the final.

Racing continues tomorrow with the Junior women’s 5km Freestyle competition.

Qualifications here.
Brackets here.
Overall here.

January 31, 2017 (Soldier Hollow, UT) – Julia Kern first joined the US Development Team for the 2015-16 season, after breakthrough performances on the US domestic circuit, as well as solid results at Junior Worlds and on the OPA Cup. At the 2017 US National Championships, Kern won the Junior 7.5km CL mass start, finished 7th in the open women’s CL sprint, and 11th in the open women’s FR sprint qualifier. She hails from Waltham, MA, where she grew up skiing for the CSU club. She now skis for the Stratton Mountain School T2 Elite Team. SkiTrax caught up with her after the opening CL sprint races at the Junior World Skiing Championship at Soldier Hollow, UT, where she finished 9th as the top North American.

What race are you most excited for here at Soldier Hollow?
Julia Kern: I am so excited to have the Junior Worlds not only in our home country, but with plenty of snow, incredible courses, and an amazing fan club of family, friends and coaches!

How is it to race on home turf compared to traveling to Europe for these races?
JK: I think it is quite different to race on home turf. The Park City area feels like home to me since I have spent out so much time out here training and racing over the past five years and I feel comfortable here. I think we as Americans have a huge advantage to be the ones who don’t have to adjust to the large time change, the different food, and unfamiliar settings for once. One of the biggest challenges I have found at international races like these is to feel comfortable and confident. This year, I am more comfortable and confident because everything is familiar from the food to the courses to the time zone and I feel like we as team USA belong here and are more respected than ever before.

Talk about the CL sprint, the course, competition and conditions – any surprises?
JK: I am pretty excited about my races yesterday; my goal was to get top 10 and I achieved that. I was a little frustrated because I skied exactly how I wanted to ski but an unlucky crash out of my control took away my chance to make the A final, which I have always dreamed of racing in. It is easy to get wrapped up in the “what ifs” and beat yourself up about it, however I gave 110% and skied tactically how I wanted to and that is all I care about. It was definitely an adjustment to race in deep, hard tracks, which is something I haven’t done all season. I was surprised by how long and spread out the qualifier was. It is very unusual that the field is that spread out at this level of racing.

Did you have a specific strategy for the qualifier and/or the heats?
JK: In the qualifier my strategy was go hard from the start, but also remember to ski relaxed throughout since sprinting at altitude is a different kind of sprinting; you can’t thrash around in a hectic way or you’ll blow up hard.

In the heats I knew that I didn’t want to lead any of the downhills since the draft was fast. My tactic was to get out and sit behind the leader and relax and push really hard over the top of the hill to gain momentum for the “shake and bake” tactic on the downhill. My strategy worked out really well in the quarterfinal. In the semifinal I was positioned exactly where I wanted to be coming into the last downhill, but an unforeseen crash by a Norwegian in the tracked part of the downhill caused me to go down with her. My skis were incredibly fast thanks to our amazing staff so I knew I had the speed for the downhill and double pole into the finish.

How’s the recovery going – are you feeling good about the upcoming races?
JK: My recovery is going great! We are fortunate to have the Center of Excellence right here in Park City so we can use various recovery methods as well as the physical therapists there. I am feeling even more fired up for the races to come after yesterday’s sprint. The crash left me hungry for more and I am really looking forward to channeling that for the Skiathalon on Friday.

Congrats and all the best.
BH: Thanks

January 31, 2017 (Soldier Hollow, UT) – Bill Harmeyer is a newcomer to the international ski racing scene, but not to success on the ski trails. A four-time Junior All-American, Harmeyer hails from South Burlington, VT, where he grew up skiing for Mount Mansfield Union HS and the Mansfield Nordic Club. He now skis for the University of Vermont, along with his twin brother Henry.

At the 2017 US National Championship, Harmeyer finished 10th in the Junior Men’s 10km CL mass start, and 32nd in the open men’s CL sprint (6th Junior). SkiTrax caught up with him after the opening CL sprint races at the Junior Nordic World Championship at Soldier Hollow, UT, where he finished 12th at the top North American.

What race are you most excited for here at Soldier Hollow?
Bill Harmeyer: The race I was most excited for was the classic sprint. Definitely my strongest discipline, but I’m also looking forward to throwing down in the 10k skate on Wednesday.

How is it to race on home turf compared to traveling to Europe for these races?
BH: This is my first time racing at an international level, so it’s hard to compare the two. But it’s a complete honor to be able to represent the USA on home turf. And Soldier Hollow knows how to put on a killer event!

Talk about the CL sprint, the course, competition and conditions – any surprises?
BH: I’m incredibly happy with my performance yesterday. Being my first time competing against guys of this calibre, I was pretty stoked with the result. The conditions couldn’t have been more perfect, and the volunteers at Soldier Hollow did an awesome job putting on this event.

Did you have a specific strategy for the qualifier and/or the heats?
BH: My main goal for the qualifier was skiing with good energy. Out of the gate, my double pole felt strong but the transition to striding into the first hill wasn’t perfect. Throughout the qualifier, my stride was a bit off, but I felt strong through the transitions. For the heats, my main goal was to find that rhythm in my striding, and to stay relaxed. I tried to approach it like any other weekend of racing.

Congrats and all the best
BH: Thanks

January 28, 2017 (Falun, Sweden) – The USA’s Kikkan Randall skied to a breakthrough finish claiming 5th in the women’s 1.4km Sprint FR as Stina Nilsson became the first Swedish woman to win a World Cup in Falun. It was Randall’s best performance in nearly two years.

Nilsson edged out Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla in second a mere 0.01 behind with Overall World Cup leader Heidi Weng of Norway in third at 1.88 back.

The USA had a strong day in qualifying with five women making the top 30 field. Sophie Caldwell qualified third with Jessie Diggins fifth, Sadie Bjornsen was 17th, Randall was 26th and Ida Sargent was 30th. Rosie Brennan (USA) in 37th did not advance while Canada’s Cendrine Browne in 46th also did not make the heats. Liz Guiney (USA) finished 56th.

“Today sure was fun to be back in the final,” Randall said. “My sprint racing has been steadily improving all season and today was another step forward both in terms of getting closer to that top race feeling and building my confidence. Now with a month to go until World Championships and a good training block ahead, I am feeling optimistic and excited about where my trajectory is headed.”

Diggins and Randall advanced to the semis after finishing second in their respective quarterfinals – the fastest two heats of the round. Diggins was 0.33 behind Norway’s Maiken Jaspersen Falla while Randall was 0.62 behind Swede Hanna Falk.

Fate saw both Diggins and Randall in the same semifinal that featured a star-studded heat with Falla and Falk. Diggins suffered an unfortunate fall, finishing fifth, but Randall went on to finish second at 0.35 seconds behind Falla, to move on to the finals.

“I’m really proud of how I skied today,” Diggins said. “My energy felt awesome, my tactics worked well and I felt like my leg speed was where it needs to be with the World Championships coming up. Of course, with my eyes on the podium it would have been awesome to not have a spill, but overall I’m happy with where my body is. I’m slowly getting my sprint heat confidence this season and it’s great to feel like I’m able to see the windows open up and be able to move through them.”

Caldwell, who finished 16th on the day, told Trax, “It was a solid day for me with some moments of greatness and some things I wish I had done differently. I was thrilled with my qualifier and felt like I paced it well. I maintained a solid position for most of my heat before getting passed by a couple people towards the end of the course. Even though I was determined to make it to the semis, I’m confident with my fitness and really happy with my qualifier.”

Bjornsen was also happy with her day. “A fun day of sprinting out there today. I once again struggled to find my opening with sprint racing, just getting stuck every time I tried to get to the front of the pack. I haven’t yet found my sprinting tactics for myself, but each time I try, I learn a little something. Learning is part of this game. Super fun to see Kikkan so strong today! I’m really happy for her!! I am really looking forward to tomorrow,” commented Bjornsen.

In the finals, Nilsson and Falla stole the show in a photo-finish, with Nilsson taking the win. Randall was fifth, 2.56 seconds back.

“I purposely tried to stay relaxed in the first half of each race and then move up coming into the stadium,” said Randall. “That tactic worked great in the quarters and semis and I was really happy with how strong I was skiing the finish stretch. I stuck with that tactic again in the final only this time I got trapped behind Sundling when the break happened and I lost the crucial draft. Almost made it back into the race for third but wasn’t able to bridge that last gap before the final stretch.”

Qualifications here.
Final results here.

January 28, 2017 (Falun, Sweden) – Canada’s Len Valjas claimed 10th as the top North American in the men’s 1.4km Sprint FR in Falun, Sweden today. Winner, Federico Pellegrino from Italy, won his first free technique sprint since January 2016 by a mere 0.6 seconds over Norway’s Emil Iversen as fellow Norge Sindre Bjoernestad Skar took third at 0.47s back edging out of local favourite Swede, Oskar Svensson.

Andy Newell led the Americans in 16th followed by Simi Hamilton in 18th and Erik Bjornsen in 43rd followed by Canada’s Alex Harvey in 46th. Matt Gelso (USA) was 59th.

After advancing to the semifinal round after a hard-fought effort in the quarters that saw him charge down the finishing stretch into second place on a demanding course that makes you work on the first half and puts an emphasis on tactics heading home. Valjas’ day came to an end after crossing the line fifth in his semifinal. It was his best sprint result of the World Cup season.

“I’m definitely happy with the personal best today,” said Valjas. “I had great skis and I know the fitness is there. Being in the fifth heat in the quarters, I likely could have used about five more minutes of rest time before the next heat, but I can’t complain and have to be happy with a top-10.”

“I definitely felt like I had a little more. I was able to close in the finish, but I just lost a little too much contact with the pack. I had the speed at the finish and felt great. I was really comfortable staying at the back. I thought I could bring it back on the second hill, but I just stayed a little too far back.  I needed to work on my tactics a bit better,” he added.

“Today’s result for me isn’t really good or bad but I’m happy with the way my body is feeling. I think today was the first sprint all year where I felt strong enough to be in the final. It was a tight quarter final and it didn’t shake out that way but my sprint legs are feeling better and better.

“Both in qualification and the quarter finals I felt like I was able to power to the finish better than the last few weeks. We still have a lot of racing left and three good weeks until world champs so I’m encouraged with the direction things are going. It was awesome to see Kikkan [Randall] back in the finals,” commented Newell.

Qualifications here.
Final results here.

January 27, 2017 – A pre-pre-Olympic classic sprint, was held as the Korean National Championships in Pyeongchang, Korea. The event was a night sprint, with 41 racers, using the course for the upcoming World Cup at the beginning of February. The snow was mainly man-made with fast, icy conditions, and 2 large climbs, temperatures were -15 deg. C.