January 24, 2014 (Canmore, Alta.) – Brittany Webster and Amanda Ammar have been nominated to the team that will represent Canada at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. With the addition of these two athletes the Olympic cross-country ski team is now 13 athletes – seven women and six men.

Both Webster and Ammar will be making their second trips to the Olympic Winter Games. Ammar, of Onoway, Alta., competed in three cross-country ski events for Canada at the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy. The 27-year-old won the women’s 15-kilometre skiathlon race at the Olympic Trials in Canmore, Alta. in early January.

Webster, of Caledon, Ont., who finished second in both distance races at the recent Trials, was named to the 2010 Olympic Team and also represented Canada at the 2013 Nordic World Ski Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

“Adding Brittany and Amanda rounds out the most talented group of cross-country ski athletes to start for Canada at an Olympic Winter Games,” said Tom Holland, high-performance director, Cross Country Canada. “This opportunity will allow these two additional athletes to continue their development with this opportunity to race at the Olympics. We welcome them both to the team.”

Both Ammar and Webster had filed appeals knowing that with the team named on January 14th Canada would not have a full representation in the women’s distance races, which were recently granted.  This combined with additional quota spots that became available to Cross Country Canada only yesterday, confirmed their nomination to the team.  FIS provides quota spots to each country based on international rankings. If other nations do not use their entire quota, those spots are then redistributed in a second round of offers.

Cross Country Canada nominated the first eleven athletes to its Olympic squad on January 14, 2014. Webster and Ammar will join a high-powered Olympic team that includes:

Men
– Alex Harvey (St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que.)
– Devon Kershaw (Sudbury, Ont.)
– Ivan Babikov (Canmore, Alta.)
– Lenny Valjas (Toronto, Ont.)
– Graeme Killick (Fort McMurray, Alta.)
– Jesse Cockney (Canmore, Alta.)

Women
– Chandra Crawford (Canmore, Alta.)
– Daria Gaiazova (Banff, Alta.)
– Perianne Jones (Almonte, Ont.)
– Heidi Widmer (Banff, Alta.)
– Emily Nishikawa (Whitehorse, Yuk.)
– Brittany Webster (Caledon, Ont.)
– Amanda Ammar (Onoway, Alta.)

January 24, 2014 – In this edition of Talkin’ With The Gravy Train, host Peter Graves speaks with Canadian Nordic ski legend Pierre Harvey, father of 25-year-old XC ski star Alex Harvey, who is poised to make his mark at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games in February.

Harvey, 56, who was born in Rimouski, QC, continues to be one of North America’s greatest cross-country champions. He was on three Olympic teams, and made history in 1984 by being the first Canadian to be on both a Summer and Winter Olympic Team, for cycling and cross-country skiing. He also took part in the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary.

During his career, he had three World Cup wins and was most notable perhaps for his victory in the grueling 50km race at Oslo’s famed Holmenkollen in 1988. His son Alex won Team Sprint gold with Devon Kershaw in 2011, Canada’s first Nordic Worlds gold medal, at the same hallowed venue.

Pierre will be in Sochi covering another Olympic Games as a cross-country skiing commentator, and will be watching his son Alex compete at his second Games.

In this interview Pierre talks about his son’s only goal in Sochi – to be on the podium – and tells Peter what he will and won’t say by way of advice to Alex, gained from his own experience racing at the highest level. Harvey Sr. reveals that the Canadian squad is currently training in northern Italy in the same place he used to train with the team back in the day. He reflects on his own experiences competing and shares his favourite Olympic moments along with his positive feelings about the growth of the sport in North America.

Pierre is the definition of both elite sportsman and gentleman, and his easy going nature and humble attitude have made him nothing short of a beloved figure in the sport. “It was a pleasure to speak with him,” says Graves.

We were honoured to have Pierre on the cover of the very first issue of SkiTrax back in December 1990 and Alex graced the cover in Spring 2011 following his gold medal performance with Kershaw. It goes without saying that we look forward to more Harvey milestones and SkiTrax covers down the road. – ed

Pierre Harvey

January 24, 2014 – Check out this great video as Kikkan Randall, the most successful US cross-country skier in history, explains her exciting new partnership with L.L.Bean. She is the company’s newest testing and design partner. Randall will be helping test products in her home state of Alaska, offering advice and insights on new designs.

Read the original announcement about the partnership here.

http://youtu.be/NvoXgFH7GIY

January 22, 2014 (Park City, Utah) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association announced the nomination of 14 cross country athletes Wednesday morning. World Champions Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins will lead the team that includes seven athletes with Olympic experience. Randall, a two-time World Cup sprint champion, is going into the Games as a strong favorite.

The U.S. team has been heralded for the strength of its roster throughout the season thus far and is expected to challenge the strong international field for Olympic medals. The formal naming of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team by the United States Olympic Committee is set for Jan. 27.

“We have a unique opportunity to make history in Sochi. Our team speaks to years of dedication, experience and hard work with veterans setting the stage to turn that work into great results. Additionally, our younger athletes are fighting for results and have shown that they have earned their spots on this team. We’re ready for the challenge ahead,” said Chris Grover, Head Cross Country Coach

Highlights

– The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association announced the nomination of 14 cross country athletes to compete in in the Olympic Winter Games.

– Men nominated to the team include Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop, WA), Kris Freeman (Concord, NH), Brian Gregg (Minneapolis), Simi Hamilton (Aspen, CO), Noah Hoffman (Aspen, CO), Torin Koos (Leavenworth, WA) and Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, VT).

– The women’s cross country team nominations include Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, WA), Holly Brooks (Anchorage), Sophie Caldwell (Peru, VT), Jessie Diggins (Afton, MN), Kikkan Randall (Anchorage), Ida Sargent (Orleans, VT) and Liz Stephen (East Montpelier, VT).

– World Champions Randall and Diggins will lead a team that includes seven athletes with Olympic experience.

– Randall, a two-time World Cup sprint champion, is going into her fourth Games as a strong favorite.

– The U.S. team has been heralded for the strength of its roster throughout the season thus far and is expected to challenge the strong international field for Olympic medals.

– Athletes were selected from World Cup and international points rankings.

– The team is led by coaches Chris Grover, Matt Whitcomb and Jason Cork.

– The U.S. Olympic Committee will formally name the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team on January 27.

2014 Olympic Cross Country Nominations

Men’s Cross Country
– Erik Bjornsen, Winthrop, WA (7/14/1991)
– Brian Gregg, Minneapolis (6/27/1984)
– Kris Freeman, Concord, NH (10/14/1980) *
– Simi Hamilton, Aspen, CO (5/14/1987) *
– Noah Hoffman, Aspen, CO (8/1/1989)
– Torin Koos, Leavenworth, WA (7/19/1980) *
– Andy Newell, Shaftsbury, VT (11/30/1983) *

Women’s Cross Country
– Sadie Bjornsen, Winthrop, WA (11/21/1989)
– Holly Brooks, Anchorage (4/17/1982) *
– Sophie Caldwell, Peru, VT (3/22/1990)
– Jessie Diggins, Afton, MN (8/26/1991)
– Kikkan Randall, Anchorage (12/31/1982) *
– Ida Sargent, Orleans, VT (1/25/1988)
– Liz Stephen, East Montpelier, VT (1/12/1987) *

* Competed in past Olympics

Competition uniforms provided by Bjorn Daehlie.

All nominations are subject to approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

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January 19, 2014 (Szklarska Poreba, Poland) – The day belonged to Justyna Kowalczyk (POL), who lived up to her queenly status at home in the women’s 10km CL, but American Liz Stephen delivered a thrilling gutsy performance to claim a career-best 6th as she battled for the final podium spot behind Yulia Tchekaleva (RUS) in second.

In the end Tchekaleva’s teammate Julia Ivanova prevailed to grab the bronze and another podium spot for Russia signaling that with Sochi around the corner the host nation seems ready for business at hand.

Ivanova’s attack on the final climb was more than Stephen could handle after such dynamic skiing that was not enough to hold off Germany’s Denise Herrmann and Claudia Nystad in the end as she settled for 6th.

“I am really happy with my race today, and actually really happy with the weekend as a whole!  To be in my second sprint heats ever on the World Cup yesterday and to have a PR today as my first ever World Cup top 6 and in a classic race, I am really psyched,” Stephen told Trax.

“The snow conditions this weekend were certainly very thin, perhaps the thinnest I have ever skied on, but the Polish volunteers and FIS made it happen and given what snow there was to work with, they pulled it off pretty well, though it is a good thing that there is not another race on the schedule tomorrow, as we were down to the mud in many places today.”

Kowalczyk broke things open by the second lap and only Tchekaleva and Herrmann could respond. But as Kowalczyk droppe them both Herrmann couldn’t match Tchekaleva either as Stephen led the charge behind. Close by was her teammate Ida Sargent on her way to a personal best result as well as she finished 9th.

“Today was hard but fun!  The course was really hard with one big steep hill per lap and a couple other ones and also really slow dirty and slushy snow.  I was starting pretty far back in the pack so I just tried to ski smoothly and move up when I could but with that tough of a course it broke up quickly and I was able to move past people which was exciting.

“I was really hurting on the last lap and was just trying to hold on but I’m really excited with the result.  It was fun to see Liz up there the whole time and I was just trying to keep her in my sight as she flew up the big hills.  I had great skis today which makes a big difference.  Each race has felt better and better so I’m building confidence and feeling psyched.  It was a great weekend for the team so our stoke level is high as we go into a training week in Italy,” shared Sargent.

For team leader Kikkan Randall it was a mediocre day. The star who earned her first classic sprint podium this season was tired and had an early mishap that threw her off as she ended up 14th.

“It wasn’t a great race for me. I felt tired and sluggish on the first two laps and caught a discarded leg bib in my klister which I had to pull off the trail to remove in the first lap. I felt a little better on the last lap. While I was hoping to be stronger today this was still a good workout towards sharpening my race form.  It’s been over a month since my last distance race and I think a few good efforts like this will bring things around pretty quick,” confided Randall.

“A really solid day for the team in today’s distance races in Poland.  The course was definitely wet and dirty but it held up enough for some decent tracks through 2 races.  It was quite a challenging course with a big steep climb in the middle and slower snow on the flats that really made you work.  My skis were working well. It was really encouraging to see Liz and Ida ski so strongly today.  The depth on this team is so amazing and continues to get stronger every weekend,” Randall concluded.

Stephen was determined as she attacked at 7km mark moving up from 5th to threaten Herrmann in 3rd as Nystad and Stefanie Boehler tried to keep her in check. The E. Montpelier, VT skier took over third but by the 8.1km mark Herrmann regained control as Nystad attacked and pushed Stephen back into 5th.

But Stephen wasn’t done yet as she attacked again but she now had a new challenger in Russia’s Ivanova who had plans of her own, as she took over third with Stephen reclaiming 4th. Meanwhile Nystad was close behind in 5th as Herrmann fell back into 6th.

Ivanova proved too strong and during the run into the finish Stephen could not hold off the two German chasers as she settled for a stellar 6th – her best-ever classic distance result.

“The skis were just what I needed today, as my wax tech Oleg nailed the kick again today for me.  I was able to kick up every hill, even the steep section at the top of the long climb and it made me able to conserve my energy and hold my technique together for most of the race.

“I was in 3rd going up the last climb, but Julia Ivanova passed me near the top and was too strong to stay with.  She skied away from me and as the downhill was ending coming into the stadium Claudia and Denise passed me and I just couldn’t hang through the stadium flats, but was able to hold off Stefi, which I was really happy about. Huge shoutout to our coaches and techs for making this weekend not only really successful but also really fun,”

We also caught up with US Women’s Head Coach Matt Whitcomb for his comments on the day and the solid weekend of racing by the US team.

Whitcomb Interview

Final results here.

January 19, 2014 (Szklarska Poreba, Poland) – Canada’s Alex Harvey and his cohorts Devon Kershaw and Ivan Babikov were on fire on Sunday in the men’s 15km CL in Poland, but Team Russia blazed some trails of their own as Maxim Vylegzhanin powered in for the victory followed by teammate Evgeniy Belov in second with pre-race favourite Alexey Poltoranin (KAZ) settling for third.

Harvey just missed the final break as Vylegzhanin pounced with one 2.7km-lap to go but the Canadian couldn’t quite bridge despite a valiant effort, as he passed all other contenders except the three leaders to claim 4th. Belov, who was closer to the front reacted to his teammate’s surge, as only he and Poltoranin could match Vylegzhanin’s assault. Germany’s Hannes Dotzler and Tobias Angerer tried to counter but their efforts were in vain.

Just behind Harvey’s teammates Kershaw and Babikov signaled that the Canadians were here to ski as they moved up to take a strong 8th and 9th finish making it a stellar day for the Canadian camp. Russia and Germany also had three skiers in the top 10 as these three nations clearly dominated the field, but pundits were quick to point out that Norway, Sweden and Finland were not on the start line.

“We had good skis again and the organizers did a good job on the course. I was expecting the Russians and Poltoranin to be strong so things unfolded as expected,” Harvey told Trax post-race. “On the last lap I was really out of position in about 20th and made my way back to the front 10 skiers.

“I pushed hard to get near the front and could see Vylegzhanin ahead attacking. I was able to get around a few more guys but I missed the winning move. In the end I was able to finally pass Angerer and Dotzler as well but the gap was too big to catch the Russians. I was happy with my last lap.

“It was a great weekend here with Peri’s 10th, our really fast skis, and my first full World Cup win. It was my first sprint win too so it’s good to see the tactics, the body and the equipment all going well at the same time.”

Full Harvey interview
http://skitrax.com/audio/Alex.Poland.2.mp3

The USA’s Noah Hoffman was on fire himself as the race got underway, skiing near the front for the first 5km. He fell back to around 20th as others pushed to lead the pack and was not able to move up again finishing in 19th – a personal best for a distance classic race.

“Today was good but not great. I skied like an amateur. It was a little belligerent of me to go to the front on the first lap to push the pace. My plan was to be aggressive. I didn’t want the race to be a walk in the park then come down to a huge group sprint.

“However, I used way too much energy trying to prevent that from happening. I was worried that the small field would lead to a slow race. In hindsight, I should have developed my plan around the race instead of trying to control the race.

“I believe my fitness and energy are in a good spot heading into the Olympics. The course here was hard and representative of what we’ll see in Sochi. I’m looking forward to a good training camp in Italy for the next two weeks,” the Hoff told SkiTrax.

The USA’s Andy Newell also landed in the points following a full day of sprinting yesterday. Newell’s distance skiing continues to improve as he loves being in the hunt for World Cup points.

“It was good to be in the points today so I’m happy for that but would have really liked to be farther up there considering the field. The conditions were great despite some dirt and rocks, but my skis ended up getting a bit slick out there.

“I started slipping after three laps once the tracks got more glazed, so that made it tough not to have a little mini bonk out there.
It was a short lap but there was definitely a big steep climb out there which made the course kind of tough.

“I’m always happy to fight it out for every last World Cup point so in that respect it was a fun day. Tomorrow the team and I will make a 9-hour drive to Seiser Alm Italy where we will be at our pre-Olympic camp until the Toblach WC races,” shared Newell.

We also caught up with the USA’s Erik Bjornsen racing with the World Cup team as part of his preparation for U23 World Championships. Bjornsen qualified 35th in the FR sprint just missing out on the heats which we surmised might be due to jet lag. “Yesterday’s race felt like one of my better qualifiers this year. I didn’t feel any jet leg but I guess it might be effecting me a little bit. Overall it has been a smooth transition over here.

“Today’s distance race was kind of a disappointment. I made some bad calls with my kick wax. When I tested my skis a half hour before my start the big climb was still cold and less icy than the rest of the course. I was able to kick up it great so I told my wax tech that the skis were perfect.

“By the first time we went around the course the conditions had completely changed. I skied all of the hills outside the track and was able to find some kick. I also had a pretty bad crash on the first lap. I got into great position just outside the top 10 and about a kilometer and a half into the race my ski got kicked sideways from behind and I stumbled. I tried to get up but the trail was very narrow and got tangled again and then when the 60 or so guys passed me I had space in the back and was able to finally get up. It was a bad way to start, that’s for sure! All in all, I’m happy I was able to get in another distance start on the World Cup and I know that when things all come together I’m capable of skiing into the top 30.

“I feel I’m getting faster and faster everyday. Nationals were good but its not indicative of what I’m capable of this year. I feel like I’m still building into the season and I’m super excited for the Under 23 World Championships. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to race the World Cup this weekend and I hope I can race fast in the next few races so that its possible I get more chances again this season. Racing on the SuperTour is great but I feel I’m at the point that if I want to be successful on the World Cup I need to be there racing. Every World Cup race has been a learning experience for me,” added Bjornsen.

The final word goes to Canadian Head Coach Justin Wadsworth who commented, “Yes a great weekend… this is more what we’re looking for and it’s coming at the right time. We just have to stay focused on our day-to-day routines going into the Games as things are looking pretty good.

“I can’t thank our wax techs and crew enough. They really have shined this year in tough conditions… the athletes will tell you that you have to have good skis to be at the front and I can’t say enough about them and we hope we can keep it going into Sochi. It’s also great to have the support of everyone in this Olympic year, our fans and sponsors and the team behind the team – we’re thankful for all the support,” commented Wadsworth whoe says Len Valjas in doing better improving each day in Canmore as the is off their next training block in Italy – full interview below.

Full Wadsworth interview

Men’s 15km CL Results here.

January 19, 2014 (Antholz, Italy) – The Canadian Men’s Biathlon Team will head into the 2014 Olympic Winter Games having posted their best World Cup relay result ever after finishing sixth on Sunday in Antholz-Anterselva, Italy.

The four Canucks including – Jean-Philippe Le Guellec, of Shannon, Que., Regina’s Scott Perras, Calgary’s Nathan Smith, and Brendan Green, of Hay River, N.W.T. – battled through chaos and intense fog to hang on with the world’s best in a 4×7.5 kilometre relay race to mark the final World Cup start for the Canadians prior to Sochi. The Canadians clocked a combined time of 1:17:15.5.

“That was about as chaotic as any race that I have ever done,” said Scott Perras. “The zero was delayed because of fog and we had to start the race by 3 p.m. or we’d run out of daylight. Then the rain moved in and then heavy snow. The conditions were all over the place and we had to make a last minute decision on the skis and went with it. It was not an easy day for the wax techs.”

France was the eventual winner with a time of 1:14:34.1. Sweden placed second at 1:14:36.7, while Germany rounded out the men’s podium in third with a time of 1:15:12.9. No American team competed.

The previous best for a Canadian men’s team was seventh in 2009. This year they have a ninth and an eighth-place finish.

“I think the biggest thing we all take away from today is that we prevailed despite all the chaos,” added Perras. “We put a little more high-pressure experience in the bank which will help us later on.”

Full results here.

January 19, 2014 (Rumford, ME) – Kris Freeman (Maine Winter Sports) and Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Nordic) topped the men’s 15km FR and women’s 10km FR mass start fields respectively at historic Black Mountain in Rumford, Maine, site of the second weekend of the Eastern Cup Series.

Freeman was in a tight battle for the win with Matt Liebsch a mere 0.6s back in second and Aspen’s Sylvan Ellefson at 1.2s in third. Further back at around 40s was Patrick O’Brien (Craftsbury Nordic) in 4th with teammate Gordon Vermeer in 5th.

Patterson was a solid 14.4s ahead of her closest rival Katharine Ogden from Statton Mountain with Craftsbury’s Elizabeth Guiney landing 3rd on the podium at 28.5s behind the winner. Cambridge Sport Union’s Cate Brams claimed 4th followed by Katrina Howe in 5th.

Leah Brams (Cambridge Sport Union) won the 5km J2 Girls FR mass start race over RIZIO, Mackenzie Rizio (Statton Mountain) at 12.4s in second followed by Chloe Levins (Mountain Top Nordic) in third at 17.4s.

Daniel Streinz (Maine Winter Sports) claimed the victory in the 5km J2 Boys race in a close finish over Russell Boswell (Statton Mountain) in second at 0.9s followed by Anders Hanson (Craftsbury Nordic) in third at 2.9s.

J2 (U16) Boys
J2 (U16) Girls

Women
Men

January 18, 2014 (Szklarska Poreba, Poland) – Canada’s Alex Harvey claimed his first full World Cup victory today in Poland taking the win in the men’s 1.5km Sprint FR with smart, solid skiing. Germany’s Joseph Wenzl finished second, his first podium since 2012 in Milan, Italy, while Baptiste Gros (FRA) scored his first World Cup podium as he bested teammate Cyril Gaillard in the final lunge at the line.

The USA’s Andy Newell, who qualified second and looked strong all day, took a tumble in the final as he got caught up with a French skier in a corner and was unable to recover finishing 6th on the day. With Harvey and Kikkan Randall’s (USA) matching wins (Randall won the women’s sprint), it marked the first time that two North American athletes occupied the top spot of the podium on the same day at a FIS XC World Cup.

“It is great to get another podium. I felt pretty good coming back from the Tour de Ski, but you just never know. This race confirms things for me,” said Harvey, who finished third in the overall sprint standings at the Tour de Ski and was sitting fourth overall before he abandoned the Tour prior to the final day due to potential complications with his left climb on the brutal Alpe Cermis climb on the last stage.

“I know the Scandinavian countries weren’t here today but the Russians have been the ones to beat in sprinting and I was able to do that today. The skis were great today, and I’m confident with the Olympics coming up,” he added.

Both Harvey and Newell won their quarter finals as did Nikita Kruikov (RUS). Two other Russians advanced as well including Anton Gafarov and Gleb Retivykh, but fellow Russians Alexey Petukhov, the third fastest qualifier, and Nikolay Morilov (4th in the qualifications) did not make it past the quarter final heats.

Harvey’s teammate Devon Kershaw also qualified for the heats placing 20th in the qualifications, but was eliminated in his quarter final heat placing 4th and finished 18th on the day. Newell skied strong and smart in his semi final heat finishing second behind Wenzl in a close match but nothing comes easy in World Cup racing.

“I felt strong out there today and our skis were running great. The course was a little bit more narrow than usual because of the lack of snow, but in general the conditions were great,” Newell told Trax.

“It was a very nerve-racking sprint especially in the men’s heats because there’s always such a tight pack of skiers going into the high speed downhill and a lot of drafting and blocking is always going down. So you really have to play your cards right.

“In the QF and SF I felt like I did this pretty well. My finishing speed in both heats felt really good in the last 100m. I almost didn’t make the final because Wenzel put the breaks on in the lane in front of me so I basically had to lunge between his legs. That was a close call but I was feeling great and had a lot of confidence for the podium going into the final,” he continued.

Harvey was also feeling strong and in his semi final Kruikov went down in a corner. While the Canadian was able to avoid any contact he lost a bit of ground and finished 4th yet advanced to the final as both Lucky Losers came from his heat.

“The conditions were getting icy and a little dangerous so I knew I had to get out in front. I wasn’t afraid of being tired because I knew I was in great shape so my tactic was to stay out in front today. I had no choice,” said Harvey who looked forward to the final match up.

In the final Harvey sat third and Newell 4th for the first half of the race as a French skier attacked at the front. The chasers kept him in check and as Harvey and Wenzel made their move to pass him Newell tangled briefly with a French skier as he tried to advance and it was game over.

As Harvey and Wenzel dropped the field the Canadian deftly took the inside lane around the final corner and the win was his for the taking as he gapped Wenzel and took his first full World Cup victory.

“The final was filled with pure sprinters, but I wasn’t afraid of them or getting tired today because I knew the shape is there,” said the winner. “It’s great to finally get my first full World Cup and Devon won here last year to it’s great to keep the title in the family.”

Harvey comments on his win

Qualifications here.
Final resuls here.

January 18, 2014 (Szklarska Poreba, Poland) – American star Kikkan Randall lead a strong US charge, making it two-for-two, as she followed up her win in Nova Mesto, CZE, last weekend with a victory in the women’s 1.5km Sprint FR in Szklarska Poreba, Poland today. Tough conditions hampered yet another World Cup but organizers pulled it off again.

Randall was unstoppable again winning every heat as she overpowered all rivals. In the final she sat in second and third until picking her spot to go and then powered ahead for the win over Denise Herrmann of Germany in second with Slovenia’s Vesna Fabjan claiming third.

“It’s great to be able to handle different conditions and tactics and see it all coming together. The course was in pretty good shape given the challenges organizers had. It was getting hard-packed in some spots but there was ample room to pass and overall it was a good day,” Randall told Trax – link to full interview below.

“It was a tactical race and important to be near the front. We know it’s not a full World Cup field here but all the girls skied really well, and my heart goes out to Andy [Newell] who skied the best I’ve seen all season and had a tough break like Jessie [Diggins] in the final.”

Randall Interview

It was a strong day for both the USA and Canada as Jessie Diggins qualified 8th, aced her quarter final and then skied uber-smart and strong in her semi placing third as she advanced to final as a Lucky Loser. Diggins skied smart again in the final following Randall and looked good for the podium, but she got tripped up in one of the final corners by Laurien Van Der Graaff (SUI) and her day was over. Still her 5th place overall was a personal best… we caught up with Diggins post race for her take on the day.

“I was so happy to make the final! I was nervous going into the race because I got sick last week and yesterday I did intensity for the first time since the Tour. But I was feeling great all day, my skis were silly fast and the course really played to my strengths… gradual workable downhills are my jam,” explained Diggins.

“Just before the final turn Lauren skied left while I skied right, and she fell right in front of me. I pitched forward over her and got up as fast as I could but lost the pack. While that’s of course a little heartbreaking since I was in third and feeling great, that’s sprint racing and I’m happy knowing I can do better! I am so proud of the team for skiing so well and the techs for nailing it, and I was so excited to get a sprinting PR,” she concluded.

For Canada it was also a good day as both Perianne Jones and teammate Dasha Gaiazova qualified in 3oth and 26th respectively. While Jones went on to finish 10th for a personal best Sprint FR result like Diggins, it was a tougher day for Gaiazova who broke a pole in her quarterfinal ending up 5th in the heat and 23rd on the day.

Meanwhile Jones skied her way into the semi finals by placing a strong 2nd to Randall in her quarter final heat. In her semi she couldn’t match the pace at the end finishing 5th to make the top 10, affirming that her sickness is behind her and her form is on track. We caught up with Jones post-race for her take on the conditions and her day at the races.

Jones Interview

The USA’s Sophie Caldwell was the top North American qualifier in 4th also winning her quarterfinal as she advanced to the semis in style lining up with Randall and Jones. Her third place finish was strong but the heat with Diggins was faster so Caldwell did not advance as a Lucky Loser and ended up a solid 7th overall.

“Today was an amazing day for the team as a whole. We had five women in the top 15 and Andy also made the final. The course was pretty dirty and very narrow, but the organizers did a great job of putting something together, especially considering how much they had to work with. We had fast skis all day thanks to our hard-working wax techs and coaches.

“My quarterfinal was kind of all over the place. I didn’t have a great start, but slowly moved my way up and was able to have a strong finish and win my quarter final heat. My goal in my semi was to get behind Kikkan and follow her and that worked well until I had a little bobble on one of the final corners and wasn’t able to finish as strong as I would have liked to. Overall, it was a great day and I’m really psyched about how it went and how all my teammates skied,” Caldwell told Trax.

Ida Sargent also had a decent day qualifying 15th and ending up 13th while top US distance skier Liz Stephen earned her sprint spurs for a personal best qualification in 22nd and final placement in 15th.

We also caught up with US Women’s Head Coach Matt Whitcomb for his impressions and thoughts on the day…

Whitcomb Interview

Qualifications here.
Final results here.

January 18, 2014 (Antholz, Italy) – The USA’s Lowell Bailey lead the North American charge today placing 12th at 30.3s with two penalties in the men’s 12.5km Pursuit won by Germany’s Simon Schempp, who also suffered two penalties but prevailed over France’s Jean Guillaume Beatrix in second (1 penalty), and Norway’s Henrick L’abee-Lund (2 penalties) in third. It was Schempp’s second career World Cup victory.

Brendan Green was the top Canadian in 18th at 1:03.9 with four penalities followed by teammate Nathan Smith in 26th who missed three targets and finished 1:35.2 behind the winner. American Russell Currier moved up from 60th to finish 47th with four penalities while Tim Burke (USA) did not race tweeting “not feeling 100%,” this morning.

Germany’s Arnd Peiffer took an early lead but soon reliquished it to Beatrix who shot clean for the first three stages as Schempp remained in contention. Bulgaria’s Krasimir Anev, who also shot clean was in the mix, with Peiffer and Simon Fourcade just behind as Sweden’s Bjorn Ferry took over second with Norway’s Ole Einar Bjørndalen in the fight as well.

Beatrix faltered in the final standing session but Schempp cleaned to take the lead as Ferry also missed. Bjørndalen was now in second but Beatrix recovered and passed him near the finish as did L’abee-Lund who also cleaned the final targets giving him the opportunity to vie for the podium.

Bailey’s clean shooting in prone put him in a good position but missing a target in both standing sessions was costly. “I was really happy with the race today given that I was disappointed with the last stage of the sprint yesterday,” said Bailey. “I went into today’s race with the sole purpose of sticking to an aggressive game plan. I would have liked to clean the last stage, but I’m happy I stuck to the plan. Next time I’ll clean that last stage!”

Full results here.

January 17, 2014 (Toronto, ON) – We hope you have picked your ringers and registered your team for the SkiTrax Fantasy FIS Marathon Cup 2013/14 Contest, as the deadline to enter is 10 pm EST on Saturday, January 18, 2014 – that’s tomorrow! After that, the contest is up and running with the 60km Dolomitenlauf in Lienz, Austria on January 19.

Don’t miss your opportunity to win the Grand Prize – a luxurious get-away at the fabulous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise including an XC Ski 3-night package w/breakfast, Deli credit, Tour or Lesson, and two 60-minute spa treatments – a $1,550 value. Plus, there are nine other fantastic prizes up for grabs!

The Marathon Cup Contest is similar to our other fantasy contests with a twist – here’s how it works. Register your team of four (4) men and four (4) women plus one “Outlaw” male skier not in the top 15 and one “Outlaw” female skier not in the top 10 of the FIS Marathon Cup overall rankings – all lists are at registration. Here’s the twist… following the La Transjurassienne event (Feb. 9/14) we’ll allow contestants to swap one male and one female skier from their team for added excitement leading into the final four (4) races.

Please note that any points earned by members of your team at the La Sgambeda event will count toward your overall point total so keep that in mind while making your final selections.

Points are awarded following each Marathon Cup World Loppet based on each skier’s performance and published regularly at skitrax.com so you can see how your score compares with other international players and the actual FIS Marathon standings. Earn bonus Am Birkie or Gatineau Loppet points plus other Bonus points – all information and contest rules are available when you register your team – and read more about the FIS Marathon Cup here.

These are the only FIS Fantasy Nordic contests of their kind worldwide so don’t miss your chance to enjoy fabulous top level xc ski racing and win fabulous prizes –  good luck to all contestants.

The deadline to register or revise your team is 10 pm EST on Saturday, January 18, 2014 – the day before the 60km Dolomitenlauf on January 19.

To register click HERE.

Thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Yoko, Salomon, Rudy Project, Halti, Supercamp, Exer-Genie, Vauhti, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, and Buff.

FIS Fantasy Marathon Cup Prizes

* 1st Prize – Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise – XC Ski 3-night luxury package w/breakfast & Spa (value up to $1,550)
* 2nd Prize – Yoko YXR skate skis and 9100 poles (value $899)
* 3rd Prize – Salomon S-Lab Skate or Classic boots ($450sk/$299cl)
* 4th Prize – Rudy Project Sunglasses For Sport Agon + For Life Spinhawk (value $450)
* 5th Prize – Halti Nokka XC Outfit (value $325)
* 6th Prize – Supercamp 2.5-day weekend camp w/coaching, lunches, trail passes etc. (value $275)
* 7th Prize – Exer-Genie XC Trainer (value $229)
* 8th Prize – Vauhti Package w/Thermo drink belt, kick waxes, cork, ties, manual (value $150)
* 9th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $100)
* 10th Prize – Buff Headware (value $23)

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).

January 16, 2014 (Antholz, Italy) – With perfect shooting and a time of 20:40.9, Susan Dunklee (Barton, VT) finished 4th in today’s 7.5-kilometer sprint at World Cup 6 in Antholz, Italy. A personal best for Dunklee, just three weeks before the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, today’s result marked the third time a US female biathlete has finished in the top-4 at a World Cup.

Dunklee finished just 10 seconds behind Anais Bescond (FRA) with a winning with a time of 20:30.2/+1, four seconds back from Germany’s Andrea Henkel in second (20:36.9/+0), and 0.6 seconds behind Belarus star, Darya Domracheva, posting 20:40.3/+2.

“This morning I went in to the race feeling very relaxed and confident that the pieces have been coming together during practice. Today they came together on the same day,” said Dunklee.  “After the standing shooting, I realized I was fighting for a spot on the podium. The coaches and staff were out there yelling and excited, and I just tried to push as hard as I could.

“Being half a second off the podium is extremely motivating, and I know I can be there. That’s a huge confidence booster. I’m really happy to have such a great team of coaches and staff who put everything together for us in such a professional way that make these sort of opportunities possible,” she added.

“This venue is not an easy one. Susan approached it very aggressively and wanted to go for a great result from the beginning of the race,” said Bernd Eisenbichler, US Biathlon High Performance Director. “Susan’s performance today was big for the whole women’s team because it gives them a boost of confidence coupled with their strong relay performances this season.”

Megan Heinicke lead the Canadians in 43rd (22:20.9/+2) followed by Sara Studebaker (USA) in 57th (22:32.5/+2), with Rosanna Crawford (CAN) in 68th in 22:45.1/+4, Annelies Cook (USA) in 70th (22:50.5/+3), Megan Imrie (CAN) in 73rd in 22:54.0/+4 with Zina Kocher (CAN) in 83rd 23:18.7/+5. American Hannah Dreissigacker from Morrisville, VT did not finish.

Extended results from today’s race are available here and here.

Dunklee and Studebaker will compete in the 10km pursuit on Saturday, beginning at 5:45am (ET). Watch the race live here.

Team USA’s men take to the course in Antholz tomorrow for the 10km sprint beginning at 8:50am (ET), webcast live here. A start list is available here.

January 13, 2014 (New Gloucester, ME) – Up to two male and two female biathletes – Bailey, Burke and Dunklee – were eligible to earn early nominations to the Olympic Team2014 U.S. Olympic Biathlon Team during the 2012-13 season by gaining two top-15 finishes in World Cup or World Championship competition, or by having a top-30 overall World Cup ranking. Cook and Nordgren were nominated following the December World Cups. The remaining selections for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Biathlon Team were announced today following the IBU Cup races in Riduan, Italy. All nominations are subject to approval by the United States Olympic Committee.

US Biathlon’s International Competition Committee (ICC) is pleased to announce the following roster of 10 athletes for nomination to the 2014 United States Olympic Team:

US Biathlon 2014 Olympic Team Nominations

– Lowell Bailey, Lake Placid, NY (2006, 2010 Olympian)
– Lanny Barnes, Durango, CO (2006, 2010 Olympian)
– Tim Burke, Paul Smiths, NY (2006, 2010 Olympian)
– Annelies Cook, Saranac Lake, NY
– Russell Currier, Stockholm, Maine
– Sean Doherty, Center Conway, NH
– Hannah Dreissigacker, Morrisville, VT
– Susan Dunklee, Barton, VT
– Leif Nordgren, Marine, MN
– Sara Studebaker, Boise, Idaho (2010 Olympian)

“I want to congratulate the athletes on being nominated to the Olympic Team. Everyone of them has shown a dedication to excellence and a love of the sport that has led them to this outstanding accomplishment,” said Bill Burke, Chairman of the US Biathlon Board of Directors. “I can’t wait to cheer them on in person at the Olympics and to celebrate their achievements with their families”

“I am very pleased with the progress the athletes on the team have made. It’s the result of their focused training with some of the world’s best coaches and high performance staff,” said US Biathlon President & CEO Max Cobb. “There is one more World Cup before the Olympic Games and we are looking forward to seeing the team in action there. Our top ranked athletes, Tim Burke and Lowell Bailey, have both had podium-level performances and the Olympic rookies have had very compelling performances that indicate personal-bests lay ahead for them this season.”

January 12, 2014 (Sapporo, Japan) – Canada’s Atsuko Tanaka was just off the podium for a career-best 4th while the USA’s Lindsey Van claimed 5th as Japanese jumper Sara Takanashi notched her sixth World Cup win of the season today in Sapporo, Japan.  Coline Mattel (FRA) was second and Irina Avvakumova (RUS) was third.

Tanaka had jumps of 85.0m and 91.5m for 215.2 points while Van jumped 83.5m and 93.0m for 214.2 points. Takanashi sealed another victory with jumps of 97.0m and 91.0m for 237.1 points.

The USA’s Jessica Jerome was seventh with teammate Alissa Johnson in 14th. Canada’s Taylor Henrich was 36th, the USA’s Abby was 39th while American Nita Englund was 48th.

The women jumpers now head to Zao, Japan for a pair of World Cups Jan. 18-19.

Full results here.

January 12, 2014 (Chamonix, SUI) – Swiss star Dario Cologna’s competitive season got off to a belated but promising start on Friday with his appearance in a  European Cup race in Chamonix, France. While his World Cup rivals already have at least six weeks of racing under their belts, Cologna – with Olympic, World Championship and World Cup medals to his credit – was forced to sit out the first period and the Tour de Ski in order to recover from an ankle injury he suffered in mid-November.

Cologna underwent surgery after tearing a ligament in his right ankle while running, followed by a month of recovery, during which he was limited to pool and upper body training only. He was finally cleared to get back on skis just a few days before Christmas. With less than 30 days left before the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, it is questionable whether or not Cologna will find the fitness and form he needs to once again challenge for the medals.

The first of his comeback races in Chamonix consisted of a 1.4km FR sprint race. In the qualifier, Cologna posted the 23rd fastest time, 6.68 sec behind the winning time, in a field that was somewhat thin by World Cup standards. “I lost a lot of time in the qualifier because I was thinking about the injury,” Cologna told “20Minutes” a Swiss newspaper.

He looked more at ease in his quarterfinal heat, cruising comfortably to a 2nd place finish. However, he had his work cut out for him against a tougher semi-final field made up of mostly Italian and French skiers. Cologna got shuffled to the rear of the pack early on and did not have the finishing speed to claw his way back, crossing the line 5th in his heat and was eliminated.

Despite not making the final, Cologna was pleased with his results on the day. “It was a good comeback race,” he said afterward. “The important thing was to test the foot and it held up well. I had no pain, although I still lack some mobility.”

Whether or not he can be competitive on the World Cup circuit, let alone at Sochi, after missing so much training and racing, remains to be seen. Cologna is optimistic however, citing his recovery from an injury prior to the Vancouver Olympics, where he won gold in the 15km FR event. “I believe it is still possible to be in a good shape at the Games and even fight for a gold medal,” he told FIS last week.

Cologna will continue racing in Chamonix this weekend, with a 15km Classic race scheduled for Saturday, followed by a 30km skiathlon on Sunday. He plans to rejoin the World Cup circuit next weekend in Szklarska Poreba, Poland.

Notes:
Results from the 1.4km FR Sprint race in Chamonix here.
Cologna was 4th in Saturday’s 15km Classic in Chamonix – results here.
He finished 3rd in the men’s 30km Skiathlon held in Chamonix on Sunday.

January 11, 2014 (Nova Mesto, CZE) – The USA’s Kikkan Randall dominated the women’s 1.5km Sprint today under the lights in Nova Mesto dispensing with all rivals as she quickly established herself in each heat taking the lead and holding it until the finish.

In second place today was Laurien Van Der Graaff of Switzerland who recorded her second ever World Cup podium with Norway’s Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg edging out Italy’s Gaia Vuerich for third.

The final was a decisive win for Randall as she powered away following the last climb as Italy’s young rising star Vuerich tried to hang in with the US star. But Randall is in a class of her own as she soloed in for the win with ease for her 9th career World Cup victory.

“It’s great to see my form is good. My 3-week training block was great following the first period but you never know where you’re at until you put a race bib on. I feel good and it’s nice to get my first win this season confirming that,” Randall told Trax.

“It was a tricky course to pass on so I knew being out front was the right strategy, plus I really wanted to test my capacity so going hard in each round was a way for me to see where my conditioning was at and I was glad to see the way it worked out today,” she added.

Check out our full interview with Randall and find out how she feels racing under the lights and being interviewed by her husband Jeff Ellis who is part of the FIS XC World Cup team.

Interview with Randall

Qualifying a strong 12th was Canada’s Dasha Gaiazova who looked strong in her quarter final leading for the first half, but up the final climb two Swedes caught and passed her and she ended up 4th in the heat and 13th on the day.

“It was my best result of the season today in a skate sprint. I’m feeling fitter and faster than I had at the start of the season,” said Gaiazova. Her teammate Perianne Jones was 39th and did not advance.

The USA’s Sophie Caldwell also made the heats qualifying 23rd but got boxed out in her quarter final yet still finished 3rd but did not advance as a Lucky Loser.

“The women’s course today was very flat and quick. I only V1’ed one section, over the top of the 2nd hill and the rest of the race I V2’ed. Conditions were warm and soft, but it wasn’t deep. There was a pretty sugary layer over harder packed snow underneath. I got into a pretty good position from the start and was able to hold that for most of the race. The girl in front of me started to fade on the last hill, so I went to make a move around her and got tangled up with her. This put us a few meters back and I was able to close some into the finish, but not quite enough,” explained Caldwell.

Oestberg continues her strong season and sits second overall in the sprint standings behind Germany’s Denise Herrmann who retained her lead with a 5th place finish today. Randall has now moved into 3rd in the overall sprint standings.

Caldwell and Ida Sargent in 50th today will race the Team Sprint CL while Gaiazova and Jones will be on the start line for Canada.

Qualifications here.
Full results here.

January 11, 2014 (Nova Mesto, CZE) – Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov was unstoppable today in the men’s 1.6km Sprint FR in Nove Mesto today winning all heats including the final with Italian star Federico Pellegrino grabbing the silver over third-placed Alexey Petukhov also from Russia.

The day started with Ustiugov winning the qualifications by an eye-popping 3.5 seconds. The USA’s Andy Newell qualified a strong second but couldn’t transfer that result into the heats ending up 4th in his 1/4 final despite leading the entire race until the finishing lanes went he was trumped by three fast chasers.

“I was really bummed to go out in the QF today because I was feeling strong and the course and conditions were great for me. There was a lot if gradual V2 out there and a lot of fun corners and transitions… and I also liked the fun S turns before the finishing lanes which I was able to ski fast in qualification but it’s always harder in a pack of people.

“It was my goal to get out in front and control the heat which I did for the most part. I put in a few surges over the tops of the hills in order to stay in front in the draft and maintain a good position for the climb into the stadium.

“I ended up tucking behind Peterson halfway up the last climb which was a big mistake – I should have just gone for it. In the end I got kind of jammed up going over the bump into the stadium. I was too close to Peterson and couldn’t push over it the way I needed to.

“I know I can be faster than anyone skiing over stuff like that – it shows in the qualification, which is why I really needed to be in the front going into the stadium. I was really frustrated with that mistake. I’m feeling good but the big results just aren’t coming through in the last few sprints.

“Tomorrow we will go with the usual order of Simi/me and do our best to make the final. I think it will be a really fun team sprint course,” Newell told SkiTrax.

Simi Hamilton, who is coming off his incredible stage World Cup sprint victory at the Tour de Ski, couldn’t find a way through either and end up 20th on the day.

“I didn’t feel amazing during my qualifier,” confided Hamilton, “But I didn’t feel totally worthless either. My legs were a little tired for some reason entering the day and the conditions were a little funky in some places. I’m still improving my ability to adapt my skiing to soft and squirly conditions, but I think it’s coming along.

“I didn’t get off to my best start in my quarter and I just got tossed around in the middle of the pack on the first few corners. I wanted to make a move on the steep climb, but I didn’t have room on the inside or outside and I wanted to protect my line going around the tight 180 at the top. When I did try to make a move at the bottom of the long, gradual climb, I just kind of had the door shut and could not find a way to move up into the top two.

“I’m not ecstatic about how the day turned out, but I know that not everyday is going to be perfect and I’m happy to just to be in the mix on a day that I wasn’t feeling totally on top of my game. I’m looking forward to team sprinting with Andy tomorrow and I’m very excited for the upcoming skate sprints in Poland and Toblach before we head to Sochi.

“Kikkan’s huge win today certainly gives our team a boost in the positive energy department and we’re all psyched for a lot more great racing to come,” he concluded.

The Russian are looking strong as Sochi approaches with Ustiugov, who won won five Junior World Championship gold medals, Petukhov and Olympic gold medalist Nikita Kruiukov all in good form. No Canadian men are competing in Nova Mesto as they are recovering from the Tour de Ski.

Qualifications here.
Final results here.

January 11, 2014 (Canmore, Alta.) – Two of Canada’s most promising athletes in the sport of cross-country skiing, Heidi Widmer and Jesse Cockney, displayed the work they have put in over the last year by winning the Buff Sprints on Saturday, and are now ready for an opportunity to hit the start line at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Serving as the selection races to determine the final four spots on Canada’s 2014 Olympic squad, the two young Canucks cranked up the heat on a dark, snowy and windy day blasting through the world-renowned Canmore Nordic Centre.

The 22-year-old Widmer, of Banff, Alta., completed an emotional day by handily winning the women’s sprint race, and has all but officially booked a ticket to her first ever Olympic Games.

“I have raced these trails and trained on them so many times, but this just feels so surreal,” said Widmer, while breaking into tears at the finish line. “I was on a mission for this. I didn’t want to be one of those Olympiczillas getting caught up in it all. There are so many ups and downs. I just wanted to stay focused on the process and not look back or ahead of myself. This is a dream come true, but I have only completed part one. Now the real journey and work begins.”

Three-time Olympic biathlete, Zina Kocher of Red Deer, Alta., made a charge to get her name in the mix to also compete on the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team at the Games. Kocher finished second. Andrea Dupont, of Timmins, Ont., placed third.

While being interviewed in the finish corral, Heidi Widmer broke into tears when her older brother Phil walked past to hit the start line to secure an Olympic spot of his own.

“My inspiration is right there,” said Heidi Widmer. “I just wish I can channel some of this energy his way. He has been there for me the whole way.”

The 30-year-old Widmer, who was fighting for a return trip to the Games, was in a cage match with 24-year-old Jesse Cockney, who was looking for his first trip to the Olympics.

Lined shoulder-to-shoulder on the start line, the veteran Widmer, of Banff, Alta., took to the lead at the sound of the gun and held it around the hilly 1.7-kilometre track, which simulates the challenge athletes will face at the Nordic venue in Sochi. Cockney, of Canmore, Alta., tucked in behind Widmer until the final 100 metres where we put on a World Cup worthy sprinting display, hammering his way to the top of the pack to win the final sprint race of the trials.

“I just kept telling myself to get to the line,” said an emotional Cockney. “Phil has been so strong, and I took that outside lane for the finish. I didn’t know what else to do, but I just wanted to get to the line. It has been years of hard work. I don’t know if it is official. I did all that I can do and I just want to enjoy this moment.”

Widmer sprinted to the silver, while Patrick Stewart-Jones, of Chelsea, Que., was third.

“It was strong racing today, and it looks like we are going to have two athletes with promising futures and great personalities join our team,” said Justin Wadsworth, head coach, Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team. “Heidi really demonstrated that she clearly deserves to be selected. Jesse and Phil have put a lot of work to be ready for this, and fought it out to the finish. It was an impressive finish.”

Full results with brackets here.

Results (brief)

Women
1. Heidi Widmer, Banff, Alta.
2. Zina Kocher, Red Deer, Alta.
3. Andrea Dupont, Timmins, Ont.
4. Alysson Marshall, Salmon Arm, B.C.
5. Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt, Quebec.

Men
1.  Jesse Cockney, Canmore, Alta.
2. Phil Widmer, Banff, Alta.
3. Patrick Stewart-Jones, Chelsea, Que.
4. Russell Kennedy, Canmore, Alta.
5. Ezekiel Williams, Cantley, Que.

January 11, 2014 (Ruhpolding, GER) – Norway’s Emil Hegle Svendsen remained focused on the prize despite an early penalty claiming his third victory this season in the men’s 20km individual race at Ruhpolding. Russia’s Alexey Volkov raced his way to second at 14.6 while teammate Evegeny Ustyugov took third just two seconds behind.

US Biathlon’s Lowell Bailey suffered two misses on his way to 25th at 2:23.8 behind. The Lake Placid, NY biathlete has been sick as is eager to get back into the mix.

“I went into today’s race with no expectations other than getting a race start after being sidelined with a cold for the past two weeks,” said Bailey. “ I felt better than I expected and was definitely happy with the result. The one downside was my last shot. I just took a bad shot. Every once in a while that happens, but it hurts a little bit more when it’s the last shot of the race. I’m looking forward to the pursuit tomorrow.”

The top Canadian was Scott Perras in 36th at 3:13.5 with two penalties while teammate Nathan Smith was 40th (4 penalties) at 3:24.6 and Jean-Philippe Le Guellec was 52nd also with four penalties at 4:25.0. American Leif Nordgren finished 53rd (4 penalties), and Tim Burke (Paul Smiths, NY) placed 56th (5 penalties).

Svendsen, who won the sprint and pursuit in Oberhof last weekend, was playing catch up all race as Slovenia’s Jakov Fak took an early lead but faltered in standing as Ustyugov became the new leader. Svendsen became more confident with each lap cleaning the last five targets and chased down Ustyugov for the victory.

“I found a way to focus on the right things; I try to do this every time. Now I am not letting myself slack off after a good race. I think this is the recipe for success,” Svendsen told Biathlonworld.com. “I have been doing some good mental work so I hope I can keep it going…I did a lot of work on shooting this summer and fall. I am stronger this year on the shooting range; this is one of my advantages… It will be fun to see if I can keep it together.”

Full results here.

January 11, 2014 (Midway, UT ) – Check out our video of the CL Sprint action on final day at the 2014 US Cross Country Championships where Reese Hanneman (Alaska Pacific University) claimed his first career title and teammate Rosie Brennan secured the women’s crown as the top US woman behind winner Natalja Narvshikina (CXC) from Russia who was not eligible for the title – congrats to all winners and podium finishers – read our report with lots of photos here.

January 10, 2014 (Midway, Utah) – After two days of constant, warm snowfall, wax techs arrived to the venue early this morning prepared for the worst for the Classic sprints on the final day of the 2014 US Cross Country Championships in Soldier Hollow, Utah. Instead, they encountered stable conditions and well-groomed tracks that held up well throughout the day’s races providing a competition that would not disappoint.

On a 1.6-kilometer course, revised from Sunday’s sprint course to include a longer hill, Reese Hanneman (Alaska Pacific University) triumphed in the men’s competition for his first career title, followed by teammate Erik Bjornsen (APU) and Dakota Blackhorse-Von Jess (Bend Endurance Academy). On the women’s side, Central Cross Country’s (CXC) Natalja Narvshikina took the top honours on the podium with Rosie Brennan (APU) and Nicole Bathe (University of Alaska Fairbanks) below her. Brennan was awarded the title as Narvshikina is from Russia.

For the women, the course remained the same from earlier in the week, rounding around the stadium and building up halfway up Hermod’s Hill before descending back down into the finish. The men, on the other hand, raced to the top of the hill, as race organizers desired a course that could not be double poled.

“I really liked the longer course today,” said Hanneman. “It was a lot of really hard striding, a minute and half or more of climbing, so it suited me well.” Unlike most sprint races, throughout the day, whoever won the first hill generally won the sprint, on both the men’s and women’s sides.

“He’s been skiing strong for the last few months,” said Bjornsen after settling with second to his teammate. “I knew that if I wasn’t going to be with him at the top of the hill, then I wasn’t going to win.”

On the women’s side, it was bib number one who crossed the finish line first in the final. Naryshikina, new to CXC after moving from Russia, won the qualifier by a fraction of a second over Brennan, which mirrored the last meters of the final heat. She said that her plan through each heat was to stay behind in the beginning and come to win in the end, which she executed well.

“The added uphill is good for me,” commented Brennan on the new course. Historically, her best races have been on classic days. Despite feeling tired in the morning, the Park-City native, said she could not give up the opportunity to race again at her home course.

One of the most successful stories of the day was that of Nicole Bathe, a freshman in college who landed her first US National podium coming in third (second for American skiers).

“It’s not what I thought was going to happen, but I’m super excited about it,” said Bathe just before the podium ceremony. “I just tried to go for it, as hard as I could, I guess it worked out!”

Today, as the last day in a series, most racers had the same plan: go hard. “I had good skis and was feeling strong so I just focused on going out hard,” said Bjornsen. And that’s what they did, every day this week, which no doubt proved a great start to the winter racing season at it clicks into high gear.

Qualifications here.

Junior Women’s heats here.
Junior Men’s heats here.

Women’s heats here.
Men’s heats here.

January 10, 2014 – Despite warm weather across central Europe, Nove Mesto na Morave (CZE) is ready to welcome the world’s best sprinters this weekend. The Organizing Committee has prepared 2.5 km long loop, which has become a training and competition base for most of the Czech ski clubs. Last weekend, Nove Mesto successfully hosted the second stage of the FIS Slavic Cup, which had to be moved to Nove Mesto from Jablonec due to lack of snow.

“The World Cup competition course will be perfect and snowy white. The Organizers stored the artificial snow in deposits and the weather forecast says colder period is coming for the weekend,” Cestmir Skrbek, the sport manager of the Czech Ski Association said.

The competition course is between 8 and 10 meters wide and the layer is about 50 cm thick. “We transported the snow from the deposits on the track just before Christmas. The total length of the course is 2.5 km, more than we need for the sprint World Cup,” Vlastimil Jakes, the chief of the OC said.

Competition program

Saturday, 11^th January 2014
Qualification Sprint free ladies/men
– 2 p.m. local time (5 a.m. EST)
Quarterfinals Sprint free ladies/men
– 4:00 p.m. local time (7:00 a.m. EST)

Sunday, 12^th January 2014
11:40 CET – Finals Team sprint classic ladies/men
– 11:40 a.m. local time (2:40 a.m. EST)

Preview Women’s World Cup Nove Mesto Jan 11, 2014

Sprint freestyle:

– Denise Herrmann aiming to be first German overall sprint winner

– Denise Herrmann (GER) is currently leading the sprint WC-standings this season with 237 points, ahead of Norwegians Ingvild Flugstad Østberg (181) and Marit Bjørgen (177).

– Herrmann could be the first German skier to win the overall sprint World Cup. Only once before has a German skier finished on the overall sprint podium, when Manuela Henkel was third in 2000/2001-season.

– Herrmann has never won a World Cup race or a Tour stage. Her first ever WC-podium in the sprint freestyle was a third place in Davos on 15 Dec 2013. She was also top 3 in both sprint stages in Tour de Ski, and was third in the sprint classic stage in Kuusamo 29 Nov.

– The only sprint competition this season, World Cup and Tour stages, without Herrmann on the podium, was in Asiago on 21 Dec, when she was 5th in the classic sprint.

– If Denise Herrmann wins in Nove Mesto she will be the first German lady to win a World Cup sprint race since Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle won the sprint freestyle in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Dec 2001. Stehle’s win is the only win for Germany in sprint for ladies.

– Kikkan Randall (USA) won the overall sprint World Cup the last two seasons. Randall is currently 6th, on 137 points, exactly 100 points (one win) behind Herrmann.

– Randall did not participate in the Tour de Ski, and has not yet win a race this season. Last season she won four of the five races held in sprint freestyle (including Tour stages).

– Randall was second in her only sprint freestyle participation so far this season, in Davos on 15 Dec, behind Marit Bjørgen. Bjørgen will not compete in Nove Mesto.

– Randall has only been outside the final (top 6) in two of her 20 last starts in sprint freestyle (World Cup, championships and tour stages). World Championship in Oslo 2011 was one of these (only 26th).

– Randall has been on the podium in 16 of her last 20 sprint freestyle starts in World Cup, championships and tour stages, going back almost four years.

– The next World Cup win for Norway will be their win number 50 in sprint for ladies. Norwegians have won 49 of the 120 WC sprints held.

Preview Men’s World Cup Nove Mesto Jan 11, 2014

– Kriukov, Poltoranin or Pellegrino to break Scandinavian streak?

– All 17 seasons with a separate sprint World Cup have had an overall winner from Norway or Sweden. The last four seasons a Swede has won the sprint cup, with Emil Jönsson winning three of those.

– Ahead of this weekend’s race in Nove Mesto the top 3 in the sprint World Cup are all non-Scandinavians, with Nikita Kriukov (RUS) leading ahead of Alexey Poltoranin (KAZ) and Federico Pellegrino (ITA). Best Scandinavian athlete is Calle Halfvarsson (SWE) in 4th position.

– Neither Kriukov, Poltoranin and Pellegrino has won a sprint freestyle race.

-Kriukov’s best results are 3rd place in Rybinsk 2010 and Canmore 2012.

– Kriukov has reached the final in only three of his 25 starts in sprint freestyle.

– Poltoranin has all his best sprint results in classic style, he has never reached better than the quarterfinal in sprint freestyle.

-Pellegrino has finished in second place three times in sprint freestyle, two times in Tour de Ski stages, and once in World Cup in Liberec 15 Jan 2011. If Pellegrino wins he will be the first Italian man to win a sprint race since Renato Pasini won in Rybinsk 31 Jan 2009.

-Norway has finished with at least one male athlete on the overall sprint World Cup podium in all 17 seasons. At the moment the best Norwegian is Eirik Brandsdal in 6th place, though only 57 points behind the leader Kriukov.

– The last five wins by Norwegian men in sprint freestyle, in World Cup and Tour stages, have been won by five different athletes. Anders Gløersen, Petter Northug, Finn Hågen Krogh, Eirik Brandsdal and Ola Vigen Hattestad have one win each the last two years, going back to December 2011.

– Emil Jönsson (SWE) has seven World Cup wins in sprint freestyle, equally most with Tor Arne Hetland (NOR). If Jönsson wins here, he will be the male athlete with the most World Cup wins in sprint freestyle.

– Anders Gløersen (NOR) won the last World Cup race in sprint freestyle in Davos 15 Dec. Only Emil Jönsson has managed to win two consecutive WC-races in sprint freestyle the last five years. Jönsson did this twice (in 2010 and in 2012. The last Norwegian to win two in a row was Ola Vigen Hattestad in Dec 2008.

January 09, 2014 (Canmore, AB) – Brian McKeever and Emily Nishikawa put their names into the mix of securing a spot on Canada’s 2014 Olympic Team by winning the opening distance races at Cross Country Canada’s Olympic Trials on Thursday at the Canmore Nordic Centre.

The 34-year-old McKeever, who made history as the first ever athlete to be named to an Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Team in 2010, demonstrated his shape, four years of preparation and desire to earn another opportunity to represent Canada at the biggest sporting event in the world after winning the men’s 15-kilometre individual start classic-ski race with a time of 46 minutes 02.4 seconds.

“I am super satisfied today,” said McKeever. “For me it is all about the preparation and the process and that is all I can focus on. Everything else is out of my control. But this result is good validation of all the hard work that myself and those around me have done over the last four years, and especially this year.”

The 10-time Parlaympic medallist gutted out one of the best performances over the last quadrennial. Sitting in second spot, 25 seconds behind the leader at the mid-way point of the race, the three-time Paralympian dug deep to narrow the gap to 13 seconds in his third trip around the hilly 3.75-kilometre Canmore Nordic Centre before crashing at the line after posting the time of the day at the finish.

“I could see my splits throughout the race and knew what I had to do. My strategy going in was this is a four-lap race. It is not over after two,” added McKeever. “I wanted to get into a good rhythm and keep the pace throughout all four laps. I like to be the guy moving up as the race goes along rather than falling back. It feels very rewarding to know I was able to stick to the plan and it worked out. ”

Graeme Killick, of Fort McMurray, Alta., was second at 46:03.9. Calgary’s Kevin Sandau rounded out the men’s podium in third with a time of 46:20.9.

Legally blind with Stargardt’s disease – a rare form of macular degeneration that affects central vision – McKeever has won everything on the table in Para-Nordic sports including seven Paralympic medals. He is looking to earn the lone men’s distance racing spot remaining for Canada’s 11-member 2014 Olympic Cross-Country Ski Team, which will be named on January 14. Cross Country Canada will select a total of four more athletes – one male and one female sprinter and distance racer – following a series of races this week.

“I am just relieved to be able to put everything together and put it all into the race,” said McKeever. “For me it is all about focusing on the job I have to do. When it is all done on Sunday, I will be thrilled to have another opportunity to go to the Games, but if I don’t and I know I put everything I had into my performance, then that is all I can ask for.”

Following the men’s race, Emily Nishikawa took a major step forward towards booking her ticket to Sochi after dominating the women’s 10-kilometre individual start classic-ski race. Nishikawa, of Whitehorse, finished just under one minute clear of the field after clocking a time of 32:32.1.

“I have put in the work and now put it together for the races and that feels incredible,” said Nishikawa. “The wax was amazing and my skis were incredible today. I’m not going to celebrate just yet. I am going to recover and get ready for Sunday’s race.”

Brittany Webster, of Caledon, Ont., clocked the second-fastest time at 33:26.5, while Zoe Roy, of Canmore, Alta., skied to third place at 33:55.6.

The Olympic Trials continue on Saturday at the Canmore Nordic Centre with the final skate-ski sprint race. The men’s and women’s distance skiathlon races complete the Trials on Sunday. Cross Country Canada will nominate its Olympic squad, January 14, at Altadore Elementary School at 10:30 a.m.

Complete Olympic Trials Results here.

Results

Men
1. Brian McKeever, Canmore, Alta., 46:02.4
2. Graeme Killick, Fort McMurray, Alta., 46:03.9
3. Kevin Sandau, Calgary, 46:20.9
4. Jesse Cockney, Canmore, Alta., 46:23.3
5. Chris Hamilton, Thunder Bay, Ont., 46:28.1

Women
1. Emily Nishikawa, Whitehorse, 32:32.1
2. Brittany Webster, Caledon, Ont., 33:26.5
3. Zoe Roy, Canmore, Alta., 33:55.6
4. Alysson Marshall, Salmon Arm, B.C., 34:14.2
5. Heidi Widmer, Banff, Alta., 34:14.2

January 8, 2014 (Midway, UT ) – An overnight snow storm that tumbled into the morning and early afternoon made for challenging conditions but Sylvan Ellefson (Team Homegrown), Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg) took no prisoners on their way to claiming the men’s 30km and women’s 20km FR titles respectively on Day 3 at the the 2014 US Cross Country Championships.

Katherine Ogden (Stratton Mountain School) and Patrick Caldwell (Dartmouth College) skied their way to the 5/10km junior crowns as the Championships completed three of four rounds at a snowy Soldier Hollow, Utah. Conditions resulted in an array of wax and ski changes throughout today’s four mass start events.

Early in the 30km race, two competitors attempted to gap the pack, one managing to gain over 30 seconds on the 20+ person chase group, but both efforts could not be sustained. In the end, it was a surge in the fifth of six laps around the Olympic 5km course by Ellefson that lasted until the finish line as he won his first national gold title.

“It was the culmination of ten years of training and everything,” said Ellefson of the win. “I couldn’t be happier right now. The only thing I’ve ever wanted to do is to win a National Championship and I’m glad it happened finally. I can’t tell you what it means to have all the support out here from my family, friends and the people who have believed in me since I started this journey.

“My race went exactly how I wanted it to go. My plan was to see how the race was going to unfold through the first 15k, and through 15k I still felt really good and like the race hadn’t quite began yet. Coming into that last lap I felt totally rejuvenated and ready to go. I knew the guys behind me knew that I was going for it and they’d be trying to close down. My skis were amazingly fast and on a day like today with variable conditions that’s what makes the day. I’m just glad I had a good body to compliment it today.”

Brian Gregg (Team Gregg) and Kris Freeman (Maine Winter Sports) followed Ellefson on the podium. Gregg went directly from the race to the airport to fly to compete for the US in the second period of the World Cup circuit, earning a berth on the team as a privilege of being the current SuperTour Leader.

On the women’s side, no amount of falling snow could slow the break that Caitlin Gregg managed from the start. She broke from the pack midway through the first of four laps and continued to gain time until she finished roughly three and a half minutes ahead of second place finisher Chelsea Holmes (Sun Valley Gold Team) and third place Rosie Brennan (Alaska Pacific University). It was the fourth career national title for Gregg.

“The 20K skate is my favorite,” Gregg commented earlier in the week, “Love distance racing, love the hills here, love skate skiing.” She, along with her husband, Brian, is en route to the Czech Republic for her first World Cup starts of the year.
In order to designate rankings for the Junior Worlds teams, the junior races split from the senior races today, with a 5k for the women and a 10k for the men. Both Ogden and Caldwell won handily, finishing solo in the final 100-meter stretch. Both racers were later named to the US World Juniors team.

“It was a fun day of racing, for sure,” said Caldwell, fresh off his win. Both Ogden and Caldwell made their victories definitive on the final hill of the course, taking their leads midway up Hermod’s Hill.

The final race of the competition, a classic sprint, will be held on Friday, Jan. 10. Shortly thereafter the U23 World Championships team will be named.

Women’s live results here with splits here.
Men’s live results here with splits here.
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January 07, 2014 – We’re excited to present the third edition of the SkiTrax Fantasy FIS Marathon Cup 2013/14 International Contest in co-operation with FIS and the WorldLoppet Ski Federation adding excitement for xc ski fans around the world for these legendary races. The Grand Prize is a luxurious get-away at the fabulous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise including an XC Ski 3-night package w/breakfast, Deli credit, Tour or Lesson, and two 60-minute spa treatments – a $1,550 value.

The Marathon Cup Contest is similar to our other fantasy contests with some twists – here’s how it works. Register your team of four (4) men and four (4) women plus one “Outlaw” male skier not in the top 15 and one “Outlaw” female skier not in the top 10 of the FIS Marathon Cup overall rankings – all lists are at registration. Here’s the twist… Following the La Transjurassienne event (Feb. 9/14) we’ll allow contestants to swap one male and one female skier from their team for added excitement leading into the final four (4) races.

Please note that the skier menus are based on the final rankings of the 2013 season and we may be adding more Red Group skiers who can be selected as Outlaws so please check back to ensure you don’t miss the opportunity to revise your team accordingly.

Points will be awarded following each Marathon Cup World Loppet based on each skier’s performance and published regularly at skitrax.com so you can see how your score compares with other international players and the actual FIS Marathon standings. Earn bonus Am Birkie or Gatineau Loppet points plus other Bonus points – all information and contest rules are available when you register your team – and read more about the FIS Marathon Cup here.

These are the only FIS Fantasy Nordic contests of their kind worldwide so don’t miss your chance to enjoy fabulous top level xc ski racing and win fabulous prizes –  good luck to all contestants.

The deadline to register or revise your team is 10 pm EST on Saturday, January 18, 2014 – the day before the 60km Dolomitenlauf on January 19.

To register click HERE.

Thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Yoko, Salomon, Rudy Project, Halti, Supercamp, Exer-Genie, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, and Buff.

FIS Fantasy Marathon Cup Prizes

* 1st Prize – Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise – XC Ski 3-night luxury package w/breakfast & Spa (value up to $1,550)
* 2nd Prize – Yoko YXR skate skis and 9100 poles (value $899)
* 3rd Prize – Salomon S-Lab Skate or Classic boots ($450sk/$299cl)
* 4th Prize – Rudy Project Sunglasses For Sport Agon + For Life Spinhawk (value $450)
* 5th Prize – Halti Nokka XC Outfit (value $325)
* 6th Prize – Supercamp 2.5-day weekend camp w/coaching, lunches, trail passes etc. (value $275)
* 7th Prize – Exer-Genie XC Trainer (value $229)
* 8th Prize – Vauhti Package w/Thermo drink belt, kick waxes, cork, ties, manual (value $150)
* 9th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $100)
* 10th Prize – Buff Headware (value $23)

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).

January 07, 2014 (Berlin, Germany) – German chancellor Angela Merkel suffered an incomplete hip break following a cross-country ski accident in Switzerland, reports CBC. She will now have to cut back on her work schedule for three weeks. Merkel, 59, was skiing in late December in the Engadin Valley which includes well-known ski resorts such as St. Moritz. Read the CBC article here.

January 07, 2014 – The 47th CEZ Jizerska 50 has been cancelled due to insufficient natural snow. Persistent above-freezing temperatures and rain over the weekend have made it impossible to prepare the race route, many kilometers of which are completely without snow cover. Therefore, the organizers were forced to cancel the traditional cross-country skiing event today.

“We regret that this has happened. Temperatures remain above freezing in Bedrichov and it is supposed to get even warmer in the coming days. Unfortunately, this critical situation has forced us to definitively decide that this year’s CEZ Jizerska 50 will not happen,” said Marek Tesar of the organising agency Mather Activation, confirming the race’s cancellation.

The organisers tried until the last minute to save the situation. They brought in natural snow to the trail in December, but the unfavourable weather frustrated their efforts. “As long as temperatures stayed below the freezing point, we intensively produced artificial snow, with which we covered part of the trail including the stadium in Bedrichov. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough. We have had spring weather in the Jizera Mountains for several weeks already,” said Martin Koucky, chairman of the organising committee.

Until the last moment, the organisers considered a number of alternative variants and even tried to find an alternate date for the race. However, postponement of the Jizerska 50 is not possible because of the crowded schedule of the firmly set dates in the Woldloppet long-distance cross-country series. “In the coming years, we will endeavour to arrange a set alternate date for the Jizerska 50,” added David Dousa of Mather Activation.

“We’re sorry about the cancellation of the race, which all of us had greatly looked forward to and the preparation of which our organising team had worked on all year. Even though it is common that racers do not receive any compensation in such cases, which is stated in the race’s terms and conditions, we have decided to offer registered racers the maximum possible discount on the starting fee for next year’s event, which at the same time will not be a liquidation price for our race in 2015,” says Marek Tesar. Already paid parking fees will be carried over to next year or returned in the full amount to racers’ bank accounts upon request.

Because it was expected until the last minute that the race would take place, the organisers had completed most of the preparatory works including production of starting numbers, as well as preparation of starting bags and race facilities. The costs of the event reached ninety percent of the total anticipated expenditures.

Issuance of starting numbers and bags with gifts from race partners, including the original 47th CEZ Jizerska 50 badge, will take place as planned from Thursday, 9 January at the Nisa shopping centre in Liberec.

The organisers will honour the memory of the Peru 70 Expedition and acclaimed mountaineer Zdenek Hruby at 9:00 a.m. on 12 January at the stadium in Bedrichov. They will set out for the Peru Expedition monument together with racers symbolically at the race’s start time.

The starting fee for 2015 will remain the same as the amount for this year and will be discounted only for participants registered in the 47th CEZ Jizerska 50 in the following amounts:

50 km CZK 900
30 km CZK 700
25 km CZK 600

DISCOUNTED STARTING FEES CAN BE PAID ONLY FROM START TO REGISTRATION TO 30 JUNE 2014. THE DISCOUNT WILL NO LONGER BE VALID AFTER THIS DATE.

January 06, 2014 (Midway, UT ) – Check out some the action from yesterday’s Day 2 at the 2014 US Cross Country Championships where Bozeman Ski Foundation skiers, Jennie Bender and Torin Koos, pulled out all of the stops and raced their way into the record books as the winners of the 1.5km FR Sprint crowns. The athletes are now enjoying two rest days before hitting the start line again for the 20 and 30 kilometer skate competitions on Jan. 8… stay tuned for more coverage from skitrax.com.

January 06, 2014 (Canmore, AB) – Canada’s top cross-country ski athletes not competing on the World Cup will battle for the final spots on Canada’s Olympic cross-country ski team while kicking off the Haywood NorAm and Olympic, Under-23 and World Junior Trials at the Canmore Nordic Centre, January 8-12, 2014.

A total of 36 men and 22 women will compete in a series of four races in Canmore, Alta. to determine the final members that will be eligible to be named to the Canadian Olympic Team for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Canada will name two men (one distance ski athlete and one sprint skier), and two women (one distance ski athlete and one sprint skier). The announcement will be made during Cross Country Canada’s Olympic Team Announcement on January 14 in Calgary.

Many of Canada’s big names will headline the field competing on the nation’s premier development race series over the next two weeks including: Brian McKeever and his two training partners, Erik Carleton and Graham Nishikawa; Jesse Cockney, who competed on the World Cup for the first half of the season; and Patrick Stewart-Jones who was the top sprinter in Canada during the December NorAm races. Canadian biathlete, Zina Kocher who was recently named to her third Olympic team, will also try to earn a spot the women’s roster. Kocher competed in a World Cup cross-country ski race and at the Canadian Championships in 2013.

Pre-qualified Olympic athletes, Chandra Crawford and Lenny Valjas, will also suit up for additional pre-Olympic race preparation.

The Under-23 and World Junior Trials will also be held in conjunction with the Olympic Trials. More than 225 athletes from across the country will descend on the world-renowned Canmore Nordic Centre for the week.

Canada plans to field a minimum team of 11 athletes for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. World Cup Team Members, Alex Harvey, Devon Kershaw, Ivan Babikov, Lenny Valjas, Daria Gaiazova, Perianne Jones and Chandra Crawford have all pre-qualified to be named to the team.

Canadian Olympic Trials Schedule

January 8, 2014  10 a.m. OWG Start – Canmore Nordic Centre, Canmore, Alta.
– Women’s and Men’s Skate-Sprint

January 9, 2014 9 a.m. OWG Start- Canmore Nordic Centre, Canmore, Alta.
– Men’s and Women’s Interval Classic-Ski Start
– Olympic Trials Men 15km/Women’s 10km
– Junior Men 10km/Women’s 5km

January 11, 2014 9 a.m. OWG Start – Canmore Nordic Centre, Canmore, Alta.
– Men’s and Women’s Skate-Sprint

January 12, 2014 9 a.m. OWG Start – Canmore Nordic Centre, Canmore, Alta.
– Men’s and Women’s Skiathlon
– Olympic Trials Men 30km/Women’s 15km
– Junior Men 20km/Women’s 10km

January 05, 2014 (Soldier Hollow, UT ) – Day two of the 2014 US Cross Country Championships in Soldier Hollow, Utah brought clear skies and fast skiing with freestyle sprint competitions that did not disappoint. For the first time in years, the men and women skated on the same 1.5 kilometer loop that included the notoriously challenging Hermod’s hill.

And for the second time this week, the winners of the men’s and women’s competition belonged to the same program, only this time from the lower 48. Bozeman Ski Foundation skiers Jennie Bender and Torin Koos snagged the titles in photo finishes. Ben Saxton (Stratton Mountain School) and Reese Hanneman (Alaska Pacific University) followed Koos while Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg) and Rosie Brennan (APU) took the women’s second and third podium spots.

“I wanted to qualify better than top ten but I was able to refocus,” said Koos of his 10th place qualification. “I knew it was going to be some really tight racing but I had a plan and was able to execute and am very satisfied with the day.” Saxton qualified fourth at the start of the day while Hanneman qualified 11th.

In addition to being the second overall finisher, Saxton took home the title as first U23 finisher. “You wait for this all year,” said Saxton, “and once the gun went off it settled into the same old groove. It was really exciting.”

The men’s final also included Bates College skier Jordan Buetow, Logan Hanneman (University of Alaska Fairbanks) and Samuel Nanney (Methow Olympic Development/Madsus).

On the women’s side, Bender claimed her second national title, after last year’s classic sprint, and Gregg took her second consecutive silver medal. Brennen, fresh off the first period of racing World Cups, took third. The top three women were followed by Kate Fitzgerald (APU), Rose Kemp (SVSEF Gold Team), and Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury GRP).

“I feel like I’m ready to race again,” said Bender, fresh off her win, despite having felt like she “was being punched in the face” throughout the qualifier. She qualified 5th in the morning, while Gregg and Brennan qualified 1st and 3rd, respectively.

“Sunshine, family, awesome racing, it doesn’t get any better than this,” said Caitlin, surrounded by her parents and husband, Brian. She added that after the good start to the week, she was most excited for the 20-kilometer skate.

Elizabeth Guiney (Craftsbury GRP) was the top U23 woman and Nicole Bathe (University of Alaska) was the fastest junior finisher in 11th. For the men it was Cole Morgan (University of Vermont) who qualified 16th in the morning and was the top junior male finisher in the senior heats.

The athletes now have two off days before they return to race the 20 and 30 kilometer skate competitions on Jan. 8. The final race, a classic sprint, will be held on Jan. 10.

Qualifications HERE.

Sprint Brackets for FJR
Sprint Brackets for MJR
Sprint Brackets for FSR
Sprint Brackets for MSR

January 04, 2014 (Val di Fiemme, Italy) – Following today’s sixth stage at the Tour de Ski we caught up with Alex Harvey, 4th overall at the TdS, who announced his departure from the Tour in a press conference with Head Coach Justin Wadsworth and team doctor, Dr. Mireille Belzile – read our Stage 6 race report here. Harvey’s left left suffers on brutal climbs like the Tour’s Stage 7 that takes skiers up Alpe Cermis and with Sochi 2014 around the corner the focus is on his health for the Games. We also chatted with US Women’s Coach Matt Whitcomb for his take on the three remaining US skiers in the Tour – Noah Hoffman, Jessie Diggins and Liz Stephen – as Diggins scored a career-best classic result today. All three are poised to improve their results over last year’s Tour.

Harvey, Wadsworth, Belzile

Whitcomb on Hoffman

Whitcomb on Diggins, Stephen, Brooks

January 04, 2014 (Soldier Hollow, UT ) – With sunny skies and hard packed tracks, Soldier Hollow, UT stayed true to form today for the start of the 2014 US Cross Country Championships, Jan 4-10. After what has been a ground-breaking year for US skiers in the Tour de Ski, positive energy and Olympic hype has trickled its way down to the domestic circuit to provide for a competitive atmosphere at the site of the 2002 Olympic games.

A challenging course littered with long, steep hills and ripping descents promised to overload many athletes but Alaska Pacific University (APU) teammates Becca Rorabough and Erik Bjornsen accepted the challenge and came out on top. Rorabough topped the 141-strong field in the women 10km Cl while Bjornsen was the fastest of all 185 men in their 15-kilometer classic race.

“I was trying to ingrain good, smooth classic striding,” said Rorabough of her plan throughout the race. Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg) and Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Team) followed Rorabough in second and third.

“I love the courses here,” said Gregg. “My skis were incredible today and I felt great!” Starting with bib number one, Gregg faced the challenge of pacing the race alone, as most skiers had the opportunity to race with others due to the shortened 15-second intervals. She finished 14 seconds behind Rorabough.

“It was a good start to the week,” said Patterson of her podium, “I was feeling pretty solid and in control on the second lap by the end I was getting splits that I was in third place and was definitely happy to hear that, definitely moving up.”

Anja Gruber (University of Vermont) finished in 4th place as the top U23 skier just ahead of 7th-placed Katherine Ogden of Stratton Mountain School (SMS) who was the day’s leading junior.

On the men’s side, Bjornsen snagged the 15K title over APU teammate Reese Hanneman by 11 seconds followed by Kris Freeman (Maine Winter Sports) 22 seconds back. The conditions remained steady throughout the men’s race, allowing for clean waxing conditions and close split times.

“Going up the top of Hermod’s into the last climb I was starting to cramp,” said Bjornsen, “but I was like ‘if I’m close, I think I’m gonna be able to win.’”

Hanneman said that the result was better than he could have expected. Keen on the altitude, he took his pace out slow and built up throughout the laps. He explained, “I was hearing really good splits while I was skiing easy so it’s amazing for things to come together like that, to feel strong even with such huge hills.”

Bjornsen was also the first U23 finisher, followed by the top junior finisher Adam Martin of the University of Northern Michigan, who tied for 15th place.

Most skiers from low altitude training centers and had opinions on the high altitude course, which claimed a total of 15 DNFs. “I was really surprised that even if you do have a really good race at altitude there are still times that you do slightly fall apart,” said Rorabough. Bjornsen agreed, describing a half-kilometer mid race where he reached a “bad place.”

Tomorrow morning skate sprinters will test their skills on a revised course that includes the famed Hermod’s hill. After two off days the racers will return for skate distance and classic sprint races.

Full results HERE.

January 04, 2014 (Val di Fiemme, Italy) – American Jessie Diggins delivered the goods today hammering to a career-best classic result in the women’s 5km CL placing 10th, the penultimate stage at the Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Her efforts catapulted her to 11th in the overall standings. Teammate Liz Stephen, who finished 21st, sits 14th overall with the final gruelling stage on Sunday, up Alpe Cermis where Stephen had the second fastest time a year ago.

Norway’s Therese Johaug took a resounding victory for her first stage win at this year’s Tour besting teammate and Tour leader, Astrid Jacobsen, by 14.9s – Johaug is now just +23.8 second behind Jacobsen heading into Sunday’s final stage. In third was Finland’s Anne Kylloenen at 19.2 back as she led a trio of Finn’s into the top 5 with Kerttu Niskanen in 4th, and Krista Lahteenmaki 5th.

SkiTrax caught up with Diggins after her stellar day for her take on her excellent classic skiing at the site of her and Kikkan Randall’s (Anchorage) historic World Championships victory in the team sprint. Diggins’ previous best World Cup classic result was 18th in Estonia in 2012.

“The conditions were interesting as it was raining the whole day, and some of the field went on zeroes and some went on klister, myself included. The tracks were soaked and mostly hard and fairly fast, and I my Salomons were running great thanks to our crew – there were one or two spots where I had to herringbone (as did most of the field) but kick was awesome and so was the glide!

“I was really psyched on the race today because it was my best classic race on the World Cup by far, and a great confidence booster for me as classic skiing is still something I’m trying to figure out.

“I didn’t ask for splits out there today because I knew I had a pacing strategy and would be going as hard as I could, so I asked the coaches to yell out technique and encouragement, which definitely helped a lot!

“I’m excited for tomorrow’s climb, mostly because of the feeling you get once you’re standing at the top. It’s this rush of emotion when you realized that you just finished an impossibly, insanely hard climb at the end of a long series of races, and it was crazy hard but you did it,” commented the Afton, MN skier.

Full results here.
TdS Overall here.

January 04, 2014 (Val di Fiemme, Italy) – Norway was on fire today in the men’s 10km CL individual start as Petter Northug Jr. descended on the Tour de Ski with a resounding victory. Tour leader Martin Johnsrud Sundby settled for second with Chris Jespersen having a stellar day claiming 3rd at 16s behind Northug.

The big news on the North American front was Canadian Alex Harvey’s decision to withdraw from the Tour to focus on the Sochi Olympics after placing 5th on the stage and dropping to 4th overall.

“It was pretty messy weather today but overall my skis were good and I felt good the whole way,” said Harvey. “I started aggressive and fought for the podium the whole way. I think I paced things well and attacked where I needed too which is key to an individual start.”

Despite the strong showing Harvey will not start the final punishing 9km pursuit race up Alpe Cermis as the steep climb wreaks havoc with an artery in his left leg. Lifting the leg going up the alpine ski hill forces the hip flexor to buldge, which impedes blood flow and circulation according to a team release.

In a press conference following the race Harvey, Head Coach Justin Wadsworth and the team doctor confirmed that the 25-year-old Quebec star will not continue as well as Devon Kershaw, who is fatigued after a difficult 35km pursuit race yesterday. Kershaw finished 52nd at 2:02.2 behind Northug and holds the record for the best Canadian finish at the Tour when he was fourth overall at the 2011-12 event.

“With his leg condition, it takes at least one week for Alex to recover from something like that,” said Wadsworth. “Alex knows he will not be able to fight for the top-3 tomorrow with his leg. So looking at what is really to gain he made the smart decision not to race.”

Harvey had one of the most successful performances at the Tour for Canada placing in the top-three of the overall standings until the final weekend with podium finishes including gold, silver and bronze medals. He also finishes the Tour in third place in the overall Sprint standings.

“For me it was pretty clear before the Tour started that I wasn’t going to climb that hill,” said Harvey, who also pulled out at the final stage last year. “Being in the lead and the top-three for the Tour opened the door to thinking about it, but there is just so much to lose for me physically when the blood flow shuts down completely when I’m working so hard. We don’t know exactly how long it takes to recover, and I just don’t want to risk anything especially with the Olympics coming up.”

Ivan Babikov, 33, who will be on the start line for Canada on Sunday, had the fastest time on the final stage of the Tour de Ski in 2009. In today’s 10km CL, not his strong suit, he had a solid outing placing 27th.

The USA’s Noah Hoffman, coming off a stellar day with the second best time in yesterday’s pursuit, suffered in today’s race finishing 47th. We caught up with the Hoff post race for his impressions…

“Today was a little rough. I just never got firing on all cylinders. I started under control, as I planned, but was never able to pick it up. Yesterday took a lot out of me, and I feel like I’m still recovering. I felt smooth but not snappy.

“The conditions were also tough. When we woke up it was snowing, but it switched to rain as I departed for the venue. It was a very wet day. I raced on zero-degree skis but many athletes raced on klister. Because of lack of snow, the course was different from the 5-kilometer course we used at World Championships last winter. However, it was still challenging.

“My classic results have been disappointing this year. I am looking forward to making improvements to the way I’m skiing because I believe good results are not far away. In terms of the Tour, today was not catastrophic. Heading in to tomorrow’s final climb I am sitting in 31st place, but I’m only 45 seconds out of 18th place. I am looking forward to moving up and I believe my pre-Tour goal of a top-20 finish is still attainable,” he concluded.

Tomorrow’s fireworks will determine the final winner and it looks like Norway will final claim the one prize that has eluded it since the Tour’s inception. Will it be race leader Sundby, or super star Northug… or will Austria’s Johannes Duerr in 5th be the spoiler that takes the final crown ?

Full results here.
TdS Overall here.

January 04, 2014 (Oberhof, GER) – Norwegian Emil Hegle Svendsen’s confidence is building to Sochi as he made it 2-for-2 in Oberhof winning the Men’s 12.5km Pursuit suffering only one penalty in prone, as the fog and rain disappeared yielding great conditions on day two.

It was a repeat of yesterday’s Sprint podium as fellow Norge, Ole Einar Björndalen, claimed second (2 penalties) with French ace, Martin Fourcade, in third again also with two missed targets.

The two North Americans racing in the pursuit were the USA’s Leif Nordgren who finished 45th with three penalties while Canada’s Macx Davies was 54th with four penalties.

Like yesterday Björndalen shot clean and opened up an early lead over Fourcade as Svendsen trailed. When Fourcade faltered on the standing range Svendsen took over second. Then it was Björndalen, who gave in to the pressure, while his teammate Svendsen took charge again this time with a more comfortable 35.6s margin for his second victory.

“Shooting clean on that last standing was a great feeling,” Svendsen told Biathlonword.com. “The snow is getting very dirty and slow so I had to work hard today. I was really tired on that last loop, so I am glad I did not have to battle with Ole or Martin.”

Women’s Race
Darya Domracheva (Blr) also took her second victory of the weekend in the women’s 10km Pursuit (3 penalties) finishing in 33:35. Sweden’s Kaisa Makarainen (Fin) was on the podium as well repeating her silver performance from yesterday also with three penalties as Norway’s Synnoeve Solemdal grabbed third (2 penalties) at 1:11.7 behind.

The USA’s Susan Dunklee from Barton, VT, had a strong performance placing 25th with four penalties while Annelies Cook finished 54th (9 penalties) with Canada’s Claude Godbout in 55th with eight penalties.

Domracheva shot clean and took an early lead but handed it over to Makarainen when she missed two targets. When her Swedish rival faltered on the standing range Domracheva took back the lead and held on for her second victory.

In the battle for third it was the Ukraine’s Valj Semerenko in the bronze position but two misses in standing gave Solemdal the opportunity and she landed third on the podium.

Men’s results here
Women’s results here.

January 04, 2014 (Chaikovskiy, Russia) – Despite cold conditions in Chaikovski, Russia, Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) posted the fastest time of the day on Saturday, skiing an incredible 38 seconds faster than any other athlete to finish sixth in the Nordic Combined Individual Gundersen competition. Fletcher rocketed into the top ten despite the sub-zero temperatures after a disappointing jump result put him over three minutes back in 49th for the 10km race.

“Today was a great day that showed me to never give up. I am looking forward to a better jump closer to the front so I can ski the same race and not get stuck in traffic as much and have a shot at the podium. I am excited for the next weeks, as this was a great feeling and there’s more to come,” said Fletcher.

Tim Hug from Switzerland. claimed his first ever World Cup win crossing the finish line 5.7 seconds ahead of Germany’s Björn Kircheisen. Miroslav Dvorak from the Czech Republic also made the jump onto the podium finishing 8.3 seconds behind Hug.

Local Russian hero Evgeniy Klimov ruled the jumping with the longest distance of the day to claim the lead with 136.7 points and a 26-second head start on Wilhelm Denifl from Austria. Strong Norwegian jumper Thomas Kjelbotn claimed third as Hug set himself up for his victory with a tenth place jump.

Fletcher was ready for today saying, “I had good prep after the last period and felt great. Then I got a nasty cold traveling to Russia and felt under the weather all week, but with that I got some more rest and felt great this morning. I woke up ready and had a great trial but maybe tried a little hard in comp and things weren’t on the same page for me. I had one of the days where I didn’t want to race because of my jump, but I hate not racing more than anything.

“At the start of the race I went out super hard to catch as many people on the first lap and I thought I was doomed because of my pace. It wasn’t until the last 1k that I really felt the effects,” he added.

US Nordic Combined Head Coach Dave Jarrett was pleased with Fletcher’s effort. “It was an awesome race today from Taylor. Just goes to go show you that it is not over after jumping. I was hoping Brett would get in for some World Cup points today, but 32 is a good step for him. Big hill tomorrow and a new opportunity.”

Brett Denney (Steamboat Springs, CO) finished 32nd and was the only other American to qualify for Saturday’s event. Athletes take on the large hill on Sunday for a second nordic combined in Chaikovski, Russia.

Official Results here.
Overall Standings here.

January 03, 2014 (Cortina, Italy) – Team USA’s Noah Hoffman (USA) threw down the second-fastest time of the day in the TdS men’s 35km FR Pursuit from Cortina to Toblach, rocketing him from 56th spot into 27th overall. Last year at his inaugural Tour the Hoff was 46th. Meanwhile, Canada’s Alex Harvey (CAN) fought to maintain a top TdS podium spot, skiing strong and smart to finish third behind winner and race leader Martin Sundby (NOR) while Petter Northug (NOR) grabbed second. Northug’s result moved him from fourth to second place in the overall standings.

This was Hoffman’s second podium stage World Cup result this season as the Aspen, Colorado-skier had the fastest pursuit time at the season opening World Cup in Kuusamo, Finland in November.

“I am very happy with how the race went today. My energy was great. I was very aggressive. I started hard because I knew I needed to move up on the uphill portion of the race. I pushed very hard near the top to make contact with a big group because I know from experience that it is crucial to be with a group on that descent. I had excellent skis and am happy to be competitive in this Tour again. I believe my original goal of finishing in the top 20 is attainable. I’m looking forward to the last two days,” Hoffman told SkiTrax post race.

“Noah picked up where Jessie and Liz left off, not to mention where he left off in the Kuusamo mini tour. We’ve always known Noah can chase people down that are ahead of him, but his speed has often suffered in the final 1-2 kilometers of racing. In kuusamo and again today he caught the pack and finished high within it. His ability to ski efficiently with the group has improved dramatically,” commented Women’s Head Coach Matt Whitcomb.

Starting 35 seconds behind Sundby 25-year-old Harvey tucked himself into a group of seven athletes where he did a good job conserving energy for the first 18-kilometre high-speed climb on the mountain pass before the descent into Toblach, which highlights the second half of the race.

“My plan was to fight for dear life and hang onto that group today,” said Harvey. “It went a lot easier on the climb than I thought. It is a unique race that we only do once a year and you really never know how far in you are. It is a challenge mentally and fun to chase people down and form little groups.”

With Sundby pulling strong off the front for the duration of the longest race at the Tour de Ski, he left the rest of the top Nordic skiers on the planet to fight for the final two spots on the podium. As Sundby collapsed over the finish line, Harvey bolted down a left hand finishing lane where he claimed the bronze medal with a time of 1:21:17.4. It was the 10th World Cup career podium for Harvey, of St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que. He has also won two World Championship medals.

“I’m really happy with how things went today,” said Harvey, who sits third in the overall Tour de Ski standings with two races remaining. “Heading into the Tour I was hoping for a few top-five finishes, but to be in the top-three overall the whole way is exciting.”

Sundby clocked a golden time of 1:20:18.7, while Northug won the sprint for the silver with a time of 1:21:16.9.

Devon Kershaw, of Sudbury, Ont., held his own, skiing a strong second half to finish 23rd with a time of 1:23:24.0. Ivan Babikov, of Canmore, Alta. rebounded to finish 28th (1:23:25.0) up from 32nd at the start, after skiing four of the first five kilometres without a pole.

“I caught a group of skiers at around 2km from the start and while passing them I got slightly tangled with one of them and he stepped on my pole and it broke. After that I lost a minute on the group that I was skiing with that included Tord Asle Gjerdalen and Johannes Duerr [both finished in the top 10 -ed.].

When I finally got a replacement I was by myself and had to work my way back to that group, or what’s left of it. I’m happy that I could get back on some of them and finish in the top 30, but somewhat upset as I felt very good and could have been way closer to a leaders,” Babikov told Trax.

“Ivan skied a really strong race after having some bad luck breaking his pole one kilometre in the race at a spot that is difficult to get too,” said Justin Wadsworth, head coach, Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team. “We are happy with where the guys are at and to have Alex on the podium again. I think he did a great job conserving energy for the final weekend, whereas Sundby worked pretty hard on his own today so it will be interesting to see what he has tomorrow.”

Harvey also won gold in the prologue race at the Tour opener in Oberhof, Germany, and a silver in the sprint race in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. With heavy snow and warm conditions projected for the 10-kilometre classic-ski race in Val di Fiemme, Italy on Saturday, recovery will be critical for the final two stages.

“They are expecting like 35 centimetres of snow tomorrow so those are pretty much the worst conditions possible for a classic race, which could be a nightmare,” added Harvey. “Guys will have to make the right equipment choices and the toughest guys will survive.”

Harvey will make a decision following Saturday’s race if he will hit the start line for the final punishing nine-kilometre hill climb up Alpe Cermis – a race that throws tactics out the window – forcing man against hill with pitches nearing 30 per cent grade.

While Harvey has completed the climb in the past, a health condition may prevent him from competing to protect his left leg. The steep climb wreaks havoc with an artery in his leg. Lifting the leg going up the alpine ski hill forces the hip flexor to buldge, which impedes blood flow.

With files from CCC.

Results

1. Martin Sundby (NOR) 1:20:18.7
2. Petter Northug (NOR) 1:21:16.9
3. Alex Harvey (CAN) 1:21:17.4

23. Devon Kershaw (CAN) 1:23:24.0
27. Noah Hoffman (USA) 1:23:24.9
28. Ivan Babikov (CAN) 1:23:25.0
DNS Simeon Hamilton (USA)
DNS Andy Newell (USA)

Full results here.
Men’s 35km FR times here.
TdS Overall here.

January 03, 2014 (Cortina, Italy) – USA’s Liz Stephen (USA) logged a standout race today in Cortina at the Tour de Ski’s women’s 15km FR Pursuit, posting the fifth-fastest time and moving up in the overall from 22nd to 12th – last year she finished 15th overall.

Norway’s Astrid Jacobsen (NOR) scored the win with a time of 37:30.3 ahead of teammate Therese Johaug (NOR), while Sweden’s Sara Lindborg (SWE) powered out the fastest time of 37:16.6 and moved into 10th overall.

USA’s Jessie Diggins (USA) also had a solid day as well, moving up from 21st to 13th with the eighth-fastest time of the day. She finished 21st in 2013. American teammate Holly Brooks (USA) finished 39th in today’s pursuit, while fellow Team USA member Sophie Caldwell did not start. Canadian Dasha Gaiazova (CAN) also did not start the race.

Stephen is starting to strut her stuff and SkiTrax chatted with her post-race. “The race yesterday was really hard and really fun. Jessie and I had a great pack to ski with, Kristin [Stormer Steira] being the strongest on the climbs would pull away from the group with me a bit off her heels and Jessie was really good on the downhills so she would pull us back in again,” commented Stephen

“It was a really fun game of cat and mouse and we went fast from the start, which made it exciting and also helped us catch so many people. Big thanks to Kristin for doing such incredible work out there and a shoutout to Sara Lindborg for winning the day and certainly having what I would guess is her best skate race of her career. Really strong skiing by her,” she concluded.

We caught up with Diggins post-race for her take on another great day for the American team.

“I was excited for the 15km skate because I really like the course here, and I love pursuit starts where I get to chase people down. The course was 3 laps of a 5km, that started with some flats and then had two long gradual climbs to the top of the course. From there the course swooped down and up three times on the side of a hill, before dropping back to the stadium level.

“I started with Kristin Stormer Steira 4 seconds ahead of me and Liz two seconds behind me. The three of us worked together, and we sometimes were in a pack of four more girls, as people would join or drop based on how they were feeling on that part of the course. I couldn’t keep up on the climbs, but on the second half of the course and especially the gradual downhill I would catch up.

“Kristin, Liz and I all took turns pulling – I would lead the flats and downhills, doing the work where my strengths were on the course to help pull the group along, and then I’d try my best to stay in contact on the climbs. A lot of the girls in the larger pack never took turns leading, but that’s sometimes the way it goes.

“This was for sure the most fun I’ve had racing so far this year – working with the other girls to have a great race. It was painful, for sure – I could feel the acid rising in my throat every time I got into a tuck and by the finish my legs felt like lead, but it was still a fun race! Conditions were ideal in Cortina, with sunny skies and temperatures hovering just above freezing,” commented Diggins.

Women’s Head Coach Matt Whitcomb was happy with the teams results commentin, “Starting only two seconds apart, Jessie and Liz had a chance to work together to employ each other’s strengths. Today, Liz was a little stronger on the long gradual climbing and Jessie a little stronger on the flats. They predicted this would be the case and were ready to execute their plan. I was happy to see them engage in tactics the way they did. The energy was quite strong for both Jessie and Liz, which is a lot to ask for with only two stages left to race. We are really proud of our athletes today, but again the service team produced some very fast skis. It takes a team effort and we were rewarded for it.”

Results

1. Astrid Jacobsen (NOR) 37:30.3
2. Therese Johaug (NOR) 38:09.0
3. Anne Kylloelen (FIN) 38:42.5

12. Liz Stephen (USA) 39:55.3
13. Jessie Diggins (USA) 39:58.6
39. Holly Brooks (USA) 42:46.4
DNS Dasha Gaiazova
DNS Sophie Caldwell

Full results here.
Women’s 15km FR times here.
TdS Overall here.

January 03, 2014 (Salt Lake City, UT)  – It wasn’t just the athletes that posted better results in 2013. With the surge in development, the improvement on the junior ranks and the professional focus making skiing better, the NNF upped the game as well. Through the D25, events and individual donors, we raised more money than ever before, over $300,000 for skiing development. Check out the breakdown below and read our release on our website HERE.

How Simi Hamilton Spent New Year’s Eve

NNF Upcoming – US Nationals, A Master’s Auction, Outdoor Retailer & More

With all this success, it’s hard to stay static. The National Nordic Foundation has big plans for 2014 and beyond. (While people are gearing up for Sochi, we have our eyes on the skiers for the 2018 games in PyeongChang, South Korea.)

Here’s where you’ll find us in January:

• US Nationals (January 3rd – January 9th)  We’ll be bringing reports from the junior races, media training the athletes selected for the events and extending awareness of our projects.
• A Master’s Auction (January 5th – February 22nd) – Great industry partners, World Cup gear, opportunities to hang with the heavy hitting athletes of the US Team. We’ve got it all and we’re auctioning it off this winter in an online auction geared towards master skiers. Look for the chance to bid on incredibly limited quantities of skiing gear between US Nationals and the American Birkebeiner.
• Outdoor Retailer (January 22nd & 23rd) It’s the largest outdoor trade show in North America and we’re going to be onsite telling the story of skiing to anyone who will listen. We’re looking for volunteers! Contact us to be involved.

Calendars – Happy New Year!

Mark 2014 in style! Buy your NNF calendar from our website and get fired up every month of the year with great skiing action shots. Click HERE for details.

January 01, 2014 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland) – Alexey Poltoranin (KAZ) surged in the final push to the line taking no prisoners on his way to victory on Stage 4 of the Tour de Ski, the men’s 15km CL mass start competition. In second was  Hannes Dotlzer (GER) followed by Stanislav Volzhentsev (RUS) in third just ahead of Germany’s Thomas Bing.

Canada’s Ivan Babikov had a strong day moving up from 75th to claim 19th as the sprinters took a backseat to the distance skiers just prior to the second rest day at the Tour. Babikov’s teammate Alex Harvey, the race leader, looked like he might contend but but just after the first bonus points at around 6km Harvey fell back into the 30s and never recovered finishing 40th. He now sits 3rd overall while Devon Kershaw was 47th.

“It aas a good day for me, eventhough I spent a lot of energy coming from starting position of 75th. I was able to get into the leading group but didn’t have enough for a finish. My skis were OK, I wasn’t getting dropped on the downhills by much and could stay in the draft of other skiers.

“Every day at the Tour is a new story, today I felt good but no one knows how will it be tomorrow. I’m just trying to race day by day and do my best, at this point I’m just very happy that all those sprints are done, ” Babikov told Trax post-race.

Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby collected enough sprint bonus seconds to move himself into the overall Tour lead while Sweden’s Calle Halfvarsson is +31.7s behind in second with Harvey 3rd.

“I am very happy about my performance today. It’s my first victory of the season. I left some power for the final sprint. I felt strong and today’s result gives me good confidence for next training for the Olympic Winter Games,” said Poltoranin.

For Sundby it’s a matter now of hanging on. “The most important goal today was to keep Legkov and Halfvarsson behind me. The Norwegian team had great team tactics. We spoke about it also during the competition. Petter (Northug) helped me a lot today. I am looking forward to the next stages, especially for Cortina-Toblach stage. I feel strong for the 35km free,” he told FIS XC.

Noah Hoffman (Aspen, CO) led the U.S. men in 55th with a strong race going until he crashed and broke both poles. While the Swiss team got him replacements, it was another half lap before he got poles that were the proper length. Andy Newell and Simi Hamilton will drop out of the Tour, as planned, to rest and train for the final pre-Olympic World Cups.

Thursday will be the second rest day of the Tour before the men’s point-to-point 35km free technique competition from Cortina-Toblach, Italy.

Full results here.

January 01, 2014 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland) – Kerttu Niskanen delivered a strong victory for Finland today in the women’s mass start 10km CL fending off challenges from two of Norway’s strongest skiers, Therese Johaug and Astrid Jacobsen, as she captured her first stage World Cup victory at the Tour de Ski.

Niskanen. who attacked at the halfway mark reversing a 56-second deficit to take the lead couldn’t be reeled in despite numerous attempts by the Norwegian posse chasing her, becoming the fifth athlete at this year’s Tour to earn an inaugural stage World Cup. With the departure of Marit Bjoergen this morning due to illness, Jacobsen took over the race lead as skiers enjoy the second rest day tomorrow.

The top North American was Liz Stephen who placed 26th moving up from 37th at the start as the distance skiers will strut their stuff over the remaing three stages. Fans will remember that last year, Stephen had the second fastest time up Alpe Cermis, the final stage at the Tour.

Jesse Diggins, who was skiing well in 21st started to feel the affects of racing each day and fell back to 32nd at the finish while Sophie Caldwell ended up 33rd on the day and 16th overall as today was her last race at her inagural Tour.

The USA’s Holly Brooks finished 50th, Canada’s Dasha Gaiazova was 59th and fellow Canuck Perianne Jones was on today’s start line as 11 skiers in total abandoned the Tour today. Norway’s Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg, 10th today retains the Sprint leaders bib but will withdraw tomorrow to prepare for the next World Cup sprint weekend in Nove Mesto, Cze. Jan. 11-12.

“The bright spot today was Liz Stephen having a strong classic race and moving up the Tour standings to 22nd. Her classic race demonstrates the kind of form that she is in and highlights her potential to really climb the ranks in the last three stages.

“With Jessie Diggins in 21st, Liz in 22nd and Holly Brooks in 42nd in the Tour standings, all are poised to really move up the ranks in Toblach and in Val di Fiemme where the focus will be on distance skate races – a technique and format that favors all three women. Their forward progress will be accelerated by the fact that Sophie and few other athletes will be abandoning the Tour now,” commented Chris Grover, US Cross Country Head Coach.

After Thursday’s rest day the Tour de Ski will move to Italy for Stages 5, 6 and 7.

Full results here.

January 01, 2014 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland) – On the morning of the fourth stage of the Tour de Ski, the Norwegian Ski Federation has announced that Marit Bjoergen is withdrawing from the Tour. The Federation announced the withdrawal with an official press release that can be read below:

Marit Bjoergen leaves Tour de Ski

“I’m very sorry for leaving the Tour, but when my shape is not good enough to fight for the victory in the Tour de Ski, it is more important for me to focus on the Olympics putting all my efforts in for the Sochi Games,” Marit Bjoergen says.

“The level for breaking the Tour de Ski is, as previously stated, very low,” says Norway’s National Coach Egil Kristiansen.” It’s a shame that Marit must leave the Tour, but when she is not in shape that is the decision.”

Norway’s Team Doctor Dag Lunder describes the situation as non-dramatic health wise . “Marit has a simple viral infection. She had a vague stomach ache before starting yesterday which lead to reduced efforts in the quarter-finals of the sprint race. After the race she had a light stomach flu and fever but she is now on the mend. She will travel back home to Norway to take it easy for a few days and then start her training – when she is healthy. Marit will be taken care of by our medical team when she comes home,” says Lunder.

The Tour continues today with the 10/15 km classic mass start competitions in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. The men’s competition begins at 13:00 CET and the ladies’ at 15:45 CET.

December 31, 2013 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland) – The USA’s Simeon Hamilton made history with his victory today in the men’s 1.5 FR sprint at the Tour de Ski in Lenzerheide. It was the first men’s World Cup sprint win by a US skier as he joined the likes of Kikkan Randall setting another milestone since Bill Koch won the USA’s first World Cup back in the 1980s. Hamilton’s victory marked the second men’s stage World Cup win this season for the USA as Noah Hoffman had the fastest pursuit time at the Kuusamo World Cup in November.

Hamilton, who is originally from Aspen, CO and earned his xc ski spurs at Middlebury College in Vermont, shared the final podium with Canada’s Alex Harvey (CAN), who is also on fire. Harvey, the race leader, landed on the podium again grabbing second place as he holds onto the TdS Leader’s bib for another day also capturing the Sprint Leader’s bib. Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby claimed third.

“It really hasn’t sunk in yet,” an ebullient Hamilton told Trax in a post-race interview. “I felt good this morning and knew my energy was there after the qualifications. I remembered a chat that I had with US coach Matt Whitcomb last week that if you really want it you have to have the edge. Today I had the edge. It’s really cool to ski your heart out and match that with a win.”

Meanwhile this is Harvey’s best Tour de Ski yet and the boost the Canadian team needed.

“Our team has had slow starts, but outside the World Championships and Olympics, the Tour de Ski is the next biggest thing for us,” said Harvey.“It is awesome to have the leader’s bib. Every day that I start with it on my shoulders is extra special. Lots of people are fighting to grab the bib from me and who knows – maybe that even makes me go faster.

“I have three sprint podiums in my career and I have qualified in the 20’s every time so I know when you get into the heats, and the gun goes off, it is a fresh start,” added Harvey. “My tactics were perfect all day. I wanted to leave a little gap at the top of the last hill, but still be close enough to carry the draft. I was able to do that and generated a huge amount of speed around the final corner into the finish stretch.”

It was an amazing start to the day for the Americans who went 1-2 in the qualifications as Hamilton was fastest, followed closely by teammate Andy Newell sounding the alarm that something was in the air in Switzerland. Harvey qualified 24th as Devon Kershaw placed 56th, Noah Hoffman was 83rd and Ivan Babikov was 97th.

Then it was time to get to work. Hamilton started off strong the heats strong, winning the first quarterfinal heat to advance, while Harvey and Newell also advanced with a pair of second-place efforts in their heats.

“I wanted to push the pace in the heats and force things. I felt good and knew I needed to be near the front and well positioned if I wanted to advance,” he explained. “The long downhill to the finishing lanes was an opportunity to slingshot but this could also work against you if you’re were leading.”

In Hamilton’s semi he was up against Harvey and Italian fastman Federico Pellegrino. Things were going his way as he charged to the front on the final climb and then slid downhill to the finishing lanes. But the chasers were hot on his tail and he got pipped at the line with Harvey taking the win and Pellegrino second. Hamilton settled for 3rd and Sundby in 4th but both squeaked through as Lucky Losers setting up the historic final. “I bobbled a bit when I started my final sprint,” admitted Hamilton. “That and the slingshot effect cost me the win.”

Newell also skied well in his semi, hovering in second and third place until the final straightaway, where he got pushed back into fourth as everyone charged to the line from behind and he did not advance finishing 8th on the day.

“It was an exciting day for us and we are all pumped up for the team right now. I felt good in the quali but didn’t think the times would hold up like they did. I think it goes to show you how our wax techs really did an amazing job today, we definitely had the fastest boards out there,” commented Newell.

The men’s sprint final was thrilling, with Pellegrino leading it out. Then it was Sundby who took control, as Hamilton and Harvey held third and fourth, respectively, until the final climb, when Hamilton made his move on the inside lane. He attacked and took the lead into the final straightaway and never looked back. Harvey was still charging too, trying to get Hamilton on the outside, but the American was untouchable this time as he flew to victory.

“I knew I had to change my tactic a bit in the final after what happened in the semi so I decided to ski around 2nd or 3rd and conserve my energy for the final push. At the top of the climb on the second lap, the Norwegian in front of me [Sundby] completely blew up and both of us lost a lot of time to the leader Pellegrino starting onto the downhill.

“But the draft that we got off of him allowed us to get a good slingshot at the bottom of the downhill and when I saw a small space open up between the Italian and the Norwegian I took it with about 150 meters to go before the finish. After I made it thru the space unscathed, I just focused on skiing fast but relaxed all the way across the line.

“I told myself to just ski smooth and trust my speed. I can’t think of a better way to ring in the new year and I’m really happy to share the podium with Alex,” added Hamilton.

US Head Coach Chris Grover was more than pleased. “It was a fantastic day for Simi and the team and we’re really excited to see him show his stuff. He and Andy really lit up the place this morning in the qualifications. Simi’s sprint win today and Noah’s distance win in Kuusamo are examples of the momentum on the men’s team,” commented Grover.

We caught up with Marty Hall, US XC Ski Head Coach when Bill Koch was making headlines in 80s for his take on the day. “Congratulations to Simi on making history with the USA’s 1st all-time sprint win, as he joins Bill Koch with multiple WC 1st-place finishes during the 1982 and 83 seasons, and this year’s 1st place distance finish by Noah Hoffman in the pursuit at the World Cup in Kuusamo. This is a stand-alone race win for Simi as the WC back in Kochi’s day did not classify any races as sprints,” commented Hall.

US XC Ski Team leader Kikkan Randall was on the edge of her seat watching in Davos, “Really cool to see my teammates ski so well today. I think I had more butterflies in my stomach watching both those finals today than I do for my own events. So great to see both Sophie and Simi ski so confident and strong in the rounds. Simi looked especially strong all day and I’m so happy to see him have a breakthrough result. The power of belief is amazing and this team believes now,” said Randall.

Results

1. Simeon Hamilton (USA)
2. Alex Harvey (CAN)
3. Martin Sundby (NOR)
4. Federico Pellegrino (ITA)
5. Finn Haagen Krogh (NOR)

8. Andy Newell (USA)
56. Devon Kershaw (USA)
83. Noah Hoffman (USA)
97. Ivan Babikov (CAN)

Qualifications here.
Results here.
TdS Overall here.
TdS Sprint Overall here.

December 31, 2013 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland) – It was an exciting breakthrough day for USA’s Sophie Caldwell in Lenzerheide for the women’s 1.5km FR sprints as the Tour de Ski continued. Caldwell made her first sprint final ever with strong skiing placing sixth after winning her semi to secure her career-best result, while Norway’s Ingvild Flugstad Oesterberg (NOR) and Astrid Jacobsen (NOR) went one-two.

Caldwell, from Vermont, was the only North American to advance to the semis as teammate Jessie Diggins (USA) finished fifth in her quarterfinal heat. After placing second in her quarter final match Caldwell skied smart and strong again in her semi as she moved up from third attacking on the final climb to take the lead into the finishing lanes and held on for the win.

In the final Caldwell had a tougher time moving up from fifth into third on the inside lane. But she was unable to hold her podium position, falling to fifth as the pace picked up and ended up sixth as the Norwegians dominated the top two, followed by Germany’s Denise Hermann (GER) in third.

Diggins finished in 21st followed by Holly Brooks (USA) in 37th, Perianne Jones (CAN) in 39th, 44. Elizabeth Stephen (USA) in 44th and Dasha Gaiazova (CAN) in 45th.

“Today was a really exciting day. I was psyched to ski my first final and am so happy for Simi and the rest of the team. I’m learning a lot each race and I was able to ski tactically well in both my quarter and semi finals,” Caldwell explained to SkiTrax. “I simply got tired in my final, but I still couldn’t stop smiling after because I was so excited to be there. Apparently I’m ranked 6th in the Tour now, so I’ll be starting on the front line in the mass start tomorrow! I plan on dropping out after tomorrow, but it’s been really fun so far.”

“It was super exciting for Sophie racing her first A Final,” said a smiling Head Coach Chris Grover, “She keeps having breakthrough results and we’re thrilled with her skiig.”

Results
1. Ingvild Flugstad Oesterberg (NOR)
2. Astrid Jacobsen (NOR)
3. Denise Herrmann (GER)
4. Laurien Van Der Graff (SUI)
5. Hanna Kolb (GER)

6. Sophie Caldwell (USA)
21. Jessie Diggins (USA)
37. Holly Brooks (USA)
39. Perianne Jones (CAN)
44. Elizabeth Stephen (USA)
45. Dasha Gaiazova (CAN)

Qualifications here.
Results here.
TdS Overall here.
TdS Sprint Overall here.

December 30, 2013 (Oberhof, GER) – This past Saturday, Dec. 28, was truly a memorable day as it’s the first time ever that Canada finished one-two at an elite international cross-country skiing event, with Alex Harvey winning the men’s Tour de Ski 4.5km Prologue in Oberhof, followed by teammate Devon Kershaw in second. Harvey also joined US star, Kikkan Randall, becoming the second North American (Randall took the historic win in the women’s Prologue at last year’s TdS) and the first North American man, to wear the Tour de Ski leader’s jersey going into Stage 1, the Oberhof FR sprint event, where he placed 11th and retained the coveted leader’s bib.

Post race interview with Harvey here.
Tour de Ski Day 1 (Dec. 28) race report here.

December 29, 2013 (Park City, Utah) – Under a beautiful Western sunny sky, Nick Fairall (Andover, NH) took the victory in the winner-take-all format  of the U.S. Olympic Trials in ski jumping at Utah Olympic Park, at the venue of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Fairall has long felt comfortable here having won the U.S. Large Hill Nationals in August on plastic here.

With the largest crowd of spectators on hand to watch the sport since the 2002 Games, and featured live on NBC Sports, Fairall had a pair of jumps of 96 meters to score 253.5 points to make his first-ever U.S. Olympic team, while his family watched the event from the stands. “I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time,” Fairall noted with excitement in an interview with the USASJ News Bureau following the awards ceremony, “I like this format, and the crowd created such excitement, it was unbelievable. I tried to stay mentally strong today and not put too much pressure on myself and it paid off. I’m really happy.”

Park City local and two-time U.S. Olympian Anders Johnson placed second today only a scant 4.5 points behind the winner, while Peter Frenette (Saranac Lake, NY) placed a solid third with 245.5 total points. Johnson was satisfied with his efforts today and said…”you know, I had two pretty darn good jumps, I had a small problem on my telemark (landing) on my first ride and that cost me something. But today was great and the enthusiasm of the crowd made it wonderful.”

Jessica Jerome (Park City, UT) a member of the U.S. Women’s national team took the women’s win and in doing so punched her ticket to Sochi on the first-ever U.S. Women’s Olympic ski jumping team. She was followed by former World Champion Lindsey Van in second, while Allissa Johnson took third place. All three women hail from Park City.

“It feels like I can breathe. I feel relieved because I earned that spot so now I have a good month to really focus on my training and not really have to worry about earning my spot,” commented Jerome. “Our coach actually came into the locker room this morning and gave us this little motivational speech and he’s like, ‘Girls, all these people are out here for you. You may not realize it, but this is historic. This has never happened before, so just embrace it and enjoy it.’ I thought that was pretty cool.

“I have never competed in front of a crowd like this in Park City. This was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen up at the Olympic Park by far. It’s just awesome. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve wrapped my head around it yet. It sounds cliché, but it is a dream come true and I can’t wait to go and represent my country,” she added.

The remainder of the men’s and women’s Olympic squads are expected to be named about January 20th, based upon accumulated points.

U.S. Men’s Head Ski Jumping coach Clint Jones called it a great day. “Based upon how the guys have been jumping so far this season I was really happy, it was a very fair competition, and I was pretty much expecting the guys that placed in the top three to be there. Nick Fairall has been jumping pretty well and it was good that he was so consistent. Pete Frenette jumped very well and was right in there and Anders, who has probably more jumps on this hill than anyone else, had some difficulty on the landing on the first jump but still was very strong,” he explained.

Frenette and Fairall will depart next Tuesday for the final two stops of the famed Four Hills Tournee in Austria and then travel to Kulm, AUT for FIS World Cup ski flying. Johnson will depart next week with other members of the U.S. COC team for Wisla, Poland.

December 29, 2013 (Oberhof, GER) – It was Sweden’s day to shine despite tough conditions at the Tour as Hanna Erikson took her first World Cup victory out-pacing 2nd-placed Nicole Herrmann (GER) in the final of the 1.5km women’s Sprint FR, along with Marit Bjørgen (NOR) who ended up 5th. Bjoergen’s teammate Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg, the fastest qualifier, grabbed the final podium spot.

The day started with promise for the North American contingent as the USA’s Sophie Caldwell qualified a strong 5th, with Canada’s Dasha Gaiazova just behind in 10th along with teammate Perianne Jones in 14th, followed by American Jessie Diggins in 18th. But none would advance beyond the quarterfinals despite some valiant attempts as the rain that fell would turn to snow as the heats ended.

Diggins looked strongest through her 1/4 final leading for most of it until the final sections as she battled with French star Aurore Jean and then fell back on the final climb to finish 5th in the heat and 18th on the day. Gaiazova (27th) and Jones (28th) also skied near the front in their heats but could not sustain the pace in the end.

“I was really happy with my start in the quarterfinals; my goal was to get off to a strong start and be in the front or near it because the course is so twisty and very hard to pass on. I got a little tired near the end, and I also managed to somehow twist my right pole basket around 180 so on the last uphill climb I was struggling to get any power when missing pole plants. Lesson learned,” commented Diggins.

“It was a solid day but my body wasn’t feeling the way it was in the prologue…that that’s the beauty of the Tour de Ski – it’s about the long run, not each individual day! I’m looking forward to the next races, and getting to spend some time in Lenzerheide. I’m psyched for Andy’s top 10, Sophie’s amazing qualifier, and our team was SO close to having 3 more in the quarters – especially Liz! Watch out world, Liz is getting her skate sprint going, and it’s awesome,” she added.

Caldwell had the unique situation as she faced five German rivals on their home turf – talk about a stacked deck. The Vermont skier held her own admirably and for most of her race was in the top three but up the final climb she didn’t have the legs and ended up 5th in her heat and 22nd on the day.

“It was a little intimidating being in a heat with five German skiers in Germany. Let’s just say I probably wasn’t getting the most cheers out there, but everyone else in my heat was so I pretended they were for me,” shared Caldwell with Trax post-race.

“I felt great in my prelim and had a good start in my quarter, but I think I made a few tactical errors and then I was really spent by the long finishing stretch. The German women were also on fire today in every way – energy, numbers, and skis. I’m still learning a lot each time I qualify for the rounds, so I definitely have some positives from today and some things I still need to work on for next time,” she added.

Bjørgen continues to lead overall with Herrmann in second and Østberg 3rd. Caldwell is 13th overall for the USA while Gaiazova is 29th for Canada. Bjørgen also leads the TdS Sprint standings.

Qualifications here.
Full results here.
TdS Overall here.

December 29, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – We’re pleased to announce the standings in the SkiTrax Fantasy FIS Tour de Ski 2013/14 Contest after the 4.5km Prologue in Oberhof, Germany where Canada’s Alex Harvey won gold and Devon Kershaw took silver as the duo made history marking the first time Canada has finished one-two at an elite international cross-country skiing event – read more here.

With almost 350 teams entered this year’s TdS contest Man in black is leading with 102 points followed by NSA in second with 95 points. In third we have team Pkg2014tds with 88 points.

For the complete Standings after the Prologue in Oberhof click HERE.

This is the sixth annual international SkiTrax FIS Fantasy Tour de Ski 2013/14 Contest open to contestants worldwide – the only Nordic fantasy contests of their kind worldwide.

Good luck to all contestants and thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Madshus, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Atomic, Rudy Project, Marwe, Halti, Exer-Genie, WASPcam, Concept 2, Fresh Air Experience and High Peaks Cyclery.

SkiTrax Fantasy FIS TdS 2013/14 Contest Prizes
* 1st Prize – Madshus Redline Carbon Skate skis, Super Nano Skate boots, Nano Carbon Race 100 UHM poles (value $1,920)
* 2nd Prize – Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise – XC Ski 2-night luxury package (value $850)
* 3rd Prize – Atomic World Cup Skate or Classic boots ($479sk/$369cl)
* 4th Prize – Rudy Project Sunglasses For Sport Agon + For Life Spinhawk (value $450)
* 5th Prize – Marwe 610c Roller Skis (value $349)
* 6th Prize – Halti Nokka XC Outfit (value $325)
* 7th Prize – Exer-Genie XC Trainer (value $229)
* 8th Prize – WASPcam JAKD Action-Sports Camera (value $150)
* 9th Prize – Concept2  Goodie Duffle Bag (value $130)
* 10th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $100)

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).

December 28, 2013 (Oberhof, GER) – SkiTrax caught up with the dynamic duo, Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw, along with Head Coach Justin Wadsworth for an inside look at the Canadian team’s historic start to the Tour de Ski and how important today’s result was in putting the team back on track. Wadsworth also chats about Len Valjas and the team’s decision to send him home for full rehab on his knee… Tour de Ski day 1 race report here.

Alex Harvey

Devon Kershaw

Justin Wadsworth