January 25, 2019 (Lake Placid, NY.) – Jessica Yeaton (USA) APU Nordic Ski Center won the women’s 5km Individual Start Freestyle on Day 1 of the USSA SuperTour at Lake Placid, round 4 of the series. Sophie Caldwell (USA) SMS T2 / USST was close in second while Katherine Ogden (USA) Dartmouth Ski Team was third.

Kyle Bratrud (USA) SMS T2 took the win in the Men’s 10km FR race with Akeo Maifeld-Carucci (USA) Craftsbury Green Racing Project in second and Canada’s Alexi Dumas (Can) CNEPH taking third.

Results (brief)

Women
1. Jessica Yeaton (USA) APU Nordic Ski Center 15:01.9
2. Sophie Caldwell (USA) SMS T2 / USST  15:04.9
3. Katherine Ogden (USA) Dartmouth Ski Team 15:17.8

Men
1. Kyle Bratrud (USA) SMS T2 25:27.1
2. Akeo Maifeld-Carucci (USA) Craftsbury Green Racing Project 26:18.9
3. Alexi Dumas (Can) CNEPH 26:32.2

Full results here.

January 24, 2019 (Lahti, Finland) – Gus Schumacher capped a stellar day for Team USA only 0.2 seconds from winning bronze in the junior men’s 30km Classic mass start in a thrilling finish sprint to the line that saw him take 4th as he continued his success after placing 6th at the men’s 10km FR on Tuesday at the FIS Junior Worlds in Finland.

Canada’s Remi Drolet, 18, was also near the front of the race until the end finishing strong in 7th. American Ben Ogden solidified another top spot for the U.S with his 10th-place finish, as teammate Luke Jager took 13th, and Jonny Hagenbuch was 17th. Canada’s Sam Hendry finished 20th, Tom Stephen skied to 23rd and Pierrick Sarthou was 46th.

“I was pretty tired going into today but this morning I felt better and got a lot of energy when I saw how well the girls did. Definitely was kind of a crazy race in that it didn’t break up much at all, but it was super cool to have all the boys at the front for a lot of the race. It started to break up in the last 2km when people started to go, and I didn’t have a lot in the tank but I was able to hang in the top 4 but just didn’t have quite enough double pole speed in the finish, yet still so proud of the whole team today,” said Schumacher.

Italy’s Luca Del Fabbro took the overall win in the action-packed race, while Norway’s Haavard Moseby edged out Switzerland’s Cyril Faehndrich at the line for the silver medal.

“This is incredible. I’m super stoked,” beamed Drolet, who lives in Rossland, B.C. “It just feels great to come here and start with a solid result and build throughout the week and have my best finish in the final individual race of the event.”

In the Junior Women’s 15km classic event, American Kendall Kramer also had a stellar performance racing to 4th overall. Teammate Novie Mccabe also finished strong in 10th, as Mara McCollor was the next U.S women crossing the line in 24th. Jasmine Drolet was the top Canadian in 36th.

Sweden’s Frida Karlsson won handily to take the final women’s individual gold medal. Norway’s Helene Marie Fossesholm finished at 52.1 seconds back in second for the silver while Finland’s Anita Korva took the bronze.

Men’s results here.
Women’s results here.

January 24, 2019 (Vermont) – Dating since 2014, but friends and teammates long before that, Olympic cross-country skiers Sophie Caldwell and Simi Hamilton announced their engagement on social media on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 23, while in Vermont.

“I’ve known it for a long while now,” Hamilton wrote, “but I’m glad you finally agreed with me that we make it official.” A short time later, Caldwell echoed the happy news, pairing a simple caption with an adorable selfie of the couple. “I love you forever @simihamilton,” Caldwell wrote, adding a smiling emoji.

The skiers don’t remember where exactly it was that they first met, though it was likely when they were teenagers. Caldwell remembers developing a crush on Hamilton at a world junior meet in 2008. From there, a friendship blossomed and developed into more.

“We were teammates and after a year or so, I think we realized we had feelings for each other that were a little stronger than just a friendship,” Caldwell told TeamUSA.org last Valentine’s Day.

Both athletes honed their skills in Vermont, as the 28-year-old Caldwell is a native of the Green Mountain State while Hamilton, 31, was a three-time All-American at Middlebury College. They both ski out of Stratton Mountain School. Caldwell is a two-time Olympian, while Hamilton has been to three Games.

Todd Kortemeier is a sportswriter, editor and children’s book author from Minneapolis. He is a contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.

January 23, 2019 (Lahti, Finland) – A stellar performance by Julia Kern and the U.S women’s ski team put four skiers in the top 30 in the women’s 10km FR at the U23 Worlds on Wednesday. Kern would storm her way to a strong 12th-place finish to highlight the day, as Evalina Sutro would also crack the top 20 with a solid 18th place.

U.S teammates Hailey Swurbul would finish in a respective 26th, as Alayna Sonnesyn would follow shortly after in 27th.Sadie White was the top Canadian finisher in 43rd, as Russia’s Mariya Istomina took the overall victory from the day.

The Men’s U23 15km FR event would prove to be a tough one for the North Americans, as Antoine Cyr was the top Canadian finisher in 38th, followed by fellow Canuck Gareth Williams in 39th. Hunter Wonders led the U.S team with his 43rd-place finish.

Jules Lapierre of France took the win, followed by the Michal Novak of Czechoslovakia in 2nd, and Ivan Yakimushkin of Russia in 3rd.

Men’s results here.
Women’s results here.

January 22, 2019 (Lahti, Finland) – Canada’s Julian Smith from Thunder Bay, Ont. led the North American charge with a top-20 result in the U23 Men’s 1.6km CL Sprint ending up 19th on the day. Fellow Canuck Antoine Cyr of Gatineau, Que., was 20 while T-Bay’s Graham Ritchie was 26th. American Peter Holmes was 27th.

“It is a great day and I’m so proud to be racing and representing Canada again at the World Championships, but it stings a bit too because I was so close to moving on,” said Smith, who added the Canadians were hoping to have at least one in the heats heading into the day. “I’m happy with how I skied. I felt good and I executed my tactics well. It was great to have three of us in the heats today.”

Norway’s Erik Valnes won the men’s race. Russia’s Sergey Ardashev was second, while Joachim Aurland, also of Norway, skied onto the bronze medal step of the podium.

The USA’s Hannah Halvorsen was the top U23 woman in 23rd followed by Hailey Swirbul in 24th with Julia Kern in 27th. Kern was the top North American qualifier in 15th. No Canadians advanced to the heats as Sadie White finished 35th as the top Canuck.

Sweden’s Moa Lundgren captured the women’s crown. Lundgren topped Norway’s Tiril Udnes Weng who sprinted to the silver medal. Russia’s Aida Bayazitova claimed third spot.

Men’s results here.
Women’s results here.

January 22, 2019 – (Seefeld, Austria) U.S. Ski & Snowboard has named 18 athletes to the U.S. Cross Country Team that will compete in the 2019 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships next month in Seefeld, Austria. The biennial World Championships brings together the best athletes in the sport for the Feb. 20 – March 3 event which will be live streamed in its entirely on NBCsports.com.

January 21, 2019 (Lahti, Finland) – The USA’s Ben Ogden raced to a stellar 8th-place result after delivering a stunning 3rd-place finish in the Junior Men’s CL 1.6km Sprint qualifications at Lahti, Finland as the 2019 Junior/U23 Nordic World Championships got underway on Sunday.

Ogden made it to the semi-finals after winning his quarterfinal heat but placed 4th and was eliminated. His teammate Noel Keeffe qualified 15th and also made the semis, advancing as a Lucky Loser ending up 12th overall. Gus Schumacher (USA) qualified 12th and finished 5th in his quarter final to end up 16th on the day.

Luke Jager (USA), who qualified 20th, finished with the same ranking as did Remi Drole, the only Canadian to qualify to the heats in 28th – both were eliminated in their quarter finals.

Fellow Canuck Xavier McKeever, 15, the youngest athlete at the Junior World Championships, posted the 52nd fastest time in a field of more than 100 athletes. Thomas Stephen (CAN) was 59th and Pierrick Sarthou (CAN) was 67th – read more on the Canadians here.

Russia’s Alexander Terentev won the men’s race. Two Norwegian skiers snagged the final two spots on the podium with Ansgar Evensen taking second, while Haakon Skaanes won the bronze.

Sydney Palmer-Leger (USA) was the lone North American to qualify in the Junior women’s 1.4km CL race placing 29th and ended up 25th overall. The top Canadian was Calgary’s Anna Pryce, who finished 42nd and did not qualify for the heats as only the top 30 skiers advance.

Norway’s Kristine Stavaas Skistad captured the first international crown for the junior women. She was joined on the podium by Poland’s Monika Skinder in second and Finland’s Anita Korva in third.

Men’s qualifications here.
Women’s qualifications here.

Men’s results here.
Women’s results here.

January 20, 2019 (Sherbrooke, Que) – The temperature was in the -15 deg. C. range with high winds and heavy snow, for final day of the Haywood NorAm/World Championship trials. The event took place at Bishop’s University Sherbrooke/Lennoxville, Quebec and it was perfect conditions for FIS’s World Snow Day.

First off was the women’s race, a 15km FR mass start. It was a close contest initially between Nakkertok’s Katherine Stewart-Jones and Fondeur Laurentide’s Cendrine Browne. There was a bit of a pack on the 1st lap, including Chelsea’s Laura Leclair and another Nakkertok athlete Zoë Williams, but Stewart-Jones and Browne, broke away as the race progressed and it became a 2-skier contest.

The duo skied together on the first two laps, with Stewart-Jones creating a comfortable 8-second gap on the final lap for the win. In the middle of the race, Williams caught up to and passed Leclair for 3rd, with a 6-second margin at the finish.

“I felt really strong on the uphills and felt that I had something left for any sprint at the end,” Stewart-Jones who shows she is in good form for the upcoming FIS Nordic World Championships with two wins and a loss by a tenth of a second, in the three trials races.

In the Junior Women’s 15k race, Nakkertok’s Tove Halvorsen took home a commanding 2.5-minute victory over her teammate Bronwyn Williams, with Orford’s Alexandra Racine in 3rd.

The men’s 20km FR race was called an “epic contest” with 25 starters heading out to claim a spot on the World Championship team. Considering the conditions it was a bit surprising to see the skiers looking to make a break from the start as Russell Kennedy from Canmore and Lappe’s Evan Palmer-Charette set a brisk pace.

On the third lap Kennedy and yesterday’s winner, Scott Hill from Team Hardwood, stepped up the pace and on the final lap Kennedy skied away from Hill for a 23-second triumph.

It was a close race for 3rd as it came down to a sprint over the last 200 metres with Evan Palmer-Charette prevailing to take the bronze. A second later there was a photo-finish for 4th with Dumas, ahead of Shields and Skibec’s Philippe Boucher at 0.5 seconds behind.

“The fight for the podium occurred on the last uphill. I went hard initially once we hit the hill, and when Scott didn’t respond I just went for it Scott is skiing really well so I wanted to leave a bit of reserve just in case,” said Kennedy.

In the Junior Men’s 20k race, Felix-Olivier Moreau of Mont Ste. Anne won by over 4 minutes ahead of Nakkertok’s John Lindfors, with Orford’s Olivier Léveillé in 3rd. Moreau’s result was good for 7th overall.

Congratulations to the volunteers in Sherbrooke for putting on a great event, in very challenging weather conditions.

Results here.

January 20, 2019 (Otepaa, Estonia) – The USA’s Jessie Diggins claimed 13th in the women’s 10km Classic individual start dominated by Norway’s Therese Johaug as the World Cup wrapped up in Otepaa, Estonia on Sunday. Ebba Andersson of Sweden was second and Russian Natalia Nepryaeva placed third.

Also in the points were Americans Rosie Brennan in 27th and Sadie Bjornsen in 29th, while Caitlin Patterson was 39th, Ida Sargent placed 41st and Dahria Beatty was 43rd.

“Today was a really interesting and tricky waxing day out there, with variable conditions and snow blown in the tracks in many sections of the course! I was really happy with my kick and I know I lost a lot of time on the flats, but I was happy with how I raced my race,” said Diggins. “I was in the zone, pushing as hard as I possibly could and skiing technically better than years past. I’m still carrying some fatigue from the Tour so I need to rest a little more in the next few weeks, but I’m happy with where I’m sitting right now.”

“It was tough conditions this weekend in Estonia. I didn’t have too many expectations after suffering some illness and not racing for a little while. I had good feelings in the sprint, but not the speed I needed for the result I wanted. It left me optimistic for the distance race however,” said Brennan.

“I was pleased to wake up to new snow as I love slow, tough races, however, I really struggled to find skis that worked well on the uphills and were still fast on the downhill. I made the choice I thought was best, but it wasn’t quite what I needed to be competitive today. I am happy to be back racing and my shape feels good so I am hopeful that things will improve from here.”

The USA’s Erik Bjornsen was the top North American in 30th in the men’s 15km won by Finland’s Iivo Niskanen with Alexander Bolshunov of Russia in second and Didrik Toenseth of Norway completing the podium.

“Today was okay. I had some good moments during the race. My fitness is not where I would like it to be right now so I’m trying to turn that around. This weekend was a step in the right direction. My focus is on the Team Sprint and the individual 15km at World Champs. Today was a tough effort and hopefully something I can build off of. I’m not satisfied with a 30th place finish,” said Bjornsen.

American Scott Patterson was 36th, Len Valjas (Can) was 43rd, Bob Thompson (Can) finished 52nd, Benjamin Lustgarten (USA) was 53rd, and Kevin Bolger was 56th.

Women’s results here.
Men’s results here.

January 20, 2019 (Ruhpolding, Germany) – Canada’s Christian Gow was just out of the top 10 in the men’s 15km Mass Start finishing 11th with one penalty while American Sean Doherty raced to 13th matching his best-ever result as the BMW IBU World Cup in Ruhpolding wrapped up on Sunday.

Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Boe made a comeback on the last loop to win with a single standing penalty. Austria’s Julian Eberhard, with two penalties, finished second at 0.6 seconds back. Quentin Fillon Maillet of France, with one penalty, finished third at 2.8 seconds behind Boe.

“It was a great day for me. This is my best result in any event to date. The course was in perfect condition today. It held up really well and was consistent throughout the race. It was a beautiful day, sunny, calm, and tons of fans, ” said Gow. “I am happy with the shooting, would have been better to get that 20/20, but 19 is pretty solid as well. It was an incredibly tight race today, I knew that the top ten was right there and I almost made it. I am perfectly happy with my 11th.”

“It is always a pleasure to race a mass start,” Doherty said. “Today we had a fantastic race atmosphere. I am very happy to have held my own going toe-to-toe with the best in the world. Looking forward to the next mass start.”

In the women’s 12.5km Mass Start the USA’s Clare Egan took the lead briefly on the third lap but three penalties in the first standing stage knocked her out of contention and she finished 24th with five penalties at 1:59.7 back. Teammate Susan Dunklee crossed the line behind Egan in 25th place with four penalties at 2:12.5 behind.

Germany’s clean-shooting Franziska Preuss claimed her first-ever World Cup victory edging out Norway’s Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold also had a personal best and career-first World Cup podium in second place at 0.2 seconds back. Slovakia’s Paulina Fialkova finished third at 15.1 seconds behind.

Results here.

January 19, 2019 (Sherbrooke, Que.) – Temperatures for this morning’s Haywood NorAm classic distance races were -19 deg. C., just above the legal limit, as the racers headed out on the course at Bishop’s University. It was Race Day 2 the second of three World Championship trials events. The women were skiing 10k, and the men 15km, in an interval start Classic format.

In yesterday’s sprint, Nakkertok’s Katherine Stewart-Jones had been edged out of a World Championships berth, by a fraction of a second, so in this 2nd trial race, she decided to leave nothing to chance with a blazing fast start.

On the first lap Katherine had built up a 10 second gap over Cendrine Browne of Fondeurs Laurentides and increased that to half a minute by the end of the race. This unofficially qualifies Katherine for the World Championships in Seefeld, Austria next month. Nakkertok’s Zoë Williams finished 3rd, claiming her first career NorAm podium.

In the Junior race, Bronwyn Williams (Zoë’s sister) claimed gold, ahead of Tove Halvorsen another Nakkertok skier and local favourite Alexander Racine of Orford.

Hardwood’s Scott Hill has had a bit of a rough year with illness, since claiming gold and silver at last year’s Nationals. Today he put that behind him with a 8 second win over Canmore’s Russell Kennedy in the 15k trials event. In 3rd was “veteran” Whitehorse skier Graham Nishikawa.

As with Stewart-Jones, this result unofficially qualifies Scott for the World Championships.

In the Jr. Men’s event Felix-Olivier Moreau of Mont Ste-Anne was the winner, by 6 seconds over Tallon Noble of Strathcona Nordic. Local Orford skier Olivier Léveillé was 3rd.

Sunday’s race will certainly be interesting, as the athletes look to grab a final berth on the World Championship team in a mass start, skate race. The confounding factor, the call for 25 cm of new snow in the morning, after a significant fall overnight.

Results

January 18, 2019 (Sherbrooke, Que) – Temperatures were -10 deg. C. with occasional flurries, as Day 1 of the Haywood NorAm/World Championship Trials got underway at Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec. With a high of -18 set for Saturday, and 20 cm of snow predicted during Sunday’s mass-start race, conditions today may be the best of the weekend.

The morning qualifiers were won by Maya Macisaac-Jones (Rocky Mountain Racer) and Canmore’s Russell Kennedy. Macisaac-Jones has been battling injuries over the last season and a half, so it is good to see her back racing at the top level. In the heats, she and Nakkertok’s Katherine Stewart-Jones skied a tight semi-final contest, setting up a repeat competition in the final.

Macisaac-Jones led the final, until the last 200 metres, when Stewart-Jones moved by her, on a sprint to the finish. At the line it was a photo-finish, with Macisaac-Jones over Stewart-Jones by .05 seconds, to unofficially earn a Junior/U23 World Championship team spot. U23 skier, Laura Leclair of Chelsea, finished 3rd a few seconds back.

The men’s competition went in a similar fashion to the women’s race. In the first semi-final Evan Palmer Charette of Lappe Nordic, edged out Black Jack’s Julien Locke in a photo-finish by .03 seconds, and they were back at it again in the final, with Palmer Charette prevailing this time by 0.11 seconds, to stake a claim on the Canadian team going to the Seefeld World Championships. Kennedy, the top qualifier, was 3rd at three seconds back.

Both Palmer-Charette and Locke have been in great form lately, with Locke winning the U.S. Nationals sprint and Palmer-Charette coming 4th and 8th in distance races.

Results here

January 18, 2019 (Ruhpolding, Germany) – The USA’s Susan Dunklee led the charge in the 7.5km Women’s sprint in Ruhpolding on Thursday finishing 20th with one penalty as Slovakia’s Anastasiya Kuzmina shot clean to claim her second win this season.

The top Canadian was Rosann Crawford in 27th also with one missed target. Second place went to Italy’s Lisa Vittozzi who shot clean as well at 11.5 seconds back while Hanna Oeberg of Sweden finished third at 29.1 seconds behind Kuzmina also perfect on the range.

In the men’s 10km race Sean Doherty had a single prone penalty to finish 23rd at 1:10.2 off the winning pace of Johannes Thingnes Boe of Norway who had one standing penalty as he chased down his brother Tarjei for the win. Third place went to Germany’s Benedikt Doll, with one penalty, 10.5 seconds off the pace. The top Canadian was Scott Gow in 42nd with one penalty.

Results here.

–

January 16, 2019 (Quebec City, QC) – Registration is now open for the inaugural FIS Junior Invitational “Rising Stars” Race that will take place on March 23 as part of the FIS Cross-Country World Cup Finals in Quebec City, QC this coming Mar. 22-24 – read more on the finals here.

The next generation athletes will have the chance to participate in this unique event alongside World Cup athletes such as Canada’s Alex Harvey, Olympic Gold medalist Jessie Diggins and numerous European elite athletes.

This event is organized in collaboration with the World Cup organizing committee (Quebec Winter Events Corporation), officials and volunteers from the Mont-Sainte-Anne and Skibec Nordic ski clubs, as well as other volunteers involved in the World Cup Finals.

Register early (before end of February) and get a chance to win one of Alex Harvey’s autographed race bibs.

To register click here.

January 14, 2019 (Canmore, AB) Sign up now for this cannot miss event! Drawing together Nordic ski coaches from across the country we will explore, examine and address some of the current challenges and opportunities in developing and preparing elite cross-country skiers.

Detailed agenda of presentations, workshops and other information is available here.

Coaches have two options for signing up for all or part of the workshop:

OPTION “A”: Full seminar with a social dinner Friday night $250 (registration fee will increase to $300 after March 15, 11:59 EST), final deadline April 21st.

Participant eligibility: Open to coaches with xc ski Comp-Intro advanced (T2T) TRAINED status or above, or biathlon coaches with a Comp Dev IN TRAINING status or above by the 24th of April, 2019. Developing coaches may need to plan upcoming workshops accordingly.

OPTION “B” (open to all!): Opening workshop – Includes Friday night presentation “Identifying the Gaps” (Nicolas Lemyre, PHD) and dinner/social + Saturday morning presentation “Developing Better People and Better Athletes Through Coaching”  (Professor Jean Côté) ($60). Final deadline April 21st.

Location: Bill Warren Training Center, 100-1995 Olympic Way, Canmore, AB, CA, T1W 2T6

Locker registration page for Option A

Locker registration page for Option B

January 03, 2019 (Oberstdorf, Germany) – Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo out-dueled Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov to take the win in the men’s 15km FR on Stage 5 of the FIS Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf in a battle to the finish. Alexander Bolshunov (RUS) finished third.

Canadian Alex Harvey raced to 22nd as all three Canucks, including Len Valjas and Bob Thompson, have decided not to start the final two stages in the 9-day Tour. The only U.S. starter was Ben Lustgarten who moved up one spot to finish 54th for the day.

“I just tried to go with the group I was in. We were making some good time on the group in front of us, and made my way into sixth place, but then got dropped midway through the fifth lap and completely died,” said Harvey, who was third overall in last year’s Tour de Ski. “I am not going to race the weekend. I have had a lot of distance races and I need to take some time to recharge.”

Results here
Overall here.

January 02, 2019 (Oberstdorf, Germany) – Canadian Alex Harvey charged through heavy snow and tough wax conditions to finish 14th on Stage 4 in a gruelling men’s 15km CL mass start race won by Norway’s Emil Iversen at the Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf.

Italy’s Francesco De Fabiani was second, while Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov took home third. Ben Lustgarten was the lone American and skied in a very tight field to finish 57th, Canada’s Bob Thompson placed 64th while his teammate Len Valjas was 67th.

“It was snowing hard the whole way, so it was really hard for anyone to get away but I felt really good today,” said Harvey following the 6-lap race around a 2.5km loop, and now sits 15th in the overall. “Everyone was really skiing in one track, so the outside track was much slower which made it hard to get away or to come back. The feeling today is the best I have had in a distance race this year.”

“That’s my favourite type of racing,” he added. “There were some intermediate sprint bonus points out there today that I got as well. You always have to start the pursuits faster. Everybody is trying to catch the guys ahead of you. I will cross my fingers and hope the body will recover from the first surge and hold on. I’m hoping to get back into the top-10, top-five.”

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway continues to lead overall with Ustiugov in second at 15.4 seconds back with Iversen third at 31 seconds behind.

Results here.

January 01, 2019 (Val Mustair, SUI) – The USA’s Sophie Caldwell and Jessie Diggins landed on the final podium tied for second in the women’s 1.4km FR Sprint on Stage 3 of the Tour de Ski at Val Mustair, Switzerland as Diggins secured the overall race lead making history yet again. Sweden’s Stina Nilsson took the win.

The only other North American to ever wear the Tour de Ski leader’s bib is legendary Kikkan Randall who won the opening 3km FR prologue back in 2012. No Canadian has ever worn it.

“It’s so exciting to be putting on that blue leaders bib after today! We had great skis thanks to our team and it was so cool skiing with Sophie in the final! The course was really tough as it’s at altitude and a longer course, with a really steep hill in the middle, so positioning was pretty important today. I was happy with how I skied the corners and rollers today and happy to be feeling good at this stage of the Tour,” said Diggins.

Caldwell was equally ecstatic about the duo’s performance. “Today was an amazing day for our team. It was a long, hard course at altitude so it was pretty different from some of the shorter sprints we’ve been doing. My strategy in the final was to conserve as much energy as possible while maintaining good position and then give it everything I had up and over the top of the second hill while still saving a bit of legs for the downhills and sprint finish.

“It was so much fun to share the podium with Jessie and crazy how close of a photo finish it was. I think it must have come down to my Salomon boots being one size bigger than hers! We both had great skis and this course had some new downhill features like a jump and rollers that were pretty fun to work through. I’m finished with the Tour now, but I’m psyched to cheer my teammates on for the rest of it and it’s pretty awesome Jess is the leader after today,” shared Caldwell.

Sadie Bjornsen finished 13th and was hoping for more. “What an exciting day for the American Team! I wish I could have been out there participating,” said Bjornsen. “It was a near miss day for me. I made the tactical mistake of leading the heat in a strong head wind, and lost some energy when it came to the second lap. I tried as hard as I could to push the downhills, and came within striking distance of second place, only missing lucky loser by .05, which was just too close. I was happy to find better feelings in my body than two days ago, so I am really looking forward to tomorrow, and channeling some frustration into some classic racing in Germany.

Simi Hamilton (USA) was the lone North American qualifier in the 1.4km FR Men’s Sprint and did not advance past the quarterfinals ending up 13th for the day. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway raced to victory again over Italy’s Federico Pellegrino in second with Sergey Ustiugov of Russia completing the podium in third.

Women’s results
Men’s results

December 31, 2018 (Okotoks, AB) – The cross-country ski community around the globe was sad to learn that legendary pioneer, dreamer, and entrepreneur, Bjorger Pettersen, passed away on Dec. 29 at his home in Okotoks, AB.

His extraordinary career was the stuff of legends as he helped bring cross-country skiing across Canada into the modern era. As founder of the TEST program, he later became the national team coach and transformed a fledgling program to create world-class athletes. As a key architect of the Canmore facility for the 1988 Calgary Olympics, his legacy will live on for generations.

Born in Sarpsborg, Norway, his family immigrated to Canada in 1953, when he was just 11 years old. They settled in Camrose, as an uncle of his was already living there. After a successful racing career in B.C. he was one of two founders of the Hickory Wing Ski Club. Later he became head coach of Canada’s Western Division and under his guidance an astounding 22 skiers were selected to the National Ski Teams.

In 1967 he decided to head up the TEST program [Territorial Experimental Ski Training] in the North West Territories (NWT) and built an amazing program with the legendary Firth sisters, Sharon and Shirley who had stellar results racing against the best in the world. Canadian Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, took notice as well and recognized the team’s achievements under Pettersen.

At one time he imported ski equipment to the Canadian market with $8 million in sales but suffered three bad winters and sold the company.

During the 70s he became Canada’s national cross-country ski coach and was Technical Director at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid and Chief of Race and Venue Coordinator/Manager at the 1988 Calgary Olympic Games.

After the Olympics he formed BPA Marketing which became Chrysler’s agency of choice to manage the Jeep Ski Nationals in Canada for a ten-year period. Unfortunately he picked up sarcoidosis and had to taper his activities.

Pettersen was at the forefront of every major cross-country ski event and movement in North America and spent 27 years on the FIS cross-country committee and the executive committee.

In 2017 he authored an amazing in-depth book “A Cross Country Ski Story” that chronicles the development of the sport of cross-country skiing in Canada, the USA and around the world.

From humble roots that began in Prince George, B.C. to the top of the world with Olympic gold medals by Beckie Scott and Chandra Crawford, Pettersen charted the history of the sport with over 300 photos to capture the essence of an amazing journey. He has left an indelible mark on the sport in Canada and around the world and his incredible passion touched so many.

“Bjorger was Canada’s pioneer leader in bringing cross-country skiing into the modern era from the 1960s on in many ways,” said long-time friend and former US and Canadian coach Marty Hall. “He has so many jewels in his crown: the TEST program, National Team head coach, his many years of wheeling and dealing with FIS, and of course, his crowning jewel, the development and running of the Canmore facility for the ’88 Olympics – a legacy that remains as one of the best in the world.”

Pettersen received many awards during his career including the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame (2007), Air Canada’s Sport Official of the Year (1988), Dave Rees XC Award, Prince George Sports Hall of Fame (2014), 125th Anniversary Commemorative Medal of Canada and Honorary Lifetime member of the FIS Cross Country Committee.

He is survived by his wife Anita and children Britt, Lars, Bjorn and Rolf, along with grandchildren Eric, Katharyn, Jonas and Jonathan and sister Ann Mari.

SkiTrax joins the cross-country ski community in Canada and around the globe in thanking Pettersen for his many contributions to the sport and sending condolences to his family and friends.

December 30, 2018 (Toblach, Italy) – Canada’s Alex Harvey earned a hard-fought 14th in the men’s 15km individual start as Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov took the win over Norway’s Simen Hegstad Krueger in second with Alexander Bolshunov (Rus) in third on Stage 2 at the Tour de Ski.

“I think it is a step in the right direction today. The result is good, the body is feeling decent too and that is positive for a distance race,” said Harvey who was tied with Maurice Manificat of France. The top-placed American was Simi Hamilton in 55th.

“I was looking for a bit better, but I am really happy with the last lap. I emptied the tank and gained about six spots so that was good. I need to make sure I’m a bit further up the ranking so I’m able to fight for the top-five or 10,” he continued.

“The course here is not hard or steep, but it is gradual terrain which makes it really challenging but suits my strengths,” added Harvey, who was third overall on the prestigious Tour de Ski last year. “You need to find the right speed and then work the whole way. There is no recovery out here and lots of time to lose if the legs blow up.

“Recovery is key in a stage event. I just have to make sure I continue to eat well, change the clothes quickly, get therapy and massage, go for light jogs at night and flush the legs. There is nothing special that is needed, but it is important to do all the little things right.”

Erik Bjornsen (USA) was 60th, Len Valjas (Can) was 70th, Kevin Bolger (USA) was 71st, Ben Lustgarten (USA) placed 74th and Bob Thompson (Can) was 83rd.

Results here.

December 30, 2018 (Toblach, Italy) – The USA’s Jessie Diggins raced to a strong 6th-place finish in the women’s 10km FR individual start on Stage 2 of the Tour de Ski, in Toblach, Italy, on Sunday and is now second overall.

Russia’s Natalia Nepryaeva took the win, a career-first Stage World Cup, and the Tour lead as Norway’s Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg finished second followed by Anastasia Sedova of Russia in third.

“Today was a good race for me,” said Diggins, who finished third overall in the Tour de Ski last season. “My body was still a bit tired from skiing all the sprint rounds but I was satisfied with the race I put together. To have a good overall tour it’s important to ski consistently, so I feel good about where I’m at.”

Sadie Bjornsen (USA) placed 16th and sits eighth overall while Canadian Emily Nishika was 35th followed by Sophie Caldwell (USA) in 36th and Dahria Beatty (Can) in 56th.

“I was focused on skiing smooth and powerful today. I maybe could have paced it a bit better, but I’m happy with the effort I gave,” said Nishikawa, 29, who is racing at her first Tour. “I typically have my best results in individual start races, and I’d say the 10 kilometre distance is my favourite. The Tour is really fun. I love how you have so many opportunities, and how quick you have to regroup and get ready for the next race. I’m really looking forward to the next race.”

The Tour de Ski heads into a rest day on Monday with stage 3, another freestyle sprint, taking place in Val Muestair, Switzerland, Tuesday.

Results here.

Russia’s Natalia Nepryaeva set the time to beat in the women’s race at 23:19.9. Norway’s Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg was second at 23:20.2. Russia’s Anastasia Sedova clocked-in at 23:30.8 for third place.

December 29, 2018 (Toblach, Italy) – The USA’s Kevin Bolger was the top North American in the men’s 1.3km FR Sprint finishing 21st as the Tour de Ski got underway in in Toblach, Italy yesterday with Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klaebo taking the victory. Emil Iversen (Nor) was second and Richard Jouve of France placed third to round out the podium.

Bolger and teammate Simi Hamilton qualified to the heats in 13th and 9th respectively while Canada’s Alex Harvey was 50th, Len Valjas was 55th and Bob Thompson was 62nd and did not advance as only the top 30 move on to the quarter finals. But both Americans failed to advance further.

“Conditions were near perfect, the snow was fast and firm, a perfect day for a skate sprint. I was happy with my skis, they were right in the mix with everyone else’s in my quarterfinal, and in the Qualifier they were super fast which was awesome. Every time I get my skis from my wax tech Oleg I’m 100% confident they are going to be in the mix with everyone else’s and if not they’ll be the best,” said Bolger. “I overheard Matt Whitcomb yell I had a fast split, so I ramped it up and tried to hold on all the way to the finish, ended up in 13th and I was stoked.”

Hamilton suffered a crash on the climb during his quarterfinal as he tried to move into second.

“Personally, it was a frustrating way to start to the Tour. I had a great training block in Seefeld over Christmas, and I feel like my fitness and speed are both in really good places right now. It wasn’t the best I’ve ever felt in the qualifier today, so to lay down a respectable time in that race was a good sign,” said Hamilton.

“I felt really good in my quarter final and skied it tactically exactly how I wanted to ski it, but on the last climb as I went to make a move to get into second place before the downhill into the finish stretch, I just got caught with my weight too far forward and I felt like I hit something with my right ski that made it stop and my body got launched forward. I think the toughest part of the day is knowing that I’ve been on the podium here twice in years past, so to miss that opportunity to do that again today was a little heartbreaking. But we have a lot more racing coming up, both in the Tour and in this season, so the only thing I can do right now is trust that the work I’ve put in will pay off in a good way eventually. My skis felt great today, and we’re all really psyched as a team that we had such a solid start to the Tour. Lots more to come,” he concluded.

Bolger is optimistic as well. “This was my first time racing on this course here in Toblach, and I think it’s safe to say I’m a big fan. This was also my best result this season so I can’t be anything but happy, the way Period 1 ended. I knew i was heading in the right direction when it came to my shape, so being able to attack the first day of the Tour, with my best qualification ever 13th, and a end of the day result 21 I’m very happy,” added Bolger.

Results here.

December 29, 2018 (Toblach, Italy) – American Jessie Diggins raced to her first podium of this season in the women’s 1.3km FR Sprint on Saturday as the 13th annual Tour de Ski got underway in Toblach, Italy. Sweden’s Stina Nilsson skied away from the field in the final kilometer to win by three seconds over teammate Ida Ingemarsdotter in second with Diggins coming from behind to claim third.

“While a podium is always awesome and exciting, I was really happy with my race today because I was racing with joy and having fun again! I had a really good Christmas break and taking a step back from World Cup racing and getting relaxed and happy, remembering to ignore all the external pressure, was key for me,” said Diggins. “So getting to race in this beautiful place surrounded by sunny Dolomite mountains at the exciting Tour de Ski was an experience I was able to enjoy, and because I was happy and relaxed I raced well today.”

Sadie Bjornsen topped the qualifications with Diggins sixth and Sophie Caldwell 13th. The two Canadians racing Dahria Beatty and Emily Nishikawa did not advance.

Diggins and Bjornsen went 1-2 in their quarter-final while Caldwell won hers. The three found themselves in the same semil-final with Diggins second to Nilsson as both made the final. Bjornsen just behind in third advanced as a Lucky Loser while Caldwell was out in 5th.

Bjornsen charged to the front in the final as Diggins sat fourth but Nilsson took over and dropped everyone. In the final sprint to the line Ingemarsdotter nipped Diggins at the line for second while Bjornsen was 6th in the end.

“It was an exciting and hot start to the Tour de Ski! It was a challenging Christmas for me, with three days of fever and a nasty chest cold that left me feeling depleted of energy for most of the break. So, to finally feel my legs back yesterday, just in time, was a miracle,” said Bjornsen.

“It was fun to qualify as number one, and know that I had the speed and power to take on the world today. The quarterfinals went really smooth, and I felt confidence in the way I could ski the hills. We had an exceptionally stacked semi final, which left me in a Lucky Loser position moving into the finals. I tried to use my confidence in my endurance to power my mind into the finals. Right away as we took off the line, I could tell my legs had taken a hit, but I kept fighting as hard as I could trying to chase down Stina. As I crested the final descent in second place, I knew I was going to have to dig for every last ounce of energy into the finishing stretch. As we rounded the corner, I felt all the girls coming up beside me for essentially a five-person photo finish,” she continued.

“I was bummed to have missed out on the podium, especially considering I had skied most of the race in second position, but at the same time I walked away with a lot of belief. Each final I make it to is more experience, and with so much skate sprinting this year, (including the World Championships) I am mainly excited to know I can fight in this event! We have another opportunity in three days, so I am excited to see what can happen.

“And most importantly, I am excited to feel healthy again! You can never take for granted a healthy day while racing the World Cup Tour. With all the travel, and stress on our bodies… we are always in a place to be affected by illness. So it sure feels good to feel good again! I am excited to keep this skate party going tomorrow with a 10k skate,” concluded Bjornsen,

Results here.

December 28, 2018 (Ottawa, Ont.) – Canadian cross-country ski legend and Olympic champion, Beckie Scott, has been named an officer of the Order of Canada. Scott was among 103 new appointments announced on Dec. 27 by Governor Geneneral, Julie Payette. Created in 1967, the Order of Canada is one of the country’s highest honours.

“The magnitude of receiving such a distinguished award is almost indescribable, and I could not be more honoured to join the ranks of such accomplished Canadians. I feel tremendously grateful to have been born in Canada and thus afforded all the opportunities this country has to offer,” said Scott.

Scott won Olympic gold at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City with a historic stunning performance to secure the first Olympic medal won by any North American athlete in cross-country skiing. She initially won bronze but when the first and second place finishers were disqualified for using performance-enhancing drugs, Scott was awarded her gold medal two-and-a-half years after the competition. “From being able to pursue my own hopes and dreams as an elite ski racer, to the pursuit of a level-playing field and justice for clean athletes, to now offering sport for development to Indigenous children and youth, I have been fortunate to find paths and journeys that have been challenging but deeply inspiring,” commented Scott, who dedicated the honour to her father Walter.

“My father was an immigrant to Canada, but without question the proudest Canadian I knew. He would have been profoundly moved to know I was receiving this award and so, I dedicate this to him and his indomitable spirit,” added Scott.

The Alberta native was born in Vegreville, Alberta, but grew up in Vermilion, Alberta. She began cross-country skiing at the age of five and entered her first competition at age seven. She competed in three Olympic Games beginning at Nagano, Japan in 1998. She won gold four years later at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics in the 10km Pursuit, and silver in the Team Sprint in Turin, Italy, at the 2006 Olympics.

She was elected as an athlete member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2005 and since retiring in 2006, she has been a tireless advocate of clean sport as a member of the athlete committee at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and later as a member of WADA’s Foundation Board. In 2012 she was appointed to WADA’s Executive Committee and in 2014 was appointed as Chair of the WADA Athlete Committee. She recently resigned her post on the Executive Committee after vocally opposing WADA’s move to end the Russian Anti-Doping Agency suspension.

“We can’t think of anyone more deserving than our champion and trailblazer on and off the snow,” said Cross Country Canada via social media congratulating Scott.

She has also dedicated much of her life to charitable efforts including working with organizations such as UNICEF and Right to Play as well as with First Nations youth.

Through her organization Spirit North, Scott reaches thousands of youth from 35 Indigenous communities in Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba. The group’s goal is “…improving the health and well-being of Indigenous youth through the transformative power of cross-country skiing, sport and play.”

Scott was also inducted to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (2007), the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame (2011), the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame (2012), and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. She and the other 102 Order of Canada appointees were revealed in Ottawa at Rideau Hall, and will be honoured during a ceremony to be held at a later date.

SkiTrax joins the ski community around the globe in congratulating Scott on this special honour and her stellar career.

December 28, 2018 (Toblach, Ita.) – Five of Canada’s top cross-country ski athletes are set to hit the start line for the annual nine-day journey through Europe while taking on the best Nordic athletes on the planet in the 13th edition of the epic Tour de Ski.

The veterans of the Canadian squad, Alex Harvey and Len Valjas, will lead a trio of rookies including Bob Thompson (Thunder Bay, Ont.), Emily Nishikawa (Whitehorse) and Dahria Beatty (Whitehorse) into the Nordic spotlight ski when the world’s best all-round cross-country ski athletes kick off the ultimate grind in high-performance sport in Toblach, Italy on December 29. Harvey and Valjas have both been on the podium at various stages of the Tour de Ski over the last decade. Harvey finished third overall on the Tour de Ski one year ago.

Modeled after the Tour de France in cycling, the featured event on the Nordic calendar will test some of the most physically and mentally fit athletes in the world in seven punishing races that will start and finish in Italy while making stops in Switzerland and Germany to determine the king and queen of cross-country skiing.

Healthy, fit and hungry for the podium, Canada will focus on fighting for the podium at each stage while contending for spots in the top-10 in the overall Tour.

Louis Bouchard, coach of the World Cup Team, will follow the squad through the Tour. Cross Country Ski de fond Canada has also assembled a closely-knit wax team of experienced technicians including Yves Bilodeau, Nicola Bonetti, Lee Churchill and Miha Plahutnik. Joel Jaques will be the team leader. Jodi Perras joins the support team as massage therapist.

Team Canada – 2019 Tour de Ski
————————————–
– Alex Harvey (St.- Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que.)
– Len Valjas (Toronto)
– Bob Thompson (Thunder Bay, Ont.)
– Emily Nishikawa (Whitehorse)
– Dahria Beatty (Whitehorse)

2019 Tour de Ski Schedule
———————————
December 29 – Toblach, Ita.
Skate Sprint
December 30 – Toblach, Ita.
10km/15km Skate
January 1 – Val Mustair, Sui.
Skate Sprint
January 2 – Oberstdorf, Ger.
10km/15km Classic Mass Start
January 3 – Oberstdorf, Ger.
10km/15km Skate Pursuit
January 5 – Val di Fiemme, Ita.
10km/15km Classic Mass Start
January 6 – Val di Fiemme, Ita.
9km Skate Pursuit (Hill Climb)

December 28, 2018 (Toblach, Italy) – The 13th edition of the FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski begins Saturday in Toblach, Italy. The Tour spans seven stages over nine days and includes stops in Toblach; Val Mustair, Switzerland; and Oberstdorf, Germany, and finishes with a hill climb in Val di Fiemme, Italy on Sunday, Jan. 6.

“The Tour de Ski is one of the most exciting events on the calendar”, said U.S. Cross Country Team Coach Matt Whitcomb. Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.) will be looking to improve upon her third-place overall finish from last year when the 2019 Tour de Ski opens with a freestyle sprint Saturday and continues with stage 2 featuring a 10k freestyle for the women and a 15k freestyle for the men Sunday.

The U.S. is starting a lean team of seven athletes for the 2018-19 edition of the Tour as many athletes are choosing to use the early January L.L.Bean U.S. Cross Country Championships in Craftsbury, Vt. as a qualifier for the FIS Cross Country World Championships in February.

The excitement level and strategy for the upcoming Tour are captured in what each U.S. starter has to say about the event:

“The Tour de Ski is, for me, the most exciting week of the entire season! With a race almost every day, it’s one huge adrenaline ride. I’m excited for this year’s challenge of doing the entire Tour once again, and also looking to use these races and building blocks as part of my preparation for the World Championships! “

 – Jessie Diggins (Afton, Minn.)

“I love the Tour format, with the craziness of all the travel, and day after day work. It has been nice to have a few weeks off of racing to recover and get my muscles ready to take on the intensive racing. I plan to only do the first part of the Tour this year and follow it with a training block to help me be in the best shape for World Championships in February. “

 – Sadie Bjornsen (Winthrop, Wa.)

“We have had a relaxing break in Seefeld (Austria) and I’m feeling good and looking forward to racing the first few stages of the Tour de Ski before dropping out to come back to Seefeld and prepare for Dresden (Germany). I’m excited to do two skate sprints and my first skate distance race of the year in Toblach and Val Mustair and then I will be screaming at the TV to cheer on my teammates finishing the Tour!”

 – Sophie Caldwell (Stratton Mountain, Vt.)

“I’m excited to start the Tour De Ski. I skipped the Davos (Switzerland) world cup weekend, so I’ve had a nice long training block to prepare for these races.”

 – Erik Bjornsen (Winthrop Wa.)

“Coming off a solid period 1 with my form going in the right direction, I was looking forward to a Christmas Break to relax, but also to really sharpen my shape! Coming into my first Tour De Ski I feel strong and confident, my strategy will be like going into any other race, now I’m just looking forward to throwing down some top results! Looking forward to getting back together with the team and putting together a solid Tour!”

 – Kevin Bolger (Sun Valley, Idaho)

“I’m really excited for my eighth Tour de Ski. Even though my plan is to only race through the two sprints, we’ll be heading to some pretty amazing venues and towns in Central Europe and the team vibe during the Tour is always so awesome. It’s such a unique format for ski racing, and it’s just really fun to be a part of the wild traveling show.”

 – Simi Hamilton (Aspen, Co.)

“I am really excited and honored to be able to participate in the Tour de Ski. I want to just stay focused and relaxed because it’s a lot of racing and hectic environment. I think if I can stay relaxed I hopefully can finish the Tour with some good and fun results!”

 – Ben Lustgarten (Burlington, Vt.)

HOW TO WATCH
All times EST.
Preliminary schedule, subject to change
*Same-day delayed broadcast

Saturday, Dec. 29
8:20 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage 1 men and women’s sprint – Toblach, ITA – OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:30 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage 1 men and women’s sprint – Toblach, ITA – Olympic Channel-TV

Sunday, Dec. 30
6:30 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage 2 women’s 10k interval – Toblach, ITA – Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:30 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage 2 men’s 15k interval – Toblach, ITA – Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Tuesday, Jan. 1
6:00 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage 3 men and women’s sprint – Val Muestair, SUI – Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Wednesday, Jan. 2
6:00 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage 4 women’s 10k mass start – Oberstdorf, GER- Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:00 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage 4 men’s 15k mass start – Oberstdorf, GER- Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Thursday, Jan. 3
7:00 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage 5 men’s 15k pursuit – Oberstdorf, GER- Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
9:00 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage 5 women’s 10k pursuit – Oberstdorf, GER- Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, Jan. 5
8:00 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage Stage 6 women’s 10k mass start – Val di Fiemme, ITA – Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
9:10 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage Stage 6 men’s 15k mass start – Val di Fiemme, ITA – OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
2:00 p.m. – Tour de Ski Stage Stage 6 men’s 15k mass start – Val di Fiemme, ITA – Olympic Channel-TV*

Sunday, Jan. 6.
7:00 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage Stage 7 women’s hill climb – Val di Fiemme, ITA – Olympic Channel-TV, OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
8:45 a.m. – Tour de Ski Stage Stage 7 men’s hill climb – Val di Fiemme, ITA – OlympicChannel.com & NBC Sports Gold
2:00 p.m. – Tour de Ski Stage Stage 7 men’s hill climb – Val di Fiemme, ITA – Olympic Channel-TV

December 22, 2018 (Nove Mesto, Czech Republic) – American Clare Egan raced to her second-highest World Cup pursuit finish on Saturday, placing 20th in the women’s 10km race with three penalties at 2:22.3 behind Norway’s Marte Olsbu Roeiseland who claimed her second World Cup victory despite two penalties.

Roeiseland bested Italy’s Dorothea Wierer at the line by a mere 0.2 seconds as her Italian rival had only a single miss on the range. Hanna Oeberg of Sweden claimed her first-ever World Cup podium in third place, with one penalty at 4.7 seconds back.

Emma Lunder was the top Canadian in 35th with six penalties, Sarah Beaudry (Can) was 38th with five missed targets, the USA’s
Joanne Reid was 51st with four penalties, Rosanna Crawford (Can) as 52nd with six misses and the USA’s Susan Dunklee was 53rd with nine penalties.

“I’m really glad that I qualified for the mass start because I know I belong in there right now,” said Egan. “My favorite parts of today’s race were warming up in the sleet and hail, laughing with the other women before the start as we all hid underground in the start tunnel, shooting a clean last stage, and making a super pass on the final climb. This has been an extraordinary start to the season for me and I plan to carry that momentum through tomorrow and into the new year.”

Results here.

December 22, 2018 (Craftsbury, Vermont) – Over 300 skiers from throughout the US and Canada traveled to Craftsbury for the opening Eastern Cup race of the 2018-2019 season.  Despite the unfortunate warm weather of the past days the grooming staff was able to provide racers with a fair track for the mornings qualification.  During the course of the morning the temperature dropped 20 degrees allowing water to drain from the snow and make a fast surface.

The afternoon was full of heat action – starting with Masters, then Open (which included junior and senior skiers), then U16 and U18/U20’s.  Callie Young of Dartmouth was the top female junior while Ben Ogden was the top male junior and 4th overall. Julia Kern (SMS T2) topped the Open Women’s field while Daniel Strienz (NMU) was fastest in the Open Men’s race.

Competitors, coaches and spectators were as excited to kick off the competitive season as they were to welcome the more seasonable temperatures and the return of a gentle snowfall.  The races were augmented with the rich voice and historic commentary of Peter Graves.

Tomorrow’s Freestyle Race has been changed to an interval start due to snow conditions – stay tuned to the VTCM for start lists and updates.  See you tomorrow.

Results here.

December 22, 2018 (Nove Mesto, Czech Republic) – Canadian Christian Gow was the top North American in 21st in the men’s 12.5km pursuit with three penalties as Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Boe came back on the last loop to secure his second win of the week despite four penalties.

Russia’s Alexander Loginov, also with four penalties, finished second at 6.2 seconds back. JT’s older brother, Tarjei Boe, was third with one penalty at 23.9 seconds behind his younger brother.

The USA’s Sean Doherty moved up 24 spots from his start position to finish 27th with three misses, Jules Burnotte (Can) was 35th with five penalties, Scott Gow (Can) was 47th with four misses, Leif Nordgren (USA) placed 54th with six penalties and Travis Cooper (USA) was 58th for Team USA with seven missed targets.

Results here.

December 22, 2018 (Obertilliach, Austria) – Nadia Moser, 21, from Whitehorse took the win in the IBU Cup women’s 7.5km Sprint, her first-ever podium finish, while teammate, Megan Bankes, Calgary claimed bronze as the Canadian stormed the podium in Obertilliach, Austria.

Russia’s Natalia Gerbulova finished second. Fellow Canucks Emily Dickson was 58th and Darya Sepandj was 91st. Moser and Bankes are among eight Canadians competing on the IBU BMW World Cup circuit.

December 21, 2018 (Nove Mesto, Czech Republic) – Canada’s Sarah Beaudry shot clean en route to a career-best 12th in the women’s 7.5K evening sprint amidst falling snow at the Vysocina Arena in Nove Mesto.

Marte Olsbu Roiseland of Norway shot clean for her first World Cup victory with a 4.5-second margin over Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier, who challenged for the win in the last loop but finished second with one penalty. Third went to Slovakia’s clean-shooting Paulina Fialkova at 6.2 seconds back.

Beaudry’s teammate Emma Lunder finished 17th with one penalty putting two Canucks in the top 20. The top American was Clare Egan in 26th with two penalties.

Results here.

December 21, 2018 – On Dec. 19, two American senators, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (UT), announced the introduction of legislation into the House of Representatives in the United States that establishes criminal penalties for individuals involved in doping fraud conspiracies affecting major international competitions.

“For too long, internationally agreed upon anti-doping rules have been broken with impunity. Athletes have been defrauded by coordinated, and in some cases state-sponsored, doping fraud schemes that call into question the integrity and fairness central to all competitions,” said Senator Hatch. “This bill is a long overdue step to deter and punish individuals and state actors who would attempt to defraud international competitions through doping.”

The bill, the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, is named after Russian whistleblower Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov who gave evidence that led to a massive state-sponsored doping scandal that took place during the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

“To remain a ‘city on a hill,’ America must hold the crooked and corrupt accountable whenever we can. That means forcefully confronting Russia’s use of corruption as a tool of foreign policy,” said Sen. Whitehouse. “In the face of certain retaliation, Dr. Rodchenkov revealed sweeping Russian state-sponsored doping. This bill would create consequences for Russia’s cheating, and send a strong signal that Russia and other sponsors of state-directed fraud and corruption no longer enjoy impunity.”

Rodchenkov has issued his own support of the legislation.

“I am humbled and honored to see the introduction of the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act in the Senate today,” he said. “I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Sen. Whitehouse, Sen. Hatch, and the Helsinki Commission for their courage and leadership in the protection of whistleblowers who come forward to speak the truth. I believe that this legislation holds the promise to finally protect athletes and international competitions from and corruption and interference that we see continues today. This broad support from Congress is vital to our fight for justice and fairness in the international arena of sport.”

According to Whitehouse, the legislation is designed to do four things:

– Establish criminal penalties for participating in a scheme in commerce to influence a major international sport competition through prohibited substances or methods.
– Provide restitution to victims of such conspiracies.
– Protect whistleblowers from retaliation.
– Establish coordination and sharing of information with the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

The act came out of meetings regarding the impact of doping on international sport held at the U.S. Helsinki Commission earlier this year, of which Sen. Whitehouse is commissioner. In July, the Helsinki Commission held a hearing that explored the interplay between doping fraud and globalized corruption and U.S. policy responses, including the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act.

The International Olympic Committee has been critical of the Act specifically for its bringing international athletes under the jurisdiction of the American criminal code.

“It is a matter of concern that the intention of the proposed legislation is to put athletes from all 206 National Olympic Committee from around the world who take part in international competition under the criminal code of U.S. law,” an IOC spokesperson reportedly said to website insidethegames.biz.

“With regards to the fight against corruption in sport, we would kindly invite the United States Government to join ‘The International Partnership against Corruption in Sport’ (IPACS), where the IOC together with governments, including Japan, Germany, Great Britain, France and Australia, along with international organisations like the United Nations, OECD and the Council of Europe, have joined forces.”

Inside The Games report here.

Anti-doping World report here.

December 20, 2018 (Nove Mesto, Czech Republic) – Canada’s Christian Gow shot clean to finish 20th in the men’s 10-kilometer sprint held under the lights in Nove Mesto yesterday as Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) also shot clean for another victory. Alexander Loginov (RUS) also cleaned to finish second while Sweden’s Martin Ponsiluoma was third.

Canada’s Jules Burnotte was 33rd with one penalty, fellow Canuck Scott Gow was 38th with two misses, the USA’s Leif Nordgren was 40th with one penalty, Sean Doherty (USA) placed 51st with two missed targets, Travis Cooper (USA) was 56th with one penalty, Brendan Green (CAN) had two misses for 67th and Jake Brown (USA) also suffered two penalties to finish 78th.

Full results here.

December 18, 2018 (Canmore, AB) —Eighteen young Canucks who represent the next generation of cross-country ski talent in the country have jus been named to Canada’s 2019 Junior and Under-23 World Championship Team that will compete in Lahti, Finland, January 19 – 27.

Cross Country Ski de fond Canada will send five women and five men to the Junior World Championships, as well as four women and four men for the Under-23 events. Athletes hail from clubs across the country in provinces and territories that include British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and the Yukon.

“This is a young group with an exciting mix of International experienced athletes and first timers. These up and comers have gained experience racing domestically on the Haywood NorAm circuit,” said Erik Braten, Junior national team coach, Cross Country Ski de fond Canada. “The talent pool of young cross-country skiers continues to grow, and these athletes are well-prepared to achieve excellence in Finland.”

Each of the athletes earned a coveted spot on Team Canada based on their results at the Haywood NorAm Junior and Under-23 World Championship Trials that were held over the weekend at the Canmore Nordic Centre. The trials were originally scheduled for Whistler Olympic Park, but race officials were forced to move the event due to a lack of snow. The Canmore Nordic Ski Club graciously stepped up to successfully stage the four-day, three-race event.

Among the up and comers ready to introduce themselves to the world in junior action are two sets of siblings and the son of cross-country ski Olympians Milaine Theriault and Robin McKeever.

Jasmine Drolet and Remi Drolet from Rossland, B.C., along with Isobel Hendry and Sam Hendry from Canmore, Alta. headline the family connection. Sam Hendry and Remi Drolet are coming off a strong trials where they mixed it up with many of the country’s top senior skiers in the distance races.

The youngest member of the Canadian team will be Xavier McKeever who will gain valuable international experience in his continued development.

Before hitting the start line in Finland, the team will benefit from the experience of four-time Olympian and one of Canada’s most accomplished cross-country skiers, Devon Kershaw, who will lead the team through a weeklong training camp in Sjusjøen, Norway.

The following is a complete list of Canada’s 2019 Junior and Under-23 World Championship Teams.

Junior Women
– Jasmine Drolet (Black Jack Cross Country) Rossland, B.C.
– Isobel Hendry (Canmore Nordic) Canmore, Alta.
– Molly Miller (Black Jack Cross Country) Kimberly, B.C.
– Anna Pryce (Foothills Nordic) Calgary, Alta.
– Anne-Marie Petitclerc (Club Nordique Mont-St-Anne) Beaupre, Que.

U23 Women
– Marie Corriveau (Club Nordique Mont-St-Anne) St-Ferreol-Les Neige, Que.
– Natalie Hynes (Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club) Whitehorse, YK
– Hannah Mehain (Telemark Nordic) Vernon, B.C.
– Sadie White (Big Thunder Nordic/NTDC) Thunder Bay, Ont.

Junior Men
– Remi Drolet (Black Jack Cross Country) Rossland, B.C.
– Sam Hendry (Canmore Nordic) Canmore, Alta.
– Xavier McKeever (Foothills Nordic) Canmore, Alta.
– Pierrick Sarthou (Club de ski de fond Monteriski) Longueuil, Que.
– Tom Stephen (Foothills Nordic) Calgary, Alta.

U23 Men
– Antoine Cyr (Club de ski de fond Skinouk) Gatineau, Que.
– Graham Ritchie (Big Thunder Nordic/NTDC) Thunder Bay, Ont.
– Julien Smith (Georgian Bay Nordic/NTDC) Thunder Bay, Ont.
– Gareth Williams (Telemark Nordic) Kelowna, B.C.

December 18, 2018 (Hayward, Wisconsin) – The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) has announced a multi-year agreement with Salomon, international Alpine skiing equipment, snowboarding, Nordic, and running brand, to make it the new Presenting Sponsor of its iconic Kortelopet 29-kilometer ski race starting with the February 23, 2019 event.

The American Birkebeiner and Kortelopet races together comprise the largest ski race in North America and the third-largest worldwide. A long-time ABSF sponsor, Salomon joins outdoor brand L.L. Bean, now in its second year as a Birkie sponsor, as Co-Presenters of the Korte. The pair creates complementary technical and recreational support of the ABSF’s now fast-growing Kortelopet race, part of its legendary cross country skiing line-up.

“Salomon is proud to support the Birkie’s outreach through the Kortelopet to junior athletes and their development as well as to the wide range of veteran and new skiers drawn to the Kortelopet to experience the joys, challenges, and accomplishment that is unique to this cross country skiing event,” said Robert Lazzaroni, Salomon Nordic Regional Commercial Manager.

Salomon is already part of the Birkie’s Nordic Expo experience and On-Snow Demo. It is Title Sponsor of the Birkie Trail Run Festival. Now, as a Presenting Sponsor, Salomon is featured in the ABSF’s Skin-Ski Campaign that provides free entries to first-time Kortelopet skiers. Salomon also supports the Birkie’s junior skier development efforts and the Birkie’s grants to junior-athlete summer camps.

The Kortelopet ski race underwent a transformation in 2017 when the ABSF changed the race course for the first time in its 45-year history to end on Main Street, Hayward, just like the legendary Birkie 50/55K race does. Korte skiers now experience all the excitement of skiing over the Birkie Bridge and up snow-covered Main Street to the celebration of thousands of bell-ringing spectators.

“We are thrilled to give Korte skiers this experience and to have the support of a premier Nordic brand like Salomon to help us create it!” said Ben Popp, executive director of the ABSF.

“Salomon is proud to be the equipment choice for skis, boots, and bindings for Olympians Jessie Diggins and Sophie Caldwell,” added Lazzaroni. “We look forward to continuing to engage with Birkie and Korte skiers at the Birkie Expo and year-round. We are also proud be Co-Presenting Sponsor of the Korte with L.L. Bean—this is a perfect match for supporting Korte skiers and their year-round, outdoor lifestyle.”

According to Bryan Cook, Salomon Nordic Community Marketing Manager, USA, “Salomon is committed to the total Birkie experience by sponsoring Birkie ambassadors, such as Jessie Diggins, as well as supporting several past Birkie champions in the U.S. and abroad. We look forward to seeing the champions of tomorrow compete in the Kortelopet while also introducing new participants to the thrill of finishing on Main Street in Hayward.”

“The Salomon team is fantastic to work with and their commitment to the outdoor sports they support is apparent at every turn,” added Popp. “We are excited to work with them in their new capacity as Co-Presenting Sponsor of our Kortelopet event!”

December 18, 2018 (Quebec City, Que.) – The International Triathlon Union (ITU) has modified its winter triathlon format to allow running as the first leg of the triathlon followed by skating and skiing. The Quebec ITU Winter Triathlon World Cup, on Feb. 24, will now be presented with snow running, followed by skate and ski legs. The popular and accessible age-group race – both sprint and standard – will also feature the running, skate and ski format.

In order to make the event accessible to as many as possible, for its 15th edition, the Pentathlon des Neiges presented by MEC, the world’s biggest winter multisport event, from February 23rd – March 3rd, is now offering equipment rental for all sports. People can now fly and avoid expensive equipment transportation costs. Your equipment will be waiting for you at the event site on the historic Plains of Abraham.

Register today here.

December 16, 2018 (Canmore, Alta.) – Temperatures were just above 0 degrees C. as Day 2 of the Haywood NorAm’s, World Jr./U23 Championships trials got under way with interval start races at the Canmore Nordic Centre.

Dahria Beatty of Whitehorse was the top skier in the women’s 10k skate, and once again Nakkertok’s Katherine Stewart-Jones finished 2nd, 35 seconds later. Mont Ste. Anne’s Frédérique Vézina came through in 3rd 27 seconds later.

For the U23 trials, Sadie White of Big Thunder appeared to guarantee herself a place on the World’s team with 4th overall, ahead of Laura Leclair of Chelsea Nordiq in 5th and Nakkertok’s Zoë Williams in 8th.

Black Jack’s Molly Miller also looks to be heading to Finland after capturing top spot in the junior race, 4 seconds ahead of Canmore’s Isobel Hendry. 3rd was Elizabeth Elliott of Revelstoke.

On the men’s side the Canmore skiers were on top, with Russell Kennedy at the top of the Sr. Men’s category by 41 seconds over Lappe’s Evan Palmer-Charette. 3rd, 2 seconds later was Alexis Dumas of Skibec.

The top U23 athlete was Telemark’s Gareth Williams in 6th, followed by Philippe Boucher of Skibec in 7th and Antoine Cyr of Skinouk in 8th.

Another Canmore athlete, Sam Hendry, finished 1st in the junior men’s race in front of Remi Drolet of Black Jack and Foothills Nordic’s Tom Stephen.

Both Hendry and Williams appear to have made the qualifying standard for the World’s in Lahti.

All results

December 16, 2018 (Vuokatti, Finland) – Canada’s Mark Arendz put a silver lining around the opening biathlon race of the IPC World Cup season in Vuokatti, Finland on Saturday. The eight-time Paralympic medallist from Springton, P.E.I. took advantage of great skis and a solid day of shooting to clock a time of 34:39.2 in a 12.5-kilometre nail biter.

“It was a great way to start the biathlon season. It was a tight race the whole way through. I skied solid and I’m so happy with my overall performance,” said the 28-year-old, who competed in the men’s standing classification.

Knowing his body was in medal-winning shape following a golden performance in the men’s standing cross-country ski distance race on Wednesday, the three-time Paralympian dialed in on his shooting Saturday.

“Most my focus went into the shooting in all four bouts on the range. I knew staying clean throughout the race would be key,” added Arendz. “I felt very comfortable on the range and it resulted in a great day of shooting.”

Norway’s Nils-Erik Ulset topped the sharp-shooting Canuck to claim the gold with a time of 34:18.1 despite missing one shot in his third stop at the range. Benjamin Daviet, of France, skied to the bronze medal at 35:17.4 (1+0+1+1).

Other Canadian biathlon performances included. Derek Zaplotinsky, of Smokey Lake, Alta., finishing seventh in the men’s sit-skiing race with a time of 46:49.8 (1+0+1+0). Brittany Hudak, of Prince Albert, Sask., also finished seventh in the women’s 10-kilometre standing race with a time of 36:19.8 (0+0+0+0).

The IPC World Cup continues on Sunday in Finland with the cross-country ski sprint races.

Results here.

December 15, 2018 (Davos, Switzerland) – The USA’s Sophie Caldwell was the top qualifier en route to her first sprint podium of the season as she claimed second behind Sweden’s Stina Nilsson in the women’s 1.5km Sprint in Davos, Switzerland on Saturday.

Sadie Bjornsen finished 14th, Ida Sargent was 21st, Jessie Diggins placed 26th and Rosie Brennan was 29th as five U.S. women advanced to the quarterfinals and all ended up in the points. No Canadians competed.

“My strategy going in the finals was to tuck in behind some skiers the first lap to conserve some energy as I knew I had fast skies and was taking the final corner well,” said Caldwell after finishing 0.72 seconds behind Sweden’s Stina Nilsson, and 2.60 second ahead of Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist in third in the final. “I was thrilled with today. This gives me a confidence boost as I have been a little sick and I am now looking forward to the second period.”

On the men’s side, Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won, followed by Italy’s Federico Pellegrino in second, and Baptiste Gros of France third. Simi Hamilton advanced the final heats after qualifying 17th and ended up finishing 12th on the day after running out of gas in the semifinal. Kevin Bolger missed qualifying for the heats by one place ending up 31st. The top Canadian was Alex Harvey in 37th.

“I chose to set a slightly more realistic goal of making the semifinals today and so I sacrificed a bit of recovery time in order to have the best shot of achieving that goal,” said Hamilton. “I pretty much burnt all the matches I had in my quarterfinal heat and was left with the needle on empty in my semifinal. But, I consider any day you race in the heats as a good day, so I’m encouraged with where I am right now.”

Results here.

December 14, 2018 (Canmore, AB) – The Haywood NorAm circuit started off it’s 2nd stop with AltaGas sprints at Alberta’s Canmore Nordic Centre. Temperatures were just below zero for the qualifiers, with many athletes vying for a spot on the Canadian Team at the World Jr./U23 Championships in Lahti, Finland, Jan 20-26.

The qualification criteria for the team the team are outlined in the selection criteria, but in general 5 athletes are to be selected in the women and men’s Junior and U23 classes, with the race winners selected to the team.

Last weekend in Sovereign Lake, Dahria Beatty of Whitehorse and Katherine Stewart-Jones of Nakkertok were battling it out for status as the top Canadian and today had a similar trend. Dahria won the qualifier by over 4 seconds and prevailed in the final by 2 seconds over Stewart-Jones. 3rd in Open Women was local skier Maya Macisaac-Jones of Rocky Mountain Racers.

For the U23 class, Marie Corriveau of Mont Ste. Anne looks to be the front runner for a U23 Championship selection, 6th overall, with Sadie White of Big Thunder and Zoë Williams of Nakkertok filling out the top 3, U23.

In the junior women’s race Anne-Marie Petitclerc of Mont Ste. Anne made the double of top qualifier and heat winner, over Molly Miller of Black Jack. 3rd was Foothills Nordic’s Anna Pryce. Petitclerc as well likely secured a place for herself on the World Junior team.

In the junior men’s category, Black Jack’s Remi Drolet, claimed the top qualifying time and the win over Tom Stephen, by a bit over a second. Stephen’s Foothills teammate Xavier McKeever came 3rd. The 2 Foothills skiers have several more years of junior eligibility remaining while Drolet looks to have claimed a spot on the World Junior team.

The final competition was the Sr. men’s category. Julien Locke was the top qualifier, with 5 of the men finishing with 1 second of each other. In the final Bob Thompson of Team Hardwood came through with the win, a bit over 2 seconds ahead of Big Thunder’s Angus Foster, who edged out Locke by 1/100th of a second.

The next 3 were U23 skiers with Big Thunder’s Graham Ritchie in 4th (likely claiming a World Championship spot), followed by Julian Smith of Georgian Nordic, 5th and Olivier Hamel, of Skibec in 6th.

Next up on Saturday, individual start, skate races.

Full results here.

December 14, 2018 (Vuokatti, Finland) — Canada’s most decorated Winter Paralympian, Brian McKeever, remained unbeaten in short distance cross-country ski racing on the IPC World Cup, following another golden performance on Thursday in Vuokatti, Finland.

The 17-time-Paralympic medallist welcomed back his guide, Graham Nishikawa (Whitehorse) and some extra kick in the legs to put the hurt on the world’s best Para-Nordic skiers around the rare five-kilometre short-distance skate-ski race, clocking a time of 11:04.6 in the visually impaired category.

“I felt like there was some jam today which was nice,” said the 39-year-old McKeever, who was sluggish in a silver-medal distance race yesterday. “I think having an extra day getting over the jet lag helped, but also having yesterday’s effort made a big difference on the body today.

“The wax techs did an awesome job today. I could feel on the start line the skis just wanted to go. I knew I had the good racing skis today right away.”

McKeever, of Canmore, Alta., skied Wednesday’s distance race without a guide as Nishikawa was nursing a back injury. His longtime friend, who guided McKeever at the last two Paralympics, led the veteran of the Canadian squad to the top of the podium while pulling him around the first 3.5 kilometres of the hard-packed, relatively flat course.

“Having Nish (Graham Nishikawa) back today was massive,” said McKeever. “We were able to share the work. Once he blew up, he let me go on my own for the final two climbs before leading me into the finish. We were making huge time on the field going up the hardest climbs. Without a guide today, I wouldn’t have been able to pull out the win.”

The Canadians topped Sweden’s Zebastian Modin who skied to the silver with a time of 11:16.8. Oleksandr Kazik, of the Ukraine, was third at 11:31.8.

Teenager, Natalie Wilkie of Salmon Arm, B.C., finished as the top Canadian in women’s racing. Wilkie, who racked up a set of medals at her first Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, put in a solid effort to finish fourth at 6:46.2 in a 2.5 kilometre skate-ski race.

Wilkie finished just four seconds off the podium pace.

Norway’s Vilde Nilsen set the time to beat at 6:24.2. Two athletes from the Ukraine grabbed the silver and bronze medals. Liudmyla Liashenko was seconds at 6:25.2, while Oleksandra Kononova was third fastest in Finland with a time of 6:42.6.

Vancouver’s Emily Young placed ninth at 7:10.2.

Collin Cameron, of Sudbury, Ont., finished seventh in the men’s five-kilometre sit ski race with a time of 15:25.2, while Derek Zaplotinsky, of Smokey Lake, Alta., placed 10th (15:51.2).

The IPC World Cup continues on Saturday in Finland with the first biathlon race.

Complete results here.

December 13, 2018 (Hochfilzen, Austria) – The USA’s Susan Dunklee placed 34th with two penalties in the 7.5km women’s sprint at the BMW IBU World Cup in Hochfilzen as Dorothea Wierer of Italy held on to win by a mere 0.6 seconds ahead of Finland’s Kaisa Makarainen – both had a single penalty in standing.

Clean-shooting Ekaterina Yurlova-Percht of Russia, 24.4 seconds back, finished third. American Joanne Reid finished 44th with one penalty while Rosanna Crawford led the Canadians in 49th with two penalties.

Full results here.

December 13, 2018 (Vuokatti, Finland) – Canada’s Brian McKeever and Mark Arendz, skied to gold and silver at the IPC Nordic World Cup opener in Vuokatti, Finland on Dec 12. Arendz, 28, was the first champion crowned in the new season in the men’s 10km standing division, while McKeever settled for the silver medal in the men’s 10km visually impaired category.

“This was a fantastic way to kick off the new season. I’ve had some historical moments here in Vuokatti. I competed in my first World Cup race here, had my first World Cup biathlon victory here and now my first cross-country ski victory,” said Arend, who set a record for skiing onto the podium in each of the six races he entered at the 2018 Games.

Japan’s Taiki Kawayoke was the next best finisher in second place with a time of 27:14.4. Ukraine’s Grygorii Vovchynskyi clocked-in at 27:47.8 to secure the bronze medal.

Racing without his guide Graham Nishikawa who was sidelined with an injury, the 39-year-old McKeever, Canada’s most decorated Paralympian, was bumped off the top step of the podium by Sweden’s Sebastian Modin.

“I just didn’t have anything today,” said McKeever, who has been battling jet leg with his Canadian teammates. “But even if I was fast today, I wouldn’t have beaten him. Sebastian was impressive today.” McKeever punched the clock at 27:35.1 to claim the silver medal, while Modin set the time to beat at 26:05.7. Ukraine’s Iaroslav Reshetynskyi skied to a bronze medal pace throughout each of the four laps, finishing with a time of 29:08.2.

Other Canadian top-10 finishers included Natalie Wilkie who placed fifth in the women’s 7.5-kilometre standing race. Vancouver’s Emily Young was eighth, while Brittany Hudak was 10th. Sudbury’s Colin Cameron was the top finisher in the men’s 7.5-kilometre sit-ski race in seventh with teammate, Derek Zaplotinsky in eighth.

The IPC World Cup continues on Thursday in Finland with the short-distance cross-country ski race – full results here.

December 12, 2018 –  The final Drive for 25 numbers are in and what an incredible end of the Drive it was, with some remarkably generous last-minute gifts! 46 states donated, this really has been a nation wide effort!

All totaled, 800-plus donations raised over $111k for Cross-country and Nordic Combined/Ski Jumping development. The funds raised will go towards projects and programming across the United States and will help send our next generation of skiing stars to compete with the best in the world.

Thank you for being a community that believes in skiing enough to provide such an astounding level of support.

For the latest NNF news and activities throughout the season, follow us on the website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Go NNF!!

Drive for 25 Winners
Well done to our winners!

Top Individual
Craig Ward – $5,084

Top Team
US Ski Team – $14,463

Top Division
Far West Nordic – $1,539

* Each winner in each class will be donated 10% of the profits that they raise per category to use towards travel or education.
** Top individual donations will be donated to the club of that individual and can be used for travel for that individual only.

December 11, 2018 (Park City, Utah) – USA Nordic athlete, Kevin Bickner, 22, from Wauconda, Illinois (Norge Ski Club) lands in 5th place on the HS 140 in the FIS Continental Cup in Lillehammer, Norway. Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes, representing Canada, coached by USA Nordic, places 6th at the same competition.

Titisee-Neustadt, Germany was slated to host the weekend’s FIS World Cup, however deteriorating low snow conditions forced a cancellation and venue change to Lillehammer, Norway for these athletes.

In Continental Cup Standings, Bickner is in 13th while Boyd-Clowes is in 10th.

Boyd-Clowes said, “Competing this weekend in Lillehammer was a last minute decision our team made after the World Cup was cancelled. We wanted to take advantage of every jump we got and had some good ones. Although not all of them were in the competition rounds, the 5th and 6th by Kevin and I are a good confidence boost for our team leading into the world cups next week.”

Bickner, reigning record holder, crushed the US distance record in March of 2017 at the HS 225 meter Ski Flying venue in Vikersund, Norway by soaring 244.5 meters.

Theese top 6 results come at the beginning stages of a post Olympic season following Pyeong Chang 2018 where Bickner placed 18th and Boyd-Clowes placed 21st at the Winter Games.

Full results here.

December 10, 2018 (Pokljuka, Slovenia) – The USA’s Clare Egan pulled out all the stops to claim a career-best 6th-place finish in the women’s 10-kilometer Pursuit with one penalty at the BMW IBU World Cup in Pokljuka on Sunday. The 2018 Olympian also posted the fastest course time (25:28.6) in the 60-woman field for an American first at a World Cup or World Championship

“I really worked hard for this and I am psyched,” said a jubilant Egan who’s previous best finish in a World Cup race was 13th. “And it’s just the beginning of the season so I hope there’s more to come.”

Finland’s Kaisa Makarainen captured the win with clean shooting followed by Dorothea Wierer in second at 41.3 seconds behind also shooting clean, while Paulina Fialkova of Slovakia was also perfect on the range taking third at 59.2 seconds behind.

Susan Dunklee (USA) was 39th with two penalties followed by teammate Joanne Reid in 43rd with one penalty – no Canadians competed. Egan from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, was stoked to make the Flower Ceremony. “I wasn’t sure if I was in fifth or sixth. The Norwegian skier got me at the finish, so I was so happy when I looked up and saw that I was sixth, in the flower ceremony,” she added.

Egan was the 15th starter off the line, but her 19-for-20 shooting on the range, coupled with her fast ski time, catapulted her to sixth position at the finish. “I knew the pieces were there. I had clean shooting at a race at the Austrian trials before the World Cup and then I had awesome ski times this week so I knew it was coming and had really good focus today. I love competing head-to-head so pursuit is a great race for me.”

After her only penalty on the third shooting stage, Egan rebounded with a clean round in the final standing stage to set up her historic finish. She was edged out at the line for fifth place by 0.3 seconds by Norway’s Marte Olsbu Roeiseland.

“We’re really excited,” said Egan about the women’s squad. “We had two women in top-15 already so our team is off to a really good start. It’s just the beginning of a great season for U.S. Biathlon.”

Results here.

December 10, 2018 (Vernon, BC) – Day two of racing at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre near Vernon, B.C. got underway Sunday morning as hundreds of racers from Canada and the U.S. took to the start line of the gruelling 5 km World Cup course for what was the first distance race of the season for many. Temperatures were hovering around -6 with overcast skies and hard packed, fast conditions.

The first skier left the stadium at 9:00 a.m. in the Open Men category which saw Kyle Bratrud (Stratton Mountain School) set the fastest time around the 15 km course with 41:59. Bratrud claimed the Senior Men’s victory by a mere 3 seconds over Benjamin Lustgarten (Craftsbury Nordic). In third place was Fondeurs-Laurentides’s Ricardo Izquierdo-Bernier who was also the first Canadian skier.

In the Junior Men category, Canmore’s Sam Hendry (Canmore Nordic) took first place 1:13 back from Bratrud. Hendry was the lone Junior Man in the top 10 and followed by Remi Drolet (Black Jack Ski Club) in second. Third place goes to Luke Jager (Alaska Pacific University).

Starting at 10:30 the Open Women categories got underway on the 10 km course (2 x 5 km) seeing Katherine Stewart-Jones (Nakkertok Nordique) set the fastest time around the course with 31:48. The second Senior Woman was Becca Rorabaugh (Alaska Pacific University) and in third was Saturday’s sprint winner, Julia Kern (Stratton Mountain School).

In Junior Women, Novie McCabe was victorious once again with a winning time of 33:49 followed closely by Jasmine Drolet (Black Jack Ski Club). In third place was Sofie Sanchez (Sugar Bowl Ski Team and Academy).

This afternoon, Midgets raced 2.5 km, Juveniles and Junior Girls 5 km and Junior Boys raced 10 km. Sovereign Lake had 12 skiers compete in these races.

Next week, teams will travel to the Canmore Nordic Centre in Canmore, AB for the second stop on the Haywood NorAm race series and for World Jr/U23 trials. The location changed from Whistler Olympic Park in Whistler, B.C. where the races were originally going to be held but moved due to insufficient snow.

The organizers of the event and the Sovereign Lake Nordic Club would like to thank all of the racers and their families for an exciting weekend of early season racing and look forward to hosting Ski Nationals in March 2020.

Full results from today’s races can be found here.