March 04, 2012 (Ruhpolding, GER) – Martin Fourcade of France scored his second gold medal with a come-from-behind performance in the men’s 12.5km Pursuit at the IBU Worlds as his fast skiing continued to bring success despite four shooting penalties.

Fourcade caught and passed Sweden’s Carl Johan Bergman on the final climb before the finish today to earn the victory by five seconds as Russia’s Anton Shipulin rounded out the podium in 3rd at 22 seconds behind Fourcade.

“I shot fast and do not know why I had two mistakes in the final stage,” Fourcade told biathlonworld.com. “One would have been okay because I was confident of my shape and knew I could keep my advantage.”

The USA’s Lowell Bailey lead the North American men with a respectable 20th but the American was in 7th coming into the final two standing session and faltered suffered two misses in contrast to shooting clean in both prone stages.

“Today’s race was pretty exciting from the start. I had a good prone shooting and was able to move up into the top ten for the middle of the race,” said Bailey in a team release. “By the time I got to last shooting, I was in the top ten and shooting for a top position.

“Everything was going well until the last two shots. As a biathlete, it always hurts a little bit more to get so close and then miss in the last two. But that’s also why we train. We want to be in these situations. We have trained for this our whole careers. Now it’s time to put this race behind me and get ready for the Individual on Tuesday!”

Jean Philippe Leguellec of Canada was also gunning for a top-10 finish but also missed two targets in the final standing session on the range and ended up in 26th place.

American Tim Burke, who was 10th in the sprint race yesterday, suffered five penalties and ended up in 28th position.  Canadian’s Nathan Smith and Scott Perras raced to 43rd and 54th position.

Fourcade and Bergman came into the final standing stage together but Fourcade faltered suffering two penalties while the Swede shot clean. But the Frenchman’s strong skiing saw him reel in Bergman in an exciting finish as Fourcade passed him with less than 1km to go.

“My shape is good, but I also know that Carl Johan is a good sprinter, so that is why I decided to attack earlier and not later,” added Fourcade.

Bergman recalled the final moments of the race with biathlonworld.com, “I felt good when I went out for the last loop. My goal was to have high speed for the whole final loop. But I had absolutely no chance when Fourcade attacked – he was skiing so fast. At that point I had to put all of my mental effort into trying to stay close to him.”

After a day off from competition tomorrow, the men get back into action on Monday with the 20 km Individual race.

Full results HERE.

March 3, 2012 (Lahti, Finland) – WCup leader Dario Cologna (SUI) took another decisive win in the men’s 30km Skiathlon in Lahti on Saturday but for North American fans the day belonged to Canada with Alex Harvey scoring bronze on the podium, while his team mate, Devon Kershaw, animated the race grabbing the first three of four top bonus points for a total of 63 points.

“It was a good race today for me. Every time I am on the podium it’s good,” said Harvey in a team release. “With 90 skiers on the start line the race was tight especially in the corners. I had to be careful, but luckily nobody crashed before me. I like mass starts, I like the adrenaline.”

Kershaw was on fire early in the classic portion seeming to be on a mission as he charged to the front easily taking the first 15 bonus points at the 5.6km mark. Harvey was never far behind and on the second bonus at 13.1km the two Canadians surged to the front going 1-2 across the line taking 15 and 10 bonus points respectively.

The two Canucks continued their assault into the exchange with Harvey exiting first but the pack was not far behind. Kershaw asserted himself again at the 18.9km mark for another 15 points but his efforts would soon take their toll and a freak crash on the downhill into the stadium involving Sweden’s Johan Olsson took them both down. Kershaw recovered quickly but the crash cost both skiers valueable momentum,

As the pace quickened at the front Cologna made his move around the 20km mark as a group of five skiers began to pull away. Chasing behind Harvey was able to hold the pace as Kershaw began to fade and now there were 10 skiers in contention with five others including Kershaw dangling off the back.

“It was really tight, but you have to stay on top of your game,” Harvey explained. “I tried to stay out front between five and 10th spot, and on the outside on corners. The key is to be able to react if something happens.”

After the 26.4km final bonus won by Eugeni Dementiev (RUS), the WCup leader Cologna attacked and got away on his own as his move surprised the group. Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Sjur Roethe lead the charge to catch the Swiss skier with Harvey in the mix in 4th leaving the others behind.

The race for the final podium spots was on as the strong Cologna would not be caught. Harvey followed the two Norwegians and then attacked and passed Roethe hoping to catch Sundby in the final run to the finish but he ran out of track and settled for third earning the fifth podium finish of his three-year career on the World Cup circuit.

“We are still recovering from our altitude camp, but I feel in good shape, I just feel I don’t have the speed that I usually have which is normal after being at altitude,” added the 23-year-old skier from St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, QC.

Harvey moved up one spot to sixth overall on the World Cup while Kershaw in third is now only 78 points behind Petter Northug (NOR) in second as he extended his lead over Sweden’s Marcus Hellner in 4th to 204 points.

Also racing for Canada on Saturday was Ivan Babikov in 36th while Kevin Sandau did not finish.

Kris Freeman, who had a solid classic leg in 21st at the transition, could not hold the pace in the skate section ending up as the top Americans in 42nd. Team mate Noah Hoffman, who had stellar results at the U23 Worlds in Ezurum, Turkey, placed 49th, Michael Sinnott was 75th and Sylvan Ellefson was 81st.

Full results HERE.
WCup overall HERE.

March 03, 2012 (Lahti, Finland) – Norway’s Therese Johaug was unstoppable in the women’s 15km Skiathlon in Lahti on Saturday leading a Norwegian sweep as she claimed the victory defending her win from last year. Team mate Marit Bjoergen placed second and regained the overall World Cup lead while Heidi Weng earned her best WCup result landing on the podium in third.

It was another solid day for the American women with three in the points lead by Kikkan Randall in 12th followed by Jessie Diggins in 18th with Liz Stephen in 21st. Sadie Bjornsen looked good in 25th at the end of the classic leg but couldn’t keep the pace settling for 33rd at the finish. Canada’s Daria Gaiazova finished in 37th, Holly Brooks placed 48th and Perianne Jones (CAN) was 50th.

Randall remains in 4th overall with a 33-pt lead over Charlotte Kalle (SWE). “It was a solid day for me and the team with almost four in the top 30,” Randall told us post race. “The classic course was very challenging with big climbs and fast downhills with icy turns. Our techs did an awesome job with the skis.

“The skate course skied really well I thought, with a good mix of climbs, fast descents and also flat working sections.  The conditions were super fast and icy which made most of the turns pretty dicey.  Staying on your feet and avoiding collisions was definitely key today.”

Randall lead the Americans at the exchange in 16th followed by Bjornsen and Diggins.

“The classic went very well for me. I started 66th, so I had a lot of maneuvering through the pack to do. After about 3.5km, I was skiing top 20 totally comfortable and then I took a huge fall at a fast downhill corner into a climb,” explained Bjornsen. “Which meant I lost a ton of momentum and places. I think in the short time about 20 girls passed me. When I fell, I was skiing with Jessie, so I decided to ski as hard as I could until I saw her again. So for about 2km I was a woman on a mission just skiing so hard to catch up. Once I got back with her, I tried to relax, knowing I should save some energy for the skate.”

Diggins who is just getting over being sick was pleased with her race. “I was happy to have the result considering how I felt the week before. The coaches did an amazing job nailing the kickwax and glide today, and that made a huge difference, especially on all the tough climbs on the classic part of the course. My Salomons were kicking really well for me today!”

Randall is also recovering from her second bout of sickness telling us, “I had hoped to be up further in the classic but I’m happy that I was able to come on stronger through the race. I had a great starting position as bib 9 but right from the gun I had a hard time following the opening pace.

“My body felt heavy and sluggish. I started feeling a little better on the 2nd lap and better again during the skate. My skis were great today. I had really solid kick up the steepest climbs, great glide and my skate skis were running well and helped me make up some places. Once my body started coming around I was able to move up a few spots.

“Today was a good sign that I have rebounded from my 2nd round of the stomach bug that I got right after Poland.  I wasn’t sure how today would go but I think this bodes well for the final period.

It was a good sign for Diggins as well that she’s getting back to her old form. “Going into the race I had no expectations; that stomach flu thing really hit me hard [on the way to the U23 Worlds in Ezurum] and it took quite a while to bounce back, so I just wanted to use today as a chance to get back into the World Cup racing and not worry about where I would place. And in general that kind of attitude is much better for me and produces better (and more fun!) race experiences,” said Diggins by email.

“The start of my race was really good, but I took myself out on one of the many icy corners in the classic and lost quite a lot of spots there. But having a pretty chill attitude about the place I was going to get today helped because I was able to not let it throw me off and worked my way back in the skate half, focusing on getting that ‘good racing’ feeling back again.”

Liz Stephen also had a solid race and a stellar skate leg moving up from 46th at the exchange to 21st at the finish. “The classic portion was tough today. I was hoping to get a better start, but that has been tough for me each year, so this summer’s training will have a big focus on starting faster and getting comfortable skiing really close to people.

“My goal had been to start fast and hang on, but my body wasn’t having it in the classic today, so I just held on and got psyched for the skate leg. It’s really fun to ski when the body shows up and it really showed up today.”

An unexpected crash when another skier collided with Brooks changed the complexion of her race.

“I had a good start to the race and was feeling strong for the first lap of the classic race. However, coming into the famous Lahti 180 degree corner, I got taken out from behind. (This was confirmed when the girl that took me out came up to me in the finish area to apologize…. it wasn’t my imagination)!

“I fell really hard, practically knocking the wind out of myself, broke my pole, lost my glasses. I had to ski around the stadium with one pole and got tangled with another skier, falling again. I was a bit shaken for the second leg of the classic race and the entire skate race.

“So, the day was a bit rough but Im hoping to bounce back and come on strong tomorrow in the classic sprint. Besides my misfortunes the other US girls had some great performances. Sadie was close to the points yet again but had a fantastic race. Also, Liz started slow but had the 7th fastest skate leg of the day!”

For Randall Sunday’s CL Sprint if the first of three as she attempts to defend her Sprint Cup red leader’s jersey.

“Sunday’s sprint features a big climb out of the stadium, almost two minutes worth, some crazy corners and lots of gliding coming into the stadium.  So bodies and skis will be important,” added Randall.

Full results HERE.
WCup Overall HERE.

March 03, 2012 (Ruhpolding, GER) – Germany’s Magdalena Neuner gave local fans the win they wanted today as she shot clean en route to claiming the gold medal in the women’s 7.5km Sprint race at the 2012 IBU World Championships, in biathlon cathedral of Ruhpolding.

Neuner captured the win with a 15-second victory over silver medalist Darya Domracheva of Belarus and finished 38 seconds ahead of bronze medalist, Ukraine’s Vita Semerenko.

Out of the 116 women who started, the top North American result went to Canadian Zina Kocher, who finished 18th suffering two penalties at 1:48 behind of the gold medal finishing time. “I was a bit distracted in the mixed relay [on Thursday] and really messed up that race for the team so I’m satisfied that I bounced back and had a decent result today,” Kocher told SkiTrax post-race. “It’s not a perfect race with two misses, but it’s my best Sprint WCHS result and I’m in a great position for tomorrow’s pursuit.”

Temperatures were well above zero, but according to Kocher the organizing committee did a solid job in maintaining the course as best as possible considering the warm temperatures. Kocher has been getting great support from her wax technicians as well.  “My skis have been excellent this week. We have a superb team of wax techs and once again were on top of the conditions and did an incredible job for all of us. “

Other North American results included USA’s Sara Studebaker 49th place with Canadian’s Megan Imrie and Megan Heinicke finishing in 51st and 52nd respectively.  Americans Susan Dunklee and Annelies Cook placed 55th and 62nd respectively with Lanny Barnes of the US in 67th followed by Canadian Yolaine Oddou in 104th.

Full results HERE.

March 03, 2012 (Ruhpolding, GER) – The USA’s Tim Burke led the North Americans today with a 10th-place finish in the men’s 10km Sprint competition at the IBU World Championships in Ruhpolding, Germany. With only one shooting penalty, the American finished less than 1 minute behind gold medalist Martin Fourcade of France. Canada’s Jean Philippe Le Guellec had a solid day in 14th also with one penalty.

“I am happy with the result today but I am hoping to feel a little better on the skis for the next races,” Burke told SkiTrax.

When asked how the break in racing since the last World Cup in Kontiolahti, Finland, affected the race today, Burke commented “I did not feel rusty today because I raced in the mixed relay two days ago, which was the perfect warm up for the sprint.”

The 26-year-old Le Guellec, with a handful of top-15 finishes throughout his World Cup career, also suffered one penalty finishing 1:10 behind Fourcade.

“The skis were fast today, which was great and kept me alive,” said the two-time Olympian in a team release. “My ski shape was a bit lethargic. I definitely got worked by the course, but my ski time isn’t as dramatic as it felt.

Skiing conditions were very tricky.  “The conditions were very challenging with some places getting very deep and wet while others remained icy. The downhills here are especially tricky,” added Burke.  “I think they would be better suited for alpine skiing.  I actually took a huge fall warming up and came up with a bloody face but was happy to make it through the actual race on my feet.”

The best part of the day for Burke was racing in front of the 30,000 enthusiastic German fans.  “It was so loud in some places on the track that it was impossible to hear the coaches!”

Conditions didn’t seem to affect Frenchman Fourcade’s performance, as he took the win over silver medalist Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway and Sweden’s Carl Johan Bergman who shot clean to claim bronze.  Despite two shooting penalties, Fourcade skied remarkably fast to claim the 15-second victory over Svendsen.

“I am really happy with my race today. My shooting was not as good as I expected, but I am very happy to catch the victory,” said Fourcade in a biathlonworld.com interview.  “I am very proud of my team today; they made perfect skis for me.”

Bronze medalist Bergman lead the race as he left the final shooting stage, but he didn’t have enough gas in the tank to hold on for the win. “I was tired on the final loop. I was trying to focus on my strength, but I did not ski as fast as in the first two loops,” Bergman told biathlonworld.com.  “I thought I did a good job of saving my energy and had the power to push but not as good as the other guys.”

Burke’s teammate Lowell Bailey had a solid result shooting clean to place 20th followed by  Canadians Nathan Smith, Scott Perras, and Marc-Andre Bedard in 45th, 50th, and 55th position while American’s Russell Currier and Jay Hakkinen placed 63rd and 91st respectively.

Up next from Ruhpolding on Sunday are the Men’s 12.5km and the Women’s 10km Pursuit races.

Full results HERE.

March 03, 2012 (Zao, Japan) — Sarah Hendrickson clinched the inaugural women’s ski jumping World Cup overall title Saturday in Zao, Japan — a feat so significant that even she was left nearly speechless. “It’s pretty crazy and I don’t even know how to put it into words,” said Hendrickson, the 17-year-old from Park City, Utah.

She won Saturday’s first competition in Zao over rival Sara Takanashi, of Japan, and then wrapped up the overall title by finishing second to Takanashi in the second comp. And the season isn’t even over yet. There are two World Cup events remaining, but with a 295-point lead over Austria’s Daniela Iraschko in the overall race, Hendrickson has the numbers to seal her place in the history books.

“I knew I had to jump really well and that Sara (Takanashi) was catching up to me for the overall,” said Hendrickson, who has won seven of 11 World Cup events and was the silver medalist in the 2012 Junior World Championships. “I felt a lot of pressure, but that’s why I love ski jumping.”

Hendrickson won the World Cup opener in December in Lillehammer, Norway, becoming the first woman ever to win an International Ski Federation World Cup competition. Women ski jumpers have competed on the lower-tier Continental Cup for seven years. In 2010, the FIS approved a World Cup circuit for women to debut in the 2011/2012 season. And after a long-fought battle, women will be allowed to ski jump in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games for the first time.

The World Cup circuit is physically and mentally draining and demanding of any athlete, never mind a teenager, said Alan Alborn, head coach for Women’s Ski Jumping USA (WSJ-USA) and former World Cup competitor and Olympian.

“To have an athlete sustain that high level of jumping from the first World Cup of the season to now is, well, incredible,” he said. “I’m blown away and super psyched for her.”

For Paolo Bernardi, WSJ-USA coach who has been traveling with the team on the World Cup, he “feels like the luckiest person in the world.”

The U.S. women’s team is No. 1 in the world — thanks to wins by Hendrickson and consistent podiums, and top-10 and top-25 results from teammates Lindsey Van, Jessica Jerome, Abby Hughes and Alissa Johnson — and will most likely win the overall team title.

Bernardi is a former Italian Nordic Combined athlete who almost left the sport after completing his athletic career. But he said his father, who died 10 years ago, pushed him to stay in the business as a coach.

“I’m sure he’s proud of me right now. After 15 years of working as a coach, to be here in this place in this time, I just have no words,” he said, working to fight back the tears. “I’m so happy for Sarah and so proud of our team.”

And back home in Park City — more than 5,000 miles away — Sarah’s mom, Nancy Hendrickson, was huddled over a computer at midnight watching the live ticker of results. When she got the call that her daughter was the new World Cup title winner, she did what was natural.

“I just cried,” she said. “I am so proud of her and that she’s been gracious and thoughtful in the midst of all that immense pressure. She’s been able to keep it together and I credit her coaches and teammates for helping her keep it real. They were amazing.”

Nancy Hendrickson dismisses the idea that she or her family had anything to do with Sarah’s early success.

“People look at me like I’m crazy for letting my teenage daughter go on the road to compete for months at a time,” she said. “But she’s doing what she loves to do and it’s who she is. There’s no control. Her wings are firmly attached and I’ve got to let her fly.”

One more competition takes place Sunday in Zao before the jumpers head to Oslo, Norway, for the World Cup final on March 9.

Results

Saturday, March 3, 2012
(Women’s Normal Hill, HS100, K-point 90m)

1. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, (99.5m 95.5m) 253.8 points
2. Sara Takanashi, JPN, (98.5 99.5) 252.7
3. Daniela Iraschko, AUT, (94.5 96.5) 244.2

9. Jessica Jerome, USA (93.5 86.5) 209.7
11. Lindsey Van, USA, (79.5 96.0) 206.1
31. Abby Hughes, USA (83.5) 87.5
36. Alissa Johnson, USA, (79.0) 79.0

Sunday, March 4, 2012
(Women’s Normal Hill, HS100, K-point 90m)

(Second jump canceled because of weather – results stand from first round)

1. Sara Takanashi, JPN, (102.5m) 124.9 points
2. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, (95.5) 113.7
3. Ulrike Graessler, GER, (95) 109.2

6. Jessica Jerome, USA (88.0) 104.8
8. Lindsey Van, USA, (88.5) 102.4
21. Abby Hughes, USA (82.0) 88.8
35. Alissa Johnson, USA (74.0) 69.4

Women’s Ski Jumping USA is the primary support group for the VISA Women’s Ski Jumping Team and aims to foster development level athletes throughout the U.S. WSJ-USA, a 501c3 foundation, also advocates for equality for women and girls in sports.

February 29, 2012 – SkiTrax caught up with the top men’s and women’s finishers after the biggest XC ski marathon in the U.S. – the American Birkebeiner in Cable, WI. Read race recaps from 50k FR winners Tad Elliott and Holly Brooks, as well as comments from runners-up Matt Liebsch and Caitlin Gregg.

Full results HERE.

Tad Elliott – 50km FR Men’s Winner
I was looking for a marathon to participate in on the weekend when the World Cup took a break and noticed that the American Birkie was the same weekend. It has been a dream of mine to win the Birkie but I was a little nervous about the travel back and forth from Europe. I asked my Dad what he thought and he was nervous about the travel as well saying it might be best to stay in Europe.

I asked my Mom what she thought about the travel and the Birkie. She got really excited and said that I should do it and make it happen. She raced the Kortelopet a few years ago and loved the atmosphere and racing in Wisconsin. Right then I knew I would be making the travel to WI.

I emailed Salomon asking if they could help me out getting to the Birkie and taking care of me while I was there. They booked my ticket, hotel room, entrance, and made sure I had transportation. The Salomon staff are my friends and also my support staff. Without the help of Bill Sterling, Josh Korn, Andy Gerlach, and Pete Zeller, I would not have been able to do as well as I did.

Zach Caldwell even came out to wax my skis for the race. He chooses all of my skis with Salomon and puts race grinds on them. The amount of testing and work he put into my skis for the Birkie was amazing. Without Zach, my results would not have been what they were. The overall support was absolutely incredible. I felt like it was a team effort for me to win, a lot of people worked very hard so I could have this opportunity. My dream came true.

The race itself was awesome. Huge thanks to the groomers who made the course a blast to ski on after all of the new snow. At the start, my track came together with another track and Morten Petterson and I were going to get pretty well acquainted – he slowed and let me in – classy guy. We laughed and the race was on.

My skis felt a little slow at first in the new cold snow. Once I hit “OO” [about the 1/2 way point] where Zach had tested my skis at 5 a.m. they sped up significantly. I could tell that had the best skis in the field – right when I needed them. A French skier and Nish [Graham Nishikawa] were off the front with a 1:07 lead at one point. I was stressed that we would not be able to bring it back. Matt Liebsch kept me in line and said that together we could bring it back, but not before 33km. True to his word, at 33km Matt and I worked together to bring them back.

After that, the paced slowed a little and I attacked with 11km to go and was able to get a gap alone. From then on I was committed to the finish. Across the lake, I kept looking back thinking that I would be caught with only 500 meters left in the race. Once I hit the wiskers in the finishing lanes and looked back, I knew I had won.

I celebrated pretty hard and was extremely happy. It was the perfect day for me. I was so pumped and I’m still stoked. At the finish I borrowed a stranger’s phone to call my parents. I don’t think I’ve heard my mom that excited in a while. She was really pleased.

The best moment of the day for me though was sharing the podium with two other Americans who are also my friends. I have stayed at both of their houses in the last month while training and racing. Just a rad experience all around.

——

Holly Brooks – 50km FR Women’s Winner
Today was awesome – I really couldn’t have wished for a better day. Just last week I remember hearing the race was “on the rocks” and amazingly, the conditions today were PERFECT. The temperature, the snow, the grooming. Heck, the sunshine even came out for the race finish – and of course the great spectators!

As for the race itself, there was a large group of women that skied together until “OO” – myself, Caitlin [Gregg], Nicole Deyong, Rebecca Dussault, and a Russian skier were taking turns at the front. Shortly thereafter I was taking a feed and Caitlin made a decisive move, weaving through skiers from the men’s elite wave.

I wanted to finish my GU so she lost me for a bit and I had to work to reel her back in. In the process, we gapped the rest of the girls. When I realized that we had a lead on the others, I told her and said that we should work together to make sure they didn’t catch us.  So we traded leads, pulling each other towards Hayward. It was a blast skiing the race with Caitlin – she’s a good friend and a great skater. Now we’ve each won the Birkie once!

I was leading off the lake and made the 90 degree corner onto Main Street… I had been in this situation before in 2009, only to be caught by Rebecca D at the line (2nd by an inch!). This year, I definitely had a flashback to the race three years ago, and I was determined to NOT lose the sprint!

I took the sprint by a hair but made sure to not “pull a Morilov” and celebrate before fully crossing the finish line!  Funny thing was that both my husband Rob, and Caitlin’s husband Brian, were waiting at the finish line to see who’s wife would win! Brian had a great race as well, landing third on the podium – a good day for the Gregg family!

All in all, I’m really glad that I made the trip out here to race the Birkie and I’m ecstatic that I can “check this off the list” after three years of jokes about my boot being too small or the fact that I shouldn’t have clipped my toenails that day!

Check out the Anchorage Daily News for a great story on the race.

——

Matt Liebsch – 50km FR Second
This was an amazing Birkie and I was so happy that I got to be on the podium with two of my best training partners and friends. There was great depth and it was a very competitive field this year at the Birkie.

I broke a pole this time at a very in-opportune time in the race. I knew we were getting to the point where moves were going to be made. Tad [Elliott] went off the front followed by Brian Gregg. I tried to get into the 3rd spot and put my pole between Lars [Flora] and myself and we both fell. Santiago Ocariz saw what happened and took his pole off and gave it to me. With that I was able to get back into the race.

The Birkie course was wonderful and it’s always a race where I strive to have one of my best results in. I want to thank all the volunteers, board members and people who work so hard to make this an amazing event. This year’s Birkie will be one of my most memorable!

——

Caitlin Gregg – 50km FR Second (defending champ)
The Birkie race was fantastic! It was a great way for me to test my fitness. The pace in the women’s race was very very slow for the first 30km. I was feeling great and only a few of the ladies were taking turns at the front so I decided to make a run for it. Holly [Brooks] was the only skier that followed and soon we were a few minutes off the front.

Holly and I worked together and maintained our gap until Main Street. The final sprint was awesome and we both skied our heart’s out. In the end Holly got me by 0.4 of a second. It was very close but also a ton of fun! Holly has been racing very well on the World Cup circuit and it was great to be able to ski with her so much during the race.

After the race I realized I had four bridesmaids in the Birkie this year and two were on the podium! The whole weekend of events was incredible and I am so happy that I get to share the Birkie experience with so many family members and close friends!

February 29, 2012 (Toronto, ON) – We are excited to present the SkiTrax FIS Fantasy WCup 2011/12 Contest standings after the inaugural Szklarska Poreba WCup in Poland. Siggy’s Speedsters continues to lead with a total of 1,322 points. A new contender has leapt up into second place: Team JOlca2 has 1,317 points, while daviking is only one point back at 1,316 for third spot. The maximum number of points after Poland is 1,434.

For the complete FIS WCup Fantasy Contest standings after Szklarska Poreba click HERE.

The next FIS WCup takes place in Lahti, Finland, Mar. 3-4.

SkiTrax Fantasy FIS World Cup 2011/12 Contest Prizes
* 1st Prize – Fischer 11/12 Carbonlite Hole Skis, Xcelerator Bindings, Carbonlite Poles (value $1,100)
* 2nd Prize – SkiGo Carbon 780 Roller Skis (value $580)
* 3rd Prize – Alpina ESK Ski Boots (value $449)
* 4th Prize – Bjorn Daehlie Exclusive US XC Ski Suit (value $300)
* 5th Prize – Sporthill XC Pants/Tights and Glacier Top (value $220)
* 6th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $150)
* 7th Prize – Bliz Proflip Visor (value $129)
* 8th Prize – Rottefella Xcelerator Skate/Classic Bindings (value $120)
* 9th Prize – Concept2 Goodie Duffle Bag (value $100)
* 10th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* WCup Break – Buff Headware (value $23) to top 3 contest leaders before the Tour de Ski

Thanks to all of our great sponsors, including Fischer, SkiGo, Alpina, Bjorn Daehlie Clothing, Sporthill, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, Rottefella, Bliz, Concept 2, Auclair, and Buff.

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

February 27, 2012 (Erzurum, TUR) – Russia’s junior athletes put their stamp on the final day of competition at the Junior World Championships in Erzurum, Turkey, winning both the women’s 4×3.3km and the men’s 4x5km (CL/FR) relays.

The Russian junior women’s team anchored by Elena Soboleva had a 13-second margin as Sweden and Slovenia duked it out to the line with Sweden’s Stina Nilsson nipping Slovenia’s Nika Razinger by 0.1s for the silver.

Sweden struck an early lead but Russia took over on the second classic leg and never looked back. Germany claimed 4th as Italy edged out Norway for 5th by only 0.2s.

Just behind Canada and the US were also in tight battle as Emily Hannah brought the Americans into contention with the Canadians on the first skating leg. But the Canucks made up of Dahria Beatty, Janelle Greer, Anne-Marie Comeau and Emilie Steward-Jones held on to claim 9th place just nipping the US Junior women’s squad consisting of Corey Stock, Mary O’Connell, Hannah, and Stephanie Kirk, at the line by only 0.4s as the Americans finished 10th.

The Junior men’s 4x5km relay race saw a repeat performance by the Russians as they dominated the field in Erzurum on Sunday, leading the race from start to finish fending off all challengers for the gold. Kazakhstan grabbed the silver as Norway settled for the bronze.

Team Canada made up of Alexis Turgeon, Knute Johnsgaard, Geoffrey Richards, and Sebastian Dandurand finished in 10th while Team USA consisting of Logan Hanneman, Will Wicherski, Michael Vigers, and Cole Morgan was just behind in 11th overall out of 19 teams. Hanneman had a strong lead-off classic leg handing off in 4th but the US squad could not maintain the pace.

Russia lead the field scoring 10 cross-country gold medals at the FIS Nordic Junior/U23 World Ski Championships and also won the 2012 Marc Hodler trophy.

Junior women’s relay results HERE.
Junior men’s relay results HERE.

Women’s Relay Photos

Men’s Relay Photos

February 25, 2012 (Kontiolahti, FIN) – Canada’s Audrey Vaillancourt continued to maintain pace with the world’s best junior biathletes, finishing 16th in the women’s 7.5km sprint competition on Saturday in Kontiolahti, Finland.  The 20-year-old missed only one shot in her first round of shooting en route to posting the top North American finish under ideal, mild conditions.

“Audrey was really strong on her skis and in the range today which led to a really strong result,” said Richard Boruta, coach, Canadian Biathlon Team in a team release.

Russia’s Elena Ankudinova shot clean to win gold while Anais Chevalier of France finished in the silver medal position with Russia’s Maragrita Philippova rounding out the women’s podium in third.

Canadian Keely Macculloch placed 40th while American’s Kimberly Del Frate and Amanda Del Frate ended up in 55th and 60th position respectively.

Men’s Race
American lead the North Americans as the top finisher in the men’s 10km sprint placing 20th while Canada’s Kurtis Wenzel, who won a gold medal earlier in the junior men’s individual competition, finished 23rd.

“The competition in the men’s race is very tough and all of our athletes continue to get closer with their ski speed,” commented Canadian Coach Boruta. “We had an average shooting day, which isn’t good enough for top results in this strong field. We are looking forward to the pursuit on Sunday.”

Russia’s Maxim Tsvetkov won sprint gold while France’s Florent Claude and Simon Desthieux finished in the silver and bronze medal positions.

Canadians Aaron Gillmor, Macx Davies, & Jasper MacKenzie finished in 40th, 61st, & 73rd position while American Raileigh Goessling placed 75th on the day.

The World Championships wrap up on Sunday with the pursuit competitions.

Full women’s results HERE.
Full men’s results HERE.

February 25, 2012 (Erzurum, Turkey) – American Noah Hoffman lead a strong performance by the North Americans competing in the men’s 30-kilometre skiathlon race at the U23 World Championships in Erzurum, Turkey on Saturday.

The skiathlon combines 15km of skiing in the classic technique, followed by an additional 15km of skate skiing. Athletes enter a transition zone between the two legs to change equipment while the clock continues to run.

Hoffman raced a strong classic leg and was third at the transition and ended up finishing 8^th, only eight seconds back of the race winner, Raul Shakirzianov from Russia.  Fellow Russian Evgeniy Belov skied for the silver medal while Germany’s Hannes Dotzler scored the bronze. The course was extremely tough due to the high altitude of Ezurum, some 1,900 meters above sea level.

“Today was really good experience for me. I felt great and in control the entire race,” Hoffman wrote SkiTrax by email. “The race was very tactical. I don’t have a lot of experience with races like that. My goal for the first 25km was to take it as easy as possible. I did that well and felt good with 5km to go.

“I tried to make a break, but couldn’t get it to stick,” he added. “I am happy to finish with the pack eventhough I know a sprint finish is not going to get me my best result. I learned a lot today and am looking forward to more opportunities soon.”

Canada’s Graeme Killick had a solid performance as the top Canadian finishing 15^th at 21 seconds back.  Killick was well positioned in the top-10 for the first 26km of the race before crashing on an icy downhill.

“It was a fantastic race for Graeme and who knows what could have happened if he didn’t crash. A top-10 or top-six was right there for him today,” said Canadian Cross-Country Ski Team coach, Eric de Nys, in a team release. “Graeme had really good skis today and was in control. This is a really difficult course that pushes the limit of altitude for a World Cup so it was a good day for sure.”

Fellow Canuck, Jesse Cockney, was also on pace for a solid outing before crashing on a left corner coming off a steep downhill at the 14 kilometre mark of the classic-skiing portion of the race. Cockney held on for 29th while fellow Canadians David Greer & Chris Hamilton finished 35^th and 40^th respectively. Ryan Scott of the USA rounded out the North American men by finishing in 56^th position.

SkiTrax caught up with Cockney who described his race today. “The race today went so much better than the previous two. I felt relaxed in the classic and had hopes to stay smooth in the skate portion and continue fighting for top 20. Unfortunately I fell on the high speed downhill coming back towards the stadium on the final classic lap and lost contact with the lead group and was never able to catch back on.

“The day’s conditions were much the same as the entire race week with very cold temperatures heating up to around -10 C with bright bluebird skies. I’m really happy with the classic leg but at the same time still disappointed to not be fighting for a better position in my last U23 race. Now it’s time to go home! I haven’t been home since February 1st and I’m definitely happy to be going home.”

Women’s 15km Skiathlon

Meanwhile, in the women’s event, it was USA’s Jessica Diggins leading the North American women’s charge finishing 15^th in the 15km combined technique event.  Norway’s Martine Hagen won the race with a time of 43:52.5, while Italy’s Debora Agreiter scored a silver medal and Sweden’s Emma Wiker grabbed the bronze.

“I had much higher expectations for myself today and I did a pretty bad job of putting way too much pressure on myself for this race, expecting to somehow bounce back from being really sick,” Diggins confided to SkiTrax. “The first half of the race went really well – I felt relaxed and smooth, and skied how I wanted to; getting ahead over the top of the big hill so I could step the sharp corner and not have to skid it surrounded by skiers. But in the skate half I simply ran out of energy – my usual energy stores were just not there. The second half of the race was pretty horrible for me but not every race is going to go well. That’s ski racing!

“The course was really fun – no super steep climbs but long gradual ones and the classic skiing especially was amazing. The tracks were perfect and you could ski with big long strides. The team atmosphere here in Turkey has been really fun, especially getting to explore town, meeting the other teams and getting to see our juniors experience the Junior Worlds for the first time.

Following Diggins were fellow Americans Sadie Bjornsen in 16^th and Rebecca Rorabaugh finishing in 19^th place.  Canadian Emily Nishikawa led a trio of Canadians by placing 27^th  with Annika Hicks in 33rd, Marlis Kromm was 36th and Heidi Widmer was 38th.

“Today wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. I had a good classic leg (13th), but faded pretty hard during the skate,” said Nishikawa. ” I was hoping to improve on my 17th place from the 10km classic race.  The course was great today – sunny and cold. We had really great skis and it was an exciting race as mass starts usually are!”

The Junior and Under-23 World Championships wrap up on Sunday in Turkey with the relay races.

Women’s results CC_C73A_3.0l23.pdf.
Men’s results CC_C73A_2.023.pdf.

With files from CCC.

February 23, 2012 – This week on Talkin’ with the Gravy-Train, Peter Graves catches up with 28-year-old American skier Matt Liebsch of Orono, MN, who won Tour De Twin Cities and the Boulder MT Tour this season. Liebsch races for Team Strong Heart/Team Birkie and is also the Director of Race Services at Gear West Ski and Run in Long Lake, MN. His palmares include a win at his favourite race, the American Birkebeiner, in 2009. He’s stoked and primed for the 39th edition of the race coming up this weekend. Listen what he has to say about the historic event.

Matt Liebsch Interview

February 23, 2012 (Kontiolahti, FIN) – Four young Canucks joined forces, each skiing 7.5-km with two stops at the range, to finish sixth in the men’s relay at the Junior Biathlon World Championships in Kontiolahti, Finland on Thursday.

Anchored by Canada’s golden boy, Kurtis Wenzel of Calgary who won the individual race earlier at the World competitions, the team of Macx Davies, of Canmore, Alta.; Calgary’s Aaron Gillmor; and Jasper Mackenzie, of Kelowna, B.C., clocked a time of 1:25:16.0 in the men’s 4×7.5-kilometre relay.

Norway finished on top with a time of 1:21:50.4, while the Czech Republic captured the silver medal with a time of 1:23:13.9, and Russia finished third at 1:23:14.0.  Team USA was made up of Eathan Dreissigacher, Casey Smith, Raileigh Goessling, & Jacob Prince finished 14th overall with a time of 1:31:06.

In the women’s junior relay, where each athlete skis 6km, Canada’s three-women squad of Quebec’s Audrey Vaillancourt, along with Canmore, Alta. residents, Emma Lodge and Emm Lunder, combined to finish 14th at 1:08:25.1.

Norway won the women’s event with a time of 1:01:37.6. Italy was second at 1:01:54.2, while the Ukraine won the bronze medal with a time of 1:02:01.6.  Kelly Kjorlien, Kimberly Del Frate, & Amanda Del Frate made up Team USA and finished with a time of 1:17:11 for 18th place.

The World Championships continue with the men’s and women’s youth sprint events.

Junior Women 3×6 km Relay results HERE.
Junior Men 4×7.5 km Relay results HERE.

February 23, 2012 (Kontiolahti, FIN) – The Canadian women’s and men’s youth relay teams had solid results finishing eighth and ninth respectively at the IBU Junior World Championships in Kontiolahti, Finland on Wednesday.

Quebec’s Rose-Marie Cote, Julia Ransom, of Kelowna, B.C., and Sarah Beaudry, of Prince George, B.C., teamed up to finish eighth in the women’s 3×6-kilometre relay. “It was a pretty normal day, showing us quite realistically where stand as a team,” said Richard Boruta, coach of the Canadian Biathlon Team in a team release.

“Julia Ransom was one of the fastest skiers on the second leg with strong shooting as well. We have some young athletes with little experience so this will help with their future.”

Ukraine finished on top while Sweden claimed the silver medal and Austria skied to the bronze. Team USA consisting of of Anna Kubek, Tara Geraghty-Moats, and Melissa Manning placed 13th.

In the men’s 3×7.5 km Relay Canada’s three-man squad consisted of Calgarians Christian Gow and Stuart Harden, along with Quebec’s Albert Bouchard. The three Canucks clocked a ninth-place time of 1:09:07.0.

“The men are showing great potential for the sprint competition with fast ski times,” added coach Boruta.

France won the men’s relay while Sweden was second and Germany claimed third.  The American men consisting of Samuel Dougherty, Sean Doherty, & Nicholas Proell finished in 15th position.

Youth Women 3×6 km Relay HERE.
Youth Men 3×7.5 km Relay HERE.

February 22, 2012 (Erzurum, Turkey) – Canada’s Dahria Beatty and Janelle Greer, both of Whitehorse, cracked the top 30 in Wednesday’s women’s 5km classic race at the Junior World Championships in Erzurum, Turkey. Beatty finished the race in 25th and just over a minute back of the winner, Russia’s Natalia Zhukova. Greer was close behind Beatty in 28th. Also racing for Canada were Anne-Marie Comeau (39th) and Emilie Stewart-Jones (42).

The USA contingent consisted of three skiers in this morning’s race including Corey Stock (40th), Mary O’Connell (54th), and Stephanie Kirk (61st). Emily Hannah did not start.

In the men’s race, which was won by Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov, Canada’s Alexis Turgeon posted the top North American result finishing in 33rd place, followed closely by the USA’s Logan Hanneman in 35th. Also suiting up for the USA were Will Wicherski (61st), Michael Vigers (68th), and Cole Morgan (78th).

Canada’s Geoffrey Richards (41st) and Knute Johnsgaard (73rd) also raced today.

Full women’s results HERE.
Full men’s results HERE.

February 21, 2012 (Kontiolahti, FIN) – Biathlete Kurtis Wenzel skied into the history books as the first-ever Canadian to be crowned World Champion at the Biathlon Junior World Championships in Kontiolahti, Finland on Tuesday.

The Calgarian missed just one shot in his four rounds of shooting to set the time to beat at 44:09.2 on an extremely difficult day in the junior men’s 15-kilometre individual competition.  Wind gusts played havoc during the shooting as a great deal of mental strength and concentration was required to shoot well today.

“This is very special for me,” said Wenzel. “I was pretty anxious before the race, but I did a good job of staying relaxed and calm today. The whole team did a great job and I’m really happy.”

Wenzel was joined on the podium by Norway’s Marius Hol in second at 44:52.0 (0+0+0+2), and Russia’s Alexandr Loginov, who clocked a bronze-medal time of 45:07.2 (1+1+1+0).

“I didn’t know where I could be today, but I knew I was in good form coming into the race,” added Wenzel. “I was shooting clean in training and I was skiing well.”

“Kurtis looked very much in control all week,” added Richard Boruta, coach, Biathlon Canada. “From taking care of his training to nutrition needs to recovery, he executed perfectly.”

At just 21 years old, Wenzel is no stranger to the international winner’s circle. A two-year member of Canada’s national junior biathlon squad, Wenzel won a gold and bronze medal at the 2009 Youth World Championships on his home track in Canmore, Alberta.  But it has been anything but an easy road for the sharp-shooting Canuck. Wenzel took last year off from competing in biathlon after being diagnosed with Graves Disease – disorder that leads to over activity of the thyroid gland, which had an affect on his shooting. After support from family, friends and his entire ski club at Rocky Mountain Racers, Wenzel proved to himself and the world he is now back.

“I had lots of doubts after the 2010 World Championships,” said Wenzel. “I didn’t know if it was mental or physical. It is nice to be back and this is a special day.”

Two-time Olympian, Jean-Philippe Le Guellec was the last Canadian to win a Junior World Championship medal in an event that was not a relay. Le Guellec captured the bronze in the sprint competition in 2006. Canada’s junior athletes won a bronze in the men’s relay in both 2005 and 2007.

Six other North American men hit the start line. Canada’s Aaron Gillmor finished 19th with Casey Smith (USA) in 31st place.  USA’s Eathan Dreissigacher was 53rd while Cnaada’s Macx Davies placed 72nd. Raileigh Goessling (USA) finished 74th and Jasper Mackenzie finished up in 75th place.

Results (brief)

1. Kurtis Wenzel (Can) 44:09.2
2. Marius Hol (Nor) 42.8
3. Alexandr Loginov (Rus) 58
4. Anton Pantov (Kaz) 01:44.7
5. David Komatz (Aut) 01:45.9
19. Aaron Gillmor (Can) 04:43.7
31. Casey Smith (USA) 06:37.2
53. Eathan Dreissigacher (USA) 08:57.5
72. Macx Davies (Can) 12:50.1
74. Raileigh Goessling (USA) 12:59.8
75. Jasper Mackenzie (Can) 13:18.7

With files from Biathlon Canada

February 21, 2012 (Madison, WI) – Last weekend, CXC hosted the USSA SuperTour in Madison, WI, as part of the Madison Winter Festival. Saturday saw some of the top U.S. skiers contest a Classic Sprint competition, while Sunday was all about the USSA SuperTour Free Sprints. Natalia Naryshkina (CXC) and Jari Joutsen cleaned up in the women’s and men’s classic competition, while Sunday saw Jennie Bender (CXC) and Philip Furrer take top honours in the freestyle sprints on a 1km course under sunny skies.

Qualifications

Video streaming by Ustream

Finals

Video streaming by Ustream

Results

Saturday
Qualifier results HERE.
Women’s Classic heat results HERE.
Men’s Classic heat results HERE.

Sunday
Qualifier results HERE.
Heat results HERE.
Final results HERE.

More photos HERE.

February 21, 2012 (Erzurum, Turkey) – The 2012  Junior/U23 World Championships kicked off in Erzurum, Turkey on Monday with freestyle sprints for the Juniors. Canada’s Janelle Greer of Whitehorse, YK, led a youthful contingent of North Americans, finishing 28th in the women’s skate-sprint event. After finishing 26th in the qualification run, Greer was eliminated in her quarterfinal heat.

No other Canadian or American athletes qualified for the heats. This was Greer’s third trip to the Junior Worlds as Sweden’s Stina Nilsson won the women’s sprint.

Also representing Canada in the women’s event were Dahria Beatty (48th), Emilie Stewart-Jones (55th), and Anne-Marie Comeau (57th), all of whom are among the youngest competitors in the race.

Canada’s Alexis Turgeon narrowly missed qualifying in the men’s sprint placing 33rd in qualification. Teammates Knute Johnsgaard and Geoffrey Richards were 51st and 52nd respectively. Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov won the men’s gold.

“We are a very young team and there is a huge learning curve for these athletes,” said national team coach, Eric de Nys, in team release. “These athletes are skiing at altitude for the first time, which is a whole new experience. These are the best athletes in Canada for their age, and for some it is the first time they’re racing against the top athletes in the world, so they also learn it is time to get their work boots on.”

Eight American athletes also competed in the Monday’s junior sprints, although none qualified for the heats. Competing in the women’s event were Corey Stock (41st), Emily Hannah (49), Stephanie Kirk (51st) and Mary O’Connel (58th). Reese Hanneman narrowly missed the heats, qualifying in 34th position, followed by teammates Cole Morgan (35th), Will Wicherski (72nd) and Forrest Mahlen (87th).

Women’s Qualifications HERE.
Men’s Qualifications HERE.
Women’s final results HERE.
Men’s final results HERE.

February 21, 2012 (Kontiolahti, Finland) – The IBU World Junior Championships got underway in Finland yesterday and Canada’s Julia Ransom led all North Americans with an eighth-place finish in the Youth Women’s 10km Individual competition. The 19-year-old Ransom, from Kelowna, B.C., missed only three shots in four rounds of shooting, and finished with a time of 41:38.1.

Germany’s Julia Bartolmaes captured the first gold medal while Galina Vishnevskaya of Kazakhstan won the silver medal, with Norway’s Hilde Fenne grabbing the bronze.

Three other Canadians and three American women also hit the start line. Anna Kubek (USA) was 30th while Sarah Beudry (CAN) was 33rd; Tara Geraghty-Moats (USA) placed 44th, while Rose-Marie Cote (CAN) finished in 47th place. Erin Oliver-Beebe (CAN) finished in 50th, with Melissa Manning (USA) and Mikaela Paluszek (USA) finishing up in 58th and 72nd place, respectively.

Youth Men 12.5 km Individual Pursuit
France’s Aristide Begne missed just one shot on his way to gold ahead of Maksim Romanouski from Belarus, with the Ukraine’s Artem Tyshchenko finishing in the bronze medal position.

Calgary’s Christian Gow led the North American men in the 12.5-kilometre individual pursuit competition. The 18-year-old missed one shot in each of his four bouts on the range to finish in 11th overall.

Following Gow was Sean Doherty (USA) and Samuel Dougherty (USA), finishing in 26th and 28th position. Canadians Albert Bouchard, Stuart Harden, and Carsen Campbell finished mid-back (36th, 38th, and 41st place), while Nicholas Proell (USA) finished 55th and Jacob Prince (USA) ended up in 83rd place.

Women’s 10k Individual results HERE.
Men’s 12.5k Individual results HERE.

February 17, 2012 (Szklarska Poreba, Poland) – Canada’s Devon Kershaw wowed World Cup fans today, capturing the gold medal in the men’s freestyle 1.6km sprint in Szklarska Poreba, Poland, in a stunning come-from-behind victory. The Sudbury native etched his name in Canadian history books yet again claiming the nation’s first sprint gold medal ever.

In today’s final Kershaw surprised Russia’s Nikolay Morilov at the line with a powerful move in the closing metres of the race to seal the victory and make it three out of four podiums in as many races – two of them gold.

Kershaw, 29, now a wily veteran of the World Cup circuit, put on a sprint tactics clinic today, winning each of his heats through a combination of patience, agility, and perfectly timed attacks. In every heat, including the final, Kershaw skied patiently at the back until darting through traffic near the end to take the win.

In the final it looked like the Canuck was headed for a silver medal until Morilov, who was leading in the final metres, pulled up slightly to celebrate what he thought was a victory. Unaware of Kershaw’s finishing rocket pace, Morilov was already pumping his fist in victory when Kershaw stole the gold medal with a superb lunge at the line. Instantly aware of his mistake, a visibly angry Morilov ripped his glasses off and threw them to the ground in frustration. Norway’s Ola Vigen Hattestad took third.

“I was feeling very strong in the finishing stretch,” Kershaw said in a FIS XC post-race interview, “the final straight is a little bit uphill and that suits me well. I was not thinking much and I was just trying to the finish as fast as I could. It has been amazing in Poland. I was here 11 years ago at the Junior World Championships. The course is beautiful and the fans are great.”

With today’s win Kershaw solidifies his grip on third place in the World Cup overall standings with 1,053 points, stretching his lead to 157 points over fourth place Marcus Hellner of Sweden, who failed to qualify today. With 2nd-placed Petter Northug (NOR) sitting out this weekend’s World Cup to prepare for the Vasaloppet, Kershaw has moved to within 146 points of the  Norwegian star who has 1,199 points. “I will try my best to catch Petter Northug in the overall ranking,” added Kershaw.

Among the other North Americans racing today, Canada’s Alex Harvey qualified 19th but did not make it beyond the quarters. Harvey crashed on the final turn before the stadium as he attempted to set himself up for the final sprint and finished 6th in his quarterfinal heat to end the day in 27th.

US sprinters, Andy Newell and Simi Hamilton, also qualified but neither made it beyond the quarters, with Newell experiencing bad luck when he became entangled with Eligius Tambornino of Switzerland on the final downhill turn before the stadium. While Newell stayed on his feet, the contact left him with too much ground to make up on the leaders and he finished the heat in 5th ending up 22nd on the day. Hamilton raced in Kershaw’s heat and held his own until the final sections when the pace heated up and he finished 29th.

Four other North American men raced today but failed to make it to the heats including Canada’s Phil Widmer (35th) and Len Valjas (43rd), and the USA’s Tad Elliott (53rd) and Sylvan Ellefson (57th).

This weekend’s World Cup event in Szklarska Poreba continues with a 15km classic distance race on Saturday. Fans will remember that Kershaw won his first distance gold recently in the 15km CL in Nove Mesto, CZE.

Men’s qualification results HERE.
Men’s final results HERE.

February 16, 2012 (Canmore Alta.) – Nathan Smith made it three victories in three starts at the International Biathlon Union Cup sprint race Thursday, Feb. 16 in Canmore, Alberta. Racing on his hometown track, Smith once again eclipsed the field, posting a winning time of 26 minutes, 13.1 seconds on the 10-kilometre course.

“Today was a bit tougher skiing, but I still managed to do it without going clean in shooting again,” said Smith who missed one target turing the shooting stage but shot fast and skied faster than his rivals.

Despite shooting clean, Friedrich Printer of Austria was second for the second consecutive race, finishing four seconds behind Smith in a time of 26:17.1. Third was Sergey Kylachin of Russia in 26:20.2, who also did not miss a target.

“I didn’t know how close he [Printer] was, but I knew I had to fight really hard to stay ahead of him,” added Smith, who was four seconds quicker in the end. “(The spotters) were always saying between one and three seconds, so I knew it was really close.”

The Canadian won all three sprint races conducted during the IBU Cup events held at the Canmore Nordic Centre over the last six days. He did not race in Wednesday’s 20km individual race.

Also having a strong showing was Canadian Marc-Andre Bedard of Valcartier, Que., who placed fifth in 26:37.4. The top American was again Jeremy Teela. The Heber, Utah biathlete was 12th with a time of 27:10.7 missing two targets.

Women’s Race
In the women’s event, a Russian once again stood on top of the podium. This time it was Aleksandra Alikina who shot clean to help her post a winning time of 21:23.4 over 7.5km. Second place went to Juliane Doll of Germany in 21:44.4 and third was Laure Bosc of France in 21:50.7.

Marina Korovina had won all three previous races — two sprint and a 15km individual — and had the fastest course time but four misses on the range meant a 12th place finish on Thursday.

Two Canadian skiers finished sixth and seventh. Rosanna Crawford had her best finish of the week to take sixth in a time of 22:12.2. “Four races in six days, it was tough but it was fun,” said the Canmore skier. Melanie Schultz, also of Canmore, was seventh in 22:20.0

The top American was Laura Spector of Lennox, Mass., in 8th place with a time of 22:22.4. “I had a good race in the sprint the other day, so it seemed I was pacing the course well. I just tried to do the same thing and keep my technique together a little more so I would be more efficient,” commented Spector, who had only one miss in shooting. “I also tried not thinking about shooting too much, because that is when I make mistakes. It all came together.”

Tracy Barnes of Durango, Colo., finished in 10th place in 22:34.1 while twin sister Lanny Barnes finished 17th in 22:59.8. “I just went for it, and it was fun,” said Tracy. “I think this was some of the funniest racing all year. The field was smaller but the competition was still so tough.”

The series now switches back to Europe for the final event in Altenberg, Germany March 7-11.

Men’s results
Women’s results

We apologize for the errors in our initial posting of this race report.-ed

February 16, 2012 – Russell Currier, 24, a rising star on the US men’s biathlon squad, surprised even himself when he scored a career-best sixth place in the 10k sprint at the IBU Cup in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic last month – read more HERE. He then proved he could do it again when he matched his sixth place in Kontiolahti, Finland last weekend. It was an historic day for the entire US squad, with the team’s best showing ever in a World Cup. Lowell Bailey finished 5th, while Tim Burke placed 13th and Jay Hakkinen was 16th. SkiTrax caught up with Currier after his breakthrough results and here’s what he had to say:

The coaches and I had no idea what to expect out of the sprint race on Saturday. I came down with what I think was food poisoning the day before and wasn’t even sure if I should race. I didn’t feel 100% Saturday morning, but I was close, and with the way shooting and ski speed had been going lately, I made the call and decided to go for it.

I like the course profile in Kontiolahti. It’s very basic and has a good variety of climbs. The -15 Celsius weather wasn’t as fun. I’m not a fan of racing in a buff or with tape on the face, but I didn’t have much choice in the sprint race.

My shooting has felt good the past couple of weeks. Our coach and I worked on bringing my range times down a little bit. I was able to shave off a few seconds for the race on Saturday, which ended up making a huge difference.

Ski speed felt decent considering I had to duck out of the mixed relay the day before. I don’t know what food it was, but this is not the first time this has happened to me in Finland. I didn’t have anyone that I knew was fast around me. All I could do was break the course down into increments and do each one as best as I could. On the last loop, I only had a few splits. Hearing that I was in the top eight helped get me through the last flat section before the finish.

The whole race felt surreal. My goal was to get in the top 40. With the way I had been feeling the day before, I was just hoping to make the top 60 for a pursuit start. The whole day for the men’s team was a tremendous success. It was officially the best day the US men had ever had. I was honored to be able to say that I was part of it.

The pursuit was another good day for our team. I moved down to 23rd, but it was still a good race for me. Prone was decent with one in each stage. I would have liked to have shot a little better in standing, but I wasn’t the only one struggling with shooting that day. Pacing and tactics were much more professional in Sunday’s pursuit than the pursuit in Nove Mesto. My legs felt a little heavy and stiff so I was very surprised when I found out afterwords that I had the 10th fastest ski time.

The IBU Cup field is more competitive than ever. You could say the same thing about the WC field to, but the IBU field has taken the biggest increase the past couple of years. Biathlon is such an up and down sport it’s not always fair to compare results from day to day. I can finish a race and give a better analysis of how it went than the result list can. I’ve had a few mediocre days on the IBU and WCup circuit this season. The sprint race in Kontiolahti was just one of the very good days.

Both races this past weekend were a confidence boost for the athletes and staff. We’re not working any less hard or professionally than the Euros. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be up on the result list. The weekend was simply a good example of this and our organization as a team.

February 15, 2012 (Poland) – This week on Talkin’ with the Gravy-Train, Peter Graves checked in with top American female skier Kikkan Randall, the FIS Sprint Cup leader who is currently preparing for the inaugural WCup races in Szklarska Poreba, Poland. Despite a recent stomach bug and cold that forced Randall to sit out some races, she is pleased with her season to date – going so far to describe it as “wonderful”. Randall has two WCup wins this season and claimed two silver medals recently in Milan (in the individual sprint and team sprint, alongside team mate Jessie Diggins), plus pre-Xmas she took home a silver at the Dusseldorf team sprint with Sadie Bjornsen and at the Tour de Ski in Toblach, Italy she won silver in the FR Sprint. Randall sits 5th in the overall standings and Graves caught up wit her in Poland… XC ski fans rejoice – all of the Gravy-Train interviews will be archived shortly for fans to enjoy all season…

Interview w/Kikkan Randall

February 15, 2012 (Nove Mesto, CZE) – This was such a crazy weekend! Both the 15km mass start classic and the 4x5km relay were great opportunities to work on mental toughness and dig deep.

Our team as a whole didn’t have a great day in the classic, and everyone was pretty smoked at the end of the race. I don’t have any excuses; I just didn’t have the spark that day and the race turned into a struggle to finish. On the last lap I heard this ragged breathing and found myself wishing some coach would just put the athlete out of their misery…before I realized that the sound was coming from ME. Whoops. However, there was a great silver lining to the day, getting to see the Canadians do so well. Perri, Devon, Babs and Lenny all scored points and it was cool to see!

For me, this morning was one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time. Everyone was tired. You could see it in people eyes right before they put on a smile and pretended they were just fine. But it was there. There was no denying that yesterday had been rough, but everyone just shrugged it off and came out swinging. And today, we decided that yeah, the race was going to be super tough and probably hurt a ton, but we were going to have fun with it and give it everything we had anyways.

We put on knee-high striped socks, bumped some good music and proceeded to apply face-paint and glitter. And we ended up getting 5th place (only .1 second out of 4th) – the best a Women’s XC relay has ever done! But for me the real victory was seeing everyone dig deep, get tough, and pull out their game face when it counted. Our relay team went Holly, Ida, Liz then me, but the “relay team” really included the ENTIRE team USA.

The nice thing about being anchor leg, for me, is having to only do one tag-off! The bad thing is putting stress and pressure on yourself because you’re the one who has to cross the finish line. So my plan was to focus on only what I could control, and not worry about how the results panned out. Of course, that didn’t happen…go figure. As soon as Liz came into the tag zone and I realized I’d be skiing with Charlotte Kalla, I threw my plans of “skiing my own race” out the window and proceeded to glue myself to Kalla.

We skied the entire 5km together, never more than 5 feet apart. Although my Salomon boards were so fast – our techs nailed it and I’m positive we had the best skis on the day – that on the downhill before the stadium on the first lap I passed her and got to lead around the stadium! Which put me pretty much on cloud nine, although it was dumb to lead into a headwind leaving the stadium.

Nne of the benefits of wearing the “rookie” label is being able to get away with crap like that. In the final .5 kilometers, I wasn’t sure how much kick Kalla had left, and made the mistake of staying behind her on the downhill, not wanting to get reeled back in on the flat. I tried a couple times to get around her right before the stadium but got solidly blocked so had to wait till the lanes to pull the trigger on a sprint, and it didn’t catch hold in time.

However, I’m psyched out of my mind on getting a photo finish with an Olympic gold medalist! I think I must have been in a lot of pain because I couldn’t stay standing at the finish but I was so excited I couldn’t feel a thing, which was just fine with me! I found out later than I had the fastest anchor leg over Kalla and Bjoergen, which I’m going to solidly blame on the fast skis. Thank you Salomon for Hooking. Me. Up. This. Year!

The dudes relay team got 12th, and they were right in the mix for the first part!

Tomorrow afternoon, we road trip to Poland, which should be cool – this year has been one big sight-seeing tour for me. I’m excited to see another new country!

February 13, 2012 (Albu, Estonia) – The Canadian and US development trips stopped in at Albu, Estonia this weekend, with skiers competing in classic sprint and distance races as part of the Scandinavian Cup series. The Canadian contingent, which has been plagued by illness since the start of the trip, was bolstered by the addition of the current Haywood NorAm women’s overall leader, Alysson Marshall.

In Saturday’s classic sprint competition Marshall qualified in third place before eventually finishing 7th overall and as the top North American woman. Zoe Roy, the only other Canadian woman to race, finished 35th. Rebecca Rorabaugh was the fastest American, qualifying in 27th position, but was unable to move beyond the quarterfinals and finished 27th overall. Also representing the USA was Mary O’Connell, who finished 36th. The race was won by Norway’s Maria Groenvoll.

On the men’s side, Canada’s Phil Widmer was the top North American qualifier, finishing in 30th place after qualifying 25th. Widmer crashed in his quarterfinal and did not move on. Americans Michael Sinnott and Erik Bjornsen just missed out on the heats, qualifying 31st and 33rd respectively. Resse Hanneman (38th), Peter Kling (57th), Cole Morgan (62nd), Welly Ramsey (63rd), Forrest Mahlen (75th), Michael Vigers (76th) and Max Christian (81st) also missed the heats. Norway’s John Kristian Dahl was the eventual race winner.

Sunday featured classic distance races, with Sweden’s Eva Svensson winning the women’s 10km event, and Norway’s Dahl taking the win in the men’s 15km race. Once again Canada’s Alysson Marshall led the way for the North American women, finishing in 15th place, followed by Canada’s Alana Thomas in 19th. Teammate Zoe Roy was 24th. The USA’s Rebecca Rorabaugh finished in 22nd, with teammates Mary O’Connell and Emily Hannah further back in 30th and 33rd, respectively.

In the men’s race, Canada’s Brian McKeever led the way for the North Americans, finishing in 23rd, with teammate Graham Nishikawa close behind in 25th, followed by Michael Somppi in 30th. The US men were led by Sinnott, who finished in 36th position, followed by Bjornsen (51st), Hanneman (56th), Kling (58th), Ramsey (59th), Morgan (63rd), Mahlen (66th), Vigers (74th), and Christian (77th).

Women’s final classic sprint results HERE.
Men’s final classic sprint results HERE.
Women’s 10km classic results HERE.
Men’s 15km classic results HERE.

February 13, 2012 (Mt. Orford, QC) – The Haywood NorAm series rolled into Mt. Orford, Quebec, this past weekend with classic and skate distance races in chilly conditions. With many of the domestic circuit’s top stars away at international races, some new faces emerged over the weekend, particularly on the women’s side. Brent McMurtry (CNEPH/Foothills) and Kevin Sandau (AWCA/Foothills), meanwhile,  continued their duel for NorAm supremacy.

Saturday featured short classic distance races, 5km for the women and 10km for the men. In the women’s race, Kate Brennan (AWCA/Kanata) came out on top, winning by a 7-second margin over Andrea Dupont (Rocky Mountain Racers). Saturday’s victory was a first for Brennan. Amanda Ammar (Canmore), meanwhile, continued her successful comeback season with a bronze medal finish.

McMurtry continued his fight for the Haywood NorAm overall leader’s crown with a victory in the men’s 10km event, followed by veteran Drew Goldsack (AWCA/Rocky Mountain Racers) and Gerard Garnier (Banff Ski Runners). McMurty’s arch rival in the NorAm series, Sandau, finished just over a minute back in 5th place.

Sunday saw skiers toe the line for mass start skate races in frigid -17C weather. The women’s 15km event provided plenty of excitement with the top eight women sprinting to the finish line together. In the end, Andrea Lee (NDC/Strathcona) edged out Brennan for the victory in a photo finish. This was also Lee’s first ever NorAm win. Four more finishers crossed the line within less than three seconds of Lee and Brennan, with Ammar taking the bronze once again.

In the men’s race, however, Sandau skied in a class of his own, winning the 20km mass start race by a 31.4 second margin over second place Pate Neumann (Canmore). McMurtry finished in third place at 1:42.2 off Sandau’s pace.

Full Saturday classic race results HERE.
Full Sunday mass start skate race results HERE.

February 13, 2012 (Canmore, AB) – Canada’s Nathan Smith made history on Saturday in the Rockies when he won the men’s IBU Cup sprint race, becoming the first Canadian male to win an IBU Cup tour competition. Then on Sunday, he did it again, scoring gold in the 10k. Hear what the 26-year-old Canmore local has to say about his recent success.

February 13, 2012 (Edmonton, AB) – Check out this video, featured on edmontonjournal.com, from the 55km Canadian Birkebeiner race and ski festival was held this past weekend in Edmonton. Barret Dunbar of Saskatoon won the full distancerace with a pack, while Wietske Eikelenboom of St. Albert won the women’s race. Full results HERE.

Watch video HERE.

February 12, 2012 (Nove Mesto, Czech Republic) – The men’s 4x10km team relay in Nove Mesto on Sunday was a much tighter race than it looked like on the final score sheet. The victory for Norway came down to the final metres as Petter Northug executed his patent late-race surge to nip Russia I’s Maxim Vylegzhanin by 0.6s at the line. Marcus Hellner, who made a valiant bid for the win, ran out of gas and settled for third.

Up to that point seven nations were in the running as they gapped the chasers by 50+ seconds. Norway won all but the second classic leg raced by Niklas Dyrhaug, who was seventh, opening the door for the challengers. And challenge they did as Sweden’s Johan Olsson, yesterday’s 30km CL winner, took control.

Germany I and Italy I joined the front group looking for glory as well, but the big red machine was unstoppable as Martin Johnsrud Sundby tagged Northug first for the last leg. A rally on the final 10km by Sweden’s anchor, Hellner, trimmed the seven leaders down to five. As the seconds wound down Hellner was caught and the final flurry saw Northug emerge as the first to cross the line.

The US Team was off to superb start with Kris Freeman flying into the exchange in third – the Bird is back. He handed off to Noah Hoffman who pushed into second but could not hold the pace and fell back into 12th before handing off to Tad Elliott.

“It was a bit of a tough race for me today. It was fun and great experience to get to ski with the group for a while, but I was a little discouraged at not being able to hang with them,”  Hoffman told us post-race. “I feel healthy after having the flu last week. I’m excited to head to Poland tomorrow and then on to Turkey for U23 World Champs after next week’s World Cups. As a team we were happy about our effort but looking forward to more in the future.”

Elliott had his work cut out for him as the lead-off skater and he moved up to 10th battling with France and the Czech Republic. But as the leg ended he couldn’t hold off Jiri Horcicka (CZE) and tagged Simi Hamilton in 11th.

Hamilton looked strong hoping for a top-10 finish but the race was heating up as the leaders shed some skiers while others jockeyed for position. In the end he finished 12th at 2:18 behind the winners.

“We are fairly pleased with how things went today, but we would for sure be more psyched with a top-10. Personally, I was really feeling yesterday’s 30km in my legs, especially on the last two laps (last 5km),” Hamilton told SkiTrax by email

“Still, every relay we do on the World Cup gives us valuable experience as a team that will help us in our goal to be a podium contender in the future. Off to Poland tomorrow to get ready for Friday’s skate sprint. I’m really psyched for that one.” Canada did not field a team.

Full results HERE.
Full results detail HERE.

February 12, 2012 (Nove Mesto, Czech Republic) – The US women added another stellar chapter to their fairytale season earning their best-ever team relay 4x5km(CL+FR) result in a photo-finish with Sweden to take home 5th. As expected Norway I won the gold with Finland in second and Norway II in third.

The American team of Holly Brooks, Ida Sargent, Elizabeth Stephen and Jessie Diggins to a hard run at the competition despite not having their ace teamer, Kikkan Randall, still sidelined as she tries to fully recover from being sick recently. Coming off some tough skiing in yesterday’s 15km CL it wasn’t clear how they perform minus Randall.

But Team USA came ready to play – decked out in  USA facepaint and knee-high striped USA socks – and ski! All team members laid down some fabulous skiing keeping the team in contention until the final handoff to Diggins, who threw out her game-plan and challenged Swedish star Charlotte Kalla (SWE) to the line with gusto.

Brooks lead off the classic leg and with a strong start tagging off to Sargent in 8th. The Vermont rookie had the ski of her life moving the Americans up two spots into 6th. Veteran Stephen, who loves the relay, drove the pace claiming the second-best skate leg time holding on to 6th as she battled with Anna Haag (SWE) in 5th.

Diggins, from Afton, MN, was fired up to be right behind Kalla and chased her down and overook the Swedish star who won the  second Tour de Ski. But Kalla recovered as they raced to the finishline neck and neck with the photo-finish going to Sweden – but the day belonged to Team USA.

We caught up with Diggins, Sargent, Brooks, Randall and coach Matt Whitcomb for their their take on this brilliant day in the team’s history…plus check out more cool pics courtesy of Randall HERE.

Jessie Diggins (USA)
I was so incredibly proud of our team today – racers, athletes cheering, coaches, wax techs. Everyone was a little tired after yesterday and it was so amazing how everyone just shrugged off the disappointment of yesterday and woke up ready to give this race everything they had. The girls had fun dressing in knee-high striped USA socks and putting on some USA facepaint. We really had fun out there today as a team, and it definitely showed.

One of the benefits of being anchor leg is only having to do one tag off! Which is always good news for me, although it wasn’t as crowded out there since the girls over here like to push the pace early on and shatter the pack quickly.

As soon as Liz came through the tag zone and I realized I was right behind Kalla, I threw my plans of “skiing my own race” out the window and proceeded to glue myself to Kalla. It was great to ski with her and though I couldn’t get around her in time to pull a great sprint at the end, I’m psyched out of my mind to have been in a photo finish with Charlotte Kalla! My Salomon skis were unreal today – our team nailed it and I’m positive we had the fastest boards of the day!

Ida Sargent (USA)
It was an awesome day for the whole team so we’re really excited right now!  We had amazing skis and the course and weather was great too.  Holly tagged off to me just behind a group of about four girls so I sprinted to catch up with them and then skied with that group for the first of the two laps and then tried to move up and drop that pack on the second lap.

I felt really good out there but I was hurting at the end so very excited to tag Liz.  It was my first time skiing the second leg and I really liked it as there was a little more freedom to move around and ski your own race.  Yesterday was a hard day for us so it was great to rebound today. We had red, white, and blue knee socks, face paint, and glitter, and we were fired up.  Our skis were amazing too which makes it fun  Being a part of this team is very inspiring!

Holly Brooks (USA)
It was a great day out there and a really fun race!  I’m ecstatic about our team performance, especially given the fact that we didn’t have one of our strongest teammates on board (Kikkan). I think our 5th place finish today goes to show the depth of our team right now. There are many different combinations of skiers that we can put together that can field a highly competitive team. This depth is important because it allows for some wiggle room with sickness, not feeling well, etc, etc. I’m not a history ski buff but I believe that 5th place is perhaps the best women’s finish in history. Also, had it been a World Championship or Olympic year, each country would only be allowed to field one team. Therefore, instead of being in a sprint for 4th/5th, it would have been a sprint for the bronze medal!

I am personally very satisfied with my leg today. After having to drop out of the race yesterday, I was worried and anxious about what kind of performance I would be able to deliver. It’s one thing to let yourself down but it’s a completely different thing to let down the rest of a relay team!  My goal today was to stay in contact with the other teams and luckily, I was able to do it. The start was quite aggressive and I had to “extend my elbows” in order to avoid being forced off the course, into a drop off at the first turn of the course, after the initial bridge. After that, girls were jockeying for positions and the pack was fairly fluid.  My body held together for the day but I was also helped by some great skis from the wax techs – kudos to them!

This was my first time skiing in the scramble position and I had a lot of fun & I think it suits my strengths. Plus, it was an added bonus to have your leg done first so I could cheer on the rest of the team! Ida, Liz & Jessie all skied so well! It was a great day for us in Nove Mesto and I’m really happy that we were able to put on a good show!  Thanks to everyone for their help, encouragement & support.

Kikkan Randall (USA)
Super race for the team today, it was really impressive to see each member put in a really solid leg, especially after yesterday’s tough race. Holly skied a great scramble leg, keeping the team right in there. Ida skied a really gutsy leg and the couple places she picked up were critical for keeping the team in the hunt. Liz had some serious zip in her step and it was great to see her and Anna ski away from the German team. Jessie showed again that she is not intimated by the big girls, following Kalla stride for stride and even taking the lead at points. Those two were putting seconds into the two teams ahead and were really close to the podium!!!

We’ve been looking forward to the this relay all season, knowing that if everyone put together good legs we could be competitive.  It was definitely hard for me to sit out today, I would have loved to have been in there. But I needed a few more days to get clear of a cold I picked up in Russia.

It’s too bad there are no more relays for the season.  But we are all really looking forward to Val di Fiemme and Sochi now!

Matt Whitcomb – US Women’s Head Coach
Today was a great rebound from Saturday when everyone felt they skied off the mark.  We’ve had a tired squad this past week linked to hard Russian travel and a mild cold that most of the women have been passing around. We hoped to be recovered for Saturday but apparently it came a day early.

Today was an entirely different level of energy put forth by the team. To be able to sit Kikkan out today as she recovers from her cold and still put together a result like this is a good snapshot of the strength of these ladies. We are moving forward with big visions for the next relay, and we’re leaving the weekend with a healthy team.

Jessie skied the fastest fourth leg by one second over Kalla.
Liz skied the sixth fastest third leg, 5 seconds out of 2nd.

Full results detail HERE.

February 12, 2012 (Ljubno, Slovania) – Sarah Hendrickson’s double fist-pump in the outrun is a modest show of celebration for the U.S. teen who’s been adamantly punching through the ceiling of women’s ski jumping this season.

With two more World Cup wins this weekend in Ljubno, Slovenia, she’s sitting soundly in 1st place in the overall standings. Sarah has won six out of nine World Cup events and has notched at least two hill records, including Sunday’s second-round jump of 95 meters on the challenging K85 jump in Ljubno.

“I had one of the best jumps I’ve ever had in competition and it all just came together and worked out so well,” Hendrickson said. “Technically I stayed in balance and my timing was good and in flight I kept my arms closer to my body. It was great coming over the knoll in that second jump — I knew it was good.”

Coach Paolo Bernardi said Hendrickson is going from event to event, focused on jumping her best — and focused to win. “She’s in the perfect spot now,” he said of her overall 1st-place ranking.

The Visa Women’s Ski Jumping Team is also No 1 overall — more than 437 points ahead of Germany — thanks to consistent podium, top-10 and top-20 results. Jessica Jerome, who took 5th on Saturday and 8th on Sunday, is jumping super aggressively and strong and is stepping up with more confidence, Bernardi said.

“Coming into this weekend, I knew what I needed to do in Ljubno. This hill can be challenging and there were a couple of technical things I was able to figure out and fix,” said Jerome, currently 10th in the world. “I was really happy with my results.”

Lindsey Van, ranked 3rd in the world, was 8th Saturday and 10th Sunday; Abby Hughes was 18th both days; and Alissa Johnson was 22nd and 21st. More than 3,000 spectators came out both days to watch the women jump — some of the largest crowds they’ve had so far this season.

“It’s been a long six weeks on the road and I’m looking forward to coming home to recharge and prepare for the next World Cups in Zao, Japan,” Jerome said. “Our team is doing amazing and we’re ready to finish out the season strong.”

Hendrickson, Nina Lussi and Nita Englund will compete in a Continental Cup event Feb. 18-19 in Liberec, Czech Republic in preparation for the Junior World Ski Jumping Championships on Feb. 23 in Erzurum, Turkey. The World Cup tour continues March 3-4 in Zao, Japan, where there will be three comps (one comp was added to make up for an earlier cancellation in Poland). The World Cup final is set for March 9 in Oslo, Norway.

Full results HERE.

Results (brief)

Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012
Women’s Normal Hill, HS95, K-point 85m

1. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, (85.5 87.0) 246.5
2. Sara Takanashi, JPN, (86.5 88.5) 245.2
3. Daniela Iraschko, AUT, (81.5 90.0) 229.2

5. Jessica Jerome, USA (85.5 83.5) 220.5
8. Lindsey Van, USA, (83.5 83.5) 218.3
18. Abby Hughes, USA (77.0 78.5) 199.4
22. Alissa Johnson, USA, (74.5 80.5) 188.0

Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012
Women’s Normal Hill, HS95, K-point 85m

1. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, (91.5 95.0) 259.6
2. Sara Takanashi, JPN, (90.0 90.5) 246.7
3. Jacqueline Seifriedsberger, AUT, (87.0 84.5) 222.4

8. Jessica Jerome, USA (83.5 81.0) 209.2
10. Lindsey Van, USA (85.0 80.0) 208.0
18. Abby Hughes, USA (80.0 78.0) 191.1
21. Alissa Johnson, USA, (79.0 76.0) 181.8

World Cup Standings (after 6 events)
1. Sarah Hendrickson (USA) 789
2. Daniela Iraschko (AUT) 578
3. Lindsey Van (USA)
3. Ulrike Graessler (GER) 360
5. Katja Pozun (SLO) 348
6. Anette Sagen (NOR) 328.

Full Standings HERE.

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February 11, 2012 (Nove Mesto, Czech Republic) – Marit Bjoergen (NOR) bided her time and then pounced near the end to gap her season-long rival, Justyna Kowalczyk (POL), and claim the women’s 15km Classic victory, along with the yellow leader’s bib. The see-saw battle between them is keeping fans on the edge of their seats as the season winds down to determine to overall WCup series winner – only 12 points separates them.

Norway’s Therese Johaug could not keep pace and settled for third as Vibeke W Skofterud (NOR) grabbed 4th following a solid challenge from Japan’s Masako Ishida who landed her best-ever WCup result in 5th. Charlotte Kalla (SWE), who is battling Kikkan Randall in the overall standings, was 5th on the day and has taken over 4th overall with 992 points bumping Randall to fifth with 970 points. Randall has also opted not race the team relay on Sunday as she tries to get back into top form following her recent sickness.

Canada’s Perianne Jones, the lone Canuck in the field, lead the North Americans finishing in the points delivering another strong distance race performance.

“Yeah it was another solid day for me – one more distance point,” Jones told us post-race. “Our skis were amazing and I had great kick.

“It was a tough course for sure but I just tried to stay relaxed, climb well and avoid crashing on the downhills. There were a few crashes out there for sure.”

The big surprise was rising American star Jessie Diggins who looked like she was going to repeat her drive through the field but today was not her day. She was as high as 22nd but ended up 33rd.

“I didn’t have the spark today; sometimes things click, and sometimes they don’t, and that’s ok,” Diggins confided to SkiTrax. “It wasn’t my best race but the skis were fast – a little slippy in places – and I’m not making exuses.

“I didn’t quite have it today, plain and simple. It was a tough course and hard race, and I thought our team dealt well with the challenging day.”

Like Bjoergen, Diggins is human and as each race adds a brick of experience on her “wall” the rookie star is learning how to take the good with the bad.

The USA’s Elizabeth Stephen and Ida Sargent finishe together in 42nd and 43rd. For the veteran Stephen it was a tough day at the office, but ever the optimistic she’s pumped for the relays.

“It was a tough day out there for me today. My body was getting really tired and I felt super weak in my skiing. The skis were a bit slick, but the real problem was the body today, and then the head followed. I was charging really hard the whole race, but after the first lap and a half I lost a lot of my confidence out there and went in and out of being discouraged and pulling myself back into the race.

“I took two feeds, which was unplanned going into the race, as it is rare when I take even one feed in a 15km. But today I needed both for sure. I didn’t get any splits today, but I knew I was having a tough day, when I was getting passed and caught by pack after pack. Usually it’s the other way around in the longer races, as I tend to have slow starts and come on a bit better each lap. 15k’s are so fun usually, but todays was just really grueling for me. However, TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY AND IT IS THE BEST KIND OF DAY: RELAY DAY!!! Pumped for that so much.”

We caught up with Sargent as well who told us her thoughts on the day.

“The pace of the race was really fast from the start. It was hard and it felt more like an individual start race with more people around. It was a super fun course with some hard climbs and a lot of fast twisty downhills.

“Nove Mesto is an awesome venue and there were a lot of spectators and cheering on the course which helped especially when I was hurting at the end.  Tomorrow’s relay should be great!”

Another surprise was Holly Brooks not finishing – something rare in her career and Brooks filled SkiTrax in on what happened to cause her to stop racing – partially influenced by Kikkan Randall’s decision not to race the 4x5km relay either – see start list here.

“Yep, I decided to pull the plug on the race today. If I remember correctly, this is my first DNF in years and years (even through broken wrists!).

“I’ve been having some digestive problems since the Russia trip that I just cannot kick. My body felt like an under-powered Fiat and 15km in Nove Mesto is a long way to go if you aren’t feeling good. Also, tomorrow’s relay was in the back of my mind.

“With Kikkan deciding to sit the 4x5km relay out, I knew that I needed to be ready to go for the relay and I was certain that finishing the classic race would dig a huge hole – one that I might not be able to pull out of.

“Sunday’s skiathlon race in Russia was better – my body felt good and I was hopeful that this would be the beginning of a come back. However, I started to feel really bad in Ramsau on Tuesday and haven’t been able to shake it. Since I’m not “sick” I decided that I wanted to try racing and unfortunately, it didn’t come around.

“I’m hoping that I can keep our team “within contact” of some of the other girls tomorrow and they can work their magic.”

Full results HERE.

February 11, 2012 (Kontiolahti, FIN) – The US men not only had their best race of the season in Finland on Saturday, it was the team’s best showing ever on the World Cup as Lowell Bailey and Russell Currier finished 5th and 6th in the men’s 10km Sprint followed by  Tim Burke in 13th and Jay Hakkinen in 16th.

The cold conditions of minus 18 degree Celsius plus a harsh wind chill did not seem to slow the Americans down as they shot well and skied fast for the historic results.

Bailey, who lead the team, said he was happy with his race telling SkiTrax,“I had great skis and the conditions were cold but fair. I was able to ski a consistent race and I was pretty happy with my last lap.

“I came down with a minor head cold when I arrived in Finland so I have been lying low most of the week. But thankfully, it seems like it wasn’t too much of a factor today. Tomorrow should be a blast considering our whole team is starting up towards the front of the field!”

Burke echoed how the whole American team preformed. “Today was obviously a great day for the team,” commented Burke. “I think this really shows the quality of our National team program when we have the entire team under the top 16.”

The results for the USA may have been even better if Burke did not have an issue with his rifle. “My empty shell from prone simply would not eject before standing. After trying over and over again to get it out, I had to call for help and pry it out with a screwdriver before I could start shooting. At least the times stayed very close so I will not be starting too far behind tomorrow.”

In a team release, Max Cobb, U.S. Biathlon CEO, verified the stellar day for the team.“Today was the best day ever for our men’s team – we never had four in the top-16 before,” said Cobb.

France’s Martin Fourcade led the race from start to finish to win a squeaker over Russia’s Timofey Lapshin and Switzerland’s Benjamin Weger who both shot clean. Suffering one penalty Fourcade’s pace for the final loop of skiing was too high for Lapshin and Weger to match.

Despite the close quarters at the finish Fourcade was not concerned. “I was only competing against myself today; I was not thinking about Emil or the Yellow Bib or anything else…it is a good game,” he said in a post race interview with Biathlonworld.com. No Canadians competed.

Full results HERE.

February 11, 2012 (Kontiolahti, FIN) – Magdalena Neuner (GER) continued her impressive 2011-12 season by grabbing her eighth win of the World Cup season in the women’s 7.5km sprint by a 12-second margin over Finland’s Kaisa Mäkäräinen while Darya Domracheva of Belarus finished in third. Both Neuner and Mäkäräinen had one penalty while Domracheva suffered two misses.

Canada’s Zina Kocher had a superb day with her best result of the season finishing 12th with two misses. The women’s field had to deal with cold temperatures and wind today just like the men – near -15.8 Celsius – and Kocher told SkiTrax how she deals with the cold.

“I went shopping the other day and picked up a Craft windproof top, Craft balaclava, thicker craft socks and hot packs (which I put in the top of my boots!). So I wore all of those things, plus I put physio tape on my nose and cheeks, to help against frostbite. I stayed nice and toasty,” said Kocher.

The wind wasn’t much of a concern for the Canadian Olympian as she’s been working on her shooting all week. “I’ve been focusing on a few technical aspects in shooting, with Richard, and my goal today was focused on perfecting these technical aspects. I’ve been struggling with shooting in the Sprint competition this year, and today I left with a higher level of confidence.”

Kocher added that she feels she’s on the verge of a breakthrough result as she “…was a hair away from having a top-8 result today as my last shot in standing went halfway up and fell back down to black… a very close split!”

The USA’s Sara Studebaker is also on a roll earning her top finish of the season with clean shooting to place 15th place. She was part of yesterday’s Mixed Relay where Team USA finished a historic 6th. Fellow American Annelies Cook and Susan Dunklee finishing in 39th and 65th respectively.

This round of the World Cup in Finland finishes up on Sunday with the men & women’s Pursuit races.

Full results HERE.

February 11, 2012 (Ljubno, Slovania) – US athlete Sarah Hendrickson won the Viessmann FIS Ladies Ski Jumping World Cup comeptition in Ljubno today and increased her lead in the overall World Cup by 40 points to 156 points.

Overall’s runner-up Daniela Iraschko from Austria finished third behind Sara Takanashi (JPN) but came back from a poor first jump and a half-time 14th place.

Hendrickson was in the lead after the first round with 85.5 meters and jumped 87.0 meters in the final round for a total of 246.5 points. Takanashi delivered jumps for second place in both rounds (86.5 m and 88.5 m) while Iraschko landed on 81.5 m in the first round and on 90.0 m which meant Ladies Ski Jumping World Cup hill record.

More than 3,000 spectators made the first competition in Ljubno to a remarkable day in the young history of Ladies Ski Jumping World Cup.

The Viessmann FIS Ladies Ski Jumping World Cup will go on with a second competition in Ljubno (SLO) tomorrow.

KEY FACTS
– Sara Takanashi missed the World Cup competitions in Hinzenbach last weekend because she preferred to train at home. The Winter Youth Olympic Games Gold medal winner from Innsbruck is expected to perform at her best at the upcoming Junior World Championships in Erzerum (TUR) later this month.
– Lindsey Van injured on the right knee during the first round but is supposed to start tomorrow. She could renounce at the Trial round.
– Norway’s Line Jahr finished 11th and sent — with a message on her gloves — congratulations back home. Both her mother and father celebrate birthday today.
– Evelyn Insam (ITA) celebrated her birthday yesterday, February 10th, and got 12th place today. Melanie Faisst (GER) will become 22 years old tomorrow – today, she took sixth place.
– World Cup Calendar: 12.2. Ljubno (SLO/HS 95), 3.-4.3. Zao (JPN/HS 100 – three competitions!), 9.3. Oslo/Midstubakken (NOR/HS 106).

QUOTES:
Sarah Hendrickson (USA), first:
“The crowd here in Ljubno is awsome. It is great fun jumping when so many people are cheering for you!”
“I had two good jumps and I’m happy with the outcome. The fight between Takanashi and me and Iraschko with her outstanding second attempt was close.”
“The overall world Cup becomes more and more reality but there is still a long way to go.”

Sara Takanashi (JPN), second:
“I’m happy with my jumps and with second place today.”
“I think that I have a possibility to win tomorrow but my performance must be very good. Hendrickson and others are strong opponents.”

Daniela Iraschko (AUT), third:
“Still I cannot say that I love that hill but my second jump was really good. We have seen today that you need not one but two good attemps to win. That’s my goal for tomorrow. I’m very happy that I came back from 14th place and to finish on the podium.”
“It’s awsome to see all these people on the hill for a Ladies Ski Jumping competition. I believe that our World Cup series moves in right direction.”
“Especially here in Ljubno I do not think on the overall, I have other challenges here. But there are still competitions to come and it isn’t over yet.”
“Sometimes I think back to my 200-m-flight. But it is hard to beat 200 m on this hill.” (laughs)

RESULTS
1. Sarah Hendrickson (USA) 85.5 m (1)/87.0 m (3) 246.5 points
2. Sara Takanashi (JPN) 86.5 m (2)/88.5 m (2) 245.2 points
3. Daniela Iraschko (AUT) 81.5 m (14)/90.0 m (1) 229.2 points

Full results HERE.

World Cup Standings

1. Sarah Hendrickson (USA) 689
2. Daniela Iraschko (AUT) 533
3. Lindsey Van (USA) 334
4. Katja Pozun (SLO) 319
5. Ulrike Graessler (GER) 310
6. Anette Sagen (NOR) 288.

Full results HERE.

February 10, 2012 (Toronto, ON) – We are pleased to announce the standings for the SkiTrax Fantasy FIS Marathon Cup 2011/12 International Contest after the 50km CL Koenig Ludwig Lauf in Germany. In an exciting development, Team Maffe has taken over the lead and is tied with SkiingwithIan, both with 350 points. Team jesters has leapt into the top three with 340 points. Note the maximum number of available points after the Koenig Ludwig Lauf is 463.

Apologies for the error in the Marcialonga standings. Points have been recalculated and standings have been updated accordingly.

View the full contest standings after the Koenig Ludwig Lauf HERE.

The next event on the FIS Marathon Cup calendar is the 76km FT La Transjurassienne in France this weekend. Remember, following La Transjurassienne on Feb. 12/12 (previously the Koenig Ludwig Lauf prior to the cancellation of La Sgambeda), we’ll allow contestants to swap one male and one female skier from their team for added excitement leading into the final six (6) races. Note: we may update the skier menu lists at that time depending on the red group of skiers racing.

FIS Fantasy Marathon Cup Prizes

* 1st Prize – OneWay Premio 10 WCup Skis, Diamond Storm Premio 10 Poles, SNS Premio Pilot Bindings. (value $1,350)
* 2nd Prize – Nipika 4-nights for 2 people in luxurious cabin, including Trail Fees (value up to $1,160)
* 3rd Prize – Alpina ESK Ski Boots (value $449)
* 4th Prize –Halti XC Race Suit Hemmo Set (value $269)
* 5th Prize –  Fischer RCS QF poles  (value $225)
* 6th Prize – Cross Country Canada e-Store Gift Certificate (value $200)
* 7th Prize – Fresh Air Experience or High Peaks Cyclery Gift Certificate (value $150)
* 8th Prize – Rottefella Xcelerator Skate/Classic Bindings (value $120)
* 9th Prize – Auclair Micro Mountain Olympic Gloves + Earbags (value $65)
* 10th Prize – Buff Headware (value $40)

Thanks to all of our great sponsors, including One Way, Nipika, Alpina, Halti, Fischer, Cross Country Canada, Fresh Air Experience, High Peaks Cyclery, Rottefella, Auclair, and Buff.

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

February 09, 2012 (Rybinsk, Russia) – The Canadian XC Ski Team is havening a phenominal season with podiums by Devon Kershaw, Alex Harvey, Chandra Crawford, and Perianne Jones along with numerous top-5 and top-10 results. Following the recent romp in Russia, where Kershaw landed his third consecutive podium scoring back-to-back medals in Moscow and Rybinsk, including his first World Cup distance gold in the 15km FR, we caught up Kershaw, Alex Harvey, and Canadian Head Coach Justin Wadsworth, for their take on the racing, the gold performance, Russia’s blistering cold weather and Wadsworth sheds some light on why the Canadian women weren’t in Rybinsk…

Alex Harvey

Devon Kershaw

Justin Wadsworth

February 09, 2012 (Madona, Latvia) – Canada’s Graham Nishikawa missed the podium by fractions of a second today in the men’s mass start 30km skate race in Medona, Latvia, the latest stop on the Scandinavian Cup circuit. Nishikawa finished in a group of five men in a race that came down to bunch sprint, with the top five places crossing the line within a half second. Nishikawa missed the podium by a mere two tenths of a second. Sweden’s Frederik Karlsson won the race in a time of 1:15:33.05.

Michael Sinnott posted the top US result in the race, finishing in 15th, 1:12 off the winning pace. Also in the field were Canada’s Michael Somppi and Brian McKeever, who placed 20th and 22nd, respectively, along with the USA’s Peter Kling (34th), Welly Ramsey (44th), and Max Christian (46).

In the women’s 15km race, Rebecca Rorabaugh (USA) led the North Americans with a 17th place finish, followed by Canada’s Alana Thomas (20th) and Zoe Roy (25th). Emily Hannah (USA) finished in 26th.

The Scandinavian Cup series moves on to Albu, Estonia this weekend with classic sprint and distance races. Both the USA and Canada will be represented by the same development trip athletes, with current Haywood NorAm women’s overall leader, Alysson Marshall (CAN), joining the fray as well.

Full men’s and women’s results HERE.

February 09, 2012 (Val Di Fiemme, Italy) – After a first part of the season that was often rife with frustration, the results prove it. Billy Demong is back.

And it’s not like he ever really left, but now at the mid-point of the season, he’s found his form; especially in jumping. The results of the last two weeks have shown a marked improvement.

Olympic gold medalist Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY) was  indeed back on the World Cup podium Sunday after making up a minute and 22 second deficit to finish less than four seconds behind Japan’s Akito Watabe. Demong was 17th after the jump but posted the fastest cross-country ski time to land on the podium.

It was his first World Cup podium since a win in Val di Fiemme, Italy in Jan. 2010 and he smiled and said it feels good to be back. “I hadn’t really thought about it until we got the the press conference and realized the last time I was on a World Cup podium was when we were in Val di Fiemme in 2010 right before the Olympics. It’s been two years, and the same location. It’s good because it’s the site of the World Championships next year,” Demong said. A venue that has been kind to USA combined fortures over the years, a place where Johnny Spilliane won his world title in 2003.

Those who know Demong well, cite his unbelievable work ethic and dedication to the sport, that speak volumns about him. Demong himself shared with skitrax.com in an interview today that it was really all about returning to full-time training. “For me this season has been all about returning to full time training as well as seeking top results. Predazzo marked my first podium since 2010 and I feel like it was a well earned struggle in refining my thoughts and form. The racing has been solid this season but it was finding the jumping as well as the right way to finish that made the difference.”

Demong also has tried to be patient. “At the end of the race I had enough energy left to keep pushing. On Friday I started very, very hard and yesterday I was really tired. Today finally was a good race from the start to the finish. I’m really happy now.

“The courses are super hard here. They are revamped. I don’t know if I ever skied a harder cross-country course than today.”

Demong, also stressed the overall team vibe and results are encouraging. “It’s been a solid season especially for the team as a whole with the Fletcher brothers stepping it up on the World Cup and some of our younger guys like Adam Loomis, Michael Ward, Cliff Field, Eric Lynch and the crew doing some great things in the Continential Cup. I am committed to Sochi and excited about the path myself and my team are on,” he added

Nordic Combined Quotes:

Bryan Fletcher
Seeing Billy on the podium is extra motivation. I’m extremely excited for him and where we all ended up today. I’ve been trying to get on that step for a while. Today I jumped well and was right there. I was in fourth until the last 500 meters to the finish. I was so close. It just comes down to the sprinting and the luck at the last little bit. I’m extremely motivated now because of that and I’m hoping to get a podium before the year is over. I feel like I can do it. It’s the goal.

Taylor Fletcher
I was super stoked with how everything went today. My jumping has been getting steadily better and better over the year which makes things easier in the cross country. To actually put two and two together was a really good feeling. I’m excited to be going back to Klingenthal since I just won a Continental Cup there last week. My confidence is pretty high and I feel like I can continue a high level of skiing.

Dave Jarrett, Head Nordic Combined Coach
All of our guys jumped really well, but we have to take out hats off to Akito Watabe who pretty much schooled everyone on the jumping hill and had a big lead. We just knew that this was getting more and more into the wheel house of where we can attack the podium. They did a really good job pacing and not doing too much at the front to help other people. They were in control the whole time. We’ve been putting a lot of energy into getting it going now and hopefully we can keep it rolling.

Nordic Combined Notes
• Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) matched his career best World Cup finish with seventh, moving up two spots after jumping to ninth.
• Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO), fresh off a Continental Cup win, earned his highest World Cup result after jumping to 33rd and finishing 14th.
• Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, CO) was 19th, battling sickness this week
• The U.S. Team will take a week break and rejoin the World Cup in Klingenthal, Germany Feb. 18-19.

February 09, 2012 (Madona, Latvia) – A large contingent of US and Canadian skiers has been racing in Madona, Latvia this week, as part of the Scandinavian Cup series, and have been leaving their mark on the results sheet.

In yesterday’s skate sprint events, Canada’s Phil Widmer posted the best North American result, placing 5 in the men’s A final, after qualifying 12th. The USA’s Mike Sinnott, who qualified 17th, followed close on Widmer’s heels and finishing 6th in the A final. Widmer’s teammate, Michael Somppi, finished 20th overall, moving up from 29th in qualification. The final was won by Norway’s Kristian Rennemo.

A phalanx of US skiers followed behind Widmer, Sinnott and Somppi, but failed to make the heats, including Erik Bjornsen (36th), Morgan Cole (39th), Peter Kling (41st), Resse Hanneman (47th), Welly Ramsey (52nd), Forrest Mahlen (57th), Max Christian (61st), and Michael Vigers (62nd).

On the women’s side, the USA’s Rebecca Rorabaugh and Emily Hannah finished 14th and 29th, respectively, after qualifying in 20th and 28th. Teammate Mary O’Connell finished 36th in qualifying and did not make the heats. Canada’s Alana Thomas, meanwhile, finished in 23rd, after qualifying 26th. The race was won by Norway’s Kjersti Boe.

Full mens and women’s results HERE.

LNT sižets par Skandināvijas Kausa sprintu from infoski.lv on Vimeo.

February 08, 2012 (Canmore, Alta.) – The nation’s top biathletes have returned to Canada to defend their home snow as Biathlon Canada hosts IBU Cup 6-7 at the Canmore Nordic Centre, February 8-16.

Led by Olympians Brendan Green (Hay River, N.W.T.), Marc-André Bédard (Quebec), Robin Clegg (Ottawa), Megan Imrie (Falcon Lake, Man.), Megan Heinicke (Squamish, B.C.), and Rosanna Crawford (Canmore, Alta.), Canada will field a total of 21 athletes (11 men and 10 women), while playing host to 20 nations for a series of four elite international competitions, February 11-12, and February 15-16. Athletes will compete in three sprint competitions and one individual event.

The IBU Cup, which is a feeder series to the World Cup with the top biathletes on the globe competing in both circuits, marks the return of major international biathlon competitions to Canada. Since the 1988 OlympicWinter Games, Canada has previously hosted the 2009 and 1992 Youth and Junior World Championships as well as World Cups in the 1990’s.

“Hosting international competitions at home is a critical component to growing our sport across the country, and we hope Canadians will join us in what promises to be an entertaining week of competition,” said Joanne Thomson, executive director, Biathlon Canada.

Opening Ceremonies for the Canmore Winter Carnival will be held at 5 p.m. on Friday, February 10 at Friendship Park. The 200 athletes and staff participating in the IBU Cup competition will be paraded down Main Street to Canmore Civic Centre Plaza.

The Canmore Downtown Business Association, in partnership with The Best of Canmore Kananaskis Accommodations Group, The Canmore Nordic Centre and the Town of Canmore will host a Winter Carnival in downtown Canmore, from February 10-20, 2012.
Ski and sled races on Main Street, ice carving and snow sculpting, a “sites on” opportunity to showcase shooting skills at the Alberta Biathlon Club Trailer: these are but a sampling of the many events, parties and activities planned for what willsurely be a most exciting, all-ages welcome, fun-guaranteed, family-friendly Winter Carnival.

For complete information, please visit canmorebiathlon.com

Schedule:
Friday, February 10
9-11:30 a.m. – Women’s Official Training
12:30-3 p.m. – Men’s Official Training

Saturday, February 11
10 a.m. – Women’s Sprint Competition
1 p.m. – Men’s Sprint Competition

Sunday, February 12
10 a.m. – Women’s Sprint Competition
1 p.m. – Men’s Sprint Competition

Monday, February 13
9-11 a.m. – Unofficial Training

Tuesday, February 14
9-11:30 a.m. – Men’s Official Training
12:30-3 p.m. – Women’s Official Training

Wednesday, February 15
10 a.m. – Men’s Individual Competition
1:30 p.m. – Women’s Individual Competition

Thursday, February 16
9:30 a.m. – Men’s Sprint Competition
12 noon – Women’s Sprint Competition

February 08, 2012 – Can you believe the results these kids from both the US and Canada are producing? It is almost friggin’ unbelievable – not just individuals, but in droves, and there are more people to be heard from before these guys are done this year. The fire and the spirit is spreading and can you believe the fun and good times they’re having doing it.

Kris Freeman – I’ve got to say a few words about Kris as his results have to be about as far from what he was expecting when this year started and it has been one of his biggest career low points – and he has done it like a pro. He has not missed a single WC race until the sprint in Moscow just the other day. He has explained his personal plight early on, and has competed in a couple of extra races in Seefeld and Bad Ischl, Austria, looking for that Freeman magic. It was great to see his breakthrough in Rybinsk back to where he belongs in the results (13th and 15 sec out of 1st place) – way to go you tough old bird!!!

MIA (missing in action) – Where has the Canadian women’s program gone again – no Rybinsk – so, no racing and relegated to another training period, again? This team has been weak in distance racing and had just started to show some small gains in Oteppa and then they are pulled off the circuit. If the Canadian coaching staff needs a model, just look to the south and see what your neighbors down there are doing. They are throwing tons of women onto the circuit – the TdS and a full intro to the whole WC circuit. Even broken bones doesn’t sway their focus for racing the WC circuit. Time for you guys to bite the bullet – your ladies’ program is in a deep hole and it isn’t moving forward with this focus and format. Give them a chance to grow and get what ever message they need to get. You can’t get a breakthrough if you aren’t doing the racing.

Jessie Diggins – A star has been born – enough said!!

Moscow and Rybinsk – lousy course in Moscow for the sprints – sparse crowds – very sparse and FIS will have that participation problem for years to come. There aren’t enough points to sway the cups so that the top guys can’t make up the difference in the rest of the schedule. The travel and weather makes it too much of a health risk.

BUFFS – when you have locals like Moscow and Rybinsk don’t you just love your BUFFS!!

Randall – Can she hold off “the Big Three” – Mateeva (109 points behind), Kowalczyk (147 points behind) and Bjoergen (long shot – 237 points to make up) – only because she has done some amazing things in her career? There are 4 sprints left – 1 free and 3 classic – win the next sprint in Szklarska Poreba and the pressure really goes to these three and away from Randall. Every one has had their bad days lately – this is really getting exciting!!!

“The Man” – about this time last year Devon Kershaw was looking for the duct tape and trying to patch all the holes that were leaking oxygen in his system – literally limping to the end of the season. Yes, he and Alex won the gold in Oslo, but there wasn’t much more to write about in the rest of his races, actually all the way from the TdS he was only producing single WC points in his WC races to the end of the season in Falun! Since this year’s TdS he has been podium man – double and triple WC point productions. He is the man and a great example for all the other NA skiers to model themselves after. If you want to educate your self as a young and up and coming racer go look at the FIS web site and check racing histories for Devon, for the boys, and Kikkan, for the ladies, and see how it gets done – 10-12 years of pounding the snow flakes and everything else that it takes to get to the top – they are great models and mentors for all that they have given back to the sport already.

Talk to You Soon, Marty

February 07, 2012 (Rybinsk, Russia) – Here’s a selection of additional photos capturing Canadian Devon Kershaw’s historic stellar victory in the men’s 15km FR men’s 15km Freestyle race in Rybinsk, Russia, to earn his third consecutive World Cup podium. The last time a Canadian man stood on the top step of a regular World Cup podium was in 1988 at the Holmenkollen in Norway, and that skier was the legendary Pierre Harvey – read more HERE.

February 06, 2012 (Sun Valley, ID) – The Boulder Mountain Tour (BMT), one of America’s longest running and most respected cross-country ski races, took place this past weekend in Sun Valley, Idaho, drawing a field of over 900 racers from across the country.

Clear skies allowed for a morning low of -12F, leaving cold sharp snow on the track. The BMT traversed the spectacular Boulder Mountains for 32km of breathtaking beauty and world-class competition. Thanks to race founder, the late Rob Kiesel, the BMT enjoys a stellar reputation that includes some of the finest skiing to be found anywhere on the planet combined with warm hospitality and first rate race organization. This year’s edition of the event was dedicated to Kiesel, who passed away last October.

Matthew Liebsch (Team Strongheart/Team Birkie) was the victor in a tight men’s competition completing the course in a time of 1:13:34.7, while Lars Flora (APU) won the two-up sprint for second against Nils Koons by a mere four-tenths of a second. Flora’s finishing time was 1:13:47.1.

Rebecca Dussault won the overall women’s race with a blistering time of 1:18:13.8 in an exciting sprint to sort out the podium order. Morgan Arritola was less than a second back for silver, with Chelsea Holmes right behind for bronze.

Full results HERE.

February 05, 2012 (Rybinsk, Russia) – Norway’s Therese Johaug threw down the gauntlet claiming the second World Cup of her career in convincing style winning the women’s 15km Skiathlon (7.5kmCL+7.5kmFR) in Rybinsk today as neither Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) in second or Marit Bjoergen (NOR) in third could match her panache or speed.

Throwing down a little over 2 min behind was the USA’s rookie dynamo, Jessie Diggins, leading three Americans into the points placing 12th, as Kikkan Randall was 25th and Liz Stephen finished 26th. Holly Brooks was 35th and Ida Sargent was 37th.

The remarkable aspect of Diggins’ race was that she started 29th and just completed two demanding races – she made the final in the freestyle sprints on Thursday in Moscow and claimed 5th (after starting 27th) in Rybinsk yesterday tying the USA’s (and Kikkan Randall’s) best-ever distance race result while establishing the best all-time American woman’s 10km FR distance result.

“Yesterday definitely took a toll on my body, but I was still excited to hammer out a pursuit race and see what I could do,” Diggins told us post-race. “I definitely went through a few phases of feeling super tired, then felt much better after a little recovery on the flat section – then super smashed again.

“Sometimes I just had to put my head down and fight to keep up with the group I was with, other times I’d be feeling good enough to bridge a gap to the next group.”

Both Diggins and Randall skied well in the classic leg with Diggins moving up to 19th and Randall holding her own but the Sprint Cup leader was not 100% still recovering from her recent sickness.

“I was feeling ok, but not 100% out there. I tried to hang with the opening pace, and stayed up in the top 10 for most of the classic leg, but couldn’t quite find the pop I’ve had earlier this season. I had some good moments and then some rough moments in the skate portion,” confided Randall.

“The conditions were quite good, especially compared to yesterday. The temperature was a balmy -10C, although the wind was still cold. My energy was definitely draining through the race. I think I may have underestimated the effect that stomach flu I had on my energy stores.  Didn’t feel like I was at my best today. I got a little bit of spark back on the last skate lap, but it was frustrating not to be able to have raced where I’ve been.”

As Johaug, Kowalczyk and Bjoergen quickly established themselves the battle raged behind for position, points and glory. Johaug and Kowalczyk dispensed of a tiring Bjoergen soon after the skate leg began. But Johaug was relentless and clearly had the upper hand breaking Kowalczyk along the way to solo in for the victory with a time of 42:41.4

We asked Diggins to describe her race… “The classic stage was a little tough for me…although the Salomon boards were fast and our wax techs did a good job getting me enough kick, I was definitely struggling with catching up. I’d gotten into a great position right after the mass start, but then over the bridge I tripped and fell – it was completely my own fault – but I got skied right over and just tried to make myself as small as possible till the group went by so I could get up start working my way back through the pack.

“I was definitely having some deja vu from World Juniors last year when I fell and broke a pole and started dead last and had to work my way through! But I guess chasing is what I do best so I tried to not let it shake me up and just focus on one hill at a time.

“I felt the skating part was better for me, just because I know I’ll always get up the hill and don’t have to stress over slipping when the tracks get soft and steep.”

So with a half a dozen World Cup races under her belt what’s Diggins’ take on the Euro WCup scene?

“The pace was so crazy! The women here just go and go and go…and if you can’t hang with them, you get dropped so fast! It’s definitely cool to see and it makes me want to work even harder so that one day I can hang with the lead pack.”

Has she learned any Russian… ?

“I haven’t learned much Russian at all! Everywhere I go I try to learn some basics, like hello, thank you, please and good morning. But I can’t even begin to spell the Russian words!”.

What’s the game plan going forward…?

“We pack up tonight and leave tomorrow morning on a charter plane, which should be interesting! The team will train for a couple days in Ramsau before heading to the Czech Republic for the Nove Mesto WCup,” said Diggins.

Randall remains in 4th overall but is being challenged by Charlotte Kalle (SWE) who was fourth today and podiumed yesterday. “It will be good to have this next week to put in some good distance training and hopefully kick around,” added Randall. “Will just focus on some good training and hope to build back over the next couple weeks.”

Full results HERE.
World Cup Overall Standings HERE.

February 05, 2012 (Rybinsk, Russia) – The Russians were not going to be denied on the final day of the FIS World Cup stop in Rybinsk as they stormed the men’s 30km Skiathlon (15kmCL+15kmFR) with all cylindars. When the dust settled it was veteran strongman, Maxim Vylegzhanin, taking home the victory with teammate Ilia Chernousov in second and stalwart Tobi Angerer from Germany in third.

The North Americans lead by Devon Kershaw were out in force as well with two in the top ten as Kershaw finished 6th and Harvey was 8th. Showing his great form today was American Kris Freeman with a resolute 13th place finish followed by Ivan Babikov, on familiar turf in his native homeland, claiming 17th. The two remaining US players, Tad Elliott and Sylvan Ellefson were lapped but gained more experience in high pressure top level World Cup field.

With another strong day Kershaw moved into third overall ahead of Marcus Hellner (SWE) in fourth and is within striking distance of Petter Northug (NOR) in second.

“I felt super good again today and the energy was high but we our skate skis were a little slow on the downhills so it was tougher to find good positioning on a course like this. They were good on the uphills and I was able to grab a few preems. It’s hard not to be happy with 6th [and 8th], but coming off a win yesterday and with the way things have been going we’re aiming higher,”said Kershaw in a phone interview with SkiTrax.

“It warmed up a bit today, -12 degrees felt kind of tropical – and it was great to sneak into third overall and hit another personal best [Kershaw has 881 points vs last year’s 602]. It’s still early and there’s lots of racing to come so we’re looking forward to the upcoming events and continuing to be competitive,” he added.

Harvey echoed similar sentiments wanting more but was happy all the same with a top-ten result. “The classic section was harder than the skate yet it was the same for everyone. I’m feeling really good and felt the best during the skating leg but we didn’t have the glide on our skis we needed and the Russians did – and they were everwhere.

“My body was really good and I felt better than 8th…you want to be on the podium every day but anytime you’re in the top 10 in a World Cup race you can’t complain. I’m happy with a top ten any time,” he confided.

For the USA’s Freeman it was somewhat of a coup as the veteran skier has had a lacklustre start to the season but found his legs today with solid classic and skate legs.

“Great day for Kris Freeman. He looked relaxed and snappy the entire race; in control and skiing easily with the main group,” said Chris Grover, Head Coach U.S. XC Ski Team, “He also built on yesterday’s finish and was much closer to the winner in the last kilometers. He was smart about getting warm feeds where he could and skiing hard when he needed to. I am looking forward to seeing him in 30km classic next weekend [in Nove Mesto].”

Both Grover and Canadian Head Coach, Justin Wadsworth, are on their way to Sochi for Olympic preparations and we caught up with Wadsworth in the bus on the way there.

“A solid day but the guys wanted more and didn’t have the normal rockets under their feet like their used to. It’s good when you’re disappointed with 6th and 8th… Ivan wanted to do better as well but cramped up a bit at the end.

“It’s great that Devon has moved into third overall and has a bit of a gap on Hellner and Alex is in 6th so we’re sitting better than last year and everyone’s feeling good – we’ll see where it can take us.”

Full men’s results HERE.
Men’s World Cup standings HERE.

February 05, 2012 (Oberammergau, Germany) – Perfect sunshine, clear white snow wherever you looked but also freezing temperatures were the marking of this year’s 40th edition of the 50km classic König-Ludwig-Lauf in Oberammergau (GER). Around -17°C at the start made it possible that the race commenced on time at 9am. Over 2000 skiers fought the cold in the 50km classic race which passed this year again the chateâu Linderhof, the little palace which Ludwig II had been build between 1869 and 1886.

Perfectly prepared tracks made the race quite fast and after 2h 16min and 35s, Stanislav Rezac (CZE) crossed the finish line. However, it was not at once clear that it was him who had won as it was a photo finish with Jerry Ahrlin (SWE), and in the end only centimetres divided the two. Joergen Aukland (NOR) got third, 1.2s behind Rezac. In total, a group of around 25 athletes came to the finish together.

Twenty minutes later, the first woman came into the finish: Susanne Nyström (SWE), who won, like last weekend in the Marcialonga (ITA), in front of her team mate Jenny Hansson (SWE). This time, the podium was completed with another team Exspirit member: Seraina Boner (SUI). All athletes were marked by the cold conditions – wrapped into several layers of clothing, some men had icicles hanging off their beards, others were taped in the whole face in order to prevent the cheeks from freezing.

Unfortunately, there is also a very sad story to tell: A man, born in 1937, got a heart attack only around 500m after the start and was brought to the hospital in Garmisch- Partenkirchen. But all tries to reanimate him were not fruitful and so he died one hour later in the hospital.

Stanislav Rezac (CZE) now leads the overall FIS Marathon Cup with 260 points – Susanne Nyström with 265 points in front on the ladies’ side! Stanislav Rezac (CZE) is the new leader of the FIS Marathon Cup with 260 points in front of Joergen Aukland (NOR, 220 points) and Jerry Ahrlin (SWE, 180 points). On the women’s side it’s Susanny Nystöm who leads with 265 points in front of Jenny Hansson (SWE, 252 points) and Stephanie Santer (ITA, 191 points). The next FIS Marathon Cup race will be La Transjurassienne (FRA), 76km skating technique, next weekend.

For the results of the elite athletes click HERE.
Full results will be put online as soon as possible HERE.

Statements of the best three:

Stanislav Rezac (CZE): I am really happy for this victory. It was a hard race and it was a tough finish, but I knew that I am strong enough to fight for the victory. Most of the time, the pace of the race was not too high – everybody was waiting for the last kilometres to push as hard as possible. I placed myself in front in time for the last hundreds of metres. In the end, luck was on my side as my foot was in front of Jerry’s for only a couple of centimetres. To be the leader in the FIS Marathon Cup is for sure another good motivation to keep pushing hard in the next races!

Jerry Ahrlin (SWE): I felt much better today than in the Marcialonga, even though I still have some problems with my back. I really need some treatment in the next days, but as I won’t go to La Transjurassienne, it should be fine for the Tartu Maraton. I was two times fourth here and I really hoped to do better today, therefore I am really happy. Even though, only a couple of centimetres parted me from the victory, so I am also a little bit angry. The race was still quite hard – I had a double layer on the upper body, a windstopper on my legs and some special stuff in my shoes to keep warm during the race. We were a large group and the speed was mostly not too high. Only in the last four kilometres everyone started to push really hard.

Joergen Aukland (NOR): We decided this morning to use no wax and it was very hard to ski during the first six kilometres, but then it got better. We were a big group and the pace was not too fast and it was not until the second loop that we started pushing a bit harder. In the last 3 – 4km, the race got faster and faster. I knew that Stanislav and Jerry would be very strong and I tried everything to stay with them. I am pretty happy that I could finish third as a podium place was definitely my goal today! It was however, pretty cold! I had lots of layers on, tow pairs of gloves and so on. But my glasses got so foggy that I had to put them off, but then I got problems with my eyes. I hope it’s not too bad.

Susanne Nyström (SWE): I came away quite well in the start and I pushed hard in the first uphill. We all three, Jenny, Seraina and me, we were together and helped each other. But I knew that I had to take the steep uphill to the castle very slowly as if you ski it too fast, it can destroy your whole race. I didn’t want to risk that, so I let Seraina go and she quickly got a 30s lead. But Jenny and me, we worked together and caught her quite soon. We naturally connect very well as we ski together all the time. But we came into the finish together with several men and it was pretty hard to get a clear line into the finish. For me, the cold was not a problem – I am used to these temperatures.

Jenny Hansson (SWE): I am pretty happy! Susanne and me, we worked again very well together – like in the Marcialonga. And that Seraina got onto the podium as well is just great. That really shows our team spirit at the moment. It’s so much fun to race and ski…I guess that’s the reason behind our success at the moment.

Seraina Boner (SUI): I still have some problems with my back, but it’s a lot better now. I am really happy to be back in racing, but I guess due to the long break, I didn’t have enough energy left to push hard right to the end. I got a lead after chateâu Linderhof, but Susanne and Jenny caught me soon again. However, it’s so nice to be on the podium with the team mates – I am really happy!

Race photos HERE.

February 04, 2012 (Rybinsk, Russia) – The USA’s Jessie Diggins continues to turn heads as she moved from 30th to 5th in the women’s 10km FR race in Rybinsk, Russia, on Saturday won by the incomparable Marit Bjoergen (NOR), who claimed her 50th World Cup victory as she turned another page in the history books of the sport.

Diggins, who was 19th at the half way point surged to 7th with 2.5km to go. Up ahead were Riitta-Liisa Roponen (FIN) and overall World Cup leader, Justyna Kowalczyk (PLO), who lead the race early on but began to fade as Charlotte Kalla (SWE) attacked mid-race after the bonus points taking only Bjoergen with her leaving Therese Johaug (NOR) alone in third.

Bjoergen picked her spot at 150m from the line and skated by Kalla for the victory as the Swede earned her best result this season. In a fight for third, Marthe Kristoffersen (NOR) pipped her teammate Johaug at the line for the bronze.

Behind them Diggins sailed past Kowalczyk and then Roponen to grab another big result landing in 5th at 29s behind Bjoergen. She tied the USA’s and Kikkan Randall’s best-ever distance race result a 5th earned in the 5km FR in Kuusamo and established the best American woman’s 10km FR distance result.

Pundits will remember the USA’s Alison Owen won a 5km World Cup at Telemark in 1998. It was a World Cup at the time, but in what FIS now views as a test period and the result is not in the FIS database according the USSA’s Tom Kelly.

So how did it feel passing Kowalczyk? “That was such a cool feeling,” Diggins told us post-race. “I realized it might be my one and only chance to ever get to pass her, so I figured I’d better go for it!”

The cold weather did not affect Diggins and neither did her stellar day making the finals in yesterday’s freestyle sprints. “For some reason, I’ve been racing well in the cold! Must be because I’m from Minnesota… I’m used to racing in some pretty cold weather,” Diggins told SkiTrax.

“I was pretty worn down right after the sprints but took some time in-between and stayed pretty relaxed – I think my body responds well after I’ve gotten a race in and the hard effort keeps the blood pumping,” she added. “I continue to be impressed by our wax techs, coaching staff and equipment; they absolutely nailed the skis today and I was flying down the hills, which made a huge difference!”

For Bjoergen it was a double victory as she reclaimed the overall World Cup leader’s bib from Kowalczyk and hopes to keep it. “I’m happy to get back the yellow bib. I was in good shape today and my skis were also very good. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s race because I feel really good at the moment. After the Norwegian Championships I stayed at home for three days on the sofa to recover and I am happy that I’m back in shape,” she told FIS XC.

In the points today as well was American Liz Stephen finishing in 26th. “Before a day ago, I had my eyes set on a top 10 this weekend. As I woke up this morning with a bit of a cold I have since readjusted my goals,” commented Stephen. “The energy has still been good, so I am planning on racing tomorrow too, as long as I still feel as though I can get in the points. We’re all fired up with Jessie’s skiing – I’m so proud of her and so excited to see what she decides to do next!

Back in the mix as well was American Holly Brooks who’s injured wrist at the Tour de Ski has healed, and while she didn’t have a stellar day finishing 40th, she’s eager to get back on form. “It was a tough re-introduction back to the World Cup after almost a month of not racing. My wrist felt okay and didn’t play a major factor – instead, I just felt like I didn’t have an additional race gear.

“I’m hoping that the poor race feeling was part of shaking off the cobwebs.  It was really, really cold today and tomorrow’s forecasted to be a bit warmer so I’m crossing my fingers that it is! Sunday’s a new day and we’ll see what’s in the tank.”

Check out Randall’s comments on the day HERE. No Canadian women competed and likely all racers hope the weather bureau forecasting warmer temperatures for Sunday’s Skiathlon is correct.

Full women’s results HERE.
World Cup standings HERE.

February 04, 2012 (Rybinsk, Russia) – Canada’s Devon Kershaw scored BIG today with a historic win bringing home his first World Cup distance gold medal taking the men’s 15km Freestyle race in Rybinsk, Russia, to earn his third consecutive World Cup victory.

Kershaw was in excellent form racing near the front for most the competition putting the hammer down in the final straightaway sprint to the finish line to win by just under a second over Ilia Chernousov (RUS) in second with Germany’s Tobias Angerer in third. Kershaw sits fourth in the overall standings and is in striking distance of Marcus Hellner (SWE) in third only 29 points ahead.

Fellow Canuck Alex Harvey posted a strong 5th place result while Ivan Babikov, who was 3rd at the 12.5km mark, got tangled up as the race wound down and ended up 17th.

“Yes it’s a big day for me and the team,” Kershaw told SkiTrax in a brief interview just before doping control. ‘My first distance win feels good. The course suited me with a long finishing sprint and I’m sprinting super well right now. I’ve got really good energy and my confidence is building with three podiums in a row in three races.”

“The body has been feeling stunning since the Tour de Ski – I’ve really felt good over the past month and things are doing well. We have such a super strong team and the dynamics are really a big part of our success.” (check back for more of our audio interview with Kershaw and with Justin Wadsworth, Canadian Head Coach)

The last time a Canadian man stood on the top step of a regular World Cup podium was in 1988 at the Holmenkollen in Norway, and that skier was the legendary Pierre Harvey – Alex’s father. Pierre won three World Cups between 1987 and 1988. Babikov won the final stage of the Tour de Ski up Alpe Cermis in 2009, also considered a World Cup for points, and Kershaw won his first skate sprint gold medal at a Tour de Ski last year in Toblach, Italy.

“I tried to stay up front as much as I could but was loosing position in the downhills. The body felt great, legs never felt heavy. On the last climb I was able to follow the move where the top 5 took a gap on the rest of the field,” explained Harvey.

“I was right in the draft behind Chernousov, Legkov, Kersh and Angerer but lost contact with them in the last downhill into the stadium. I was very pleased with top 5 but I’m still looking for some more podiums!

“Kersh winning was huge! He’s been close a couple of times but to finally do it is awesome! The whole team is pumped for tomorrow and the rest of the season!”

Leading the USA today was Kris Freeman who was as high as 11th near the end but hit some traffic and ran out of gas to finish in the points in 28th.

“This was one of the crazier races I have ever done,”  Freeman told us. “Constant contact and crashes. Short hills and long flats kept the pack together. I made a hard move to go from 30th to the front of the group with one lap tp go. Then I ran out of gas.”

Tad Elliott also had a great day on snow skiing as high as 13th but took a hard tumble near the end when a Russian skier passed him on the inside of a corner and went over his skis – he ended up 39th. Sylvan Ellefsen was also in the mix for the USA finishing 43rd.

“I felt so good. Amazing today. Had rocket Salomon skis thanks to Peter our wax tech,” wrote Elliott by email. “The course and mast start format was good for me. Right near the top ten then on the second to last downhill one k out. A Russian passed me on the inside of a corner and pushed me just as his ski went over mine.

“I went down hard and fell out of the top 30. I am bummed now but so excited to be able to move up into the top ten to top 15 at will. Another day tomorrow.”

Full men’s results HERE.
World Cup standings HERE.