March 05, 2012 (Lahti, Finland) – The USA’s Kikkan Randall skied with panache to end the day in 5th and move another important step closer to claiming the Sprint Cup overall title. Now with 604 points Randall has a strong 138-point lead over Russia’s Natalia Matveeva in second with 466 points and the American star could lock up the Sprint crystal globe in Drammen, Norway on March 7.

According to the USSA’s Vice President Communications, Tom Kelly, the odds are in Randall’s favour. “Given that there are only 150 points left to be won (100 in Drammen and 50 in Stockholm) you can see what it will take for Kikkan to seal things up in Drammen – basically she needs to be 18th or higher to clinch the title outright. And [Natalia] Matveeva must win Drammen to have any chance. The odds are heavily in Randall’s favor.”

With an 18th place finish Randall would earn 13 points separating herself from her closest rival by 151 points thereby securing the Sprint Cup title – see Randall interview below.

Meanwhile another battle heated up today as top qualifier, Norway’s Marit Bjoergen, took the 1.4km CL Sprint on Sunday earning valuable points to maintain her lead in the overall WCup rankings over rival Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) in 3rd today on the podium. Russia’s Julia Ivanova claimed her first WCup podium today with strong skiing in the final to take the silver. In the overall race Bjoergen now has  2,095 points vs Kowalczyk with 2,011.

Also qualifying today and looking smooth and strong was Canada’s Daria Gaiazova in 8th – her best ever. Gaiazova skied well in her quarter final but was edged out at the line and settled for 3rd to finish in 13th, one of her best classic sprint results.

“This was my new PB in sprint qualifying today. The race course featured a lot of sustained climbing which is something I am good at in classic striding technique. I had amazingly grippy and fast skis today, thanks to our techs,” explained Gaiazova by email.

“I can’t really describe what happened at the end of my race, as I only remember a whole bunch of people trying to out-sprint each other to the finish. I put in my best effort, and was very happy with my best classic sprint result so far this season.

“Next is another CL sprint on Wednesday in Drammen, Norway. It’s a city sprint, so anything can happen and I am hoping to be able to carry the momentum and fight for a place in a semifinal on Wednesday.

Interview with the USA’s Kikkan Randall
Randall qualified 5th and skied with confidence demonstrating that her classic sprint game has made significant gains. SkiTrax spoke with her by email and here’s what she had to say on the today’s racing.

How was the sprint course and the conditions in Lahti… ? 
KR: The course is long and tough, with some of the most climbing on the WCup.  Conditions were awesome today, the sun was out with fast tracks.

You looked strong out there – how were your skis today…? 
KR: My skis were great today, our guys did an awesome job, especially anticipating when the conditions changed.

Are you feeling 100%…? 
KR: Yes, definitely back to full capacity.

How tough is the famous final downhill corner on the Lahti course…?
KR: I kind of like the thrill of it.  If you learn to ski it just right it’s a great place to make time.

You won your 1/4 final handily attacking on the final climb – was that your strategy? 
KR: I figured it would be close, and with a big downhill just after the climb, I knew I could recover a bit before the final stretch.

What was your plan in the semi against Justyna [Kowalczyk]?
KR: Try to stay close and stay strong in the 2nd half. I knew she would push the pace from the beginning.

The final was stacked – what was your strategy and how did it play out?
KR: It was a super fast pace from the start and I tried to follow it, but I was much more tired than during my semi. I didn’t ski the steep hill as well as I had been and missed a couple opportunities to challenge for 4th. But overall I gave what I had. My classic sprinting has really improved this year. I still have some work to do but I’m happy with the progress.

You won the FR sprint in Drammen last year and can wrap up the Sprint Cup title there on Mar. 7…
KR: I’m psyched to do this all again in three days in Drammen!

Qualifications HERE.
1.4km Sprint CL results HERE.
Sprint WCup Overall HERE
WCup Overall HERE.