December 08, 2012 (Quebec City, QC) – “Make mine a double…” the USA’s Kikkan Randall might have said after she delivered a storybook ending for the American women’s team following a stellar weekend of racing as she won the women’s individual 1.6km FR sprint. Randall’s victory made it two in a row as she won team sprint gold with Jessie Diggins yesterday.

Randall wins gold... © Kris Dobie

In a breathtaking display of domination Randall made it abundantly clear why she is among the world’s best women skiers, all with light snow falling most of the day, making it a winterscape right out of Currier and Ives.

“It’s one of the funnest courses on the circuit. It’s a great course with really exciting elements. The snow conditions are always challenging with city sprints but they did a fabulous job in Quebec,” Randall told Trax post race. “I wanted to be up front but Falla wanted it more than me so I waited for the right moment to attack and I’m glad it worked out.

“It was incredible out there, the atmosphere was unbelievable with all the flags and fans cheering and shouting your name. The fact that my family and friends could be here to see was really special. I’m glad I could put in a good performance.”

Kikkan and her parents at the finish © Kris Dobie

Around a ribbon of man-made snow in front of the impressive Parliament Building came a gathering of more than 10,000 Nordic fans from near and far to cheer on their favorites. It was a huge gathering of the Nordic tribe as friends greeted friends in an effecting celebration of the sport as Quebec City debuted as a FIS World Cup.

Jessie Diggins © Kris Dobie

The day showcased the growing stature of the US women sprinters as five skiers advanced to the heats. Jessie Diggins qualified 17th, but got boxed out in her quarter final and did not advance. Racing at her first World Cup former Dartmouth skier, Sophie Caldwell, now on the SMST2 team, qualified in 26th and went on to finish 14th. Likewise APU’s Rebecca Rorabaugh and Sadie Bjornsen also qualified for the big show.

Sophie Caldwell © Kris Dobie

Caldwell came close to making the semis as a lucky loser as she finished 3rd in her heat. “It was all good and I tried to stay controlled during the first lap and have something for the end. It was really hard to pass and the snow was soft,” commented Caldwell. “It was awesome for my first World Cup with tons of fans and cheering.”

Chandra Crawford © Kris Dobie

No Canadian women qualified, although Olympic gold medalist Chandra Crawford came tantalizingly close finishing 32nd. Perianne Jones, of Almonte, Ont., was the only other Canadian in the top-40, placing 38th.

Randall qualified with the third fastest time and her skiing tactics and skill were indeed mesmerizing as she progressed through the brackets to the finish radiating confidence. She handily won her quarterfinal and then her semifinal over Sweden’s Ida Ingemarsdotter with Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla winning her semi setting up the final.

Perianne Jones © Kris Dobie

Also on the final start line were Norway’s Ingvild Flugstad Oesterg, Finland’s Mona-Lisa Malvalehto and Russia’s Natalia Korosteleva as the final contenders.

Falla took the lead but Randall was close behind and on the second lap she attacked and never looked back as she powered to the front while American fans waved and cheered her to the finish for a second gold medal for the US women’s team. Second place went to Falla, while third went to Sweden’s Ingemarsdotter.

Daria Gaiazova © Kris Dobie

At the finish teammate Holly Brooks handed her a US flag for a victory lap to delight of the cheering Quebec City crowd. Randall completed a weekend sweep by winning the individual sprint and in doing so she takes the overall Sprint Cup points lead and is now second only in overall FIS points to Norway’s Marit Bjoergen.

Kikkan's victory lap with US flag © Kris Dobie

We caught up with Matt Whitcomb the US Women’s coach for his take on the weekend. “We will be counting the days until we return to Quebec City for a World Cup. Thank you to the organizing committee, Cross Country Canada, and the thousands of fans that showed up to support the sport. I think the fans will be what we will remember, and feeling that support trailside is incredibly motivating as we face the heart of the winter… so from the U.S. team coaches – thank you fans! ” said Whitcomb smiling.

“While Kikkan, Jessie, and Andy’s results capture the headlines, I think one of the big stories for the U.S. is Sophie, Becca, and Sadie qualifying for the rounds.  Sophie is the sixth American woman to post an individual top-15 this season. Over the course of the Quebec and Canmore World Cup weekends we will be entering more than 30 different athletes. It is a special opportunity for us,” he added.

At the press conference Randall was all smiles. “We always felt deep down that if we trained hard enough and wanted it bad enough we could be on the top of the podium,” she commented. “It took many years and many small steps to get up to that point and now we’re starting to really just believe and have good confidence.

“We have many girls working together and pushing together so I think the real reward for us was to be able to put together really strong performances here when our friends and family get to see us in action – which does not happen very often.

Kikkan on podium listening to anthem © Kris Dobie

“The whole atmosphere helped my performance today. We had a lot of enthusiasm coming into the morning, the staff did a great job with the skis to make sure we could just go out there and have fun. The crowd was unbelievable to see so many American flags and face paint. To be able to do that victory lap afterwards was something I will definitely remember for the rest of my life.”

Full results HERE.