November 11, 2011 (Munio, Finland) – American Ida Sargent (Craftsbury Green/USST) is off to a good start making the top 10 after qualifying in 9th in the classic sprint as the season kicked off in Munio, Finland, despite un-seasonal warm fall temperatures in Scandinavia that is hampering race schedules at all levels. Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) topped the qualifications on her way to victory over Laura Ahervo (Fin) and her Finnish teammate Anne Kylloenen. Sargent was the lone US qualifier as Hannah Dreissigacker was 33rd and Laurel Clare Egan placed 82nd – no Canadians started.

In the men’s race it was Norway’s Andreas Nygaard scoring over Russia’s Egor Sorin in second and Nikolay Bolotov in third. Craftsbury’s Pat O’Brien was the top US skier in 72nd, with Tim Reynolds in 104th, Dylan McGuffin in 141st, and Ethan Dressigacker in 152nd.

Qualifications HERE.
Finals HERE.