Tag: 2014 U23 World Championships

Pros of Tomorrow: After Injury-Fraught Year, Lustgarten Ready to Make His Mark with Sun Valley

Ben Lustgarten races in a 2012 EISA carnival at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vt. After a senior year at Middlebury College filled with challenges and injury, Lustgarten is now joining the Sun Valley Gold team in his professional skiing debut.

Editor’s Note: Back out of hibernation, this is the first in this season’s ‘Pros of Tomorrow’ series, which highlights some of the most notable up-and-coming athletes around the world. Have an idea for a top-notch skier you’re itching to read more about? Email info@fasterskier.com with the subject line: Pros of Tomorrow. Ideas for intriguing juniors or collegiate skiers, or lesser-known athletes are welcome as well — subject line: From the Pack.

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Ben Lustgarten had big plans for his senior at Middlebury College, a small liberal-arts college in central Vermont with a strong history of ski racing. With his eyes set on the NCAA Championships in Soldier Hollow, Utah, the 22-year-old from Burlington, Vt., was determined to train as hard as possible in order to challenge the many Europeans who dominated both the western and national circuits.

Come March, however, Lustgarten was not lining up at the starting line in Soldier Hollow but instead stood on the sidelines, supported by crutches and sporting a heavily braced knee, watching his former competitors give it their all.

How did he get there?

Lustgarten had a modest start in nordic skiing. Growing up in northern Vermont, he dabbled in many sports ranging from soccer to track and field. It wasn’t until a friend suggested the he and his twin, Eric, join his high school’s cross country running and ski teams that he joined the sport.

When Lustgarten became a member of the Middlebury College Ski Team, he wasn’t well known on the national scene, having just rocketed into the Junior Olympics for the first time in 2010, earning two All-American honors in both distance races.

Lustgarten is hoisted on the shoulders of his teammates after the conclusion of an undated EISA carnival in Stowe, Vt. (Photo: Ben Lustgarten, Facebook)

Lustgarten’s career at Middlebury was characterized by constant improvement a relentless dedication to becoming the best skier he possibly could.

By the time his senior year rolled around he had already placed fourth and eighth in the previous NCAA Championships hosted on his home-course in Middlebury. This time around he wanted to win.

However, from the beginning of the training season Lustgarten was hindered by injuries. After damaging his psoas in the fall he was forced to regularly spin and lift, as running and rollerskiing were out of the question.

Come December, Lustgarten was back to training as usual, slightly hindered by a two-week, minor foot injury.

On the eve of U.S. nationals in Soldier Hollow, Lustgarten was a unsure of his fitness and speed due to his limited training in the fall. It seemed that his lack of traditional training was inconsequential as the college senior held his own against the best in the country, finishing sixth in the 15 k classic and tenth in the 30 k freestyle. He was the second U23 skier in both races, finishing behind U.S. Ski Team member Erik Bjornsen, who went to the Olympics a month later.

The results were enough for Lustgarten to qualify for the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy, one of his major goals of the season. After racing in the Italian Dolomites, Lustgarten was disappointed with his results there, but the experience proved valuable for the Vermonter who had previously never traveled, let alone raced, overseas.

“I didn’t have the races I wanted to but it was my first time in Europe, and the travel and all that was a factor,” Lustgarten said in a phone interview. “I still had a lot of fun and the experience was really good to see how a lot of Europeans race and just to get a good view of that scene.”

The experience in Italy unfortunately was not all positive, as the Middlebury skier sustained a concussion in his last race.

“I fell pretty hard and hit my head against the snow. I felt a little woozy getting up again,” Lustgarten said. “That was an extremely hard race to finish. I lost my entire morale, all my momentum and ended up getting passed a lot. I did manage to finish, and found out I suffered a concussion.”

Lustgarten racing with the EISA leader bib at the 2014 EISA Championships in Ripton, Vt. Lustgarten went on to win the race by 50 seconds. (Photo: Ben Lustgarten, Facebook)

Upon his return to the U.S., Lustgarten had to sit out the next Eastern Collegiate carnival at Dartmouth. However, a week and a half after the concussion, he was back on skis at the Williams Carnival.

During this time, Lustgarten was starting to feel pressure from himself and others surmount as the NCAA Championships drew closer.

“I felt a lot of expectation, both from myself and other people, to win. I put a lot of pressure on myself and that pressure got to my head,” he said. “I couldn’t fully maximize my skiing potential. I was engulfed by this feeling that I had to win and that I should win. Obviously it hurt my skiing because I couldn’t win some of these races. I would beat myself up about it.”

Unlike those who have succumbed to similar pressures, Lustgarten recognized that to excel in the final races of the season he needed to return to the basics. Making an effort to ski his “own race” the Middlebury skier lessened the importance of splits and competitors and instead focused on his technique and pacing.

Having embraced this philosophy, Lustgarten entered the Middlebury Carnival and Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) Championships both calm and collected.

The new mindset paid off as Lustgarten crossed the finish line of the individual 15 k classic in first place, exactly 50 seconds ahead of one of his fiercest competitors, Scott Patterson of the University of Vermont.

“It not only helped my confidence to know that I might be able to win further races, but it really only matters when you ski within yourself and if you trust yourself and not to get all wound up in the scene with all the results,” Lustgarten said. “Which is really nice, because not only do you feel better about yourself when you cross the finish line, but generally the results are better. So it’s a win-win.”

The next day was a different story.

Entering the second day of the EISA Championships, the weather was warm and the conditions were fast on the hilly and technical course at the Rikert Nordic Center. Even going into the first laps of the 30 k freestyle mass start, Lustgarten could feel his shins tightening up.

Lusgarten poses during a ride in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he is currently training and recovering with the Sun Valley Gold Team. (Photo: Ben Lustgarten, Facebook)

After attempting to stick with the leaders, Lustgarten was forced to pull back, but the damage was already done. Barely able to move his legs, the Middlebury College Senior said both his competitors and spectators were giving him odd looks.

Descending from the last major climb in the third lap, Lustgarten knew he had to take the corners very easy or risk falling due to the tightness in his shins. Coming into one of the final turns of the lap Lustgarten went wide, miscalculating his speed and the sharpness of the corner he had skied so many times before.

Lustgarten soon realized he was headed for a tree, and immediately fell to the snow ensuring his feet were in front of him; a move that he would later characterize as lifesaving.

Unable to slowdown, he made full impact with the tree, placing all impact on his right foot. The next thing he knew he was sprawled on the side of the trail with searing pain in his right leg.

“In a normal crash, you get back up, you put your stuff back on, check if your poles are broken, and move on. I tried to move my leg and it was just so painful,” he recalled. “It was half bent and I couldn’t straighten it. I couldn’t move it. I was gasping in pain and after a minute I yelled out help because I knew I couldn’t get up. Then the world crashed around me and I realized that I was not going to finish this race. I thought my leg was broken and I thought my season was over. It was pretty traumatic.”

Lustgarten’s leg was not broken, but a visit to a doctor in Burlington resulted in the some of the worst news he had received: he was out for the rest of the season with a severely torn posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his knee. No NCAAs. No challenging the westerners. No conclusion to his final year of racing at Middlebury.

“I thought I was going to double pole NCAAs. I was livid that I couldn’t race. I would have done anything. It was my last season and I was going to do what I could to finish the race. Everyone was saying that I shouldn’t do it but I didn’t care what anyone said. However, if I had crashed and fully torn my PCL that would have required surgery and I would have been out of skiing for a year. Everyone talked some sense into me,” Lustgarten said.

He did, however, travel to the NCAA Championships in March but was delegated to the sidelines, resigned to thinking about what could have been.

“I tried to cheer on people as best as I could,” Lustgarten said. “But it was hard watching them because even if they were having a bad race they were out there trying their best. Representing their college and their coast. I wish I could have raced those good guys from the west. I had wanted to race them all season. Maybe I’ll get a chance next year.”

While Lustgarten won’t get a chance to race the collegiate circuit next year, he will get a chance to prove himself on the national scene.

Shortly after graduating from Middlebury College in May, Lustgarten traveled west to Idaho to join the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) Gold Team, where he will compete in the hopes to make his mark in professional nordic skiing.

Lustgarten (l) and SVSEF’s nordic director Rick Kapala (r) discuss a rollerski workout in some unfavorable June weather. (Photo: Ben Lustgarten, Instagram)

“It will be awesome to see what skiing is like without school,” he said. “I can spend a lot more time doing physical therapy, stretching, strengthening to prevent injury, increase balance, and just pend time doing small stuff that I wouldn’t have time to do at school.”

He believes these small changes will help him reach his lofty goals for the next season. On that list is a podium at US Nationals, a top 15 at the U23 World Championships, and to qualify for a couple World Cups in the 2015/2016 season.

Despite his elevated goals, Lustgarten knows he has a lot of work to do in the meantime.

“I don’t really know how my improvement will be with the injury and training. I have optimistic views,” he said.

In terms of his future as a pro skier, Lustgarten acknowledged that if things don’t go as expected, he plans to go back to school. If he does see improvement, Lustgarten would like to see how far he can go.

“I would definitely like to ski for the next couple years. Obviously the Olympics is a ways off, but that’s the dream for anyone who goes pro,” he said. “If things do work out well I would love to shoot for the Olympics in 2018.”

Long-term goals aside, Lustgarten is taking advantage of his what his new life as a professional athlete has to offer. For now, the emerging skier is excited to work on new sponsorship deals, develop a website and blog expected to be ready by the end of the week, in addition to full-time training.

June 18, 2014
U23 World Champs Wrap Up with Skiathlons: Teammates Top the Podium; Patterson Repeats in 18th (Updated)

Adrien Backscheider of France celebrates his first title at U23 World Championships after winning Saturday’s 30 k skiathlon in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: Fiemme2014)

(Note: This article has been updated to include Annika Taylor, originally from Truckee, Calif., who competed at U23 World Championships for Great Britain. Comments from Ben Saxton also follow.)

For most skiers, skiathlons are somewhat of a rarity, something you might compete a couple times, or even the first time, in your career.

When you’re under 23, chances are you’ve had even less experience with the half-classic-half freestyle distance format — which makes it all the more fun.

France and Norway perhaps had the best time of anyone on Saturday at U23 World Championships, with Adrien Backscheider and Damien Tarantola of France going 1-2 in the men’s 30-kilometer skiathlon, and Martine Ek Hagen and Ragnhild Haga placing first and second in the women’s 15 k.

The women’s 15 k skiathlon podium at U23 World Championships on Saturday, with Norwegian winner Martine Ek Hagen (c), her teammate and runner-up Ragnhild Haga (l), and Teresa Stadlober of Austria in third (r). (Photo: Fiemme2014)

The best part about Saturday’s men’s race was that Backscheider and Tarantola pushed each other to the line, with Backscheider getting the 0.1-second edge for his first U23 title in 1:24:27.9. Norway’s Daniel Stock rounded out the podium in third, 6.4 seconds after Backscheider.

“Today we proved that France has a great team and really good equipment,” Backscheider, 21, told FIS on Saturday. “I am satisfied with my performance throughout the competition and I had very good skis. We have been training a lot for these championships and we showed what we are capable of. In addition to these two medals, we have to add the one won in the cross-country sprint. I think that bringing home these three medals for cross-country skiing is really amazing.”

Tarantola said that silver was “simply amazing, both for me and the whole French team. The weather conditions were pretty bad and the race got harder and harder due to the rain. Nevertheless, I never gave up and I did my best … I’m really proud of our achievements.”

According to a press release, the men’s 15/15 k proved to be tactical, with Armenian Sergey Mikayelyan attacking on the final climb of the penultimate of 12 laps. Seven skiers went with him: Russia’s Kiril Vichuzhanin, Norway’s Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, Sindre Bjørnestad Skar, Mathias Rundgreen, Tarantola, Backscheider, and Stock.

On the second climb of the last lap, the group dwindled to five when Nyenget attacked and Vichuzhanin, Tarantola, Backscheider, and Stock followed. Right before the last hill, Nyenget lost his balance and fell as Backscheider made a move. Vichuzhanin stuck with the leaders over the top but crashed on the downhill into the stadium. Norway ended up taking third through sixth with Stock, Rundgreen, Skar, and Nyenget, respectively.

In the women’s 7.5/7.5 k, the 22-year-old Hagen led for much of the first half of the race, holding off attacks from Italy’s Francesca Baudin and Debora Agreiter, who looked to have superior skis on the wet tracks.

All together heading into the skate portion, Hagen picked up the pace and Haga, Austria’s Teresa Stadlober and Agreiter initially kept her in sight. Hagen went on to ski the remaining 7.5 k on her own, winning by 22.4 seconds in 44:37.5.

“I’m so glad for the gold medal, of course, it means so much for me,” Hagen said to FIS about her second-straight win at this year’s U23 championships, and her third total. “These competitions are much harder than what you may think, and on top of that, the rain didn’t stop falling today, making the snow wet and heavy. These weather conditions didn’t help us today and made the race even tougher. Today’s a very special day for our team, Ragnhild won the silver medal and I’m really happy for her, too.”

“I understood I wouldn’t be able to catch up to first place even though I was hoping for the gold for more than one lap, but Martine was very strong,” Haga said. “I dedicate this silver medal to my family. We hoped for the double victory, it turned out really well and it is great fun to be on the podium with another Norwegian.”

Stadlober placed third, 42.2 seconds after Hagen,and Agreiter was another 13.1 seconds back in third.

Patterson Repeats in 18th for U.S.

In his second race of his first U23 championships, University of Vermont (UVM) senior Scott Patterson placed 18th — again. He notched 18th two days earlier in the 15 k classic individual start.

Team USA, with female juniors, U23s and ski jumpers at the 2014 Junior/U23 World Championships opening ceremonies. (Annie Pokorny courtesy photo)

Rosie Frankowski, a senior at Northern Michigan University, finished 26th in the women’s race for a career best at her first U23’s after placing 38th in the 10 k classic on Jan. 30.

Annie Pokorny (Stratton Mountain School T2 Team) finished 31st for her second-best result in her second U23’s after she placed 29th in two events last year.

“I really wanted to keep my cool and ski a nice, relaxed race,” Pokorny wrote in an email. “I knew that the pace would be hot off the start, so I wanted to be warmed up, but also wanted to conserve as much energy as I could through all 15 k’s.”

By the time she got to the venue, Pokorny explained it had already started raining. That turned to downpour for the women’s race, but the tracks held up throughout their three classic laps.

Pokorny did her best to stay in the main pack out of the start. “The accordion factor was pretty serious through the end of our first lap and I had trouble skiing in the lanes, so I dropped pretty far off the top 30 and started working my way up from there,” she wrote.

“When I came through the transition, I was fighting for 35th place. The minute I stepped onto them, I knew I had amazing skis, and was able to work the transitions to my advantage all around the course. When I caught girls, it was mostly on the flats after uphills, where my skis allowed me to carry speed over the top.”

Heading into the last lap with a top-30 within reach, Pokorny explained she improved from 32nd to 30th at the top of the course before getting passed on the last climb into the stadium.

Jessie Diggins of the U.S. Ski Team (l) on the podium after winning silver in the first race of U23 World Championships, the freestyle sprint on Nov. 29 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Liz Guiney courtesy photo)

“I knew that I still had a chance so I pushed as hard as I could down the finishing stretch, no-pole skiing and chanting ‘Jessie, Jessie, Jessie’ hoping to channel my teammate [Jessie Diggins],” she wrote. “I got close to the 30th place spot, but she just edged me out at the finish. It was really exciting for me, and even though I didn’t make the top 30, I was proud of how I skied.”

While she felt short of her goals, Pokorny focused on the fact that she was having fun.

“This championship has been a blast. The Olympic year has changed the competition, there’s no avoiding its influence, and being a part of these races has been challenging and exciting.”

Another American in the top 35, Ben Lustgarten, a Middlebury College senior, finished 34th in the men’s race. In the preceding 15 k classic, he placed 30th. His goal was to beat that.

After getting off to a strong start, Lustgarten explained in an email he tried to ski relaxed in a good position at the back of the lead pack while avoiding tangles and broken poles.

“The pace was fast but I was expecting that, I’m glad I could hang on for the whole classic portion,” he wrote. “The skate leg turned out pretty miserably and I lost a lot there. I crashed early on really hard and hit my head (turned out to be a minor concussion) which made me a bit dizzy. I was also pretty tired and losing that much momentum was not ideal. Then I broke a pole going up a hill and by that point I just wanted to finish the race, I knew I could not make up any ground and I was pretty beat physically and emotionally.”

The 2014 U.S. Junior/U23 World Championships team (Ben Lustgarten courtesy photo)

He finished and that’s what mattered most to him.

“I am not super happy with my result today due to the fall and breaking a pole, but I am very happy with my classic portion of today’s race,” he wrote on Saturday. “The world championships experience has been amazing! I was not racing at my full potential this week but I had some good parts of races and it is an excellent learning experience. The trip itself has been extremely fun and very valuable as a whole to understand how travel and racing in Europe really feels like.”

Annika Taylor, a junior captain at the University of New Hampshire, raced for Great Britain, where her dad was born and she technically has citizenship. According to Far West junior trip coordinator Mark Nadell, she contacted the British team’s nordic coach and inquired about racing for them.

Before competing at her first world championships for Great Britain, Taylor raced at Swiss nationals and tallied two top 10’s. On Saturday, she was 35th — her first top-40 in Val di Fiemme.

Mary Rose (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation) finished 38th, after placing 34th in the 10 k classic on Jan. 30.

“My goal was to ski in the top 25 and hang on for dear life. That didn’t happen at all today,” Rose, 22, wrote in an email. “I had a pretty good start and made my way into the top 15, I think. That only lasted for about 1k and then I am not sure what happened. I was off the back and skiing with Annie Pokorny and Elizabeth Guiney.”

She and Guiney, of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project, stayed together for the rest of the classic leg, and Guiney ultimately finished 14.6 behind Rose in 41st.

“For the skate, I had a much better race,” Rose wrote. “I felt like I could actually ski and made up a lot of time on the girls in front of me. I was going pretty hard on the last lap trying to catch the 2 or 3 girls in front of me. I was in a sprint at the finish and lost to a foot throw with Olivia [Bouffard-Nesbitt] on the Canadian team!”

Bouffard-Nesbitt (Rocky Mountain Racers) led the Canadians in 37th, beating Rose by 0.1 seconds. She wrote that she felt strongest in the classic leg, but had “just enough juice at the end” to outsprint Rose.

“I absolutely love any opportunity I am given to race mass starts because it gives me the chance to ski with the pack and test myself head to head with the other skiers,” Bouffard-Nesbitt wrote. “I like to try to just hang on to the lead pack as long as I can because as that’s as fun as racing gets for me … The price to pay for that race tactic is that you fatigue really quickly, and in my case I just slowed down from that point on and struggled to stay with the girls that were passing me. I lost a lot of positions, but I don’t regret going out too fast because it’s very rare that we get the opportunity to race with the best in the world, and I think it’s really valuable to ski up there with them.”

Cendrine Browne (Pierre-Harvey Training Centre/Canadian Senior Development Team) racing to 31st in the 10 k classic on Jan. 30 at U23 World Championships. She placed 39th after crashing early in Saturday’s 15 k skiathlon. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com/All proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation)

Also for Canada, Cendrine Browne of the Pierre-Harvey Training Centre placed 39th.

“Today my goal was to do the top 20, but I had no luck at the start,” Browne wrote. “After the first 500 meters, I was part of a tangle up. A girl stepped on my ski and pole and I fell on her. Then, the hole pack went by me by the time we got untangled. I was far from the rest of the pack.

“At first, I thought I could catch up, but it was impossible,” she continued. “On top of that, my classic skis weren’t that great. I didn’t have much grip compared to the other skiers. For a moment, I thought: what is the most embarrassing between quitting or being last at World’s … My answer to myself was: I’ve never quit a race and I won’t start doing that today. So I fought, alone, trying to catch girls in front of me.”

Disappointed with her result, Browne, a 20-year-old member of Canada’s Senior Development Team, explained she’s proud of placing 31st in the 10 k classic — a discipline that isn’t usually her best.

“I find it kind of sad that there are no relays for U-23… Relays were so fun when I was in the junior category!” she added.

Guiney wrote that she didn’t have many expectations for her first international skiathlon. “I was hoping for a top 30 if everything went well,” she wrote.

“The pace off the gun was incredibly fast. I actually got an outside track with not many girls in front of me so the first hill went well, but after that people started to pull away,” Guiney continued. “After the classic leg I was pretty much by myself, not really in danger of being caught but also pretty far from the people in front of me. So that was a little tough, just convincing myself to keep up the pace and keep pushing.”

Overall, she explained her U23 experience has been great.

“It’s funny coming to Italy because you expect sunshine and great tracks, but we’ve had some of the most challenging weather conditions I’ve raced in all year during our races. I felt a lot more prepared than last year, but the level of competition here is so high that I keep realizing how much farther I have to go and how much work I have to do to reach the top.”

Patrick Stewart-Jones (Alberta World Cup Academy) led the Canadian men in 41st, and American Ben Saxton (SMS) finished 14.3 seconds later in 42nd.

“I basically just missed out on the lead pack at the end of the classic race, which was frustrating,” Saxton wrote in an email on Sunday. “However I was in a good group for the skate leg, when I took a tumble coming down from Brink hill. I took the inside line and due to the conditions, my entire ski went under the snow and I got whipped into the ground. I was ok, but from that point on I was in kind of a no mans land, trying to bridge the gap back to my group and to other skiers.

“The American team had a killer week, and it’s hard not to be feeling the positivity from Jessie’s podium, Paddy [Caldwell’s] top 10 [in the Junior skiathlon], and the numerous top 30’s we’ve accrued over the week,” Saxton added. “On a personal note I’m definitely not satisfied with how my racing went this week. It was a big step up from the Junior level, and I think the results reflected that, but it’s huge motivation for me moving forward. I’m ready to get back out and ski with these guys next year.”

Four North American men were lapped: Knute Johnsgaard (Yukon Elite Squad) in 48th, Tyler Kornfield (Alaska Pacific University) in 49th, Sebastien Townsend (AWCA) in 52nd, and Andy Shields (NDC Thunder Bay) in 53rd.

The skiathlon concluded the U23 championships, with junior races continuing with 5/10 k classic individual starts on Sunday and relays on Monday.

Results: Men | Women

Canada’s 2014 Junior/U23 World Championships team. (Cendrine Browne courtesy photo)

February 2, 2014
Bjornsen Top North American with 17th on Snowy Day at U23 Championships; Widmer 30th

Erik Bjornsen (U.S. Ski Team) strides to 17th place in the 15 k at the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: flyingpointroad.com/NNF)

Satisfied, yet unfulfilled was the sentiment of the North Americans who competed in the 2014 U23 World Championship 10 k and 15 k individual classic races at Val di Fiemme, Italy on Thursday. With fresh snow falling on the challenging course of Lago di Tesero, the best U23 skiers from North America put their best efforts forward in an attempt to make their mark on the international stage. While they were able to conquer the challenging conditions with ease, both the U.S. and Canadian squads had mixed performances, with five skiers between the two teams breaking into the top 30.

The best result of the day came from American Erik Bjornsen (U.S. Ski Team/APU) who finished 17^th in the men’s 15 k individual classic.

Skiing with the signature Bjornsen smoothness, he increased his pace every lap. As the Washington native powered through the falling snow, he moved up seven spots throughout the race, advancing from a 24^th place split at the 2.3 k mark to 17^th at the finish.

“I’m really happy with where my fitness is at,” Bjornsen wrote in an email. “I had a smoking fast last lap and I got to the finish feeling like I had more left in the tank. I’m happy to have finished in the top 20 and I think with a different race strategy I could have been 25 seconds faster which would have put me in the top 10.”

Bjornsen will be able to put a new race strategy to the test this upcoming weekend. In a change of plans, he left immediately after Thursday’s race to meet up with the U.S. Ski Team in Toblach, Italy where he will compete in the World Cup 15 k individual classic to prepare for the Sochi Olympics.

“I’m so excited for the Olympics, I think my fitness is just coming into form so it should be perfect timing. It was a blast being with the WJ/U23 crew,” he said.

Scott Patterson gives it his all in the 15 k classic at the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Patterson finished 18th overall. (Photo: flyingpointroad.com/NNF)

Scott Patterson finished just behind Bjornsen in 18^th position. The University of Vermont racer had fast skis, great kick, and a relaxed mindset throughout the 15 k, which served him well. Although he finished roughly three seconds back from Bjornsen, the 22-year-old had maintained a lead over the 17^th place finisher up until the 14.7 k mark, and was disappointed that he was unable to hold the lead over his teammate.

“I am reasonably happy with my result. I think I could have easily been fighting for a top 15 and maybe even a top 10 on a really good day,” he wrote in an email. “The main disappointment for me is that Erik Bjornsen got me in the end. It almost feels like I was out-sprinted which I never enjoy. Its a friendly competition going all the way back to my first JOs in 2006. However, he skied a solid race but I think has much more potential for the world cup and Olympics.”

Canadian Knute Johnsgaard finished 21^st, marking Canada’s top result of the day. After fighting off weariness in the Canadian Olympic Trials, Johnsgaard was feeling rested before the Championships and was motivated to have top results. After taking a long break from racing after the trials, the 21-year-old was excited to be racing again.

Ben Lustgarten of Middlebury College, who impressed the domestic field with his sixth place finish in the 15 k individual classic at U.S. Nationals earlier this month, placed 30^th, a career best finish for Lustgarten in the international racing scene.

Ben Lustgarten skiing to 30th place in the 15 k individual classic at the 2014 U23 World Championships. (Photo: flyingpointroad/NNF)

The Burlington, Vermont native knew he could have ranked better, but is looking forward to the 30 k skiathlon on Saturday.

“I am not as happy with my result as I would like, which actually surprises me. But its a great place to start,” he said.

New to international racing, Lustgarten didn’t want to make excuses about fatigue from the lengthy travel or overwhelming feelings associated with racing in Europe. However, he admitted they might have played a factor in Thursday’s result. “I just need to rest up and try and be positive about it, move on, and get pumped for the 30k,” he said.

Like Lustgarten, Patterson is looking forward to the 30 k.

“Saturday will be lots of fun and I am feeling quite a bit more confident after today,” he said.

He also believes his experiences at the Championships have not only opened his eyes to individual possibilities, but also to the American’s potential in international racing.

“I got a really good feel for more things to work on for the rest of this season and beyond; from watching others and my own splits,” he wrote. “There is no reason for the U.S. skiers not to be competitive with the best U20s and U23s. I think everyone will be bringing back motivation and personal insights into their skiing.”

Not too far from Lustgarten was Patrick Stewart-Jones in34th, whose strategy to start fast brought him roughly seven seconds out of the top 30. American Ben Saxton (SMST2) finished in 38th and was followed by Canadians Andy Sheilds in 43rd and Sebastien Townsend in 57th.

Annie Pokorny racing to 33rd in the 10 k classic at the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: flyingpointroad.com/NNF)

In the women’s 10 k, Heidi Widmer of Canada was the fastest North American on course, finishing 30^th. After ranking 35^th at the 2.8 k mark, the Canadian was able to accelerate her pace and gain five spots.

Widmer, who was unavailable for comment, will also be competing in the Sochi Olympics in roughly a week and a half.

Not far behind Widmer was fellow Canadian Cendrine Browne, who placed 31st.

“I am very happy of this result because I almost did a top 30, which is very good for my first year in the U23 category,” she wrote in an email. “I am also happy of my performance because I came in right after Heidi Widmer, who just qualified for the Olympics in Sochi.”

With the the absence of yesterday’s second place finisher, Jessie Diggins, the U.S. women were led by Annie Pokorny (SMST2) who finished 33^rd. For Pokorny, who also competed in last year’s U23 Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic, the fresh snow created some variable conditions.

“The snow started falling right before my start and picked up throughout the race, but our skis rivaled the fastest teams in both glide and kick,” she said. “Due to the variance, it became a competition for who could handle the changes the most gracefully, which I probably could improve on.”

Pokorny was hoping for more from the 10 k classic, but was pleased with her effort. For now, the 21-year-old is planning on resting as much as possible before Saturday’s skiathlon.

Mary Rose in the 10 k classic at the 2014 U23 World Championships in val di Fiemme, Italy. Rose went on to finish 34th. (Flyingpointroad.com/NNF)

“Going into the 15 K it’s going to be really important for me to recover from the last two days’ efforts and focus on keeping my composure in the mass starts. If the support and team energy continues as it has been, we could be in for a really successful day!”

Behind Pokorny was American Mary Rose of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation who finished in 34th. Lauding her great skis, Rose sited her fatigue as the reason for a slower pace in the latter part of the race. “I went into the race with a the game plan of hammering from the start. In hindsight that probably wasn’t the best because I was pretty tired for the second lap,” she said.

“I am definitely not jumping up and down with excitement because I know I can ski better. However, it was a good learning experience.”

Heading into Saturday’s 15 k, Rose hopes to use the experience as a tool to help her land a place in the top 25.

The rest of the North American squad was rounded out by Canadian Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt in 35th, and Americans Rosie Frankowski and Mackenzie Kanady in 38th and 49th.

The U23 World Championships continue on Saturday with a 15 k and 30k skiathlon on the trails of Val di Fiemme.

Men’s 15 k Results

Women’s 10 K Results

January 30, 2014
Niskanen, Hagen Battle Fresh Snow and a Tough Course for U23 Classic Wins

Iivo Niskanen (FIN) celebrates his win in the 15 k classic at the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: Fiemme 2014)

Finnish skier Iivo Niskanen and Norwegian Martine Elk Hagen have continued their families’ legacies on Thursday at the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme. Tackling a course covered in fresh snow, Niskanen, brother to Finnish superstar Kerttu Niskanen, and Hagen, cousin of Norway’s up-and-coming Heidi Weng, won their respective 10 k and 15 k individual classic races on the trails of Lago di Tesero.

Sergey Ustiugov (RUS) lunges across the finish line in the men’s 15 k classic in the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Ustiugov finished second after winning Wednesday’s freestyle sprint. (Photo: Fiemme 2014)

Niskanen who skied the 15 k in 33:26.6, maintained his lead throughout the snowy course, clocking the fastest time at every split.

“It’s an unbelievable day,” said the Finn in a press release. “I kept a good speed and the last kilometers were really hard because I knew that [Sergey] Ustiugov was right behind me. It’s hard to beat a big champion like him and I tried to do my best to do it.”

Wednesday’s freestyle sprint winner, Ustiugov of Russia started his race with a fast pace but was unable to match the Finn’s form, and managed to place second, 17.4 seconds back. Despite his podium, the World Cup winner was disappointed that he was unable to out-ski Niskanen.

“I am not satisfied with the final result, but the result is where my level was today. I tried the best I could in this race. The last meters were quite hard for me but I still really tried hard anyway,” he said.

Norweigian Mathias Rundgreen was third, 27.7 seconds behind Niskanen.

In the women’s 10 k Hagen demonstrated her dominance on the hilly course that meandered through the Italian mountainside. Finishing with a time of 29:18.4, Hagen was ecstatic that she came out on top of such a strong field. “I didn’t expect to win and that’s why I’m so excited,” she said in a press release.

Martine Elk Hagen (NOR) celebrates her win in the women’s 10 k individual classic at the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: Fiemme 2014)

15.4 seconds behind Hagen was Celia Aymonier of France, who earned her first medal at a World Championship. “I’m so happy, it’s a good day for me,” she said. “I tried for the first place but I lost some time in the second lap however I’m really happy for the result.”

In third was Wednesday’s sprint champion, Elisabeth Schicho of Germany, who finished 30.3 seconds behind Hagen.

“It’s my second medal… unbelievable,” she said. “I am extremely happy.”

The U23 World Championships continue Saturday with the 15 k and 30 k skiathlons taking place on the trails of Lago di Tesero.

Men’s 15 k Results

Women’s 10 k Results

January 30, 2014
Diggins Charges to Second in U23 Freestyle Sprint, Bjornsen Leads U.S. Men

Jessie Diggins (U.S. Ski Team) skiing to first in the qualification round of Wednesday’s freestyle sprint at U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. She finished second overall in the finals, a best-ever finish at U23 World Championships. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com/Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation)

Jessie Diggins once again demonstrated that she’s a skier with a lot of heart at the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. On the same course where she earned a historic gold in the World Championship team sprint with Kikkan Randall in 2013, the 22-year-old was once again the talk of Lago di Tesero as she powered through the rounds of the 1.2 k freestyle sprint.

With perfect conditions blessing the quaint Italian village of Tesero, Diggins started the day with a blistering pace that was boosted her to top of the field in qualification. Continuing to build confidence and speed, she just kept going.

Deciding to go hard from the sound of the gun, Diggins sped to the front of the pack in her quarterfinal, semifinal, and the A-final en route to her silver medal. Although she breezed through her quarterfinal, the semifinal proved more challenging.

Jessie Diggins (l) was second in Wednesday’s freestyle sprint at the U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. She was joined by Germany’s Elisabeth Schicho (c) and hometown skier Giulia Stuerz (r). (Photo: Gerry Furseth)

Trying to save energy, the Minnesota native relaxed at the top of the main hill, allowing her competitors to step in behind her, draft, and then slingshot around her into the finish. She finished third in her heat, hopeful that the other semifinal would be slower.

Fortunately for Diggins, her heat was significantly faster and she was the first lucky loser into the A-final.

Diggins knew that in order to perform well in the final, she needed to learn from her previous mistakes and take her strengths into account. “In the final I knew that I hadn’t been skiing the finishing lanes very well today but if I could tire people out, that was going to be my chance to win it,” said Diggins in an interview.

Tire them out she did. One by one her competitors dropped until it was just Elisabeth Schicho of Germany who clung to the heels of the charging American.

Coming down the hill, Schicho blew by Diggins and after that the German “just skied off.”

Despite being unable to hold her lead, Diggins was extremely happy with best ever finish at a Junior or U23 World Championships.

Diggins’ main goal was to make the heats and have fun in the process. After coming off a large training week, Diggins was fatigued and she knew she wasn’t at her best. Despite her tiredness, there were valuable lessons to gain from the sprint.

“It was so good to practice dealing with pressure and use this as a tune up race to get more experience,” she said “All I wanted to do was to make the final, get the experience, and get the tactical practice.”

Annie Pokorny (SMST2) skiing in the qualification round of Wednesday’s freestyle sprint at the U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Pokorny finished 28th, a career-best international result. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com/NNF)

Roughly a week and a half out of Sochi, it certainly didn’t hurt the U.S. Ski Team member to receive a confirmation that she can ski well even when she isn’t feeling up to par.

“This has been a great confidence booster going into Sochi knowing that when I hit my peak I’ll have more energy. Gaining the experience of skiing through to the finals has really great for me because it’s been so long since I’ve been in finals.”

The freestyle sprint is Diggins only race at the U23 World Championships, and she will return to train with the U.S. Ski Team to prepare for the Olympic Games in Russia.

The only other American to make the heats was Annie Pokorny (SMST2) who earned her best international result to-date after qualifying 28^th and finishing in the same position.

“When we woke up, the valley was sunny for the first time since we arrived, so I had a feeling that, whether for me or my teammates, today would be a good day,” said the Spokane, Washington native in an email. “Today was my first time starting an international championship sprint, so I focused most on keeping myself calm before the qualifier. I’ve been focusing more on sprinting this year, and wanted my races to speak to that.”

Rounding out the American women’s results were Elizabeth Guiney (Craftsbury GRP) who finished 39th and Mackenzie Kanady (UAA) who placed 40th.

In the U23 men’s 1.5 k two Americans cracked the top 20. Erik Bjornsen of the U.S. Ski Team and Tyler Kornfield of APU finished 18^th and 19^th after finishing fourth in each of their heats.

Erik Bjornsen (U.S. Ski Team) in the qualification round of the freestyle sprint at the 2014 U23 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Bjornsen finished 25th in qualification and 18th in the finals. (Photo: Flyingpointroad.com/Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation)

Bjornsen who is also headed to Sochi in the coming weeks wasn’t pleased with his result, but viewed it as a learning experience.

“The two guys that won my heat ended up going 2-3 in the final so that’s a good sign. I took some notes on how I think I can improve, for now I will put those in the safe and try to just focus on tomorrow,” said Bjornsen, who won the 15 k classic at U.S. Nationals earlier this month. “I know that tomorrow is another great opportunity to have a good result.”

Unlike Diggins, Bjornsen isn’t treating the Championships as a tune up for Sochi. Instead he plans on racing as he normally would, aiming to earn his best results in the two distance races.

A two-time classic sprint national champion in 2010 and 2012, Kornfield was excited that this was his first time qualifying for the heats in the three years that he’s been to the Junior/U23 World Championships.

“I am definitely happy to be in the mix, but I know that I am capable of more. There were portions of the course that I was dead even with the field, but it was when I got boxed in that I lost time,” he said. “I may have had better days over the past few weeks, but I felt like my fitness did not hold me back today.”

Ben Saxton (SMST2) finished just outside of the top 30 in 33rd. He was followed by Benjamin Lustgarten (Middlebury) in 48th.

In the junior men’s 1.5 k Cole Morgan was the only American to advance to the heats, after qualifying in 14th position. Morgan, who ended his day in 17th, was motivated by his good qualification result because it showed him that he “could be competitive in the rounds.”

The University of Vermont skier had only raced internationally once before Wednesday’s race, but didn’t let the advanced level of competition get to his head. “I don’t like to think of international racing as anything different,” he wrote in an email. “Regardless who is racing you just have to go out there and race your own race. Getting hung up on where the other skiers are from is only going to hurt your chances.”

Patrick Caldwell (SMS) followed Morgan in 39th. Jack Hegman (UVM) and Thomas O’Harra (APU) were 53rd and 54th.

The American junior women were unable to place any of their starters in the top 30. The top finisher was Stephanie Kirk (UVM) finishing 36th. She was followed by Marion Woods (AWS), Sloan Storey (UU), and Nicole Bathe (UAF) in 51st, 54th, and 56th.

The Americans will continue racing in Val di Fiemme Thursday with the 10 k and 15 k classic for the U23 skiers.

U23 Women’s Freestyle Sprint Results

U23 Men’s Freestyle Sprint Results

Junior Women’s Freestyle Sprint Results

Junior Men’s Freestyle Sprint Results

January 29, 2014