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From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.

Tag: 2018 Junior World Championships

  • FasterSkier’s North American Performances of the Year

    FasterSkier’s North American Performances of the Year

    North American skiing performances of the year: U.S. junior men’s silver medal in the 4 x 5 k relay at 2018 Junior World Championships (l) and Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins winning gold in the team sprint at the 2018 Olympics. (Photos: Julia Kern & FlyingPointRoad)

    With the 2017/2018 season officially in the rearview, FasterSkier is excited to unveil the last of its annual award winners for this past winter. Votes stem from the FS staff, scattered across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and while not scientific, they are intended to reflect a broader sense of the season in review. This set of honors goes to the North American Performances of the Year in cross-country, biathlon and nordic combined.

    Previous categories: Junior Skiers of the Year | Collegiate Skiers of the Year | Biathletes of the Year| Para-Nordic Skiers of the Year | NoCo Skier of the Year | Canadian Breakthrough Skiers of the Year | American Breakthrough Skiers of the Year| Coach of the Year | U.S. Continental Skiers of the Year| Canadian Continental Skiers of the Year| International Performances of the Year | International Skiers of the Year

    ***

    Women’s Cross-Country: U.S. Women’s Olympic Gold in Team Sprint

    Kikkan Randall (l) and Jessie Diggins after winning a historic gold for the U.S. in the women’s freestyle team sprint at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad)

    It had been 42 years since the last U.S. medal in an Olympic cross-country event, that being Bill Koch’s silver medal from the 1976 Winter Games. Never before had a U.S. woman taken home any Olympic hardware. Never before had an American taken home gold. Not until this year’s freestyle team sprint at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

    With the Alpensia ski trails serving as their backdrop, U.S. Ski Team teammates Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins paired up to win the first U.S. women’s Olympic cross-country medal. The duo bested European nordic powerhouses, such as Norway, Sweden and Finland, as well as 17 other teams, to win the much-sought-after gold.

    While Randall matched Norway’s Marit Bjørgen and Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla in her legs of the 6 x 1.25-kilometer race, Diggins paced Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla and Sweden’s Stina Nilsson. Thanks to tactical skiing by Randall, 35, and tenacious moves by Diggins, 26, the Americans put the Swedes and Norwegians behind and the U.S. in front.

    “We came into this race just knowing that if we skied smart and doing our jobs, good things could happen,” Randall told FasterSkier after the race. “We never really talked about medals. We said let’s just go out and do it and have fun. I think that really worked well for us today.”

    Men’s Cross-Country: U.S. Junior Men’s Relay ( Luke Jager, Ben Ogden, Hunter Wonders, and Gus Schumacher) 2nd at Junior World Championships

    In early February, the U.S. junior men’s 4 x 5 k relay team went all-in at Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland. In their medal quest, the American team, with Luke Jager, Ben Ogden, Hunter Wonders, and Gus Schumacher, passed two teams on Schumacher’s anchor leg and came close to catching Norway, too, ultimately placing second, 2.2 seconds behind Norway in first.

    The men’s 4 x 5 k relay podium at 2018 Junior World Championships with Norway (c) in first, the U.S. (l) in second (Ben Ogden, Luke Jager, Gus Schumacher, Hunter Wonders), and Russia (r) in third. (Photo: Julia Kern)

    The silver-medal finish is the best American relay result to date at a Junior Worlds championships. They finished 3.3 seconds ahead of Russia, which placed third, for a new mark for the U.S. team.

    “I thought it was possible, but actually getting it feels amazing,” Schumacher wrote in an email to FasterSkier after the race. “This whole trip has been really cool even without this success, it’s such an amazing place and the team is tight. I think individually I anticipated results maybe a little better, but this seems about right, and as a team I think we all surprised ourselves. Together we can make some big waves.”

    Jager also attributed the team’s success to the particular chemistry of the group.

    “This is something this group of guys has been dreaming of and training for for a really long time now,” Jager wrote in an email.

    “To be able to watch that dream come into fruition today was indescribable. Probably the best day of my life since Cole Morgan added me on Snapchat,” Jager continued. “We came here this year to show the world that US skiing is the real deal and that we’re here to stay and I think we did that. To be able to be a piece of that history was an honor.”

    Honorable Mention: Sophie Caldwell 3rd in Sprint World Cup 

    Two years ago, Sophie Caldwell, encouraged by the U.S. Ski Team Women’s Coach Matt Whitcomb, made a goal of finishing in top three of the season-long Sprint World Cup. By the end of this winter, she achieved that goal, closing out the 2017/2018 season in third place with a total of 396 points. Just ahead of Caldwell with 495 points was Sweden’s Stina Nilsson in second and Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla in first with 573 points.

    The 2017/2018 women’s Sprint World Cup podium with Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla (c) in first, Sweden’s Stina Nilsson (l) in second and American Sophie Caldwell (r) in third. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)

    Caldwell’s race season was littered with strong sprint performances, with the 28 year old finishing in the top 10 in all but one of the sprint races she entered. She made it to the finals in four of the 10 World Cup sprints she raced and landed on the podium three times.

    During World Cup Period 1, she finished eighth in the classic sprint in Kuusamo, Finland, ninth in the classic sprint in Lillehammer, Norway, and eighth in the freestyle sprint in Davos, Switzerland. Her first podium of the season came at the Tour de Ski in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, where she finished second in the freestyle sprint.

    Moving on to Period 2, Caldwell opened the second cycle of World Cup racing with another top-three, finishing third in the freestyle sprint in Dresden, Germany. In the classic sprint in Planica, Slovenia, she tied Switzerland’s Laurien van der Graff for first place in the freestyle sprint in Seefeld, Austria.

    Following the Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea (where she raced to an eighth place in the classic sprint), Caldwell raced to eighth in the World Cup freestyle sprint in Lahti, Finland, 27th in the classic sprint in Drammen, Norway, and sixth in the freestyle sprint at World Cup Finals in Falun, Sweden.

    “It’s been a good season with some really good results, but I think maybe what I am most proud of is just the consistency of my season — making it into the semifinals almost every sprint and skiing with confidence throughout the year,” Caldwell told FasterSkier in Falun.

    “We were really psyched that she took after it because, all of us coaches, really believed it could be done,” Whitcomb had said of Calwell.

    Honorable Mention: Alex Harvey 3rd Overall in Tour de Ski 

    Canada’s Alex Harvey (r) on the podium after placing third in the overall 2018 Tour de Ski, along with Switzerland’s Dario Cologna (c), who celebrated his fourth Tour de Ski title, and Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby (l) in second place. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)

    Even Alex Harvey will admit, the Tour de Ski’s final stage hill climb has long been his weakness.

    “I have been well-ranked up until the last stage a few years in a row, but just never been able to quite do it on the last stage,” Harvey had told FasterSkier in early January following the Tour.

    This year, by the Stage 7 hill climb in Val di Fiemme, Italy, Harvey had found his form.

    The 29-year-old Canadian raced to third in the Tour, behind Switzerland’s Dario Cologna in second and Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby in second.

    Prior to this season, Harvey had finished in 20th in the overall in 2011 and 40th in 2012. For a few years, the Canadian did not finish the Tour due to circulatory problems in his legs, which particularly plagued him when skate skiing up hills. In the spring of 2015, he had surgery to remedy that.

    In 2016, he finished 14th in the Tour de Ski (TdS), and last year, he bumped up to seventh. This season’s third place is his first in the TdS overall top three.

    “I still tried to go by Sundby at the end, he had a little bit more than me,” Harvey told FasterSkier. “It is good terrain for him, a steady climb like that. He is such a strong climber — it was simply good I was able to just hang onto him until the end.”

    The U.S. men’s sixth place in the Olympic 4 x 7.5 k biathlon relay is one of FasterSkier’s North American Performances of the Year. (Photos: US Biathlon/NordicFocus)

    Men’s Biathlon: U.S. Men’s Relay (Lowell Bailey, Sean Doherty, Tim Burke, Leif Nordgren), 6th place at Olympics

    Individually, the 2018 Olympics were below expectations for the U.S. men’s biathlon team. The four men who competed only notched one top-30 result combined — Tim Burke placing 17th in the pursuit.

    But the men’s relay, the very last biathlon competition of the Games, was another story. In a topsy-turvy race with a lot of wind and a lot of penalty loops, the Americans stayed right in it. Less than a minute out of the lead at the halfway point, they finished sixth (+3:50.2), tying the best relay result ever by an American team at any Olympics.

    “On a day like today, you saw that France was in the loop, now Germany, so the top nations are in there,” Lowell Bailey said at the time. “I cannot tell you how challenging this range is. It is so much different than most of the other ranges we shoot on.”

    Best ever? Yes. But Leif Nordgren and Sean Doherty, the two team members who are not retiring, were left wanting more.

    “Honestly it is a little disappointing,” Nordgren said after. “I know we were gunning a lot more as a team. I had some mistakes there in prone, too. That hurt a lot since we were right there in contention with some top teams in the world.”

    Rosanna Crawford’s third-place finish and first-career podium at the Ruhpolding IBU World Cup is one of FasterSkier’s North American Performances of the Year. (Photos: Salomon/NordicFocus)

    Women’s Biathlon: Rosanna Crawford 3rd in Ruhpolding World Cup 15 k

    The women’s performance award goes to someone who had a podium coming for a long time. And in Ruhpolding, Germany, this year, Rosanna Crawford finally got it.

    She shot 20-for-20 in the 15 k individual, the most grueling race format on the women’s schedule. And then she pushed her hardest over the course’s big hills to hang on to a top-three finish. One of the last starters in the field, she mixed up the podium after the pre-race favorites had already finished and perhaps had thought their positions were secure.

    “I actually didn’t know I was fighting for a podium until the fourth loop,” Crawford told FasterSkier on the phone after the race. “I was like, Oh God! But I think that kind of helped, because then I knew to expect the crowd for the last standing.”

    It was a big day for the Canadian team, too: their last podium was when the men’s relay won bronze at 2016 World Championships. A lot has changed since then, including a tough season in 2016-2017 for many of the team’s veterans.

    But Crawford bounced back.

    “Julia [Ransom], Emma [Lunder] and Sarah [Beaudry], they kind of pushed past the IBU guys [into the finish zone], which I don’t think they were allowed to do, but Canada’s not on the podium every day so they let them sneak by to give me a hug so that was really special,” Crawford told FasterSkier. “I’ve been with these girls the past couple years now and so to be able to celebrate with them is amazing. Their results have been so inspiring for me … [My coach Roddy Ward] also jumped the fence, which I don’t think was allowed, so that was nice to be able to see him as well. It’s just such a team effort to get to the podium. I’m the one out there skiing and shooting, but I couldn’t have done it without the amazing skis on my feet or my coaches behind the scope, so Matthias and Roddy were really important there, and I couldn’t have done it without the girls who I train with all summer. I’m just so grateful for this team that I’m on.”

    Ben Loomis’s bronze-medal performance at Junior Worlds and Bryan Fletcher’s seventh place in his last World Cup competition are FasterSkier’s North American Nordic Combined Performances of the Year. (Photos: Romina Eggert & USA Nordic)

    Nordic Combined: Ben Loomis 3rd at Junior World Championships & Bryan Fletcher 7th in last race

    Nineteen-year-old Ben Loomis already received our nod for Junior Skier of the Year, but his bronze-medal performance at Nordic Combined Junior World Championships deserves “Performance of the Year” accolades as well.

    At his fourth and final Junior Worlds, Loomis jumped to seventh and raced to third in the first competition in Kandersteg, Switzerland.

    “Taking a step on the podium was an excellent feeling today,” Loomis wrote in an email to FasterSkier after that normal hill/10 k. “I have been working very hard, especially towards this specific race for a long time now. Accomplishing this is a huge relief and very motivating for the future.”

    He went on to race to seventh and finally a fourth place in the other two individual competitions at 2018 Nordic Combined Junior Worlds. Then he competed in three events at his first Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

    But his main goal for the season, and his main goal for the last two years, had been to take a medal at Junior Worlds.

    “I’ve always done pretty well against juniors my same age so that gave me confidence going into Junior Worlds,” he told FasterSkier in an email earlier this month. “Of course, I was very happy and at the same time relieved to have meet my goal. This result was huge because it not only helped myself out, but it opened up another World Cup spot which is a help for the whole team. This certainly made everyone happy.”

    Then, there was U.S. Nordic Combined’s team veteran, Bryan Fletcher, who placed seventh in the last World Cup race of his career — tying his best result of the 2017/2018 season. He was our pick for this year’s Nordic Combined Skier of the Year, and we think they way he ended his career is worthy of recognition in this category as well.

    On March 14 in Trondheim, Norway, the 31-year-old Fletcher jumped to 12th then skied to seventh in the large hill/individual 10 k, posting the seventh-fastest 10 k time in the process. Fletcher scored World Cup points by finishing the the top 30 of nine of 10 individual races he entered. He also placed 17th in two individual races at the Olympics.

    “I think that it’s going to be bittersweet,” Fletcher said of his retirement in a video interview with FIS. “I’m happy that it’s over and that I’ve gotten to experience the whole journey. But it’ll also be a little sad because it’s a long journey coming to an end … and there’s going to be a lot of things to remember and miss of this sport.”

  • Under 23 Questions: Catherine Reed-Métayer

    Under 23 Questions: Catherine Reed-Métayer

    Catherine Reed-Métayer (Skibec Nordique) racing at the Eastern Cup opener in Fort Kent, Maine. (Courtesy photo)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans who competed at last week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 19-year-old Catherine Reed-Métayer, of Skibec Nordique, who represented Canada at her first Junior Worlds. 

    Last week in Goms, Reed-Métayer placed 56th in the freestyle sprint and 62nd in the 10 k skiathlon.

    ***

    “My full name is Catherine, but you can call me 4.

    I was born and raised in St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Quebec, and I learned to ski at 4 years old.

    Catherine Reed-Métayer (Skibec Nordique) during a training day last month in Praz de Lys, France. (Courtesy photo)

    I spent the time between Mont Sainte-Anne trials and Junior/U23 Worlds eating mousse au chocolat at Le Taconet in Praz de Lys, France.

    The most memorable workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was a 3-hour ski in June on top of Whistler Blackcomb when we bonked hard but we had Scooby snacks and lucky charm bars to rely on with hangry Katie Weaver.

    This is my first time in Switzerland and first time racing internationally, and so far it’s been sketchy.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and Canada is that they have emergency raclette kits in convenience stores, just in case.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is just as sweet as a baby golden retriever. Usually racing at altitude is funny for me because je suis dans le tapis ben raide. There are short mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms is learning Russian slang.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is all of them.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Canada and ask them how was their day.

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is eating.

    Fondue is a French word indicating un mets à base de fromage fondu dans lequel on trempe des morceaux de pain. The cheese here is cheesy. And the chocolate is undiscovered… yet.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it with you my friend.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @cathreedmet.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Beta1p4FNNW/?taken-by=cathreedmet

  • Under 23 Questions: Sofia Shomento

    Sofia Shomento racing in the 5 k freestyle at the Colby Carnival in Waterville, Maine. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans who competed at last week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 18-year-old Sofia Shomento, of the Dartmouth Ski Team, who represented the U.S. at her first Junior Worlds. 

    Last week in Goms, Shomento qualified for the freestyle sprint in 26th and went on to place 23rd overall, and finished 58th in the 10 k skiathlon.

    ***

    “My full name is Sofia Shomento, but you can call me Sof.

    I was born and raised in Bozeman, Montana, and I learned to ski at Bohart Ranch with the Bridger Ski Foundation.

    I spent the time between U.S. nationals and Junior/U23 Worlds catching up with classes and skiing with my teammates.

    The funnest workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was running 121 laps (about 14 miles) around the homecoming bonfire with my class of 2021 teammates.

    This is my first time in Switzerland and second time racing internationally, and so far it’s been incredible!

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and the U.S. is the snow banks are much taller here!

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is breathtaking. Usually racing at altitude is fun for me because I grew up racing in the West. There are lots of mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms is meeting new people from around the world.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the skate sprint.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Norway and ask them “what’s the secret?”

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is the fresh bread, cheese, and jam.

    Fondue is yummy. The cheese here is delicious. And the chocolate is life changing.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it alpine skiing.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @sofiashomento.”

  • Under 23 Questions: Ty Godfrey

    Under 23 Questions: Ty Godfrey

    The Godfrey brothers, Ty and Reed, skiing in Kananaskis Country near their home in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Sam Hendry)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans who competed at last week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 19-year-old Ty Godfrey, of Team R.A.D./Canmore Nordic, who represented Canada at his second Junior Worlds.

    Last week in Goms, Godfrey raced to 57th in the 10 k classic. 

    ***

    “My full name is Ty Godfrey, but you can call me Reed, because most people call me that.

    I was born in Vancouver and raised in Canmore, and I learned to ski at age 1.

    I spent the time between Mont Sainte-Anne trials and Junior/U23 Worlds in Canmore making my fitness 0 to 100 real quick.

    Ty Godfrey (Photo: Russell Kennedy)

    The most technical workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was dancing harder than J Diggs at a The Weeknd concert with my twin.

    This is my second time in Switzerland and third time racing internationally, and so far it’s been super sweet repping the Canadian gear.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and the Canada is the absence of Vector Cereal in Switzerland.

    Usually racing at altitude is normal for me because I’ve spent my whole life in Canmore. There are so many mountains around where I live that you could do a different hike everyday.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms is racing with the maple leaf on and scrolling through fresh Instagram explore.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the 10 k classic individual start.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Norway and ask them how Ryan and Max are doing.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it going for an adventure hike with a special someone I meet at the championships.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @tygodfrey.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BevreRMA0ru/?taken-by=tygodfrey

  • Under 23 Questions: Reed Godfrey

    Under 23 Questions: Reed Godfrey

    Canada’s Reed Godfrey (Team R.A.D./Canmore Nordic) racing to fifth in his classic-sprint quarterfinal at 2017 Junior World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. He finished the day in 25th overall. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans who competed at last week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 19-year-old Reed Godfrey, of Team R.A.D./Canmore Nordic, who represented Canada at his second Junior Worlds. 

    Last week in Goms, Godfrey raced to 31st in the freestyle sprint and 54th in the 20 k skiathlon.

    ***

    “My full name is Reed Godfrey, but you can call me Godfrey Twin.

    I was born and raised in Canmore, Alberta, and I learned to ski at age 1.

    I spent the time between Mont Sainte-Anne trials and Junior/U23 Worlds hanging out in Quebec with Gareth Williams and then training in Praz de Lys, France, with Team Canada.

    This is my second time in Switzerland and third time racing internationally, and so far it’s been a lot of fun!

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and Canada is better chocolate.

    Reed Godfrey (Courtesy photo)

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is really fun and different. Usually racing at altitude is good for me because I live and train at 1400m. There are big mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms is racing my hardest while wearing the Maple Leaf.

    Two races I’m especially targeting there are the sprint and skiathlon.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Russia and ask them for a Lukoil headband.

    My favorite things at the breakfast where we are staying are cappuccino and Nutella.

    Fondue is pretty awesome. The cheese here is pretty awesome. And the chocolate is pretty awesome.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it wandering around eating Swiss chocolate and taking pics.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @reedgodfrey.”

    (Reed Godfrey/Instagram)
  • Under 23 Questions: Hannah Halvorsen

    Under 23 Questions: Hannah Halvorsen

    Hannah Halvorsen (Alaska Pacific University) in Alaska. (Courtesy photo)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans who competed at last week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 19-year-old Hannah Halvorsen, of Alaska Pacific University (APU), who represented the U.S. at her second Junior Worlds. 

    Last week in Goms, Halvorsen placed eighth in the freestyle sprint, 22nd in the 5 k classic, and eighth with the U.S. women’s 4 x 3.3 k relay.

    ***

    Hannah Halvorsen and her mom prepping for worlds. (Courtesy photo)

    “My full name is Hannah Halvorsen, most people just call me Hannah.

    I was born and raised in Truckee, and I learned to ski when I was two.

    I spent the time between U.S. nationals and Junior/U23 Worlds prepping for worlds.

    The hardest workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was intervals with APU.

    This is my first time in Switzerland and fifth year racing internationally, and so far it’s been good.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and the U.S. is everything’s smaller.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is beautiful. Usually racing at altitude is comfortable for me because I grew up at altitude. There are also beautiful mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms is the opportunity to race internationally.

    Hannah Halvorsen getting some Junior World Championships prep in with Team Halvorsen. (Courtesy photo)

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the skate sprint.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Norway and ask them what their secret is.

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is the liver.

    Fondue is not the best pre-race meal. The cheese here plentiful. And the chocolate is abundant.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it skiing.

    The best way to follow me on social media is my Instagram @hannah.g.halvorsen or my twitter @realDonaldTrump.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BedxnOGFMfi/?taken-by=hannah.g.halvorsen

  • Under 23 Questions: Annika Richardson

    Under 23 Questions: Annika Richardson

    Annika Richardson (l) with her Thunder Bay teammate Katherine Stewart-Jones on the “only sunny day” during Canada’s pre-Junior Worlds training camp last month in Praz de Lys, France. (Courtesy photo)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans who competed at last week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 20-year-old Annika Richardson, of the National Team Development Centre (NTDC) Thunder Bay, who represented Canada at her second Junior Worlds. 

    Last week, Richardson raced to 52nd in the freestyle sprint, 67th in the 5 k classic, and 15th with the women’s 4 x 3.3 k relay.

    ***

    “My full name is Annika Meghan Richardson, but you can call me Young Rich.

    I was born and raised on the West Coast (best coast) in Vancouver, and I learned to ski at Hollyburn in rain pants (most of the time).

    Annika Richardson (NTDC Thunder Bay) racing to 12th in the freestyle sprint qualifier on Jan. 9 at NorAm World Juniors trials at Mont Sainte-Anne, Quebec. (Courtesy photo)

    I spent the time between Mont Sainte-Anne trials and Junior/U23 Worlds thinking about catching up on school work.

    The slipperiest (it poured with rain) workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was the Canada 150 rollerski mass start with Caitlin Compton-Gregg and the NTDC women’s team.

    This is my second time in Switzerland (in the last two weeks) and fourth time racing internationally, and so far it’s been full of crazy fast skiers.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and Canada is they don’t say sorry as much.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps has been very snowy so far. Usually racing at altitude is a lactate party for me because when I’m racing I forget that it’s harder at altitude. There are lots of mountains around where I live in Vancouver but not really any in Thunder Bay.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms is the big hill in the skate sprint course.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the skate sprint qualifier.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Germany and ask them if they own a pair of Lederhosen.

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is definitely the strong coffee (finally).

    Fondue is not something I have had the opportunity to try yet but I bet it’s delicious. The cheese here is quite abundant and there is tons of variety. And the chocolate is very, very rich and a bit too available.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it practicing my downhill shredding skills on a powder day.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @annika.richardson.”

  • Under 23 Questions: Canyon Tobin

    Under 23 Questions: Canyon Tobin

    Canyon Tobin (APU) racing in the classic sprint B-final at a Junior Nationals qualifier/Besh Cup in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Courtesy photo)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans who competed at last week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 18-year-old Canyon Tobin, of Alaska Pacific University (APU), who represented the U.S. at his first Junior Worlds. 

    Last week, Tobin raced to 37th in the 10 k classic and 41st in the freestyle sprint. 

    ***

    “My full name is Canyon Tobin, but you can call me Tyler Kornfield.

    I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and I learned to ski at Junior Nordic.

    I spent the time between U.S. nationals and Junior/U23 Worlds skiing 😊.

    The bestest workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was bicep supersets with my comrade in training, Luke Jager.

    This is my second time in Switzerland and second time racing internationally, and so far it’s been just really, really great, man.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and the U.S. is a much weaker Gross Domestic Product here.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is honestly really hard. Usually racing at altitude is honestly really hard for me because I’m a man of the sea. There are Alaskan mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms is the JNs dance.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the 10 k individual classic race.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Brazil and ask them how it be.

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is the orange-mango juice…it’s to die for.

    Fondue is cheese. The cheese here is smelly. And the chocolate is not as good as Hershey’s®.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it Swiss cow tipping.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @cktobs.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BexQfrOgVCU/?taken-by=cktobs

  • Under 23 Questions: Graham Ritchie

    Under 23 Questions: Graham Ritchie

    Graham Ritchie (NTDC Thunder Bay) racing in Praz de Lys, France, last month during the Canadian team’s training camp before 2018 Junior World Championships in Switzerland. (Photo: Charles Castonguay)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans who competed at last week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 19-year-old Graham Ritchie, of the National Team Development Centre (NTDC) Thunder Bay, who represented Canada at his first Junior Worlds. 

    Last week in Goms, Ritchie qualified for the freestyle sprint heats in 28th and went on to place 12th overall. 

    ***

    “My full name is Graham Ritchie, but you can call me Graham.

    I was born and raised in Parry Sound, Ontario, and I learned to ski at Georgian Nordic.

    I spent the time between Mont Sainte-Anne trials and Junior/U23 Worlds in Thunder Bay.

    The funnest workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was shinny with the TBay boys.

    This is my second time in Switzerland and second time racing internationally, and so far it’s been dandy.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and Canada is there are no beavers.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is thrilling! Usually racing at altitude is tricky for me because there are no mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms is racing for Canada for the first time.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the sprint.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with a girl from Norway and ask them out.

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is cappuccino.

    Fondue is noice. The cheese here is noice. And the chocolate is noice.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it adventuring and taking pictures.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @grahamritchie and Twitter @grahamritchie23.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BeqvyiqHhk8/?taken-by=grahamritchie

  • Under 23 Questions: Molly Gellert

    Under 23 Questions: Molly Gellert

    Molly Gellert (Alaska Winter Stars) racing in the freestyle sprint on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland. She placed 18th overall on the day. (Photo: Glenn Gellert)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans who competed at last week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 17-year-old Molly Gellert, of Alaska Winter Stars, who represented the U.S. at her first Junior Worlds. 

    Last week in Goms, Gellert qualified for the freestyle sprint heats in 21st and went on to place 18th overall. She also placed 40th in the 10 k skiathlon.

    ***

    “My full name is Margaret, but you can call me Molly.

    I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and I learned to ski at 7 years old.

    I spent the time between U.S. nationals and Junior/U23 Worlds explaining to my teachers why I’d be missing two weeks of their class.

    The hardest workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was bounding intervals with my team and coach Jan.

    This is my second time in Switzerland and third time racing internationally, and so far it’s been grand.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and the U.S. are the duvets.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is picturesque. Usually racing at altitude is tough for me because I live at sea level. There are beautiful mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms are the challenging courses on real snow.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the skiathlon.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Norway and ask them to adopt me.

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is the bread.

    Fondue is not my favorite. The cheese here is authentic. And the chocolate comes in huge bars.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it starting my homework.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @molly.gellert.”

  • Under 23 Questions: Alexandra Racine

    Under 23 Questions: Alexandra Racine

    Alexandra Racine (Club de ski du Mont Orford) having fun in Praz-de-Lys, France, last month before 2018 Junior World Championships in Switzerland. (Photo: Catherine Reed-Métayer)

     

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans who competed at last week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 18-year-old Alexandra Racine, of the Club de ski du Mont Orford, who represented Canada at her first Junior Worlds. 

    Last week in Goms, Racine raced to 51st in the 10 k skiathlon and 69th in the freestyle sprint.

    ***

    “My full name is Alexandra, but you can call me Rex.

    I was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, and I learned to ski at 11 years old.

    Alexandra Racine (Club de ski du Mont Orford) racing at last month’s NorAm Junior Worlds trials at Mont Saint-Anne in Quebec. (Photo: Michèle Carrière)

    I spent the time between Mont Sainte-Anne trials and Junior/U23 Worlds in Praz-de-Lys, France, eating cheese and shredding the alpine tracks.

    The hardest workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was the 10-minute Poma ride and 5-minute downhill with my Canadian friends.

    This is my first time in Switzerland and first time racing internationally, and so far it’s been a whole new experience.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and Canada is that having four official languages is a lot more confusing than having only two.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is pretty dang hard but also very beautiful. Usually racing at altitude is not that good for me because the air is less thick than back home. There are (blank) mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms is getting to wear the Canadian suit in races.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the 6 a.m. warm-up jog.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Russia and ask them if they miss the Kobaldof’s sauna (with Gilles as the sauna master).

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is the mini breakfast sausages.(But really I’m missing Loïc’s breakfasts at Le Taconet.)

    Fondue is mysterious. The cheese here is smelly but fancy. And the chocolate is my favorite thing to buy.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it in the mountains, with skis on my feet.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @alexeroot.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BeqxNGCliCJ/?taken-by=alexeroot

  • Under 23 Questions: Tucker Hoefler

    Under 23 Questions: Tucker Hoefler

    Tucker Hoefler (Park City Ski & Snowboard) jumping in Planica, Slovenia. (Photo: Ben Loomis)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans who competed at last week’s 2018 Nordic Combined Junior World Championships in Kandersteg, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 19-year-old Tucker Hoefler, of Park City Ski and Snowboard, who represented the U.S. at his second Junior Worlds. 

    This week in Kandersteg, Hoefler placed 51st and 55th in two individual competitions and seventh in the team event. 

    ***

    “My full name is Tucker Greer Hoefler, but you can call me jediwarrior27.

    I was born and raised in Burlington, Vermont, and I learned to ski in the womb.

    Tucker Hoefler (Park City Ski & Snowboard) racing to 41st at the Nordic Combined Continental Cup in December in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. (Photo: Ben Pieper)

    I spent the time between U.S. Olympic team trials in Park City and Junior Worlds living in snowless misery, then making some powder turns and training in Oberstdorf, Germany.

    My favorite workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was ski mountaineering in the Cascades.

    This is my second time in Switzerland and ninth time racing internationally, and so far it’s been brutally realistic.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and the U.S. is the lack of political stupidity.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is a lot more scenic than Park City. Usually racing at altitude is fine for me, however, the Salt Lake City air quality is what you have to watch out for. There are perky mountains where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior Worlds in Kandersteg is to see what a decent amount of snowpack looks like again.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the nordic combined 5 k.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone nice and ask them their favorite color.

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is the Vermont Maple Syrup I brought.

    Fondue is dangerous. The cheese here is almost as good as cheddar. And the chocolate is best when you steal it from your team.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it grazing the cattle and milking the cows.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram is @tuckerhoefler.”

  • Saturday Rundown: Relay Silver for U.S. Men; Loomis 4th; Plus Hakuba & Gatineau

    Saturday Rundown: Relay Silver for U.S. Men; Loomis 4th; Plus Hakuba & Gatineau

    The U.S. men’s silver-medal relay at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, with (from left to right) Luke Jager, Hunter Wonders, Gus Schumacher, and Ben Ogden. (Photo: JWSC2018.ch)

    (Note: This article has been updated to include comments from Americans Ben Loomis, Luke Jager and Gus Schumacher.)

    Junior World Championships (Goms, Switzerland): Men’s and women’s relays

    Two individual medals and a relay podium. That’s how the U.S. team fared this week at Junior World Championships in terms of a medal count, but the significance of its breakthroughs go way beyond the hardware.

    Hailey Swirbul became the most successful American nordic skier at Junior World Championships with a silver and a bronze in the two women’s distance races. Then, on Saturday, the U.S. men took their turn in the spotlight, racing to second and almost first in the 4 x 5-kilometer relay for the best relay finish by an American team at Junior Worlds. Last year, the U.S. women placed third at 2017 Junior Worlds at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah.

    Luke Jager started the team off on Saturday as the first classic leg, putting the U.S. men in sixth at the first exchange, 14 seconds behind Sweden in first.

    While Sweden dropped to second on the next leg, the U.S. continued to move up, with Ben Ogden racing to fourth, 8.5 seconds out of first, behind Norway, Russia and France, respectively.

    On the first freestyle leg, Hunter Wonders held the U.S. in fourth and tagged anchor Gus Schumacher in fourth, 31.3 seconds out of first. Norway continued to lead with France, and Russia skied about 5 seconds back in third with 5 k to go.

    Schumacher then skied the fastest anchor leg to race up to second, passing France and finally Russia in the finishing straight, as he crossed the line 2.2 seconds behind Norway’s Jørgen Lippert — who eased up in the finish and secured the Norwegian gold with a total time of 50:04.2 minutes.

    The men’s 4 x 5 k relay podium at 2018 Junior World Championships with Norway (c) in first, the U.S. (l) in second (Ben Ogden, Luke Jager, Gus Schumacher, Hunter Wonders), and Russia (r) in third. (Photo: Julia Kern)

    The U.S. placed second, 3.3 seconds ahead of Russia in third (+5.5), and France finished fourth (+29.6).

    Norway’s winning team included two men who won individual golds this week, Harald Østberg Amundsen (in the 20 k skiathlon) and Jon Rolf Skamo Hope (10 k classic), as well as Håvard Moseby and Lippert (who took bronze in two races).

    Russia’s team was made up of Kirill Kilivnyuk, Sergey Ardashev, Yaroslav Rybochkin, and Alexander Terentev. Team France was Camille Laude, Hugo Lapels, Tom Mancini, and Pierre Tichit.

    Canada placed 11th (+3:12.8) with Antoine Cyr, Ritchie Graham, Felix Longpre, and Etienne Hebert. Sixteen teams contested the men’s relay on the final day of Junior Worlds in Goms.

    American Luke Jager (9) skiing with Norway’s Harald Østberg Amundsen (1), France’s Camille Laude (3), and Sweden’s Jacob Nystedt (8) during the first leg of the men’s 4 x 5 k relay on Saturday at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland. (Photo: Julia Kern)

    In an email, Jager, who turned 18 last month, explained that he was grateful for the opportunity to race at his first Junior Worlds.

    “I barely qualified for this trip after a tough week in Anchorage so my options for starts were super limited,” Jager wrote. “I got the sprint start last week which was pretty horrendous and then a guaranteed spot on the relay team. So I had the whole week to prepare and rest. Watching the boys all week we realized that a medal could be possible and we started targeting that super closely.”

    But over the last week, Jager hadn’t been feeling well.

    “I was feeling really really bad in the days following the sprint and could barely get out and ski for 60 minutes each day,” he recalled. “I had actually told [U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Bryan] Fish that if I continued to feel as bad as I had been I was gonna sit out the relay. But I started feeling better and better throughout the week and was feeling really good this morning.”

    He had previously asked Fish if he could ski the scramble leg.

    “Bryan was stoked about it too so that decision was easy,” Jager explained. “This group of dudes is perfect for each leg of a relay so we barely even needed to discuss order. I am definitely a stronger classic skier so I was stoked to be able to get some redemption for my poor form in the last month.”

    Schumacher, 17, explained he found out the relay order on Friday night and “really started to get excited about it,” he wrote in an email. “We had some foreign friends say that they thought we could do well so that really helped confidence.”

    From the gun, Jager expected a fast pace and pushed to put himself in the lead group while trying to conserve energy and avoid any tangles He locked onto Norway’s Amundsen and by the last climb on the second lap, found that the group was beginning to string out.

    “I was thankfully able to hold on just enough to maintain connection with the leaders and put Ben in a position where he could do his thing,” Jager wrote. “I would have liked to be a little further up in the group when I tagged off to Ben but the Swedes’ first skier had done so much damage in the last minutes that we were all in single file and pretty much in survival mode up the last climb.”

    Russia’s Alexander Terentev leading Norway’s Jørgen Lippert, American Gus Schumacher (9), and France’s Pierre Tichit (3) up a climb in the final leg of the men’s 4 x 5 k relay at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland. (Photo: Julia Kern)

    Fast-forward to Schumacher getting tagged in fourth in the final exchange, 31.5 seconds behind Norway in first, 30.9 seconds behind France in second, and 26.2 seconds behind Russia in third. Despite the gap, he believed he could close it.

    “I definitely thought those three were in reach, and I wanted to catch them, if for no other reason than to keep clear of 5th and 6th,” Schumacher wrote. “I focused on really holding steady for the first 2k, then starting to push more, and I was able to catch that lead pack and then recover with them for the last sprint, which did end up really hurting.”

    While he had distanced himself from France and secured third by the final hill, he hadn’t anticipated catching Russia or Norway.

    “By the time I got through the downhill corner, however, I was closing fast on the Russian and realized I was right there,” Schumacher wrote. “I popped around the last corner and was almost even with Russia, then after a few seconds of sprinting I pulled ahead and he slowed down and I knew I had it.”

    While Jager explained he’s not one to get very nervous about racing, Saturday was completely different.

    “… Watching the rest of the race progress was one of the most nerve wracking experiences of my life,” he wrote. “When Hunter tagged off to Gus I knew we were really really gonna be in the fight for a medal. I’ve been racing Gus for most of my life and I know when that kid is gonna throw down and produce a miracle and I could see it…

    “This is something this group of guys has been dreaming of and training for for a really long time now,” he added. “To be able to watch that dream come into fruition today was indescribable. Probably the best day of my life since Cole Morgan added me on Snapchat. We came here this year to show the world that US skiing is the real deal and that we’re here to stay and I think we did that. To be able to be a piece of that history was an honor.”

    “Experiencing the podium here has been so cool,” Schumacher wrote. “I thought it was possible, but actually getting it feels amazing. This whole trip has been really cool even without this success, it’s such an amazing place and the team is tight. I think individually I anticipated results maybe a little better, but this seems about right, and as a team I think we all surprised ourselves. Together we can make some big waves.”

    Germany Wins Women’s Relay; U.S. 8th

    In the women’s 4 x 3.3 k relay earlier on Saturday, Germany took the win by 8.6 seconds over Russia with a winning time of 39:17.4. Sweden finished third, 47.5 seconds out of first.

    Germany’s Alexandra Danner, Celine Mayer and Lisa Lohmann await their teammate Anna-Maria Dietz at the finish of the women’s 4 x 3.3 k relay on Saturday at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland. Germany placed first and Russia finished second, 8.6 seconds later. (Photo: JWSC2018.ch)

    Germany (Alexandra Danner, Celine Mayer, Lisa Lohmann, Anna-Maria Dietz) improved from third on the first leg, to second on the second and third legs, and final first on Dietz’s anchor leg.

    Russia (Polina Nekrasova, Hristina Matsokina, Nina Dubotolkina, Maya Yakunina) led the race from the first through the third and final exchange, before slipping to second at the finish.

    Sweden (Tua Dahlgren, Frida Karlsson, Alicia Persson, Johanna Hagström) rebounded from 13th and more than a minute and a half back at the first exchange to tag in fourth and 28 seconds out of first thanks to Karlsson’s fastest second-leg time. By the final exchange, they were up to third and they held that position to the finish.

    The U.S. women’s 4 x 3.3 k relay at 2018 Junior World Championships, with (from left to right) Hailey Swirbul, Kathleen O’Connell, Hannah Halvorsen, and Molly Gellert. They placed eighth on Saturday. (Photo: Julia Kern)

    The U.S. placed eighth (+1:08.1) with Kathleen O’Connell, Swirbul, Molly Gellert, and Hannah Halvorsen. After O’Connell put them in eighth and about a minute back on the first leg, Swirbul skied them up to sixth with the second-fastest second leg, 30.1 seconds out of first. Gellert held onto that position on the first skate leg, but Halvorsen slipped two places on the anchor leg to finish eighth.

    Canada finished 15th (+4:47.8) out of 16 teams with Hannah Mehain, Natalie Hynes, Annika Richardson, and Alexandra Racine.

    Results: Men | Women

    ***

    Slovenia’s Vid Vrhovnik (3) celebrates his win in the last nordic-combined competition of 2018 Junior World Championships, the individual normal hill/5 k, on Saturday in Kandersteg, Switzerland, while the Czech Republic’s Jan Vytrval, Austria’s Dominik Terzer and American Ben Loomis (r) battle for second. (Photo: JWSC2018.ch)

    Nordic Combined Junior World Championships (Kandersteg, Switzerland): Normal hill/5 k Gundersen

    In the final nordic-combined competition of Junior Worlds, American Ben Loomis nearly notched his second podium of the week, missing it by one-tenth of a second in fourth place.

    American Ben Loomis (7) leads Austria’s Johannes Lamparter during Saturday’s 5 k at 2018 Nordic Combined Junior World Championships in Kandersteg, Switzerland. Loomis went on to place fourth and Lamparter finished eighth. (Photo: Romina Eggert)

    Slovenia’s 18-year-old Vid Vrhovnik won the individual normal hill/5 k Gundersen by 4.9 seconds over Austria’s Dominik Terzer. After posting the third-best jump on the 106-meter hill, Vrhovnik started the 5 k race 6 seconds behind Germany’s Luis Lehnert in first. Terzer jumped to second and started just 4 seconds behind, while the Czech Republic’s Jan Vytrval jumped to fourth and started 10 seconds back. Loomis jumped to seventh (just as he did on Tuesday before racing to third place) and started 27 seconds out of first.

    “I was happy with my jump being closer in time to the front,” Loomis wrote in an email about his his jump, which put him about 10 seconds closer to the leaders than on Tuesday. “I didn’t feel quite as lucky with the wind. I was hoping to jump around the top 5, but 7th, only 27sec back was good, too.”

    Over the two-lap 5 k, Vrhovnik battled with Terzer, while Lehnert slipped to seventh at the finish, 23.5 seconds behind. The Slovenian took the win by nearly five seconds over Terzer in 11:28.8, and Vytrval outlunged Loomis for third place (+5.4). Loomis placed fourth (+5.5), well ahead of Norway’s Einar Lurås Oftebro in fifth (+18.4).

    Ben Loomis (USA Nordic) on the last day of 2018 Nordic Combined Junior World Championships in Kandersteg, Switzerland. He jumped to seventh and moved up to fourth in the 5 k. (Photo: Romina Eggert)

    “I was able to catch places 3-6 on the first lap and ski with them through the beginning of the second lap,” Loomis wrote. “Towards the end of second lap I closed down on second place (Jan Vytral) with Dominik Terzer. On the last corner we packed up in positions 2-4.

    “The finish started with a sharp downhill corner followed by a quick stretch less than 100 meters,” he continued. “I came into the finishing lanes in second but unfortunately took the wrong line and was passed by Dominik and never quite caught Jan in front of me.”

    While he had been hoping for another podium, Loomis acknowledged that he was pleased to ski the fastest race time and “be battling at the front”.

    “Overall I am leaving Switzerland with my goals accomplished and feeling satisfied,” he wrote. “It would have been nice to walk away with a double podium but I am still very happy with how to week went. This week has been a huge confidence booster going into the Olympics next week. I am very excited to represent my country and enjoy my time at the games. I am looking to have fun, take in experience and not overthink the results.”

    Also for the U.S., Stephen Schumann placed 18th (+1:18.6), up one place from 19th in the jump, Jared Shumate finished 40th (+3:05.7), up from 48th in the jump, and Tucker Hoefler was 55th (+5:50.5), after jumping to 55th.

    Results: Jumping | Final

    ***

    The podium at Saturday’s Nordic Combined World Cup in Hakuba, Japan, with Japan’s Akito Watabe (c) in first, Norway’s Jan Schmid (l) in second and Germany’s Manuel Faißt (r) in third. (Photo: FIS/Flawia Krawczyk)

    Nordic Combined World Cup (Hakuba, Japan): Large hill/10 k Gundersen

    Many of the winter-sports World Cups were off this weekend before the Olympics start in earnest a week from today in PyeongChang, South Korea, but not nordic combined, which had a World Cup stop in Hakuba, Japan.

    There, local hero Akito Watabe took the win in 24:14.6 minutes, a whopping 1:12.6 minutes clear of Norway’s Jan Schmid in second. Germany’s Manuel Faißt placed third, 1:22 back, and Estonia’s Kristjan Ilves finished 52 seconds later in fourth (+2:14).

    The lone American competing in Saturday’s 10 k Gundersen, Ben Berend achieved his first individual World Cup top 30, placing 23rd (+4:31.7) after jumping to 16th on Hakuba’s 134-meter large hill.

    Watabe led from the beginning of the day after jumping to first, ahead of Ilves in second, Faißt in third, and Schmid in fourth. Watabe started the 10 k with a 16-second head start on Ilves, while Faisst started 52 seconds out of first and Schmid started 1:08 behind.

    Berend started the 10 k with a 2:36 deficit to first, with five others within 10 seconds of him. His teammate Adam Loomis did not start the 10 k after jumping to 38th.

    Another individual large hill/10 k Gundersen will be held on Sunday in Hakuba. The first nordic combined competition in PyeongChang, the individual normal hill/10 k, is set for Wednesday, Feb. 14.

    Results: Jumping | Final 

    ***

    The men’s 15 k freestyle podium at 2018 Eastern Canadian Championships in Gatineau, Quebec, with Jack Hegman (c) in first, David Norris (l) in second and Tad Elliott (r) in third. (Photo: Rob Smith)

    NorAm Eastern Canadian Championships (Gatineau, Quebec): 10/15 k freestyle

    Americans swept the podium in both the men’s and women’s freestyle individual starts on Saturday at Eastern Canadian Championships in races that count toward both NorAm and SuperTour standings.

    According to unofficial results, Jack Hegman, of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF), won the men’s 15 k by 9.1 seconds over David Norris, of Alaska Pacific University (APU), in 35:44.9. Tad Elliott (Ski Club Vail) placed third (+38.7) just ahead of the top Canadian, Jack Carlyle, of the Alberta World Cup Academy (AWCA), in fourth (+41.7).

    The U.S. occupied eight of the top 10 in the men’s race, with Kevin Bolger (SVSEF) in fifth (+45.0), Ben Lustgarten, of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project (CGRP) in sixth (+52.3), Brian Gregg (Team Gregg/LNR/CXC) in seventh (+57.0), Rogan Brown (SVSEF) in eighth (+58.1), Canada’s Scott Hill (Barrie Cross Country) in ninth (+1:14.7), and Eric Packer (APU) in 10th (+1:18.6).

    The women’s 10 k freestyle podium at 2018 Eastern Canadian Championships in Gatineau, Quebec, with Rosie Frankowski (c) in first, Becca Rorabaugh (l) in second and Erika Flowers (r) in third. (Photo: Rob Smith)

    After placing second in a 10 k freestyle at last weekend’s SuperTour in Craftsbury, Vermont, Rosie Frankowski (APU) won the women’s 10 k freestyle on Saturday in Gatineau by more than 30 seconds in 27:07.3. Her teammate Becca Rorabaugh (who won the Craftsbury 10 k skate as well as Friday’s classic sprint in Gatineau) placed second (+37.1) on Saturday, and Erika Flowers placed third (+1:26.4) for the third-straight race.

    Frédérique Vézina, of the Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre, led the Canadians in fourth (+1:46.2), while America Liz Guiney (CGRP) placed fifth (+1:52.2), and Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (Rocky Mountain Racers) finished sixth (+1:56.4).

    Also in the top 10, Kaitlynn Miller (CGRP) placed seventh (+1:57.8), Felicia Geisor (CXC Team) was eighth (+2:18.5), Zoë Williams (Carleton University) ninth (+2:39.6) and Annika Hicks (AWCA) 10th (+2:43.4).

    Eastern Canadian Championships conclude Sunday with 10/15 k classic pursuits at the Nakkertok Nordic Ski Centre.

    Results

  • Under 23 Questions: Luke Jager

    Under 23 Questions: Luke Jager

    The U.S. men’s silver-medal relay on Saturday at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, with (from left to right) Luke Jager, Hunter Wonders, Gus Schumacher, and Ben Ogden. (Photo: Julia Kern)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at this week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 18-year-old Luke Jager, of Alaska Pacific University (APU), who’s representing the U.S. at his first Junior Worlds. 

    Jager started his week by racing to 60th in the freestyle sprint then capped it off with a historic silver medal in the men’s 4 x 5 k relay on Saturday in Goms.

    ***

    “My full name is Luke Jager, but you can call me Gus Schumacher.

    I was born in Redding, California, and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and I learned to ski at Anchorage Junior Nordic League.

    I spent the time between US. nationals and Junior/U23 Worlds reminiscing about beating Gus Schumacher at the season opener middle school race in 8th grade.

    The funnest workout I did in the last training years to prepare for this was easy 30-minute shakeout run/walk with my thoughts.

    Luke Jager (Alaska Pacific University) during a training day in Goms, Switzerland. (Courtesy photo)

    This is my first time in Switzerland and second time racing internationally, and so far it’s been transcendent.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and the U.S. is a lot less freedom.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is hard. Usually racing at altitude is hard for me because here is less air. There are hella mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms is the gentle kiss of the swiss sun on my soft, tender skin.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is junior men’s relay.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Alaska and ask them what it’s like there.

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is orange mango juice. Mom if you’re reading this please buy some thank you love you.

    Fondue is yellow. The cheese here is also yellow. And the chocolate is not yellow.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it in bed Snapchatting Cole Morgan.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @lukejageryo.”

    The U.S. men’s team tasting their silver medals after placing second in the 4 x 5 k relay on Saturday at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland. (Photo: Julia Kern)
  • Under 23 Questions: Stephen Schumann

    Under 23 Questions: Stephen Schumann

    Stephen Schumann (U.S. Nordic Combined) jumping in Oberstdorf, Germany, in September 2016. (Photo: Romina Eggert)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at this week’s 2018 Nordic Combined Junior World Championships in Kandersteg, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 17-year-old Stephen Schumann, of the U.S. Nordic Combined Team, who represented the U.S. at his third Junior Worlds. 

    This week in Kandersteg, Schumann placed 13th and 18th in two individual competitions and seventh in the team event. 

    ***

    “My full name is Stephen Schumann, but you can call me Skunk.

    I was born and raised in Park City, Utah, and I learned to ski at Park City Ski and Snowboard.

    Stephen Schumann (U.S. Nordic Combined) racing at a World Cup last season in Oslo, Norway. (Photo: Sandra Volk)

    I spent the time between U.S. Olympic team trials in Park City and Junior Worlds in Europe competing in Continental Cup and World Cup races.

    The hardest workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was 10×8 minute intervals with my whole team.

    This is my second time in Switzerland and 11th time racing internationally, and so far it’s been awesome with a very high level of competition.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and the U.S. is that it is different.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is pretty cool because of the overall scenery. Usually racing at altitude is very helpful for me because I grew up at high elevation in Utah. There are mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior Worlds in Kandersteg is eating Swiss food.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the 10 k individual.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from the Swedish women’s cross country team and ask them for Stina’s Snapchat. Too bad they are all in Goms.

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is the coffee.

    Fondue is melted cheese. The cheese here is not melted fondue. And the chocolate is not made of cheese.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d wake up eat drink some coffee play some 2K, go to the top of a mountain, eat some lunch, take a shower, then eat some dinner and sleep.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @stephen_schumann.”

  • Thursday Rundown: Swirbul 3rd in Junior Worlds Skiathlon; U.S. NoCo Relay 7th (Updated)

    Thursday Rundown: Swirbul 3rd in Junior Worlds Skiathlon; U.S. NoCo Relay 7th (Updated)

    American Hailey Swirbul (University of Alaska Anchorage) leads Norway’s Lone Johansen up a climb during the second half of the women’s 10 k skiathlon on Thursday at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland. (Photo: JWSC2018.ch)

    (This article has been updated to include comments from Americans Hailey Swirbul and Gus Schumacher.)

    Junior World Championships (Goms, Switzerland): 10/20 k skiathlons

    Hailey Swirbul is 2-for-2 when it comes to podiums at this year’s Junior World Championships; in her second-straight race this week in Goms, the 19-year-old American earned a medal in a distance race. On Thursday, it was bronze in the women’s 10-kilometer skiathlon.

    The women’s 10 k skiathlon podium at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, with Sweden’s Frida Karlsson (c) in first, Norway’s Lone Johansen (l) in second, and American Hailey Swirbul (r) in third. (Photo: JWSC2018.ch)

    Swirbul, a sophomore at the University of Alaska Anchorage, closed the gap to the leaders over the final 5 k skate portion of Thursday’s race, doing so in tough, slow conditions with heavy snowfall. She ended up third in a sprint finish with Norway’s Lone Johansen, who took second by 0.7 seconds, as the two finished 35.5 seconds and 36.2 seconds behind the winner, Sweden’s Frida Karlsson, respectively.

    Karlsson won it in 32:55.7 minutes. She had been second at the transition from classic to skate halfway through the race, just behind France’s Laura Chamiot-Maitral in first. Four women came through the exchange together within 2.6 seconds of first, while Swirbul was about 15 seconds back in eighth.

    “Coming into the exchange I was right where I wanted to be,” Swirbul wrote in an email to FasterSkier. “I knew that some of the girls ahead of me would not be able to sustain their pace the entire skate leg. It was important for me to remember that and not try to close the gap too quickly with the Norwegian I was skiing with.”

    While Karlsson broke away over the final 5 k, Swirbul helped lead the chase, moving into second and 31 seconds back on a long, steep climb at 6.7 k.

    “I won’t lie, the skate leg was tough! I think everyone was suffering out there in the fresh snow,” Swirbul wrote. “I tried to conserve energy on the gradual downhill before the big climb to use on the hill.”

    On the last lap, she worked to distance herself from fourth place.

    “I knew that the fourth place skier was closing in on us the last lap,” she wrote. “Going up the final hill, I had to make a move to secure a podium spot and give what I had to ski away form the fourth place girl over the second to last big climb. The last few hundred meters were so intense! I didn’t have anything left to sprint it out for second place. Gotta work on that!”

    Two days ago, Swirbul placed second in the 5 k classic for her first individual medal and the best-ever finish for the U.S. at Junior Worlds.

    “This means so much,” she told race organizers after taking third in Thursday’s skiathlon. “I’m so happy to represent the United States here and show how we can improve in the future and what we have in our country.”

    In her email to FasterSkier, Swirbul explained that she entered Thursday’s race confident yet calm.

    “After my silver medal I believed in myself more than before,” she wrote. “However, I managed to stay calm and not put high expectations on myself for the skiathlon which allowed me to race my best. I was hoping to ski smart and relaxed and not be afraid to make it hurt! In a mass start that is really all I can control.”

    For much of the first leg, about 4 k, she skied with what she described as “a huge pack of girls, which was kind of stressful for me.”

    “It’s harder for me to match the stride of someone almost a foot smaller than I am in a classic track, so once the group broke up I was able to find my rhythm,” Swirbul wrote. “The snow storm made the tracks super slow where they weren’t skied in, so it was a waste of energy to try to pass people outside of the skied in track. I made that mistake a few times and ended up not passing anyone, just wasting energy plowing through powder.”

    But her skis felt fast in both the classic and skate legs, she noted. “The wax techs have been killing it!”

    With one race left, the women’s 4 x 3.3-kilometer relay on Sunday, Swirbul wrote that she was eyeing another podium.

    “I think it is fair to think that our relay team has a good shot at the podium. That would be the cherry on top :)”

    Karlsson told organizers that she was focused solely on the gold on Thursday.

    “It was very fun today and my body felt very good, then I was just going for the gold today,” Karlsson said. In her first Junior Worlds, she had previously placed third in the skate sprint earlier in the week.

    “It means a lot,” Karlsson, 18, added. “This is a very good sign that I’m doing the right thing. I have one more year left as a junior so I’m looking forward to next year’s Junior World Championships as well.”

    Also for the U.S., Kathleen O’Connell (Montana State University) placed 20th (+2:18.2), Molly Gellert was 40th (+3:59.4) and Sofia Shomento was 58th (+6:25.7).

    Canada’s Natalie Hynes (University of Alaska Anchorage) placed 24th (+2:40.0), Hannah Mehain was 37th (+3:54.9), Alexandra Racine 51st(+5:16.1), and Catherine Reed-Metayer 62nd (+7:17.7).

    Norway’s Harald Østberg Amundsen winning the men’s 20 k skiathlon at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland. (Photo: JWSC2018.ch)

    In the junior men’s 20 k skiathlon that followed, Harald Østberg Amundsen pulled out a 34.7-second victory over fellow Norwegian Jon Rolf Skamo Hope, who won the 10 k classic two days ago. Norway swept the podium with Jørgen Lippert in third, 1:00.1 minutes back, two days after Lippert placed third in the 10 k individual start.

    The win was Amundsen’s first individual gold after he was on Norway’s winning 4 x 5 k relay at last year’s Junior Worlds in Utah, where he placed third in the 10 k skiathlon. On Tuesday, he was fourth in the 10 k classic.

    “Unbelievable,” he said during a post-race arena interview. “I tried to keep calm on the classic part, and on the skate part just tried to keep the speed up. … I tried to go fast on the beginning and end of the uphills, and a bit controlled in the middle. I think the final was great, unbelievable.”

    American Gus Schumacher (Alaska Winter Stars) raced to 15th (+2:43.6) besting his two previous top 20’s this week (19th in the freestyle sprint and 17th in the 10 k classic) at his first Junior Worlds. He skied much of the race with Ben Ogden (Stratton Mountain School), who finished 18th (+2:51.2) for his second-straight top 20 (after placing seventh in the 10 k).

    “My classic skis were great today,” Schumacher wrote in an email. “The techs nailed it and I had really solid kick and good glide. I was able to run up the steepest hills and kick the buildup off right at the top and glide right with everyone. During that first 10k I think I did a good job staying relaxed and now letting myself push too hard up the big climbs. The pace in the pack wasn’t bad, definitely a little rushed at the beginning but I was able to settle in well.

    “On my second half I was still just focused on not pushing too hard and staying relaxed, while also keeping the pace fast and carrying speed through the corners,” he continued. “Generally I felt pretty good, but my body was just getting tired and I was hanging in there.”

    While he dropped Ogden over the last kilometer, Schumacher wasn’t able to shake Italy’s Luca Del Fabbro, who finished half a second ahead of him in 15th.

    “I pushed really hard up the last hill into first [ahead of Del Fabbro] but was a little weak over the top and he pulled up alongside me and crossed in front of me on the corner then almost fell,” Schumacher recalled. “Pulled up alongside on the flat, but had to get back on the inside and just couldn’t get past.

    “Overall I’m pretty happy, I think I paced well and I generally executed well,” he concluded. “I think it wasn’t my best possible, but it was definitely a well-executed race.”

    Also for the U.S., Hunter Wonders (Alaska Pacific University) placed 26th (+3:56.0), and Karl Schulz finished 60th (+8:30.3).

    Félix Longpré led Canada in 28th (+4:07.0), Etienne Hebert followed in 30th (+4:33.3), Antoine Cyr was 32nd (+4:45.4), and Reed Godfrey 54th (+7:18.4).

    Results: Women | Men

    ***

    The Austrian team (from left to right: Johannes Lamparter, Florian Dagn, Dominik Terzer, and Mika Vermeulen) celebrates its win in the normal hill/4 x 5 k team event on Thursday at 2018 Nordic Combined Junior World Championships in Kandersteg, Germany. (Photo: JWSC2018.ch)

    Nordic Combined Junior World Championships  (Kandersteg, Switzerland): Normal hill/4 x 5 k Team Event

    In the nordic combined team event at Junior World Championships on Thursday, Austria stole the show, jumping to first then finishing the 4 x 5 k relay first by nearly 48 seconds over Germany in second.

    On the 106-meter normal hill in Kandersteg, Austria’s Johannes Lamparter, Mika Vermeulen, Florian Dagn, and Dominik Terzer combined for the best jumping score of the day, 11.8 points ahead of Norway (Simen Kvarstad, Andreas Skoglund, Jens Lurås Oftebro, and Einar Lurås Oftebro) in second. Germany jumped to third with Constantin Schnurr, Julian Schmid, Tim Kopp, and Luis Lehnert another 26 points back.

    That put Norway 16 seconds back for the start of the 4 x 5 k relay, and Germany 50 seconds out of first in third.

    The four Americans in the event, Tucker Hoefler, Jared Shumate, Stephen Schumann, and Ben Loomis, jumped to 11th out of 13 teams, and started the relay 2:46 minutes back.

    Germany celebrates its silver medal in the normal hill/4 x 5 k team event on Thursday at 2018 Nordic Combined Junior World Championships in Kandersteg, Germany. (Photo: JWSC2018.ch)

    Austria went on to hold its lead throughout the race, crossing the finish line first in 56:33.0 for the gold. Norway held onto second first Jens Oftebro’s first leg, then slipped to second behind Germany on the second leg. Ultimately, Germany claimed second, 47.8 seconds back, and Norway was third (+1:53.2).

    The field remained largely strung out, as the Czech Republic finished fourth (+2:39.7) after starting fourth, France placed fifth (+3:07.7), up from eighth at the start, and Finland finished sixth (+3:27.6), after starting ninth.

    The U.S. men improved to seventh (+3:36.4) thanks to a strong first leg from Loomis, who put them in seventh with the fourth-fastest first-leg time. Schumann then skied the fastest second leg and picked off two more places to tag in fifth at the second exchange. Hoefler slipped to seventh on the third leg, and Shumate held them there with the third-fastest anchor leg.

    Nordic combined has one more event at Junior Worlds: the individual normal hill/5 k on Saturday.

    Results: Jumping | Final

  • Under 23 Questions: Gus Schumacher

    Under 23 Questions: Gus Schumacher

    Gus Schumacher (Alaska Winter Stars) racing at 2018 U.S. Cross Country Championships in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska, earlier this month. (Photo: Charlie Renfro)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at this week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 17-year-old Gus Schumacher, of Alaska Winter Stars (AWS), who’s representing the U.S. at his first Junior Worlds. 

    In three individual races in Goms, Schumacher has placed in the top 30 in all three: 19th in the freestyle sprint, 17th in the 10 k classic, and most recently 15th in the 20 k skiathlon on Thursday.

    ***

    “My full name is August, but you can call me Gus.

    I was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, and I learned to ski at Kincaid.

    I spent the time between U.S. nationals and Junior/U23 Worlds at home doing local races.

    Gus Schumacher leading Hunter Wonders during a rollerski session at the NEG (National Elite Group) Camp in October in Park City, Utah. (Courtesy photo)

    The most productive workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was L3 bounding with Molly Gellert, another AWS skier.

    This is my third time in Switzerland and third time racing internationally, and so far it’s been super tight.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and the U.S. is the roads are narrow and people drive crazy.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is really pretty and warm. Usually racing at altitude is moderate to tough for me because I am from sea level. There are almost too many mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms is racing with confidence.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the 10 k classic.

    10. I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Germany and ask them about ski culture there.

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is the orange juice.

    Fondue is usually melted cheese with bread to dip. The cheese here is lots of times the same stuff we get at home because at home it’s still Swiss cheese. And the chocolate is solid.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it tanning.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @25gusbus and Snapchat @gusbus_2000.”

  • Under 23 Questions: Natalie Hynes

    Canada’s Natalie Hynes (University of Alaska Anchorage Ski Team) racing in women’s classic sprint qualifier at 2017 Junior World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. She placed 42nd. (Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at this week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 20-year-old Natalie Hynes, of the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) Ski Team and the Yukon Ski Team, who’s representing the U.S. at her third Junior Worlds. 

    On Thursday, Hynes placed 24th in the 10 k skiathlon for her career-best result at Junior Worlds. 

    ***

    Young skiers came from all over the country to represent their clubs and test their progress. Whitehorse's Natalie Hynes is following the tracks of Emily Nishikawa and Dahria Beatty. (Photo: W. James MacLean)
    Natalie Hynes (Yukon Ski Team/University of Alaska Anchorage) racing at 2017 Canadian Ski Nationals last March. (Photo: W. James MacLean)

    “My full name is Natalie Hynes, but you can call me Hey You.

    I was born and raised in the Yukon, and I learned to ski at the Mt. Mac Ski Trails.

    I spent the time between Mont Sainte-Anne trials and Junior/U23 Worlds racing in West Yellowstone.

    The most scenic workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was mountain biking in the Wheaton River Valley with my border collie.

    This is my first time in Switzerland and my third time racing internationally, and so far it’s been very snowy.

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and Canada is the length of the meals.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is so beautiful. Usually racing at altitude is hard for me because there is not enough air to share with all the other competitors. There are so many incredible mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior/U23 Worlds in Goms is gaining experience racing internationally.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the skiathlon.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Norway and ask them if they know my Norwegian teammate, Marte.

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying are the kiwis.

    Fondue is probably better here than in Canada but I haven’t had the chance to try it. The cheese here is strong. And the chocolate is so delicious.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it taste testing Swiss chocolate.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @natalie.heinz.”

  • Under 23 Questions: Jared Shumate

    Under 23 Questions: Jared Shumate

    Jared Shumate (Park City Nordic Ski Club) getting some air at 2018 U.S. Nordic Combined Olympic Team Trials in late December at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. (Photo: U.S. Ski & Snowboard)

    In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at this week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Combined Junior World Championships in Kandersteg, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 18-year-old Jared Shumate, of the Park City Nordic Ski Club, who’s representing the U.S. at his second Junior Worlds.

    On Thursday, Shumate anchored the U.S. to seventh place in the normal hill/4 x 5 k team event. He previously placed 35th in the individual normal hill/10 k on Tuesday for an individual career best at Junior Worlds.

    ***

    “My full name is Jared Shumate, but you can call me tonight.

    I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Park City, Utah, and I learned to ski at Deer Valley Resort.

    I spent the time between U.S. Olympic team trials in Park City and Junior Worlds in Park City mentally preparing myself to get my ass kicked over here in Europe.

    The most tiring workout I did in the last training year to prepare for this was a 4-hour trail run up and down a mountain with lots of boys who ran it way faster than me.

    Jared Shumate (Park City Nordic Ski Club) after finishing a race at the Nordic Combined Continental Cup in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. (Photo: Ben Piepe)

    This is my second time in Switzerland and ninth time racing internationally, and so far it’s been pretty good some days and really bad on others, but I’ve had a blast!

    One difference I’ve noticed between Switzerland and the U.S. is the flags with the crosses on them are not for ski patrol.

    Skiing and racing in the Alps is one of my favorites. Usually racing at altitude is better for me because I’ve lived at over 7,000 feet pretty much my entire life. There are lots of easy-to-climb mountains around where I live.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Junior Worlds in Kandersteg is the fondue for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

    One race I’m especially targeting there is the 10 k individual nordic combined race.

    I really hope I can chat/make friends with someone from Sweden and ask them if every girl in their country is as beautiful as Stina Nilsson.

    My favorite thing at the breakfast where we are staying is TBD (we’re not in Switzerland yet).

    Fondue is a lot smellier than you think it should be. The cheese here comes in really big blocks. And the chocolate is going to make me overweight.

    If I had a totally free day here and didn’t have to worry about race fitness or training, I’d spend it on a gondola ride with Lara Gut.

    The best way to follow me on social media is on Instagram @jared_shumate.”

  • Tuesday Rundown: Swirbul 2nd at Junior Worlds; Loomis 3rd (Updated)

    Tuesday Rundown: Swirbul 2nd at Junior Worlds; Loomis 3rd (Updated)

    The women’s 5 k classic podium at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, with American Hailey Swirbul (r) in second, Russia’s Polina Nekrasova (c) in first, and Finland’s Anita Korva (l) in third. (Photo: JWSC2018.ch)

    (This article has been updated to reflect that American Hailey Swirbul was in second for most of Tuesday’s 5 k race, not over one minute back as previously reported based on a live timing error. It has also been updated to include comments from Americans Hailey Swirbul, Ben Loomis, Stephen Schumann, and Gus Schumacher, Canada’s Antoine Cyr, University of Alaska Anchorage nordic head coach Andrew Kastning, and U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Bryan Fish.)

    Junior World Championships (Goms, Switzerland): 5/10 k classic

    Hailey Swirbul became the second American cross-country skier to earn an individual medal at Junior World Championships and first to take silver (Katharine Ogden claimed bronze in last year’s skiathlon) in the women’s 5-kilometer classic individual start on Tuesday in Goms, Switzerland.

    Swirbul, a 19-year-old University of Alaska Anchorage sophomore, also tallied the best American finish at a Junior/U23 World Championships since Jessie Diggins earned silver in 2014 in the freestyle sprint. It was Swirbul’s second medal the last two Junior Worlds after she teamed up with Hannah Halvorsen, Julia Kern, and Ogden to take bronze in last year’s relay.

    Going into this week’s championships, Swirbul, a Colorado native, explained she was aiming for a top 10 in one of the distance races. U.S. Ski Team Development Coach Bryan Fish pointed out that she wasn’t sure she’d feel up to racing on Tuesday.

    “She had been feeling under the weather so she didn’t come up and ski yesterday,” Fish said on the phone Tuesday. “It was a little bit of a shock to Hailey herself that she skied so fast because there was some contemplation of whether she would race or not.”

    “I made it a goal to stay relaxed and ski the race I would ski in a lower pressure race,” Swirbul wrote in an email. “I often find that I, and others, change their good race habits when at a high pressure event, so I was hoping to pace the race evenly and not start out too fast.

    “The key for interval starts for me is to only think about skiing smoothly and powerfully for the first few kilometers of the race, and I’ve been discovering that that usually leads to decent splits throughout my race,” she continued.

    She ended up racing to second place on Tuesday in the second race of 2018 Junior World Championships. The 61st starter (out of 84), Swirbul skied in second for most of the race, just behind Russia’s Polina Nekrasova, according to Fish.

    “She was basically tied for second and really had a strong second half of the course, and really skied solid in particular the last kilometer,” Fish said. “Always in the top five for sure, and well within striking distance [of the podium].”

    The women’s 5 k classic podium at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, with American Hailey Swirbul (r) in second, Russia’s Polina Nekrasova (c) in first, and Finland’s Anita Korva (l) in third. (Photo: Bryan Fish)

    She initially crossed the finish line in first place, more than a minute faster than the previous race leader. Her time remained faster than all but one of the women who started behind her — as Russia’s Polina Nekrasova (bib 71) took the win in 13:58.7 minutes, 14.4 seconds ahead of Swirbul.

    Finland’s Anita Korva started 77th and finished third, 25.4 seconds out of first.

    The Czech Republic’s Barbora Havlickova (bib 81) followed in fourth (+26.8), and Norway’s Kristine Stavås Skistad (bib 67) finished fifth (+31.9), and France’s Laura Chamiot-Maitra (bib 83) placed sixth (+34.9).

    “… I honestly had no idea I was in the running for the podium during my race, because about 20 girls had yet to finish, so it wasn’t until the last girls came in that I knew I claimed a spot!” Swirbul wrote.

    “It was a special moment when I ran down off of the course and I knew her split,” Fish said of Swirbul’s finishing time. “I knew she was sitting in second and they kept announcing and kept announcing, and I told her, ‘You will be second today,’ and it was kind of a combination facial expression of shock and elation. She really couldn’t believe it, but [I said], ‘You’ve got a big enough gap over third place and no one’s catching you.’

    “It’s our best Junior Worlds result ever,” Fish added. “Last year was the first individual medal we had ever won or team medal at Junior Worlds and to follow that up with a silver is incredible.

    “She was obviously on our podium relay last year, but she came in from U.S. nationals skiing well, qualified very high and she skied incredibly well today,” he explained. “Very fluid stride and did a great job shifting gears and doing a bit more running during the second half of the course.”

    “The result hasn’t hit me yet,” Swirbul wrote. “It was beyond what I expected, so my brain is still catching up to the reality! I’ve been dreaming of racing how I know I could for the past 3 years or so, and this season has finally been my chance to break through. I’m so fortunate that things aligned for me on the day that really counted. I couldn’t have done it without Bryan Fish’s unwavering belief in us athletes, and my mom and dad’s support all these years, of course.”

    Fish emphasized that while snow conditions have been “very, very good” and “very stable” in Goms, which received 1 1/2 meters (nearly 5 feet) of snow a week and a half ago, the waxing had been a bit challenging due to a temperature range of around -9 degrees to 5 degrees Celsius each day.

    “I’m sure there were some teams on klister, some on klister covered with hard wax,” he said of Tuesday’s classic race. “Our techs did a really good job and they were clever with what they came up with when I heard what they were trying. … They’ve been right in the ballpark the last few days and I think they really dialed it in today, and it was impressive kick and glide. To get a podium you ned to have everything going right and I definitely think we had the skis in our favor.”

    Halvorsen was the second-best American in 22nd on Tuesday, 1:10.1 out of first, Kathleen O’Connell finished 38th (+1:33.5) and Hannah Rudd was 59th (+2:24.1).

    Canada’s Natalie Hynes placed 36th (+1:30.5), Hannah Mehain was 45th (+1:53.3) and Annika Richardson was 67th (+2:53.7). Catherine Reed-Metayer did not finish.

    Hailey Swirbul (University of Alaska Anchorage) navigating a downhill while racing to second place in the women’s 5 k classic at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland. (Photo: JWSC2018.ch)

    Andrew Kastning, head coach of the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) nordic team, stayed up late the night before Alaska time to watch three UAA skiers (Swirbul, Rudd and Hynes) race on the Junior World Championships livestream.

    “Hailey has made classic technique a priority since she stepped on UAA’s campus because that’s where she had the most potential for gain,” Kastning wrote in an email on Tuesday. “She has been working hard on a more powerful and smooth stride on the uphills while getting over elbow pain when double poling. The course looked like it played well to her strengths and that strategy.

    “I saw one clip of her entering the big climb and could see that she was relaxed and striding really well,” he continued. “I knew then she was going to have a really good race.”

    He noticed that the course had some intimidating downhills and corners, but he knew Swirbul wouldn’t have a problem navigating them.

    “Hailey has a solid alpine skiing background and I figured if anyone would be willing to straight line the descents and flatten the corners then a massive amount of time could be saved,” Kastning wrote. “Hailey must have done that because she put 47 seconds on a Russian she was tied with at the high point. I was sort wondering if I was dreaming at moments and had to refrain from yelling and screaming because I’d wake up three daughters and a wife if I did. What a night, what a day. Seawolf Nation and USA are very proud this morning.”

    Ogden 7th, Cyr 12th

    In the men’s 10 k classic that followed, the excitement continued for Team USA, with 17-year-old Ben Ogden, of the Stratton Mountain School, racing to seventh in his Junior World Championships debut.

    The men’s 10 k classic podium at 2018 Junior World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, with Norway’s Jon Rolf Skamo Hope (c) in first, Russia’s Sergey Ardashev (l) in second and Norway’s Jørgen Lippert (r) in third. (Photo: JWSC2018.ch)

    Ogden started 72nd and crossed the finish line in first, 16.6 seconds faster than previous race leader Alexander Terentev of Russia. Six later starters ultimately bumped Ogden to seventh, and Norway’s Jon Rolf Skamo Hope took the win in 24:58.8, 40.5 seconds ahead of Ogden.

    Russia’s Sergey Ardashev placed second, 9 seconds back, and Norway’s Jørgen Lippert reached the podium in third (+27.9). Norway put four in the top five and Russia had two in the top six, making Ogden the first non-Norwegian or non-Russian male finisher on the day.

    According to race splits, Ogden skied an extremely consistent race, clocking the eighth, ninth or 10th fastest times throughout the 10 k.

    Canada’s Antoine Cyr placed 12th (+1:07.7) in the second race of his career at Junior World Championships. Two days ago, he finished 30th in the freestyle sprint. Cyr, 19, started 78th and also skied a consistent race, hanging mostly within the top 12 throughout it.

    “I knew that classic 10 km was good race for me,” Cyr wrote in an email. “On a good day I was hoping for top 30 but the course was hard and I knew that if I played it smart and paced myself I would be happy with my race.”

    He focused on skiing powerfully on his first lap, with big strides and strong double poling, and tried to attack the A-climb and “punchy climb towards the end of the loop” on the second and last lap.

    “A top 12 for us in Canada means a lot and with a 25th place in the [skate sprint qualifier] and a 12th place today I think it makes me realize that I have my place on the world level scene,” Cyr wrote. “… This race was a good redemption after my crash in the sprint. I am really happy with the results !!”

    Gus Schumacher notched his second top 20 of the week in 17th (after placing 19th in the skate sprint), finishing 1:19.1 out first first, Hunter Wonders placed 22nd (+1:39.1), and Canyon Tobin was 37th (+2:17.2) for the U.S.

    In an email, Schumacher, of Alaska Winter Stars, explained he had been aiming for a top 10.

    “For this race I really focused on keeping the first quarter super relaxed and then picking it up after that,” he wrote of his pacing. “During the race I felt like I raced the first lap well but somewhere on the second lap I must’ve pushed just a little too hard and gone over my threshold, because I really faltered in the middle of that one on the big sprint hill. Other than that I felt like I skied the flats and most of the gradual uphills well, especially before 7.5k.”

    Overall he added that he was “fairly satisfied … but I know that I can do better and that kind of hurts me. I just didn’t feel like I had the spark that I normally have towards the end of a race like this.” Moving forward, he had similar goals for the skiathlon and was excited for the relay.

    Canada’s Etienne Hebert finished 44th (+2:42.3), Ty Godfrey was 57th (+3:29.5), and Felix Longpre 58th (+3:29.7) out of 96 finishers.

    “It’s really exciting when you look at our day in general,” Fish noted. “We had two young boys with 2000 birth years; there was only three boys in the top 40 that had a 2000 year of birth and we had two. … That’s just really exciting for U.S. skiing in general, that we have athleetes showing up not just to participate, but to really perform.”

    Results: Women | Men

    ***

    The men’s individual normal hill/10 k Gundersen podium at the first Day of Nordic Combined Junior World Championships in Kandersteg, Switzerland, with American Ben Loomis (r) in third, the Czech Republic’s Ondrej Pazout (c) in first, and Norway’s Einar Lurås Oftebro (l) in second. (Photo: Josh Parker)

    Nordic Combined Junior World Championships  (Kandersteg, Switzerland): Normal hill/10 k Gundersen

    In the first competition of 2018 Nordic Combined Junior World Championships in Kandersteg, Switzerland (about 75 kilometers west of Goms), American Ben Loomis achieved the first podium of his career in his fifth Junior Worlds (counting his first in straight-up ski jumping), racing to third in the individual normal hill/10 k Gundersen on Tuesday.

    Ben Loomis (USA Nordic) jumping to seventh on Tuesday at 2018 Nordic Combined Junior World Championships in Kandersteg, Switzerland. He went on to place third in the 10 k for his first Junior Worlds medal. (Photo: Josh Parker)

    Loomis, a 19-year-old U.S. Nordic Combined national team member who grew up in Wisconsin, was recently selected to compete at his first Olympics next month in PyeongChang, South Korea. In an email, Loomis explained he found out just over a week ago, which motivated him to compete at a high level, but it didn’t change his plans or goals for his last Junior Worlds.

    “My focus of the winter has always been the Junior World championships so my Olympic nomination has not changed my training in the last few weeks,” he wrote. “Going into this week, and for the last 2 years now my goal was always a podium finish.”

    He started out Tuesday by jumping to seventh on the 106-meter “normal” hill, then started the 10 k race 38 seconds out of first.

    “The hill here in Kandersteg is very new which is nice because it feels similar to other modern jumps,” Loomis explained. “I was satisfied with my competition jump but not 100% happy. There are still a few things I need to fix on the technical side of my jumping.”

    The Czech Republic had the two best jumpers on the day, with Ondrej Pazout leading after the jump portion, followed by his teammate Jan Vytrval in second. Pazout started the 10 k with an 11-second head start on Vytrval and ended up holding off his challengers to secure gold, finishing first in 22:58.3. Norway’s Einar Lurås Oftebro raced from 10th after the jump to second at the finish, just 2.3 seconds behind Pazout, with the second-fastest 10 k time.

    Loomis passed four skiers to finish third, 8.3 seconds out of first, with the third-fastest time. Norway’s Johannes Lamparter slipped from third to fourth overall (+16.2), and Vytrval finished fifth (+21.6).

    “I knew with a good race a podium was still possible from 38 seconds back,” Loomis wrote. “The track here is really tough with technical decent which leaves good opportunity to make up time.”

    Working within a group, he caught up to third place on the first of four laps and was up to second on the second lap.

    American Ben Loomis (7) racing with Norway’s Einar Lurås Oftebro (l) during the 10 k Gundersen on Tuesday at 2018 Nordic Combined Junior World Championships in Kandersteg, Switzerland. Loomis went on to finish third for his first Junior Worlds medal and Oftebro placed second. (Photo: Josh Parker)

    “We had 5 or 6 guys in this group and on the 3rd lap I took the lead,” Loomis explained. “Towards the last hill on the 4th lap, I made a move alongside Einar Oftebro. Einar was strong on the last stretch and able to beat me as well as almost catching the leader Ondra.

    “Taking a step on the podium was an excellent feeling today,” he added. “I have been working very hard, especially towards this specific race for a long time now. Accomplishing this is a huge relief and very motivating for the future.”

    The U.S. had two in the top 15 with Stephen Schumann in 13th (+1:29.1). Schumann was 29th after the jump and started the 10 k 1:47 out of first, then posted the fifth-fastest course time to pick off 16 places.

    “Going into today I was really just hoping to put together a solid jump and a good race and hopefully finish within the top 10 like last year,” Schumann wrote in an email. “Unfortunately I did not have the jump I was hoping for. I was about 1 meter late off the end of the take off, taking away some of the power and height that my legs otherwise would have given me. Luckily the conditions on the hill were pretty consistent today so I knew about where I would be standing after jumping going into the race.”

    Given his starting position, he believed a top 15 was within reach. He ended up catching Italy’s Aaron Kostner, who started 27th, and the two worked together to catch one group after another.

    “I felt pretty good but he got me on the last lap,” Schumann wrote of Kostner, who finished about 20 seconds ahead of him in 11th place. “But over all it was a pretty good race and I finished with the 5th fastest time. Behind Aaron with the 4th fastest.

    “Overall I feel that had I had a little bit better jump on the hill I could have contended for a top 10 maybe top 5 but was happy with my race and my 13th place finish,” he added. “Coming across the line I was pretty sure Ben had finished in the top 5 at least, as I could see him going up the last hill as I was staring down it. But when I actually crossed the line and saw him I could tell he had gotten to the podium and I was psyched for him, went and gave him a hug and congratulated him.”

    Looking ahead to the rest of the week, Schumann’s hoping for a medal in the 4 x 5 k team event.

    “And personally I hope to finish in the top 10 in the 5km race with a better jump and another solid race,” he wrote.

    Also for the U.S., Jared Shumate placed 35th (+4:06.3), up from 49th in the jump, and Tucker Hoefler was 51st (+6:37.4), up from 53rd.

    Results: Jumping | Final