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Tag: 5 k classic

  • World Juniors: Canada puts two in top ten as Russia sweeps 5/10 k classic; Will Koch top American in 13th

    The 2022 FIS Junior/U23 World Ski Championships trip has been made possible through support from the National Nordic Foundation (NNF), which has identified this invaluable opportunity for developing athletes as one of its “Pillar Projects”. You can support the NNF and the next generations of America’s top skiers by making a donation here.

    Friday at 2022 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Lygna, Norway, marked the phase that Steve Fuller, on site to take photographs qua Flying Point Road, calls “the ‘groundhog’s day’ stage” of the championships. “Things are happening so fast that you’re not quite able to get caught up with each day before you get up and do it all over again,” Fuller wrote on Instagram.

    Will Koch races to 13th in the 10 k classic during the 2022 Junior World Ski Championships in Lygna, NOR. (Photo: John McColgan)

    Undeterred, the Americans headed out on course Friday morning for their seventh and eighth races in four days. The coaches and wax techs (see the back row in the lead picture of the relay story) prepped skis for their eighth championship race within less than 72 hours. At the end of the day, Russia took a combined four out of six podium spots; Canadian skiers Xavier McKeever and Jasmine Drolet placed sixth and eighth, respectively; and Will Koch and Sydney Palmer-Leger led the way for the Americans in 13th and 19th.

    Women’s 5 k Classic

    Let’s back up. The women again had the day’s first race, a 5-kilometer interval-start classic. The first starter headed out on course, over a single lap of yesterday’s 5 k course, at 11 a.m. The official results describe conditions as somewhere between moderate and perfect: air temp of -2 C, snow temp of -3 C. Skies were overcast for the women’s race, but the sun came out for the men; as USST Development Team Coach Greta Anderson told FasterSkier later Friday, conditions sped up noticeably by the afternoon.

    82 starters later, Dariya Nepryaeva, who started at the sharp end of the field in bib no. 80, had logged the day’s fastest time, crossing the line in 14:30.1. She was closely followed by her compatriot, Elizabeta Bekisheva, in second, 2.9 seconds back. Emma Kirkeberg Mørk of Norway was close behind for third, 4.0 seconds back.

    Sydney Palmer-Leger skis into the top-20 in the 5 k classic during the 2022 Junior World Ski Championships in Lygna, NOR. (Photo: flyingpointroad.com)

    The day’s fastest North American finisher, and fastest Jasmine in the field, was Jasmine Drolet of Revelstoke, B.C., in eighth, 21.5 seconds back. She was followed in the North American standings by American Sydney Palmer-Leger (University of Utah/Park City, Utah) in 19th (+51.3), and Canadian Jasmine Lyons in 26th (+1:03.3).

    “I felt pretty good. I really like classic skiing and my goal was to give it all I had,” said Drolet in a press release from Nordiq Canada. “You only ski the lap once, so the key was to just go hard the whole time. We had amazing conditions, perfect for classic skiing so it was a good day.”

    Behind Lyons were the two Ninas, Nina Schamberger (Summit Nordic Ski Club/Leadville, Colorado) in 31st (+1:14.2) and Nina Seemann (Dartmouth Ski Team/Craftsbury, Vermont) in 36th (+1:23.0). Annie McColgan (University of Vermont/Bend, Oregon) was 40th (+1:27.3). Canadian athletes Sarah Cullinan (44th, +1:34.2) and Tory Audet (59th, +2:08.2) followed.

     

    Annie McColgan races the 5 k classic in Lygna, NOR, her first start of the 2022 Junior World Ski Championships. (Photo: John McColgan)

    McColgan radiated enthusiasm when she talked with FasterSkier following her first race at these championships. “It was nice to have everyone cheering out there, and my parents were here so it was really, really fun. It was really cool,” McColgan said.

    McColgan also provided insights on the course, describing it as “a really interesting 5k” with plenty of rolling terrain, but not many opportunities for recovery. “There’s a lot of steep little hills that you just have to be really good at… But it also is 16 minutes long. So you kind of have to make that balance [with energy expenditure]. And then the final climb was so brutal.”

    Men’s 10 k Classic

    The men again had the day’s second race, starting a two-lap, 10 k interval-start classic race at 1 p.m. local time. Taking athletes’ distance points as an informal form chart, in a field with 101 athletes the podium finishes came, relatively unsurprisingly, from bibs no. 90, no. 100, and no. 101. The gold medal on Friday went to Russian Saveliy Korostelev, the penultimate athlete on the course. Korostelev posted the fastest split time at 3 kilometers, at 5 kilometers, and at 8 kilometers, crossing the finish line in 26:15.8.

    Will Koch leads the American junior men with a 13th place finish in the 10 k classic during the 2022 Junior World Ski Championships in Lygna, NOR. (Photo: flyingpointroad.com)

    Korostelev enjoyed a hefty advantage over silver-medal finisher Niko Anttola of Finland, who finished 21.4 seconds back. Anttola ranked one to eight seconds behind Alexander Ivshin of Russia at all intermediate checkpoints, but skied the final two kilometers just barely faster. When Ivshin, the day’s final starter, crossed the line, he had fallen 0.8 seconds behind Anttola and had to settle for third.

    Put another way, Russia came within a second of going 1–2 in both the men’s and women’s races. They instead had to settle for first and second in the women’s race, and first and third in the men’s.

    Shortly behind the podium, Xavier McKeever of Canmore, Alberta, skied a strong race to finish sixth, 52.4 seconds back of Korostelev and roughly 30 seconds off the podium. It was McKeever’s best international result since, well, Tuesday, when he was fifth in the men’s 30 k mass start skate. McKeever’s sixth today tied Palmer-Leger’s sixth, from Tuesday’s women’s 15 k skate, for the second-best North American individual result of these championships.

    “I am stoked to be in the top-10 again,” McKeever told Nordiq Canada in a press release. “I was getting splits that I was close to the podium in the first lap, but I just couldn’t keep the high pace that I started with. Honestly, I feel like the podium is still a fair bit away, but today just motivates me more to make the steps toward being able to contend for a medal. … I have been able to build my confidence over the course of this season. After last year, it was instrumental for me to refocus on putting in the hard work each and every day, which I think has helped me race with more confidence than ever before.”

    McKeever was followed by his countrymen Max Hollman (Thunder Bay) in 17th (+1:28.8), Derek Deuling (Whitehorse) in 19th (+1:31.5), and Thomas Stephen (Calgary) in a tie for 26th (+1:40.0).

    Brian Bushey races the 10 k classic during the 2022 Junior World Ski Championships in Lygna, NOR. (Photo: John McColgan)

    Will Koch (University of Colorado/Peru, Vermont) led the way for the Americans, finishing in 13th (+1:23.4). He was followed by Alex Maurer (University of Colorado/Anchorage, Alaska), also 26th (+1:40.0); Brian Bushey (University of Utah/Waitsfield, Vermont) in 36th (+2:00.2); and Finn Sweet (University of Vermont/Waterbury, Vermont) in 47th (+2:11.3).

    Thoughts from the coach

    Greta Anderson is in Lygna at her third World Juniors as a coach or tech, her first since assuming her current coaching position with the U.S. Ski Team. (Disclosure, Anderson was this reporter’s coach in APU Masters in 2014–15, and has remained a close personal friend ever since.)

    Asked what she saw about today’s races, Anderson noted, “They were really fun to watch. Between FIS live timing and back split, the radios were pretty lively. One thing I did learn this year, and this is more than I’ve seen in the past, is that our athletes – every single one has the raw speed to compete at this level. We’re working on the durability portion of it. I think the top athletes in these races often are running negative splits in a big way; I would have to sit down and look at percentages. I’m sure we’ll do that at some point in time. But you know, the speed is there early on, we have very good placement, and then we need to figure out how to speed up just a little bit more. But that’s, you know, that’s been a big step for us as a country.

    “Will Koch, obviously very, very strong today. Brian Bushey came out on the top end of ten places being within four seconds, or eight places within four seconds maybe. So you know, really phenomenal. … Annie McColgan had her first ever World Juniors race today. And that’s always really fun and special to watch. I think often athletes come away seeing like, ‘wow, there’s another level,’ and it can be really motivating for the following year.”

    Sydney Palmer-Leger leads the junior women during the 5 k interval start classic. (Photo: John McColgan)

    Turning to Schamberger, Anderson observed that the 16-year-old has “had a pretty heavy week of racing so far. She’s had three starts, and the first day was not what she wanted. And the second day she had the gift of getting redemption the very next day, which I think is one of the best things athletes can have. And she was really happy with how she skied the relay, a big smile on her face. And then a really good race today. It’s fun to watch athletes – the moment that they realize they’re skiing at that level. Because we know they can do it, and we watch it, but that aha moment of ‘Oh, okay, in the world, this is where I am.’ That moment is really cool. It’s one of my favorite parts of my job for sure.”

    Anderson also described the environment at the venue more broadly, highlighting the effects of vocal parental support. “There’s quite a few parents here from the U.S.,” she said.

    “And Americans are really loud compared to other countries, and it’s probably taken as obnoxious, but I really appreciate it. We can always hear the Americans. It’s fun to stand by them and listen to them get all excited. Next to the parents during the relay is one of my favorite places to stand.”

    In that vein, Anderson concluded, “I look around, and I’m so proud to be an American coach. I’m so proud of the American skiers; there’s not a single other nation I would – I’m really glad that I work for our staff. And I think our athletes are really glad that they ski for the U.S.A. I don’t think they look around and think, like, ‘I wish I was on that team,’ or, ‘I wonder what that team is up to.’ We’re definitely in that, ‘We’re Americans and we’re here to beat you. Or at least die trying’ mode. And that’s pretty fun.”

    U.S. Ski and Snowboard Development Team Coach Greta Anderson encourages athletes during the men’s 30k distance race during the 2022 U.S. Cross Country Championships in Soldier Hollow. (Photo: Tobias Albrigtsen / @untraceableg)

    Racing continues tomorrow with skate sprints for U23 athletes, both genders, before wrapping up Sunday with both men’s and women’s U20 skate sprints and the U23 mixed relay, sending athletes and techs out with three races, two techniques, and a combined sixteen sprint heats on the final day of racing. Groundhog’s Day, indeed.

    Today’s results: women | men

    World Juniors links and information:

    Home page and general info | race program | results and live timing (all races) | streaming (only for Thursday through Sunday’s races, purchase required)

  • Ogden 13th, Kern 18th in Junior Worlds 5 k Classic; Good 11th in NoCo Opener

    Ogden 13th, Kern 18th in Junior Worlds 5 k Classic; Good 11th in NoCo Opener

    Katharine Ogden didn’t worry too much about the slush at Junior World Championships on Tuesday. She tested her skis once, remained confident in her kick and resolved to “hammer the whole thing” because 5 kilometers is pretty short, the 18-year-old Stratton Mountain School and U.S. Ski Team D-team member explained in an email.

    “I didn’t notice too much of a change in the conditions between laps, although by my second lap I’m not sure I would have noticed much, it was definitely a sufferfest out there,” she wrote.

    Ogden raced to 13th in the 5 k classic individual start on the second day of U23/Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania, leading the U.S. team on a classic distance day with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

    American Katharine Ogden (6), of the Stratton Mountain School and U.S. Ski Team, chases Germany’s Antonia Fraebel during the junior women’s 5 k classic at the Junior World Championships on Tuesday in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC)
    American Katharine Ogden (6), of the Stratton Mountain School and U.S. Ski Team, chases Germany’s Antonia Fraebel during the junior women’s 5 k classic at the Junior World Championships on Tuesday in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC)

    The sixth starter, Ogden finished 56.8 seconds behind the winner Marte Mæhlum Johansen of Norway, who completed the two-lap race in 15:34. In Ogden’s second junior world championships, the result was her third best after placing sixth in the 10 k skiathlon and 11th in the 5 k freestyle last year in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

    “I’m psyched about my race and I’m hoping to carry the momentum into the skate 10k which is a much better event for me,” she wrote of Thursday’s race. “I’m mostly focused on the skate race here.”

    When asked how Rasnov compares to Almaty, Ogden explained they are “pretty similar in some ways but completely different in others.

    “Almaty was a huge industrial city while Rasnov is a small rural mountain town,” she wrote. “The low snow has been common to both venues, however the situation is much worse here in Romania. It’s pretty awesome that we get the opportunity to travel to these crazy places and race because neither place is one that I would ordinarily get to experience.”

    Finishing 21.2 second off her teammate’s pace and 1:18 behind the winner, Julia Kern (SMS/USST) notched her second-straight top 20 in as many races at this year’s junior worlds.

    Kern finished 18th, and like Ogden, whose time ranked 18th at the halfway point, Kern sped up on her second lap to improve from the 24th-fastest split at 2.5 k.

    “Honestly, my plan was to feel it out as I went along because when I saw the first starters lap, they looked like they were in a lot of pain and that it was super slow and grueling,” Kern wrote in an email. “I also had talked with my coach Matt Boobar about water ‘feeds’, where he would dump cold water on me while I was racing so I could cool off a little. I found the cold water helped me cool off a little in the heat.”

    She started the race 26th out of almost 80 junior women and felt the conditions were likely similar for everyone: “hot, wet, slow, and slushy,” she wrote.

    “Quickly after I had started out, my body set into a pace automatically that was appropriate,” Kern explained. “Is was so slow out there that it was really hard to go significantly faster without wasting a lot of energy; it was almost like the speed you were going was hard to change. … I definitely didn’t feel like I was having a good race just by how slow I was skiing, but I guess the results showed otherwise.”

    Her goal had been a top 25, so 18th place exceeded that.

    “I am very happy with my result today and pleasantly surprised!” she added. “The coaches had done a great job giving splits out on course, but I knew that when they said I was top 20, there were plenty of fast girls still behind me. It is hard to tell how I feel about the actual race because I don’t think it felt good for anyone; it was all about who could fight through the pain the fastest.”

    Finishing 5.3 seconds behind the winner, Norway’s Lotta Udnes Weng placed second for the second-straight day and Germany’s Antonia Fraebel took third (+10.7).

    Canada's Hannah Mehain racing to 44th in the women 5 k classic on Tuesday at Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC 2016/Facebook)
    Canada’s Hannah Mehain racing to 44th in the women 5 k classic on Tuesday at Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC 2016/Facebook)

    Canada’s Marie Corriveau placed 37th, 2:04.8 behind the winner, and explained in an email that she found it difficult to push hard in the slushy conditions.

    “I am not used to skiing in those conditions,” Corriveau, of the Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre in Quebec City, wrote. “I know it was the same for everybody, but usually I take advantage because of my good technique, but today it was almost impossible to ski well.

    “I am not feeling bad [about] my race, because i know I gave everything!” she added. “For sure, I would expect better for a 5km classic, but with the circumstances, I am pretty happy with this 37th place!”

    Behind her, Canada’s Hannah Mehain placed 44th, Natalie Hynes was 58th and Sadie White 62nd. For the U.S., Vivian Hett placed 48th, and Leah Lange was 52nd.

    Junior women’s 5 k results

    Three Americans in the U23 men’s 15 k classic finished in the top 30, with Adam Martin of Northern Michigan University leading the way in 23rd. Paddy Caldwell (Dartmouth/SMS/USST) placed 27th and Kyle Bratrud (CXC) was 29th.

    Unlike the junior women, who raced two laps, the men rounded the 2.5 k loop six times. A few men opted to double pole on skate skis and two of them, including Canada’s Julien Locke, were disqualified for violating classic technique.

    “Preparing for this race presented some challenges I haven’t encountered before,” Martin, who previously raced at 2014 Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy, wrote in an email. “To preserve snow, race organizers only allowed athletes to ski in short time periods on Sunday and Monday. I don’t think this affected me as I was able to pick my skis and execute the intervals I had planned, but it was definitely something new.”

    A bird's eye view of the race course at U23/Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC 2016/Facebook)
    A bird’s eye view of the race course at U23/Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC 2016/Facebook)

    The 21st starter out of approximately 70, Martin recalled the snow feeling significantly slower on his third lap.

    “I usually make an effort to start very hard, but considering the conditions, my focus was more on being relaxed at the beginning,” he explained. “I am happy with that strategy because it didn’t take long to feel the effort.”

    Considering this was his personal best at a world championships, after placing 26th in the 10 k classic at 2014 junior worlds, Martin wrote that it felt great to improve.

    “But to be honest it’s hard for me to celebrate too much when there are 22 guys beating me by up to three minutes at the event,” he added after finishing 3:02.2 behind the winner, Jens Burman of Sweden, who took gold in 40:02.

    Russia’s Alexey Chervotkin was 26.8 seconds back in second place, and Norway’s Mikael Gunnulfsen placed third (+36.6).

    In an email to FasterSkier, U.S. Ski Team Chris Grover recently explained that Martin had turned down World Cup starts for the Ski Tour Canada. In his place, there is one opening on the men’s roster that can be filled with an “outstanding performance” at U23 World Championships.

    “As a collegiate skier … I think in some sense NCAAs is my only obligation each year for NMU,” Martin wrote of his decision to decline the spot. “Furthermore, I think I have some improvements I need to make especially in sprinting before I am ready to race a World Cup. Finally, I’m very excited to race some fast guys at NCAAs in a few weeks; I think they will be very high quality competitions.”

    Finishing 25.2 seconds back from Martin on Tuesday, Caldwell placed 27th (+3:27.4) in his second U23 World Championships (after placing 15th in the 15 k freestyle and 20th in the 30 k skiathlon in Almaty last year). He started 19th and hung in the top 30 throughout his six laps.

    Also in his second appearance at U23 worlds, Bratrud, in bib 22, notched his second-career top 30 after placing 19th in the 15 k freestyle last year. On Tuesday, he finished 3:46.1 back after posting faster splits earlier in the race.

    Canada’s Scott James Hill racing to 36th in the men's 15 k classic at U23 World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC 2016/Facebook)
    Canada’s Scott James Hill racing to 36th in the men’s 15 k classic at U23 World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC 2016/Facebook)

    “The race course today was pretty insane,” Bratrud wrote. “Originally it resembled Eagle glacier [in Alaska] which had me pretty stoked but as the race went on it broke down pretty bad. I’m not sure I have ever raced in conditions like that. Definitely an experience. Maybe the longest 15k I have ever done, at least feeling wise.

    “I have been targeting these races my whole season so I was definitely disappointed with my result, but all things considered I am not super worried,” the 23-year-old Minnesota native added. “I didn’t feel great warming up and I generally don’t classic well in these type of conditions nor have I raced on them this year or more then a handful of times in my entire career. The wax techs worked extremely hard to give us great skis in these extremely challenging conditions. I am really looking forward to the skate race and the races moving forward [this season] in Germany and Italy.”

    About 16 seconds outside the top 30, Canada’s Scott James Hill placed 36th (+4:03.3), Jack Carlyle was 42nd, and Alexis Dumas finished 53rd.

    American Logan Hanneman was 55th, coming off 15th place in the freestyle sprint on Monday. He started 53rd, the latest of the North Americans aside from Locke, of Canada, who started 59th but was disqualified for skating.

    U23 men’s 15 k results

    In the junior men’s 10 k classic, Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo claimed his second-straight gold in 28:57.8. Coming off three medals at the Youth Olympic Games, South Korea’s Magnus Kim (who is half Norwegian) placed second, 11.2 seconds back, and Finland’s Lauri Lepisto earned bronze (+25.4).

    American Cully Brown finished 35th (+2:01.9), Ian Torchia was 43rd, Thomas O’Harra 54th, and Henry Harmeyer 65th for the U.S.

    Ryan Jackson was the top Canadian in 46th, followed by Antoine Blais in 52nd, Joey Foster in 56th, and Philippe Boucher in 67th.

    Junior men’s 10 k results

    In the U23 women’s 10 k classic, Heather Mooney, a former Middlebury skier, was the top American in 38th (+4:27), just ahead of Canada’s Frédérique Vezina in 39th (+4:31).

    Russia’s Anastasia Sedova won gold in 28:49.4, while Germany’s Victoria Carl finished 13.1 seconds back in second, and Petra Novakova of the Czech Republic was third (+17).

    Also for the U.S., Kristen Bourne placed 40th, Felicia Gesior was 42nd, and Kelsey Phinney 44th.

    Canada’s Kendra Murray finished between Gesior and Phinney in 43rd, Jenn Jackson was 45th and Sophie Carrier-Laforte was 46th.

    U23 women’s 10 k results

    Jasper Good (U.S. Nordic Combined) racing to a career-best 11th in his fourth Junior World Championships on Tuesday in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: Romina Eggert/Facebook)
    Jasper Good (U.S. Nordic Combined) racing to a career-best 11th in his fourth Junior World Championships on Tuesday in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: Romina Eggert/Facebook)

    Also on Tuesday, 19-year-old Jasper Good raced to 11th for U.S. Nordic Combined in the normal hill/10 k Gundersen. In his fourth Junior World Championships, it was his first individual top 20.

    Fifteenth on the hill, he posted the 13th-fastest ski time to finish 11th, 3:48.9 behind the winner, Austria’s Bernhard Flaschberger. Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger crossed the line nearly a minute later in second (+59.6). Germany’s Terence Weber held onto third (+1:08.5) by three-tenths of a second over Eero Hirvonen of Finland in fourth.

    “This year’s World Junior Championships are full of schedule changes and an extreme lack of snow here in Rasnov,” Good wrote on his Facebook page. “We were able to get the first individual competition off yesterday and I had a career best finish of 11th place! I didn’t ski my best race, but I was able to move up from 15th after jumping! I’m happy with this and excited to improve in the next competition! “

    Also for the U.S., Stephen Schumann placed 31st, Jared Shumate was 37th and Koby Vargas 44th.

    Nordic Combined results

    Racing continues Thursday with the cross-country 10/15 k freestyle individual starts, replacing the skiathlons. Friday’s junior relays have been shortened to 4 x 2.5 k for the women (and remain 4 x 5 k for the men), and Wednesday’s nordic combined event was postponed.

    Nordic combined has two remaining competitions: the normal hill/5 k on Thursday and normal hill/4 x 5 k team event on Friday.

    Organizers unload snow onto the course Wednesday during the off-day at U23/Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC 2016/Facebook)
    Organizers unload snow onto the course Wednesday during the off-day at U23/Junior World Championships in Rasnov, Romania. (Photo: FIS Nordic JWSC & U23 WSC 2016/Facebook)
  • Back in Falun, Diggins Fifth, Sadie Bjornsen Seventh for U.S. in 5 k Classic

    Back in Falun, Diggins Fifth, Sadie Bjornsen Seventh for U.S. in 5 k Classic

    Fellow U.S. Ski Team members Sadie Bjornsen (l) and Jessie Diggins (r) started near each other in Wednesday's 10 k classic mass start at Stage 5 of the Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf, Germany. Diggins went on to place 23rd and Bjornsen 26th for 12th and 14th overall, respectively, in the Tour standings. (Photo: Marcel Hilger)
    Fellow U.S. Ski Team members Sadie Bjornsen (l) and Jessie Diggins (r) striding together during the 10 k classic mass start at Stage 5 of the Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf, Germany. Diggins went on to place 23rd and Bjornsen 26th in that race. (Photo: Marcel Hilger)

    Returning to Falun, Sweden, was exciting for some members of the U.S. Ski Team. Jessie Diggins, for example, made history along with teammate Caitlin Gregg when the pair went 2-3 in the 2015 World Championships 10-kilometer skate.

    For Sadie Bjornsen, the memories weren’t as happy, and she tried to forget them before Saturday’s 5 k classic individual start, the first World Cup back at the venue since the championships.

    “I really struggled at World Championships here last year,” said Bjornsen, who had a top individual finish of 19th in the classic sprint and a tough relay leg. “I was certainly not happy with how my results ended up. So I was trying to forget that and believe in my ability to make classic work in tricky conditions.”

    Despite two very different backgrounds on the challenging Falun course, both excelled on Saturday. Diggins finished fifth, 37.2 seconds behind race winner Therese Johaug of Norway, and Bjornsen seventh, 44.8 seconds back.

    “Absolutely a breakthrough performance in classic for Jessie,” U.S. Ski Team Head Coach Chris Grover said. “We haven’t had many top fives in women’s distance classic in history… So that was huge, a great race for her, great race for Sadie.”

    “It was by far my best classic race I’ve ever had,” Diggins agreed. “To have two of us in the top ten today is really awesome.”

    Both had to excel in unusual snow conditions. Bjornsen was excited to find central Sweden “wintery” and with some natural snow, but that was mixed in with manmade snow which had kept the course open through the winter.

    “You had to really do a special kick today,” Bjornsen explained. “You couldn’t mule kick, which, ideally, I want to mule kick.”

    Diggins gave kudos to the wax team, which gave the team extremely competitive skis. While the Norwegians had aired on the side of more glide, sometimes slipping hard on the uphills, the Americans kicked up the Mörderbacken and were able to keep their gains on the downhills as well.

    “I was out on course about an hour and 15 minutes before my race,” Diggins said. “That’s quite a warmup, but it’s worth it. In a skate race you don’t have to test so much because you’re looking for the glide and the feel. In classic you’re adding that extra variable of, okay, they’re fast, but can I get up the hill on them? You have to plan a little extra.”

    Diggins already knew that the course agreed with her, after a phenomenal skate race at World Championships. She tried to apply the same strategy in the 5 k classic: going hard up the hill, but not so hard she blew up, and then working the more gradual rolling sections of the course where she believed she could excel.

    Jessie Diggins (bottom) and Caitlin Gregg after notching silver and bronze, respectively, at 2015 World Championships in the 10 k skate.
    Jessie Diggins (bottom) and Caitlin Gregg after notching silver and bronze, respectively, at 2015 World Championships in the 10 k skate.

    Diggins won her first individual World Cup earlier this season, and like the World Championships silver medal, that win came in a skate race.

    So to break through on the international stage in classic was particularly satisfying.

    “It feels wonderful because I’ve been working so hard for so long to get better at classic,” she said of her top-five finish. “I want to be an all-arounder. I want to be competitive in every race and every technique and every distance. So to have it work out today and to just feel confident in my ability to classic ski, instead of thinking of myself as a skater just thinking of myself as a skier.”

    Bjornsen considers herself a strong classic skier, but had been struggling recently, including on Thursday in Stockholm where she missed the top-30 cutoff to make the heats in the classic sprint.

    So in a way she, too, had to go into the race with a strong belief in herself.

    “The classic skiing has been a little bit of a wave for me,” Bjornsen said. “We’ve had a lot of classic races in a row now – four. And I just hadn’t been able to figure out ski stuff. I’ve been experimenting with trying to go slicker and trying to make it so my skis can go faster. I committed to trying that in Stockholm and it didn’t work… every day is a new day. I love 5 k classic and so today I put on my 5 k classic pants and went for it.”

    Also racing for the U.S., Rosie Brennan narrowly missed the points in 32nd (+1:22.4), Liz Stephen finished 38th (+1:28.0), Caitlin Patterson placed 40th (+1:29.4), Sophie Caldwell 43rd(+1:32.1), and Jennie Bender 76th (+2:49.4).

    Going into Sunday’s race, a 10 k freestyle mass start, Diggins is predictably fired up.

    “I’m really excited,” she gushed. “I’m really hoping to give it everything I’ve got, which I don’t have a problem with … I don’t think we’ve had a mass start skate this year, so I’m excited to go out and ski with these girls.”

    Bjornsen will sit the race out, resting up for the Ski Tour Canada after a long season already including the entire Tour de Ski and a grueling Holmenkollen 30 k last weekend.

    Instead, Stephen, Patterson, Brennan, Bender, and Ida Sargent will join Diggins on the start line.

    For Canada, Emily Nishikawa finished 64th (+2:08.6) and Andrea Dupont 67th (+2:24.6).

    — Jason Albert and Gerry Furseth contributed reporting

    Results

  • Browne Dominates M.S.A. NorAm Distance Weekend; NDC Thunder Bay Tops Men’s Races

    Browne Dominates M.S.A. NorAm Distance Weekend; NDC Thunder Bay Tops Men’s Races

    Cendrine Browne, of the Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre and Canada's national U23 development team, leading the women's 10 k freestyle pursuit on Jan. 31 at the Mont Sainte-Anne trails in Quebec. She went on to win by nearly 1 1/2 minutes to take the NorAm leader's bib. (Photo: CCC)
    Cendrine Browne, of the Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre and Canada’s national U23 development team, leading the women’s 10 k freestyle pursuit on Jan. 31 at the Mont Sainte-Anne trails in Quebec. She went on to win by nearly 1 1/2 minutes to take the NorAm leader’s bib. (Photo: CCC)

    (Note: This article has been updated to include comments from Andy Shields on his pursuit win.)

    The NorAm series continued last weekend with a two-day pursuit in Mont Sainte-Anne, Quebec. While this format hasn’t been used at this level in Canada for three years, the Ski Tour Canada in early March will have two pursuit days.

    Cendrine Browne, of the national U23 development team and Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre (CNEPH), won Saturday’s 5-kilometre classic individual start in 14:37.3 to lead a U23 and CNEPH podium sweep. Sophie Carrier-Laforte finished 7.2 seconds back in second, followed by Frédérique Vézina at 30 seconds behind the winner in third.

    Browne was the only European B-Tour skier to race this weekend after arriving back from Nove Mesto, Czech Republic (where she represented Canada on the World Cup), five days earlier on Monday, Jan. 25.

    “I chose to race because I would have done intensity anyways on Saturday,” Browne wrote in an email. The convenience of racing on her home trails at Mont Sainte-Anne (M.S.A.) added to the appeal.

    “I wasn’t sure if I would do Sunday’s race, but I’m in good shape so I’ll do it,” Browne wrote on Saturday. “The Noram points are also interesting if I win.” 

    Browne did win Sunday’s 10 k freestyle pursuit. With Carrier-Laforte not starting, she started 30 seconds ahead of Vézina and expanded her lead to 1:29.1 with the fastest time of the day in 27:51.3. Browne was ranked fifth going into the weekend and, with the top three in the overall NorAm standings absent, her convincing victory on Sunday will give her the leader’s bib for next weekend.

    Vézina started second, with three other racers within 10 seconds of her. While she was happy with Saturday’s classic podium, noting “5km has never been my strong suit,” she was frustrated with her pursuit, in which she placed fifth, 2:29.1 behind Browne. “My skis were so slow that the girls passed me in the first downhill like I was stopped,” Vézina wrote in an email.

    Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt, of Canada’s U23+ Development Team, started sixth and pulled away from Annika Hicks (Canmore), who started fourth, to take second. Crossing the line nearly a minute and a half (1:29.1) after Browne, Bouffard-Nesbitt held off Hicks by 5.9 seconds for the second spot on the podium. Hicks placed third (+1:35).

    “I initially wanted to work with someone to try and make time on the leader,” Bouffard-Nesbitt wrote in an email. “After gauging the willingness of the skiers around me to chase Cendrine, I decided that instead I would try to race tactically for second place. I shared the lead with Annika for most of the race as we distanced ourselves from 4th and 5th.”

    Also on her hometown trails, Marie Corriveau (CNEPH) improved one place to finish fourth (+2:25.1), 4 seconds ahead of Vézina to repeat as top junior woman on Day 2 at M.S.A.

    Results: Saturday’s 5 k classic | Sunday’s 10 k freestyle pursuit

    ***

    Thunder Bay National Development Centre swept the podium (top three) in the men's 10 k classic on Jan. 30 with Bob Thompson in first, Andy Shields in second and Michael Somppi in third. Colin Abbott of the Yukon Elite Squad placed fourth (second from r) and a fourth NDC skier, Evan Palmer-Charrette (r) was fifth. (Photo: Skibec Nordique/Facebook)
    Thunder Bay National Development Centre swept the podium (top three) in the men’s 10 k classic on Jan. 30 with Bob Thompson in first, Andy Shields in second and Michael Somppi in third. Colin Abbott of the Yukon Elite Squad placed fourth (second from r) and a fourth NDC skier, Evan Palmer-Charrette (r) was fifth. (Photo: Skibec Nordique/Facebook)

    NDC Thunder Bay All the Way

    On the men’s side, Bob Thompson of the Thunder Bay National Development Centre (NDC) took his first NorAm distance win on Saturday, finishing the 10 k classic individual start in 26:12.2, just 0.3 seconds faster than teammate Andy Shields. Michael Somppi completed the Thunder Bay podium sweep, 14.5 seconds behind Thompson in third.

    “[It] feels very good to get my first Distance NorAm win and share the podium with my teammates,” Thompson wrote in an email. “I enjoyed the course: it was challenging with some quick climbs and some longer more gradual climbing sections that you really had to focus to keep your speed up on.”

    “The race today was good,” Shields wrote on Saturday. “I felt like I was in shape which is a feeling I’ve been missing up to this point. I could push hard and not pay the price in heavy limbs.” 

    Shields noted that he and Thompson would start the pursuit together, giving them the opportunity to work cohesively to stay ahead of Somppi, a strong skate skier.

    However, on Sunday in the men’s 15 k freestyle pursuit, Somppi quickly caught the two frontrunners.

    “Today, tactics were pretty simple,” Somppi wrote in an email. “I went out fast, caught Andy and Bob early. I put myself in a position to contend for the win, but I did not have the energy to make it happen.”

    Somppi faded to fourth, posting the seventh-fastest time on the day.  Thompson also struggled, eventually outsprinting a group of six to finish ninth.

    “Bob led out the first km then I went to the front,” Shields explained in an email after Sunday’s race. “I figured the pace needed to be quite high to maintain the gap to the rest of the field so when I started to lead I picked up the pace. By 2km in I could hear Bob behind me dropping off the pace. I didn’t know at the time but Somppi caught us just as I was pulling away. I skied a nerve-racking 13km out front for the rest of the race with Somppi within 15 seconds of me for most of it. It was pretty stressful, but it ended up being the winning strategy.”

    Andy Shields (NDC Thunder Bay) racing to a 45-second win with the fastest time of the day after starting second in the men's 15 k freestyle pursuit at the NorAm at Mont Sainte-Anne in Quebec on Jan. 31. (Photo: CCC)
    Andy Shields (NDC Thunder Bay) racing to a 45-second win with the fastest time of the day after starting second in the men’s 15 k freestyle pursuit at the NorAm at Mont Sainte-Anne in Quebec on Jan. 31. (Photo: CCC)

    Shields held strong and skied uncontested to the win in 37:09.3, the fastest time of the day and 45 seconds ahead of second and third.

    After starting the pursuit fifth and seventh, respectively, Evan Palmer-Charette (NDC Thunder Bay) and Brian McKeever, of the Para Nordic World Cup Team, separated themselves from the second chase group to fight for the podium. Palmer-Charette beat McKeever by the slimmest of margins to take second, 45 seconds behind Shields, while McKeever placed third with the same time. Somppi finish 11.1 seconds later in fourth.

    McKeever could have been at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Cup in Pyeongchang, South Korea, but according to Cross Country Canada, he opted to try for a Ski Tour Canada selection.

    Somppi was disappointed with his energy and his fourth place.

    “The trails were super and I enjoyed the skiing here,” he wrote. “I would prefer to be training right now and avoiding racing, however I have to qualify for the Tour and I believe I did enough to stay in contention this weekend.”

    Results: Saturday’s 10 k classic | Sunday’s 15 k freestyle pursuit

    Canadian Para-Nordic World Cup skier Brian McKeever (l) and Thunder Bay's Evan Palmer-Charette (r) in a photo finish for second at the men's 15 k freestyle pursuit on Jan. 31 at the Mont Sainte-Anne NorAm in Quebec. Palmer-Charette had the edge and McKeever placed third. (Photo: CCC)
    Canadian Para-Nordic World Cup skier Brian McKeever (l) and Thunder Bay’s Evan Palmer-Charette (r) in a photo finish for second at the men’s 15 k freestyle pursuit on Jan. 31 at the Mont Sainte-Anne NorAm in Quebec. Palmer-Charette had the edge and McKeever placed third. (Photo: CCC/NDC Thunder Bay Twitter)

    ***

    The NorAm now moves to Gatineau in western Quebec, starting with sprint racing on Friday.  Jess Cockney is back from Europe for his first North American races of the season.  Of more than 780 registered racers, the only notable absentee is Andrea Dupont, who is slated to race for Canada on the World Cup in Drammen, Norway, this Wednesday as the NorAm leader.

    More photos via Skibec Nordique: Saturday | Sunday

  • Canmore NorAm Roundup: Sandau and Beatty Win Two of Three

    Canmore NorAm Roundup: Sandau and Beatty Win Two of Three

    Kevin Sandau in the NorAm leader's bib sets the pace from the front of the pack in the men's 16.5 k freestyle mass start on the second day of the NorAm opener in Canmore, Alberta. His Alberta World Cup Academy teammate, Knute Johnsgaard, chases him down. (Photo: Alberta World Cup Academy/Twitter)
    Kevin Sandau in the NorAm leader’s bib sets the pace from the front of the pack in the men’s 16.5 k freestyle mass start on the second day of the NorAm opener in Canmore, Alberta. His Alberta World Cup Academy teammate, Knute Johnsgaard, chases him down. (Photo: Alberta World Cup Academy/Twitter)

    You’ve seen it on the World Cup, and now it’s happening at the domestic level: double poling a classic distance race, as seen at Canada’s NorAm opener in Canmore, Alberta.

    The top men went without kick wax for the 10-kilometer classic interval start on Saturday, Dec. 5, double poling around a 2.5 k biathlon loop.

    Kevin Sandau of the Alberta World Cup Academy powered to the win in 24:42.9 minutes, edging his AWCA teammate Knute Johnsgaard (National U23+ Development Team) by 2.9 seconds. Ian Murray (Capital Region Training Group) skied the fastest last lap to edge Brian McKeever of Canada’s Para Nordic Ski Team by 3.5 seconds for third, 9.5 seconds back from Sandau.

    In an email, Sandau, 27, explained that double poling was essentially a no-brainer on the Canmore Nordic Centre’s biathlon trails — flatter than the usual race course with shorter climbs.

    “Off the start I knew I needed to be aggressive as it was going to be a fast race,” he wrote. “Just gunned it off the start and trusted my body could clear the lactate from my arms on the downhills. Felt pretty solid throughout so wasn’t a bad plan.”

    Johnsgaard explained he would have preferred striding over double pole, so considering that, he was happy with second place.

    “Of course I would have liked to be 3 seconds faster! I was being extra careful not to do any skate or step turns, perhaps too careful,” Johnsgaard wrote in an email. “I just tried to pace things right and find the fastest part of the track. I was outside the track almost the whole race.”

    For Murray, third stood as his NorAm career best.

    “At the age of 37 I guess you could say I am coming into my groove,” Murray wrote. “I was 22nd on the first lap which was a bit slower than I hoped to start.  Kevin Sandau passed me when I was on my second lap and that kicked me into gear. I have been focusing on ski marathon racing the last couple of years so I’m still figuring out the pacing for the 10 and 15km races.”

    McKeever explained that he tried to build into the race, but was missing a few gears. “[I] was overly cautious about not skating, and consequently was not aggressive enough,” he wrote in an email.

    In his first time double poling a distance race, Colin Abbott (Yukon Ski Team) in seventh (behind CNEPH’s Alex Dumas in sixth) observed that the pacing is different.

    “You don’t max out aerobically as easily so the concern for pacing is trying not to burn your arms too soon in the race,” Abbott wrote. “I went out maybe a bit faster than was ideal, and definitely slowed on the last lap but don’t think the end result would have changed much if I started slower.”

    NDC Thunder Bay athletes (in green) took second, third and fourth in the women's NorAm 5 k classic interval start, behind Sophie Carrier-Laforte (c) of the Pierre Harvey National Training Centre in first. (Photo: NDC Thunder Bay/Twitter)
    NDC Thunder Bay athletes (in green) took second, third and fourth in the women’s NorAm 5 k classic interval start, behind Sophie Carrier-Laforte (c) of the Pierre Harvey National Training Centre in first. Katharine Stewart-Jones (second from l) placed second, Alannah Maclean (second from r) with third, and Jenn Jackson (l) was fourth. Rocky Mountain Racers’ Andrea Dupont (r) placed sixth. (Photo: NDC Thunder Bay/Twitter)

    In the women’s 5 k classic race, Sophie Carrier-Laforte of the Pierre Harvey National Training Centre (CNEPH) won the two-lap race in 14:31.5, followed by U23 Development Team member Katherine Stewart-Jones (NDC Thunder Bay), 10.3 seconds back.

    Thunder Bay had two on the podium with Alannah Maclean in third, 17.9 seconds behind Carrier-Laforte, and another athlete in fourth: Jenn Jackson (+30.8)

    “I was aiming for a podium this week but didn’t expect to get it today,” Stewart-Jones wrote in an email. “It’s a very short race so I planned on going out really hard and just try to hold on to the same pace. On the first lap, I focused on skiing efficiently and then just went as hard as I possibly could on the second [lap].”

    She added that her double-pole work this summer appears to have paid off.

    While Stewart-Jones’s first lap ranked fourth and second lap was second-fastest among the women, Carrier-Laforte skied the fastest last lap. Andrea Dupont (Rocky Mountain Racers) was fastest on Lap 1, but faded on Lap 2 to place fifth (+36.0). Maclean posted the second-fastest opening lap.

    Saturday’s 10/15 k classic results: Men | Women

    Kevin Sandau (c) and his Alberta World Cup Academy teammates Knute Johnsgaard (l) and Patrick Stewart-Jones (r) placed first, second and fourth, respectively in the men's NorAm 16.5 k freestyle mass start on Dec. 6 in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Alberta World Cup Academy/Twitter)
    Kevin Sandau (c) and his Alberta World Cup Academy teammates Knute Johnsgaard (l) and Patrick Stewart-Jones (r) placed first, second and fourth, respectively in the men’s NorAm 16.5 k freestyle mass start on Dec. 6 in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Alberta World Cup Academy/Twitter)

    On Sunday, Dec. 6, Sandau repeated with a win in the second race of the season: the men’s 16.5 k freestyle mass start. The races were once again held on Canmore’s biathlon trails, this time on a 3.3 k loop.

    Sandau won it in 38:59.9, again ahead of Johnsgaard, who finished 36.6 seconds back in second. About a minute and 3 seconds behind Sandau, McKeever placed third, four-tenths of a second ahead of fourth-place finisher Patrick Stewart-Jones (AWCA).

    For Sandau, the race and the victory were even better than the day before.

    “The 15km skate played out a lot more to my strengths and really let me test out my fitness,” he wrote. “I knew before the start I just wanted to go full throttle right from the gun. It was a mass start, and there was a crazy westerly wind, so I knew this race was going to be easier to bunch up and make it harder to break away.”

    He strategized his pace changes for the bottom of the five-lap course, where there were two “decent climbs,” he explained. His fourth time around, he broke away from Johnsgaard and skied the rest of the race alone.

    “I knew once I could break away from anyone, I could really start to put some time in because they had to fight the wind just as much as I did at that point on,” Sandau wrote.

    Johnsgaard anticipated that Sandau would be the man to beat, “so the two of us started hard right out of the gate to try and lose the field as soon as possible,” Johnsgaard wrote.

    They broke away around 5 k, and while Sandau’s pace felt fast, Johnsgaard explained holding on until the last 3.3 k lap.

    “By that time I was hurting pretty bad and lost a lot of time on my last lap,” he wrote. “I thought everyone would catch back up to me but luckily we had opened up a big enough gap earlier on.”

    McKeever noted the superior shape of Sandau and Johnsgaard compared to him and the rest of the field. “It went as well as it could have,” McKeever wrote. “I played the tactics right and made the most of the day.”

    Dahria Beatty of the U23 Development Team and AWCA charged hard on the last lap of the women’s 10 k freestyle mass start to win by 8.8 seconds in in 27:07.5. Frédérique Vézina placed second and her CNEPH teammate Cendrine Browne (NST U23 Development Team) took the final podium step in third, 13.7 seconds behind Beatty. Another CNEPH skier Jaqueline Mourao, originally from Brazil, was 1.4 seconds off the podium in fourth. Mourao turns 40 later this month.

    “It’s always amazing to be able to win a race!” 21-year-old Beatty wrote in an email after her second senior NorAm victory. “I ended up leading most of the race. My original plan had been to sit back for the first lap in the pack and then if I felt strong push the long climb that was on both the second and third lap.”

    As she approached the climb on the second of three laps, she explained she tried to keep the pace high to “string out the pack.”

    “On the final lap on the same long climb I had a ski lengths gap coming off the downhill so I took advantage of that small gap and just skied as hard as I could without looking back,” Beatty wrote. “I didn’t let off at all until the final 500 meters when I finally checked to confirm the gap my coaches had been telling me I had.”

    Vézina wrote that, while she made a race plan and executed it well, mass starts are a toss up.

    “You can expect some things but at the end you can really make intelligent decisions once you are in the race,” Vézina wrote. “I’m happy with the way I managed my race.”

    Despite a broken pole at the beginning of the race and losing contact with the leaders, Browne was pleased to see where she stacked up at the start of the season.

    “You always ask yourself if you are in shape or not compared to the other skiers,” Browne wrote. “The tactics didn’t play out as planned … I was planning on leading with Dahria but it didn’t really work out because I had to make my way back to the front.”

    Sunday’s 10/16.5 k freestyle mass start results: Men | Women

    Women's Canmore NorAm classic sprint winner Dahria Beatty (AWCA/NST U23 Development Team) after her A-final victory. (Photo: CCC/Twitter)
    Women’s Canmore NorAm classic sprint winner Dahria Beatty (AWCA/NST U23 Development Team) after her A-final victory. (Photo: CCC/Twitter)

    On Tuesday, the final day of NorAm racing in Canmore, Beatty went on to win the women’s 1.5 k classic sprint final by 2.51 seconds over Browne. Earlier in the day, Browne topped the qualifier in 4:36.2, and Beatty was 6.8 seconds off the pace to qualify in fifth.

    Browne and Beatty both won their quarterfinals before facing off in the semifinal, where Browne took first by 1.62 seconds over Beatty in second. In the final, Beatty explained that for the first time in a race, she screamed in elation as she crossed the finish. It was her first senior sprint victory.

    “Going into this race I wanted to ski in the top two in all heats to avoid being stuck at the back of an accordion-effect after the herringbone climb. In all my heats I was able to do that,” she wrote. “Everyone’s skis were icing after this climb so it was easy to lose time kicking it off at the top. For the final I asked my coach to put a less sticky wax on so I would ice less and I think that made a big difference. I was still able to make it up the hills but more importantly I was able to crest the hill super aggressively on both laps, thus carrying more speed into the downhill.”

    With two big climbs separated by two downhills, Beatty explained that it made sense to push hard each time up. That made pacing simple; she simply wanted to be in front.

    “When I came down the last hill in the lead I went into sprint mode and didn’t look back,” she wrote. “I had to look at the results afterwards to realize how far behind the others were.

    Another great thing about today was the rain waited until the women’s race was over, bonus.”

    Dahria Beatty (l) and Jenn Jackson after Tuesday's NorAm classic sprint in Canmore, Alberta. Beatty won the race for her second-straight victory of the weekend, and Jackson placed third behind Cendrine Browne (not shown). (Photo: CCC/Twitter)
    Dahria Beatty (l) and Jenn Jackson after Tuesday’s NorAm classic sprint in Canmore, Alberta. Beatty won the race for her second-straight victory of the weekend, and Jackson placed third behind Cendrine Browne (not shown). (Photo: CCC/Twitter)

    Browne was pleased to win a sprint qualifier for the first time in her career and did so by four seconds over Jenn Jackson. Later in the final, she edged Jackson by 0.25 seconds for second place. Jackson was third, ahead of Andrea Dupont in fourth, Vézina in fifth, and Marie Corriveau (CNEPH/National Junior Team) in sixth.

    For Browne, 22, it was her second podium in a senior sprint.

    “In the semi final, my plan was to climb the last hill faster then Dahria so I would have more speed than her in the downhill. I had the same plan in the A final but it didn’t work out as well,” she explained. “I had a pretty high level of energy today but I still tried to manage it in the quarter final and in the semi final. … My skis were great. I had great kick and my skis were fast, and that helped me a lot.”

    Bob Thompson (Thunder Bay NDC) made the top 30 to qualify for the heats in the 1.5 k men’s sprint, but was more than 17 seconds off the pace in 20th. Johnsgaard set the time to beat in the qualifier in 3:51.05.

    In the quarterfinals, Thompson placed second to Julien Locke (Black Jack), but came back to beat Locke in the semifinal by 0.15 seconds. Thompson went on to win the men’s final by 1.24 seconds over Patrick Stewart-Jones.

    Cendrine Browne (CNEPH) edges Jenn Jackson (NDC Thunder Bay) for second in the women's NorAm classic sprint final. (Photo: CCC/Twitter)
    Cendrine Browne (CNEPH) edges Jenn Jackson (NDC Thunder Bay) for second in the women’s NorAm classic sprint final. (Photo: CCC/Twitter)

    “Definitely great to finish the day and the weekend with a win, seems I’m becoming notorious for coming off a poor qualifier and then figuring things out in the heats,” Thompson wrote in an email.

    After the quarterfinal, he switched from grip skis to zeros/rub skis, he wrote, “and they made a huge difference.

    “I definitely let my skis do a bit of work so I tried to keep the first lap in control and just keep a solid position in second or third and then just make sure to stay close over the top into the downhill to get the draft,” he added. “Tough day to try and lead into the downhill and finish.”

    “Bob was really strong in the finish today and I have to accept that,” Stewart-Jones wrote. “The final was a little bizarre because the pace started out fast, but then on the top of the climb on the second lap it slowed right down because it was so narrow and no one could get by the leader. The pack bunched right up and from there on it was pretty much a 6 way drag race to the finish.”

    Andy Shields (NDC Thunder Bay) placed third, 1.35 behind Thompson. Sandau was fourth, Locke fifth and Johnsgaard sixth.

    “The classic sprint was a big turnaround from how I was skiing on the weekend,” Shields wrote. “Distance skiing so far this year has felt terrible. Luckily my sprinting pep is still strong. I went on wax for the quarter and it was unbelievably fast.”

    With wet snow and rain before his semifinal, Shields switched to zeros, “which had crazy grip but lacked a bit in glide,” he wrote. “The techs were able to tune my zeros for the final. … Happy with now having NorAm podiums in both skate and classic sprinting, as well as podiums in both skate and classic distance.”

    Tuesday’s classic sprint results: Overall | Qualifying

  • Emily Nishikawa, Cockney Canadian National Champs in Classic Races

    Emily Nishikawa, Cockney Canadian National Champs in Classic Races

    The senior women’s 5 k classic interval start podium on Sunday at Canadian Nationals with winner Emily Nishikawa (AWCA/NST), Dasha Gaiazova (NST) in second and Amanda Ammar (Team Ninja) in third. (Photo: Cross Country Canada)
    The senior women’s 5 k classic interval start podium on Sunday at Canadian Nationals with winner Emily Nishikawa (AWCA/NST), Dasha Gaiazova (NST) in second and Amanda Ammar (Team Ninja) in third. (Photo: Cross Country Canada)

    CORNER BROOK, Newfoundland — The 2014 Canadian Ski Nationals started Saturday, March 15, with the classic team sprints. This year the five races, held over the course of a week, are at Blow Me Down Trails in Newfoundland.

    Sunday’s races were the 5- and 10-kilometer classic interval starts. Talking to the skiers afterwards, the big thing that defined this day of competition was adversity, particularly evident in the snow conditions. The race was really hard to wax for — with some skiers opting for klister, some hardwax and others going with zeros.

    But even with this much variation in what people were going with for grip, it seems that nobody really found the perfect set up. Pretty quickly, herringbone washed out the tracks and it turned into a competition of who could double pole the most.

    With steep hills, sketchy weather and limited grip, this was one of those races where the winner is the one who stays positive and adapts to the conditions rather than fight them.

    Here are Sunday’s champions:

    Senior Men: Jess Cockney

    Jess Cockney racing to his second-straight win at 2014 Canadian Nationals in the 5 k classic interval start on Sunday at Blow Me Down Trails in Newfoundland.
    Jess Cockney (r) racing to his second-straight win at 2014 Canadian Nationals in the 5 k classic interval start on Sunday at Blow Me Down Trails in Newfoundland.

    In the North-American skiing world, Jess Cockney, winner of the men’s 10 k classic, doesn’t really need an introduction. For those living under a rock (or a lot of snow), he trains out of Canmore with the Alberta World Cup Academy (AWCA) and National Senior Development Team (NST) and just returned from his first Olympics at the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

    1. Something about Jess that doesn’t have to do with skiing: “I run a fantasy football league through the NFL season. 2012 League Champion!”
    2. Was there anything in particular training-wise that you did this past summer that really contributed to your performance today? “I double poled most of today’s race so all the strength work and long double pole sessions really helped with today.”
    3. Was there any aspect — positive, negative or otherwise — that stood out about today’s race? “I had a ton of fun yesterday and today and had great feelings in the races so I’ll just try to keep the fun going for the rest of the week!”

    Senior Men’s 10 k Classic Top 10

    1. Jesse Cockney (AWCA/NST) 27:38.1

    2. Kevin Sandau (AWCA/NST) +1.1

    3. Knute Johnsgaard (Yukon Elite) +10.0

    4. Colin Abbott (Yukon Elite) +25.5

    5. Frédéric Touchette  (Laval) +35.7

    6. Michael Somppi (AWCA/NST) +40.1

    7. Raphaël Couturier (CNEPH/NST) +42.7

    8. Russell Kennedy (AWCA) +43.7

    9. Graeme Killick (AWCA/NST) +49.0

    10. Bob Thompson (NDC Thunder Bay) +1:15.4

    Senior Women: Emily Nishikawa

    Like Cockney, Nishikawa doesn’t need much of an introduction. She also won her first title of the week in the team sprint and trains with the AWCA and NST and is just back from representing the red maple leaf at her first Olympics.

    1. Something about Emily that doesn’t have to do with skiing: “I used to be a competitive gymnast. My best result was winning the Jurassic Classic when I was 11!”
    2. Was there anything in particular training-wise that you did this past summer that really contributed to your performance today? “I’ve been working really hard all year, and other than that one cold I’ve been healthy all year. I think that contributed to today’s performance.”
    3. Was there any aspect — positive, negative or otherwise — that stood out about today’s race? “Today’s race was really fun, with tricky conditions. I was happy to make the skis work as best I could. This is my first time in Newfoundland and I am so excited to be here!”

    Senior Women’s 5 k Classic Top 10

    1. Emily Nishikawa (AWCA/NST) 14:54.5

    2. Dasha Gaiazova (World Cup Team) +1.6

    3. Amanda Ammar (Team Ninja)+27.3

    4. Perianne Jones (World Cup Team) +38.2

    5. Kendra Murray (Carleton) +1:03.9

    6. Heidi Widmer (AWCA/NST) +1:06.7

    7. Alysson Marshall (AWCA/NST) +1:10.1

    8. Erin Tribe (NDC Thunder Bay) +1:16.2

    9. Alannah Maclean (NDC Thunder Bay) +1:21.9

    10. Chisa Obayashi (Madshus Japan) +1:26.9

    Junior Men: Scott Hill

    The junior men's podium in the classic interval start at 2014 Canadian Nationals, with winner Scott Hill (NDC Thunder Bay).
    The junior men’s podium in the classic interval start at 2014 Canadian Nationals, with winner Scott Hill (NDC Thunder Bay), Colin Foley (CVTC) in second and Alexis Dumas (QC ST) in third. (Photo: Cross Country Canada)

    An Ontario native and member of NDC Thunder Bay and National Junior Team, Hill took gold in the junior men’s 10 k race.

    1. Something about Scott that doesn’t really have to do with skiing: “My younger self’s goal was to play in the NBA–and be a part time ski-racer.”
    2. Was there anything in particular training-wise that you did this past summer that really contributed to your performance today? “I became an overall-better runner this year completing many running workouts.”
    3. Was there any aspect — positive, negative or otherwise — that stood out about today’s race? “Going into the race I was prepared to not have the best wax. I knew that wax was going to be an issue for everyone and that I could still do well as long as I didn’t let the conditions get to me.”

    Junior Men’s 10 k Classic Top 10

    1. Scott Hill (NDC Thunder Bay/NST) 28:48.9

    2. Colin Foley (CVTC) +27.6

    3. Alexis Dumas (QC ST) +34.7

    4. Evan Palmer-Charrette (NDC Thunder Bay/NST) +46.3

    5. Julien Lamoureux (Cégep Édouard-Montpetit) +46.8

    6. Nicholas Pigeon (Skinouk) +1:15.4

    7. Benjamin Wilkinson-Zan (NDC Thunder Bay/NST) +1:20.6

    8. Conor Thompson (Cégep Édouard-Montpetit) +1:29.1

    9. Frédéric Samson (Skibec) +1:54.9

    10. Gavin Shields (OST) +1:58

    Junior Women: Dahria Beatty

    Dahria Beatty racing to a junior title in the 5 k classic interval start on Sunday at 2014 Canadian Nationals in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.
    Dahria Beatty racing to a junior title in the 5 k classic interval start on Sunday at 2014 Canadian Nationals in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.

    Two days after teaming up with Nishikawa to win the classic team sprint, Beatty, of the AWCA and Junior National Team member, took top spot on the podium in the junior women’s 5 k race.

    Originally from the Yukon, she spends her offseason in Canmore training with the AWCA. This year she’s seen some solid results in the European race scene, both at Junior World Championships and on the Scandinavian Cup B-Tour.

    1. Something about Dahria that doesn’t have to do with skiing: “I have a tendency to impulse buy plaid shirts.”
    2. Was there anything in particular training-wise that you did this past summer that really contributed to your performance today? “To be honest I really think it was all the time I spent walking Loki, the Davies’ family dog, (with whom I live). It really adds up and my competitors just can’t match it. “
    3. Was there any aspect — positive, negative or otherwise — that stood out about today’s race? “The conditions today were pretty interesting and very similar to the ones I had in Europe racing at World Juniors and on the B Tour. This made it very advantageous to me, using what I learned over there I knew what was necessary in order to have the race I wanted. It was also super cool to be so close to World Cup skiers and it is very motivating for the future.”

    Junior Women’s 5 k Classic Sprint Top 10

    1. Dahria Beatty (AWCA/NST) 15:35.3

    2. Katherine Stewart-Jones (QC ST/NST) +22.9

    3. Annah Hanthorn (YTST) +54.4

    4. Sophie Carrier-Laforte (Skinouk) +56.9

    5. Maya Macisaac-Jones (CNEPH/NST) +1:02.8

    6. Jennifer Jackson (NDC Thunder Bay/NST) +1:17.6

    7. Frédérique Vézina (CNEPH/NST) +1:22.6

    8. Anne-Marie Comeau (CNEPH/NST) +1:26.7

    9. Emilie Stewart-Jones (Nordique) +1:27.4

    10. Alexandra Slobodian (Carleton) +1:46.3

    Complete results

    ***

    About the Author: A Canadian cross-country ski racer with the Alberta World Cup Academy, Zeke spends most of his time in Canmore, Alberta, but calls Cantley, Quebec, his home. He thinks that you can learn a lot about a person from their goals — his is to ski really fast on the Winter Olympic race course in 2018. Unfortunately he is not competing at 2014 Canadian Nationals on account of an injury. Check out his blog: zekewilliams1.blogspot.ca.

     

  • Junior Nationals: Top-10 Recognition

    Junior Nationals: Top-10 Recognition

    Tara Humphries (Bates College/New England) racing to a victory at 2014 Junior Nationals in the women's 5 k classic individual start on Monday at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vt.
    Tara Humphries (Bates College/New England) racing to a victory at 2014 Junior Nationals in the women’s 5 k classic individual start on Monday at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vt.

    FasterSkier’s coverage is made possible through the generous support of Madshus.

    STOWE, Vt. — Giving a little recognition where it’s due, here’s a look at the top-10 skiers in each of Monday’s classic individual starts on Day 1 of U.S. Junior Nationals. Classic sprints kick off today with qualifiers at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time; heats start at 1 p.m. Follow FasterSkier on Twitter and Instagram, as well as the 2014 Junior Nationals website for updates.

     

    U16 Men’s 5 k

    1. Zach Williams, 14 (Sun Valley/Intermountain)
    2. Hunter Wonders, 15 (Alaska Pacific University/Alaska)
    3. Forrest Hamilton, 15 (Mansfield/New England)
    4. Peter Wolter, 15 (Sun Valley/Intermountain)
    5. Leo Lukens, 15 (Mt. Bachelor/Pacific Northwest)
    6. Adam Glueck, 14 (Ford Sayre/New England)
    7. Daniel Streinz, 15 (Maine WSC/New England)
    8. Will Balcao, 15 (Alaska Winter Stars/Alaska)
    9. River Vorse, 15 (Sun Valley/Intermountain)
    10. Russell Boswell, 14 (Stratton/New England)

    Fun Fact: Williams won by exactly 7 seconds and led four Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation juniors in the top 12 of his race.

     

    U18 Men’s 10 k 

    1. Peter Holmes, 17 (Unleashed Coaching/Far West)
    2. Zak Ketterson, 16 (Loppet Nordic Racing/Midwest)
    3. Ian Torchia, 17 (LNR/Midwest)
    4. Lars Hannah, 17 (Steamboat Springs/Rocky Mountain)
    5. Paolo Takagi-Atilano, 16 (Boulder/Rocky Mountain)
    6. Ben Hegman, 17 (Mansfield/New England)
    7. Braden Becker, 17 (Maine WSC/New England)
    8. Gavin McEwen, 16 (Cambridge Sports Union/New England)
    9. Thomas O’Harra, 17 (APU/Alaska)
    10. Nick Gardener, 17 (Endurance United/Midwest)

    Fun Fact: According to fifth-place finisher Paolo Takagi-Atilano’s profile on the National Nordic Foundation website, his name is pronounced “Pow’-loh” and he’s fine with people calling him by his first name “because who wants to deal with Takagi-Atilano?”

     

    U20 Men’s 10 k 

    1. Cole Morgan, 19 (University of Vermont/New England)
    2. Fabian Stocek, 19 (Holderness School/GST)
    3. Jack Hegman, 19 (UVM/New England)
    4. Oscar Friedman, 19 (Dartmouth/Rocky Mountain)
    5. Haakon Sigurslid, 18 (Durango/Rocky Mountain)
    6. Patrick McElravey, 19 (Middlebury/Far West)
    7. Mathew Nichols, 19 (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay/Midwest)
    8. Sam Elfstrom, 19 (Northern Michigan University/Midwest)
    9. Jack Schrupp, 18 (Gunstock/New England)
    10. Blaine Ayotte, 18 (St. Lawrence University/New England)

    Fun Fact: Morgan, a college sophomore from Bozeman, Mont., won by more than 35 seconds.

     

    U16 Women’s 5 k

    1. Hailey Swirbul, 15 (Aspen/Rocky Mountain)
    2. Leah Lange, 15 (Park City/Intermountain)
    3. Hannah Halvorsen, 15 (Sugar Bowl/Far West)
    4. Leah Brams, 15 (CSU/New England)
    5. Amanda Kautzer, 15 (LNR/Midwest)
    6. Hannah Rudd, 15 (LNR/Midwest)
    7. Kathleen O’Connell, 15 (Steamboat Springs/Rocky Mountain)
    8. Lydia Youkey, 14 (Leavenworth/Pacific Northwest)
    9. Lizzie Larkins, 15 (Auburn/Far West)
    10. Claire Benton, 15 (LNR/Midwest)

    Fun Fact: Swirbul won her first national title by nearly 15 seconds. In January at the U.S. Cross Country Championships in Midway, Utah, she placed second in the junior 5 k freestyle mass start.

     

    U18 Women’s 5 k 

    1. Katharine Ogden, 16 (Stratton/New England)
    2. Vivian Hett, 17 (LNR/Midwest)
    3. Gretchen Burkholder, 17 (Steamboat Springs/Rocky Mountain)
    4. Julia Kern, 16 (CSU/New England)
    5. Hannah Peterson, 17 (Durango/Rocky Mountain)
    6. Racquel Wohlk, 16 (Nordicwerks/Midwest)
    7. Mattie Watts, 17 (Endurance United/Midwest)
    8. Emily Hyde, 17 (Mt. Bachelor/Pacific Northwest)
    9. Zoe Snow, 17 (CSU/New England)
    10. Sarrissa Lammers, 17 (Alaska Nordic Racing/Alaska)

    Fun Fact: Ogden was the fastest overall in the U18/U20 women’s 5 k, edging Hett by 2.3 seconds. It is her second national title after winning the junior 5 k freestyle mass start at U.S. Cross Country Championships in January.

     

    U20 Women’s 5 k

    1. Tara Humphries, 18 (Bates College/New England)
    2. Hannah Benson, 18 (Williams Outing Club/New England)
    3. Sadie James, 18 (Bates/New England)
    4. Ulrika Axelsson, 19 (Michigan Tech/GST)
    5. Maddy Pfeifer, 19 (Andover Outing Club/New England)
    6. Kelsey Phinney, 19 (New England)
    7. Heidi Halvorsen, 18 (New England)
    8. Nora Gilbertson, 19 (St. Olaf College/Midwest)
    9. Maggie Williams, 18 (Sun Valley/Intermountain)
    10. Kristin Bourne, 18 (NMU/Midwest)

    Fun Facts: Two Bates skiers shared the podium, and Axelsson, a college freshman from Sweden, was just 0.6 seconds from third in fourth.