Full-time student Jess Cockney was happy to win again in Canmore. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
The NorAm series fully lived up to the North American Cup label in Canmore Friday with 1.3km free technique sprints to kick off a combined NorAm, SuperTour, and Mexican National Championships weekend.
Full results for the weekend are on zone4, including live results every day. Friday featured sprints for the older age groups only (282 racers): Saturday is interval start classic, and Sunday’s race an interval start free.
Before the races, there was chatter about the importance of increasing the level of competition and a dash of fear that the American visitors would school the host country. The competition level was up and fear was not needed this day. The open women’s final featured two Germans, two Canadians, and two Americans before the open men’s final skewed Canadian. (Heat brackets and final results.)
Julia Richter takes the win ahead of Katherine Stewart-Jones and Katharine Ogden. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
There are a few race videos in @NordiqCanada’s Instagram story.
Nordiq Canada’s new Events Coordinator Jeff Ellis took time from his Race Director role to shoot video interviews with the top athletes, including the first ever Mexican National Champion Rodrigo Rangel Fernandez. Edited versions of some of these interviews are also on @NordiqCanada’s Instagram.
University of Utah’s Julia Richter won the qualifier and all the heats to take the win in 3:10.52, 0.08 seconds ahead of the national team’s Katherine Stewart-Jones and 0.63 seconds clear of Dartmouth’s Katharine Ogden.
Full-time student Jess Cockney (Team ULLR) turned in another solid sprint performance at home, winning the men’s final in 2:46.18, over two seconds ahead of SVSEF Gold Team’s Peter Holmes and Canadian National Team member Graham Ritchie.
National team junior Anna Pryce qualified 4th overall before winning all her heats. She finished the 1.3km final in 3:18.40, 0.38 seconds ahead of AWCA’s Elizabeth Elliott and 0.43 seconds from CNEPH’s Liliane Gagnon. Seventy-three U20 women competed, making that cohort the largest age group.
Xavier McKeever (Team ULLR, CNST) won the U20 sprint after qualifying 20th overall. His 2:42.02 bested Telemark’s Ian Williams by 0.85 seconds and ULLR teammate Joe Davies by 5.30 seconds.
The first Mexican National Championship sprint featured four athletes. Rangel Fernandez won comfortably in 3:37.33, completing a major step forward for the federation in Mexico. Vadovų paieška, personalo atranka, mokymai vadovams ir darbuotojų paieška primumesse.lt
Canmore-based photographer Doug Stephen was in the thick of the action. Athletes can use full-resolution photos from his gallery if they credit ‘Doug Stephen’ or @vr45photography.
Katherine Stewart-Jones leads BSF’s Erika Flowers in the quarter final. (Photo:Doug Stephen)
The U20 World Juniors 4 x 5 k relay first place team from the U.S, (l-r) Johnny Hagenbuch, Ben Ogden, Luke Jager, and Gus Schumacher. (Photo: JWSC2019 / Mikaela Takala)
2019 U23 World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland 4 x 3 k and 4x 5 k relay
In a historic first for the U.S., the U20 men’s team won the 4 x 5-kilometer relay today in Lahti, Finland at the 2019 World Junior Ski Championships. Luke Jager skied the first classic leg for the U.S., Ben Ogden skied the second classic, Johnny Hagenbuch skied the first initial skate leg and Gus Schumacher raced the anchor leg.
The foursome won in a time of 45:34.7 minutes, and beat second-place Russia by 3.8 seconds.
Russia’s team was comprised of Egor Trefilov, Andrey Kuznetsov, Yaroslav Egoshin, and Alexander Terentev.
Germany’s team of Jakob Milz, Florian Knopf, Anian Sossau, and Friedrich Moch took third finishing 6.3 seconds behind.
For Canada, Remi Drolet , Sam Hendry, Xavier McKeever, and Thomas Stephen skied to 11th (+2:29.7).
In the 4 x 3.3 k U20 women’s race, Norway’s Kristin Austgulen Fosnaes, Astrid Stav, Helene Marie Fossesholm, and Kristine Stavås Skistad won at the line in 35:24.7 minutes.
Russia’s Anastasia Faleeva, Kristina Kuskova, Veronika Stepanova, and Anna Grukhvina were a close second, stopping the clock 1.0 seconds back.
Louise Lindström, Frida Karlsson, Tilde Baangman, and Lin Svahn for Sweden placed third (+33.3).
The U.S. team of Mara McCollor, Kendall Kramer, Sydney Palmer-Leger and Novie McCabe skied to fourth place, 40.5 seconds back.
For Canada, Anne-Marie Petitclerc, Jasmine Drolet, Anna Pryce, and Molly Miller placed 11th, 3:01.4 minutes behind.
FIS Cross Country World Cup Ulricehamn, Sweden 10/15 k freestyle
In what is his skiing canvas, the 15 k freestyle, France’s thirty-two-year-old Maurice Manificat won his first World Cup of the season in Ulricehamn, Sweden today in 34:55.4 minutes. It was a tight race in that Norway’s Simen Hegstad Krüger Simen Hegstad Krüger who placed second finished 1.1 seconds back. Teammate Didrik Tønseth was third (+8.7).
Canada’s Alex Harvey was the best placed North American in ninth (+31.4). Lenny Valjas skied to 57th (+2:32.1), and Bob Thompson 77th (+4:16.6).
For the U.S., Scott Patterson finished 35th (+1:26.5), David Norris 53rd (+2:11.3), Ben Lustgarten 64th (+3:04.7).
Norway’s Therese Johaug kept her distance win streak alive at eight wins in eight starts on the World Cup this season. She won the women’s 10 k skate race in 25:48.2 minutes, with teammate Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen in second, 22.8 seconds back. Third place went to Sweden’s Ebba Andersson, 24.9 seconds behind.
The U.S. Ski Team’s Jessie Diggins skied to fourth place (+38.3), while teammate Sadie Bjornsen was 15th (+1:25.1). Caitlin Paterson (CGRP) had her best World Cup result of the season, skiing to 23rd (+1:49.9). Rosie Brennan (APU) placed 28th (+2:03.2), and Rosie Frankowski 42nd (+2:28.0).
Dahria Beatty was the only Canadian entered. She finished 56th (+3:54.7).
In the women’s 10 k pursuit, Italy’s Dorothea Wierer won in a time of 29:20.1 after skiing two penalties (1+0+0+1). Second place went to Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier, who finished 6.0 seconds after Wierer after one missed shot (0+0+1+0). Saturday’s third place went to another Italian, Lisa Vittozzi, who finished 16.2 seconds behind the winner after tying Wierer’s shooting score.
Clare Egan led the way for the U.S., racing to 11th (+1:31.9) after skiing two penalties (0+0+0+2).
“I’m really happy with my race today,” Egan wrote in an email. “The wind and altitude are always a challenge here, but I took my time on the range and capitalized on the fast glide of my skis to save energy on course. I made a costly and dumb mistake on my last shot but still came away with my second-best career result. I’ll take what I learned from today and go for it again tomorrow in the mass start! Can’t wait!”
Joanna Reid was the next American to finish, placing 29th (+2:55.2) after three missed shots (1+0+0+2).
For Canada, Rosanna Crawford finished 34th (+3:30.8) after skiing five penalties (2+1+1+1) and her teammate Megan Bankes finished 39th (+3:37.1) with five misses (1+0+3+1). Also skiing for Canada, Sarah Beaudry placed 46th (+5:07.5), also with five penalties (4+0+1+0).
In the men’s 12.5 k pursuit, Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Bø
won in a time of 31:33.7 after skiing three penalties (1+1+0+1). France’s Antonin Guigonnat raced to second place, 34.8 seconds behind with one missed shot (0+0+1+0). The third and final podium spot on Saturday went to France’s Quentin Fillon Maillet, who skied two penalties (1+0+0+1) and finished 40.6 seconds back from the winning time.
Sean Doherty for the U.S. placed 47th (+4:39.1, 3+2+1+0). Jake Brown was lapped and was not given an official time.
For Canada, Jules Burnotte skied to 54th (+5:42.8, 1+3+1+1), and Scott Gow 55th (+6:39.7, 4+0+2+3).
Canada’s Antoine Briand (CNEPH) was the fastest qualifier on the day in 3:14.71 minutes and won the men’s final. Dominique Moncion-Groulx (Nakkertok) placed second in the final, with Ben Saxton (SMS T2) in third.
Saxton was the second fastest qualifier, with Oliver Hamel (CNEPH) third fastest.
For the women, Sophie Caldwell (USST/SMS T2) scorched the qualifier in 3:40.44 minutes with Jessica Yeaton (APU/Australian National Team) qualifying in second (3:50.49). Dartmouth’s Katharine Ogden qualified third (3:51.79).
Caldwell went on to win the final in 3:37.06, with Yeaton in second and Kelsey Phinney (SMS T2) in third.
Gus Schumacher leading the pack with teammate Ben Ogden (pink hat) and Canada’s Sam Hendry (left) in the draft — during the U20 30 k classic mass start at World Juniors in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
The mass start classic races for the U20 athletes at the 2019 World Junior World Ski Championships dawned on another crisp, bordering on a frigid day in Lahti, Finland. A scroll through the results makes clear the day was strong for North Americans as the U20 men raced a 30-kilometer classic mass start, the women a 15 k classic mass start.
In the men’s race, the six laps around the 5 k course which climbed a total of 193 meters each circuit, the top-15 skiers were separated by 17 seconds at the finish. The tight front-pack racing meant there were moments when the U.S. sported four skiers pacing the sharp end of the race.
Gus Schumacher skiing for the U.S. placed fourth in a four-skier sprint at the line to finish 0.7 seconds behind the winner Luca DelFabbro of Italy. Del Fabbro won in a time of 1:15:16.7 hours. Norway’s Haavard Moseby placed second (+0.4), and Switzerland’s Cyril Faehndrich third (+0.5).
On the far left, Gus Schumacher in the podium mix down the stretch in the U20 30 k classic mass start at World Juniors in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Canada’s Remi Drolet skied to seventh overall 6.4 seconds back.
“Going into the race, the strategy was to stay relaxed and save as much energy as possible over the thirty kilometres,” Drolet emailed. “The plan was to get near the front, avoid mishaps, and be ready for when the speed increased and the pack was strung out.”
Actualizing the strategy in terms of mishaps was another story on Drolet’s journey to seventh place.
“Overall, I am very happy with how I skied today,” Drolet continued. “I executed my plan quite well and was able to stay calm and ski well even when I was involved in a collision and lost both of my skis. I had a lot of fun out there, and it was incredible to race against the best juniors in the world in some of the best conditions for classic skiing.
“Going into the championships and into this race, I was really hoping to achieve a top 10 result. In the first two races, I had decent results but was not quite there. It was encouraging, however, that I was improving everyday, and the second half of the skate race was quite good for me. I also knew that the 30-kilometre classic race would likely be my best, and I showed up to the start line ready to leave everything I had out on the track. It certainly felt great when I crossed the finish line knowing I had achieved this goal!”
Canada’s Remi Drolet after his seventh place in the U20 30 k classic mass start at World Juniors in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
For the U.S., Ben Ogden finished 10th (+9.0), Luke Jager 13th (+14.9), and Johnny Hagenbuch 17th (+25.6).
Sam Hendry of Canada raced to 20th (+44.6), Tom Stephen, at sixteen years old placed, 23rd (+1:07.3), and Pierrick Sarthou 46th (+6:32.2).
Start of the U20 Worlds 15 k classic mass start in Lahti, Finland. The winner Frida Karlsson is in bib 1. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Sweden’s nineteen-year-old Frida Karlsson won the U20 women’s 15 k classic mass start race in a time of 40:45.3 minutes. Helene Marie Fossesholm of Norway was second (+52.1), and Finland’s Anita Korva was third (+58.1).
This was Karlsson’s second win of these championships after taking the U20 5 k skate race on Tuesday. Karlsson was also the fastest qualifier in last Sunday’s classic sprint – she placed fifth overall.
Kendall Kramer, a sixteen-year-old U18 skier for the U.S. was the top-North American in the U20 women’s race placing fourth (+1:30.7).
In perhaps the most earnest and down-to-earth post-race comment FasterSkier has received to date (Kendell’s comments were handwritten), the sixteen year old from Fairbanks, AK. explained the 15 k mass start was a new venture which suited her skiing style.
“This was my first 15 k I’ve ever done so going into the race I was extremely clueless and nervous about feeds, how aggressive the Scandos would be, how to race etc… but I think the slip-free kick job the techs gave me and my knack for throwing elbows and maintaining my spot which really aided me staying out of trouble early on, which set me up for a comfortable position to ride my 4th place into the finish,” Kendall wrote about her race experience.
Kendall Kramer on her way to fourth place in the U20 15 k classic mass start at World Juniors in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Kramer’s keen eye during the race played into her in-the-moment decision making when it came to how to ski the course.
“It was all hills and with the slow snow the flats weren’t even flats. I mostly decided to how to take every part of the course by seeing how the older girls in front of me reacted to it,” wrote Kendall.
U.S. teammate Novie McCabe at 17 years old is a U18 skier skiing up at these Junior Worlds. McCabe finished 10th (+2:19.0) after starting the day in bib 71, way back in the pack of seventy starters. (One skier did not start.)
“Starting in the back was definitely a bit of a challenge,” McCabe told FasterSkier in the mixed zone. “I thought of it as I had to be patient for sure at the start. But it was also better than I thought it would be going up that first hill. I was able to hop in the outside and get up right out of the start and seeing more numbers in the 30s and 40’s and so I was like ‘oh, that wasn’t that bad’. I kept on trying to work my up and trying to stay calm and patient. There were a few crashes and some of the front girls came back. I ended up skiing in a group with one of the girls who ended up crashing and I tried to hang with her.
The U20 women’s 15 k classic mass start at the Junior World Championships in Lahti, Finland. Way way back, bib 71, that’s Novie McCabe. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
“The group got smaller and I knew it was sixth through 12th I think, and I just tried to hang in there. My skis were really fast and I had really good kick so that was really helpful. I just tried to hang in there on the hills and get the best rest that I could. Then on the last part I was trying to hang with the girl ahead of me and I ended up crashing on the last corner, but it was really quick and I just tried to hop up and tuck in behind the ninth-place girl, and ended up hanging in there and finishing 10, it as a really fun race.”
Novie McCabe (bib 71) on her way to 10th place in the U20 15 k classic mass start at World Juniors in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
For the U.S., Mara McCollor finished 24th (+3:58.3), and Sophie Mazzoni 48th (+6:19.9).
Jasmine Drolet was the top Canadian finisher in 36th (+4:51.4), followed by Anne-Marie Petitclerc in 40th (+5:07.6), and Anna Pryce in 46th (+6:07.2).
Gus Schumacher skiing to sixth place in the U20 10 k skate during the 2019 Junior Worlds in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen).
FIS Junior World Ski Championships Lahti, Finland 5 k/10k Freestyle Interval Start
Tuesday in Lahti, Finland was as Finland should be: squeaky-snow-cold and cross-country ski racing on offer.
Eighteen-year-old Gus Schumacher broke through for the U.S. and placed sixth overall in the U20 men’s 10-kilometer freestyle. Schumacher was the 95th starter of 102 finishers on the day. His sixth place finish was consistent with his 1.1k, 5k, and 6.6k splits where he was ranked 5th, 6th, and 7th respectively. Schumacher stopped the clock in 23:19.3 minutes, 44.4 seconds behind the winning mark.
The Lahti championships are Schumacher’s second Junior Worlds. His sixth place is his best individual result. He was part of the second place 4 x 5 k U20 relay last year in Goms, Switzerland.
“I was most nervous about hitting it right and doing the right pacing and making sure I can have the best race that know I can,” Schumacher told FasterSkier over the phone. “I approached it as just a new race almost. We have done a fair amount of watching old world cups and world championships that were on the exact same courses here. It was definitely hard to reflect on that because none of them were exactly 10 k. And obviously those athletes are quite a bit stronger than we are. And the snow is different.”
Schumacher extracted what he needed from the videos. Imprinted in his mind before his 10 k start were enough visuals to quell the nerves and provide a path to fast clean skiing.
“We watched that and I felt like I got an idea for what the body movements looked like of those guys,” Schumacher said. “I thought about how that would feel for me and I thought about the other middle distance skate races I have done this year –which is actually a fair amount between early season time trials.”
Schumacher executed his plan. He dialed back the initial effort, stayed in control, and systematically revved the engine.
“I went out and tried for at least the first five minutes to go a little easier, because I think that is the high risk time, the very beginning,” said Schumacher. “I tried to go out and keep it consistent and as I started to get into it, I started to ramp it up a little more and really try to make the most of the recovery. Which wasn’t a lot, but enough that I could put my head in between my knees on the downhill and I could tell myself that 15 seconds of high speed downhill is helping me. And I could get my breath down a little bit and I was ready for the next hill.”
His run at the podium came up just 17 seconds short. But with his plan executed, the Anchorage based skier had no regrets when reflecting on Tuesday’s race effort.
“I definitely wanted to be top-10, but I felt like and still feel like a medal is in sight,” Schumacher said. At 18, he still has one more year of eligibility in the U20 ranks.
“For sure satisfied with this race, it felt like a good result and it was one of my better races. And I am happy with how it played out and also thinking about how I can hit the 30 k and do the most I can do.”
France’s Jules Chappaz won the race in a time of 22:34.9 after skiing the fastest splits at 5 k and 6.1 k. Sunday’s classic sprint winner, Russia’s Alexander Terentev, placed second (+21.0), and Norway’s Iver Tildheim Andersen in third (+27.2).
Canada placed two skiers in the top-31. Remi Drolet finished in 20th (+1:14), Samuel Gary Hendry 21st (+1:15.9), Thomas Stephen 31st (+1:36.8). Xavier McKeever skied to 44th (+2:04.6).
For the U.S., Zanden McMullen placed 32nd (+1:40.6), Johnny Hagenbuch 34th (+1:46.3), and Noel Keeffe 58th (+2:45.7).
Sweden’s Frida Karlsson winning the U20 5 k skate at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Sweden’s Frida Karlsson won the U20 5 k skate in 12:50.6 minutes. Norway’s Helene Marie Fossesholm placed second 11 seconds back, with Finland’s Anita Korva in third (+19.8).
“It was fun to ski today. I just wanted to have my revenge”, Karlsson told race organizers after the race. Karlsson had qualified first on Sunday’s U20 classic sprint but placed fifth in the overall.
U.S. skier Kendall Kramer post U20 5 k skate at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
The best placed North American was U.S. skier Kendall Kramer who finished in 15th (+55.6) place. Also for the U.S., Sydney Palmer-Leger was 20th (+1:04.9), Novie McCabe 29th (+1:20.8), and Waverly Gebhardt 65th (+2:28.8).
Canada’s Anna Pryce (bib 22) and Jasmine Drolet (bib 20) finishing the U20 5 k skate at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Anna Pryce was the top Canadian in 43rd (+1:36.5). Teammates Molly Miller skied to 50th (+1:52.9), Isobel Hendry 58th (+1:57.1), and Jasmine Drolet 67th (+2:35.7).
In stadium sprint viewing at the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Images from the U20 women’s 1.4-kilometer classic sprint from the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (U.S. in white/blue, Canada in red/black.)
Mara McCollor during the 1.4 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Sophia Mazzoni during the 1.4 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Anna Pryce during the 1.4 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Molly Miller during the 1.4 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Isobel Hendry during the 1.4 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Waverly Gebhardt during the 1.4 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Images from the U20 men’s 1.4-kilometer classic sprint from the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (U.S. in white/blue, Canada in red/black.)
Pierrick Sarthou during the 1.6 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Remi Drolet during the 1.6 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Xavier McKeever during the 1.6 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Thomas Stephen during the 1.6 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Luke Jager checking results during the sprint 1.6 k classic sprint at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Bend Ogden during the 1.6 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Gus Schumacher during the 1.6 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Russia’s Alexander Terentev wins the 1.6 k classic sprint final at the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Noel Keeffe during the 1.6 k classic sprint qualifier at Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Noel Keeffe, pictured above (left), placed 12th overall for the U.S. in the U20 men’s field. He is currently enrolled at the University of Utah where is also a member of the cross-country ski team. Keeffe grew up skiing with the Steamboat Winter Sports Club. He earned his first U.S. National’s podium recently in the skate sprint.
“The sprint race was a tough one,” Keeffe wrote in an email explaining his U20 Worlds experience. “The course was super challenging because of a pretty large sustained hill right out of the start. I believe it was one of the hardest courses I have ever raced.
“I am super stoked with my performance and the performance of the team. We were one of the best nation’s out there. It’s pretty cool when the top skiers from every nation start watching out for the kids in the red, white, and blue.”
Noel Keeffe (bib 15) showing here in his quarterfinal why time is what you make of it. Keeffe placed 12th overall in Sunday’s classic sprint at the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Sunday featured the first day of racing at the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. To kick things off at the crown jewel of Finnish ski venues was the U20 classic sprint. The men raced a 1.6-kilometer loop, the women a 1.4 k course.
Several North American males qualified for the heats after Russia’s Alexander Terentev qualified first in a time of 3:28.74 minutes.
Ben Ogden (bib 3), skiing for the U.S. at the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. Ogden placed 8th overall. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
For the U.S. all four athletes entered in the race advanced to the heats. Ben Ogden qualified in third (3:36.94), Gus Schumacher 12th (3:40.80), Noel Keeffe 15th (3:41.56), and Luke Jager 20th (3:42.27).
Remi Drolet of Canada qualified in 28th (3:44.98) and was the only one of his teammates to ski in the rounds. He was bounced after his fifth place in heat five. Drolet was 25th overall. Xavier McKeever skied to 52nd overall, Thomas Stephen 59th, and Pierrick Sarthou 67th.
(McKeever, at fifteen years of age, is the youngest competitor at World Juniors.)
Ogden leaped to the semis by placing first in the fifth heat. Ogden exited the rounds after sprinting to fourth in the second semi. Ogden was the best placed North American finishing eighth overall.
Keeffe advanced as a lucky loser to the semis after placing third in the second heat. He placed 12th overall after his sixth place in the first semi-final.
Schumacher was bounced out of the heats after he placed fourth in heat four. He ended his day 16th overall.
Jager’s 20th place overall rounded out the U.S. performances. Jager was eliminated when he placed fourth in the first quarterfinal.
Coming in second overall to Terentev in the men’s final were Norwegians Ansgar Evensen and Håkon Skaanes in second and third respectively. Jules Chappaz of France was fourth, Sweden’s Axel Aflodal fifth, and Aron Åkre Rysstad sixth.
U.S. skier Sydney Palmer-Leger was the only North American women to qualify for the heats. She placed 29th in qualification, skiing the 1.4 k course in 3:46.82 minutes. Sweden’s Frida Karlsson skied the fastest qualifying time of 3:27.32.
Palmer-Leger was eliminated when she placed fifth in the fourth quarterfinal to end her day 25th overall.
Also for the U.S., Mara McCollor was 43rd overall, Sophia Mazzoni 49th, and Waverly Gebhardt 51st.
Canada’s Anna Pryce during her classic sprint qualifier at the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
For Canada, Anna Pryce finished 42nd overall, Molly Miller 52nd, and Isobel Hendry 69th. Canada’s Anne-Marie Petitclerc did not finish as a result of breaking her binding moments after she started.
Norway’s Kristine Stavaas Skistad was first overall. Poland’s Monika Skinder placed second in the final, with Finland’s Anita Korva third. Linn Svahn of Sweden placed fourth overall, while teammate Frida Karlsson was fifth. Russia’s Anastasiya Faleeva was sixth.
And just because this sequence is so solid, here’s an addition to Keeffe’s lunge. (Click images to enlarge.)
Noel Keeffe about to lunge for the line in his quarterfnal during Sunday’s classic sprint at the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. Keeffe went on to place 12th overall. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Noel Keeffe showing here in his quarterfnal why time is what you make of it. Keeffe placed 12th overall in Sunday’s classic sprint at the 2019 Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Bob Thompson outsprinted Jack Carlyle in the men’s 30km. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Canmore hosted the second NorAm of the 2018/2019 season on December 13th, 15th, and 16th. The event also served as U23 and Junior World trials.
By the end of the weekend, starts at the U23/Junior World Championships and the World Cup’s Tour de Ski would be earned.
This event was originally scheduled for Whistler Olympic Park but had to be moved as a result of heavy rain and inclement weather forecasted into the immediate future. The Callaghan Valley Cross Country organization, the original bid-winner for this season’s trials, made the difficult decision to cancel on December 1st. The weather gods added one final insult on December 13th, when a major snowstorm ensued in the Callaghan Valley that would have made racing possible on the 14th.
Canmore’s cross-country community stepped in on December 2nd and was able to organize a successful race weekend with a few weeks notice.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) mandates that Continental Cup leaders for each period earn automatic start rights for the next World Cup period, including financial support from the event hosts. This season, Period 1 leaders get starts for Period 2 (Tour de Ski) and period 3 (Dresden, Otepää, and Ulricehamm) along with race support.
For the first time since Perianne Jones and Dasha Gaizova started in the 2014 edition, Canada will enter a woman in the Tour de Ski (TdS). The last female finisher was Sara Renner, who placed 16th overall in 2010.
This past weekend, Dahria Beatty won all three races in Canmore. Combined with her second place (and top Canadian result) in Sovereign Lake the previous weekend, Beatty is the COC leader and will leave for Europe on the 21st.
In an email to FasterSkier after Thursday’s sprint, Beatty wrote: “I think the first 3 stages of the Tour this year are my dream come true, 2 sprints and a 10km skate.” The day after sending the email, Beatty received the official news that her TdS dream would be a reality.
On the men’s side, Bob Thompson won twice in Canmore to lock down the male COC leader position.
As this event was also the selection trials for U23 and Junior World Championships, up to 12 athletes would automatically qualify for the Lahti, Finland championship races. The High Performance Committee met Sunday afternoon and will announce the final choices soon.
Weekend Results Summary:
Names in green earned automatic selection for Lahti.
Classic Sprint, Thursday:
Open Women: Dahria Beatty, Katherine Stewart-Jones, Maya Macisaac-Jones; Marie Corriveau (6th, U23)
Junior women: Anne-Marie Petitclerc, Molly Miller, Anna Pryce
Open Men: Bob Thompson, Angus Foster, Julien Locke; Graham Ritchie (4th, U23)
Junior Men: Remi Drolet, Tom Stephen, Xavier McKeever
Interval start freestyle, Saturday:
Open Women 10km: Dahria Beatty, Katherine Stewart-Jones, Frédérique Vézina; Sadie White (4th, U23)
Junior Women 5km: Molly Miller, Isobel Hendry, Elizabeth Elliot
Open Men 15km: Russell Kennedy, Evan Palmer-Charrette, Alexis Dumas; Gareth Williams (6th, U23)
Junior Men 10km: Sam Hendry, Remi Drolet, Tom Stephen.
Mass start classis, Sunday:
Men 30km: Bob Thompson, Jack Carlyle, Russell Kennedy; Sam Hendry (4th, top junior), Antoine Cyr (5th, U23)
Dahria Beatty leads Katherine Stewart-Jones. They would finish 1-2 all three races. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
“My tactics for every heat was to ski smooth and relaxed the first half and attack off the final two climbs into the finish. That worked out well for me today. I skied from the front and had control of the heats. The sprints were staged out of the biathlon stadium (hence why you couldn’t find them on the webcam) so it was an uphill finish, making for very fair racing.” — Beatty (1st)
“I was not happy with my qualifier but am really happy with how I skied the heats. Our staff did an awesome job with the skis today! The course was a lot of fun. Tactics essentially involved staying relaxed off the start, positioning well for the final climb and then hammering to the finish.” — Maya MacIsaac-Jones (CNST, 3rd)
“I feel pretty amazing about today’s race. 4th senior at a NorAm sprint is by far my best sprint result ever! My tactic was to have fun and just go like hell; I had a blast and I never went this fast before!” — Frédérique Vézina (CNEPH, 4th)
“I didn’t really have any tactics, I just wanted to go as fast as I could, ski well and try to stay with the leaders. I didn’t ask myself a lot of question, just ski fast!” — Marie Corriveau (MSA, 6th)
Bob Thompson wins the A final with three Thunder Bay teammates in the camera frame. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
“I am very happy with how today went. I found the finishing sprint gear I felt I was missing had the speed when I needed it.
Everyone was fairly relaxed for the first half of the final knowing it was important to have the energy for the gradual climb into the finish. My move was made coming up to the last short downhill and then on the short striding hill before turning into the finish. I had been feeling great in that section in every heat and made sure I was at the front to make the most of it.” — Thompson (1st)
“The group strung out a little bit going into the big downhill, I was back in 5th but had amazing skis and came back up to the group pretty easily. Everyone was really skiing together going into the last climb, and Bob just put down a mean last hill and got away from us. I jumped out from behind Julien Locke as we hit the finishing stretch and got up beside him as we got right down to the line, and just got him in a big lunge.” — Angus Foster (TBay, 2nd)
“The tactics worked out for me as well! I was planning on holding on to the leaders in the final for as long as I could, and then using my fitness to the best of my ability in the finishing stretch.” — Graham Ritchie (TBay, 4th)
Interval start free technique
Sadie White was fourth and top U23 on Saturday. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
“It was a hard race today. I had a good start but then got really stiff going into my second lap after the big climb. It took a lot of mental fight to regroup after I got really stiff on the second lap but I was able to ski out of it and push really hard on the final lap.
I am really happy with my fitness right now, my pacing was a bit off today but I think that fact that I am in good shape allowed me to bring it back.” — Beatty (1st)
“I felt better and better throughout the whole race today! I kind of wish we had more lap to go…” — Vézina (3rd)
Russell Kennedy descending to first place. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
“Pacing was important today: that being said I didn’t pace it that well. Was definitely fastest the first two laps. Skis for me were really good [as] the team did an awesome job on them.” — Russell Kennedy (Team R.A.D., 1st)
“The race today went alright, I tried to start hard and couldn’t quite get myself into a top end race gear. I skied relatively consistent and was able to find a better feeling on the last lap, but overall not the way I want to feel during a race, the result was a pleasant surprise.
I think pacing played a big role, I was pretty far back after the first and second lap but turned out to be less than some guys lost on the last lap and so I was able to move up quite a few places in the final kms.” — Evan Palmer-Charrette (Team R.A.D., 2nd)
“My race today was really good. I feel like I was able to push hard and keep a good technique. I think the key today was to get a good glide after each push because they were not a lot of easy part on this course and the downhills were fast so you needed to get recovery were you can.” — Alexis Dumas (CNEPH, 3rd)
“Today’s race was good, not amazing but I’m happy to come away with the top U23 spot which qualifies me for U23 World Championships.
Today’s weather was static and remained the same for the whole race. The race was decided on the last lap, that’s where I pushed my hardest. My plan for the race was to increase the speed as the race progressed, getting a bit faster each lap. I was getting splits and I realized I was off the pace on the first laps, so I just made sure to push as hard as I could on the final climbs.” — Gareth Williams (Telemark, 6th)
Mass start classic
Russell Kennedy (bib #1) leads out the men’s 30km while Bob Thompson towers over the field in the leader’s bib. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
“Today’s race stands out as the most fun I’ve had in a 30k since the very first one I ever did at the Canmore Nationals in 2010.
The main group got smaller definitely through Russell pushing the climbs on most laps. We had the group of 6 for several laps and then the last 2 were really just the 3 of us with Russell pushing hard on the climb from the bottom of the course. Jack and I had faster skis and on the final downhills went by and then had a great sprint to the line.” — Thompson (1st)
“After a tough sprint day, it was great to bounce back with two super successful distance races. ” – Sam Hendry (Team R.A.D., 1st junior in 4th)
“Today was a fun race. A good battle between Katherine and me once again.
Katherine set the pace early and by the second lap, we were on our own. It was windy on course today, so it was hard to break from each other and after testing each other a few times on the last lap it came down to the finish sprint, which of course is my favourite.” — Beatty (1st)
“The race was really fun. I pushed the pace right off the start so Dahria and I made a break from the rest of the group after the first lap. We skied together the entire race, it was the type of course that made it difficult to break away because the hills were relatively short and there was quite a big drafting effect on the flats. It came down to the finishing stretch and Dahria was stronger on the double pole!” — Katherine Stewart-Jones (CNST, 2nd)
Selection
“At this point, if I am offered a start I will plan to race the first 3 stages and then reassess after that based on how I am skiing. The Dresden WC will also be a focus just after the new year so I want to make sure I am well prepared and have enough energy for those races as well.” — Beatty, on Thursday, before the Tour de Ski offer was made.
“Qualifying for world juniors has been a big goal of mine for many years and I am really excited to have achieved it this weekend.” — Hendry
Personal Highlights
“Most unusual part was getting to come home and lie in bed between the quali and heats.” — MacIsaac-Jones
“I am very very happy with my race today, I really surprised myself! It’s been a long time I didn’t feel good at racing so it was really fun to have good feelings again. Take the first spot for U23 world champ was the best way to start the season!” — Corriveau
“Getting to race the final with three of my NTDC Thunder Bay teammates was a blast, I was really proud of the way we skied out there today and think it reflects a lot of hard work by our team and coaches this year! I’m stoked for Graham and Julian go 1-2 in U23 with World Champs spots on the line, and we all owe a big thank you to our wax techs for some wicked boards all day.” — Foster
“It’s been really nice to race at home and sleep in my own bed, especially knowing I will be away a lot for the rest of the season.
Everyone in Canmore has done a great job organizing the races so last minute. I’ve been especially loving the chocolate medals!” — Beatty
“The highlight from this past weekend was hands down, getting to ski with my teammate and role model Russell Kennedy for almost all of the classic mass start on Sunday.” — Hendry
Remi Drolet has been in Canmore before: Petter Northug (NOR) (l) high fives Remi Drolet (spectator) as he finishes his final lap during the men’s 1.5 k classic sprint at the Ski Tour Canada on Tuesday in Canmore. (Photo: Peggy Hung)
CALGARY — While Canada’s summer Olympians take the podium, young cross-country and biathlon development athletes clamber for a Calgary training facility for the upcoming winter. WinSport Canada’s June 2016 announcement to install a tube park through the cross-country ski trails at Canada Olympic Park has left Foothills Nordic Ski Club and other local clubs scrambling to find an alternate venue for their 2016/17 winter programming.
Without suitable training facilities within the city, the training and competition goals of young biathlon and cross-country athletes are hindered, as precious hours are spent traveling outside of the city for regular training sessions. According to Alberta Development Team athletes, Anna and Ben Pryce, “Terrain loss in Calgary could mean driving to Canmore four times a week,” which the Pryce’s feel is, “simply impractical” for reaching their goals and taking their skiing to the next level.
Sustaining a healthy population of Nordic development athletes, who themselves have opportunities to take the podium, means providing access to suitable facilities for all ages and development stages within the city of Calgary (1988 winter Olympic host).
Foothills Nordic Ski Club is taking decisive action to ensure its members and all Calgarians have access to cross-country skiing in Calgary this winter by launching its Snow Making at Confederation Park crowdfunding campaign (www.gofundme.com/foothillsnordic) that kicks off on August 15. A successful campaign will see Foothills implement innovative, hydrant-based snowmaking along with snow farming and harvesting techniques – maximizing the longevity of natural snow.
Committed to the community, the non-profit Foothills Nordic has volunteer groomed ski trails at the City of Calgary’s Confederation Park Golf Course for over 20 years, to the benefit of its over 700 club members and all Calgarians, but Calgary’s chinook-influenced winters make snowmaking a necessity for delivering reliable programming and continuous ski days.
Former Canadian Cross Country Ski Team member and Foothills Jackrabbit Kevin Sandau says of growing up in Calgary, “I was fortunate enough to have accessible skiing within the city. Skiing and racing my entire life has shaped who I am, the people I’ve met, and my desire to live a healthy lifestyle. Now with the uncertainty of reliable, safe and consistent ski facilities within Calgary, we will lose out on grassroots programs that would create the next generation of Nordic enthusiasts.”
ABOUT FOOTHILLS NORDIC SKI CLUB
Foothills Nordic Ski Club (FNSC) is a not-for-profit, full service ski club based in Calgary, Alberta. Incorporated in 1964, FNSC has a long history of organizing and delivering programs geared towards cross-country skiers and biathletes of all ages and performance levels. The Club has an annual active membership of 720, ranging from Jackrabbits and Biathlon Bears to High Performance athletes, Masters level recreational skiers and para-Nordic skiers. With a 9-member Executive, approximately 70 cross-country and biathlon coaches (both paid and volunteer) and over 200 active volunteers, the Club’s initiatives also include the staging of major events and races in Calgary and the Bow Valley. Foothills is an 8-time Canadian national cross-country aggregate club champion, and is a member of Cross-Country Canada, Cross-Country Alberta, Biathlon Canada and Biathlon Alberta.
