From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.
This week’s edition of the Devon Kershaw Show comes in hot with a recap of the city sprint in Dresden, Germany.
The breakdown includes solid American results and a tragic crash for a Canadian sprinter, plus some Kremlinology about Alexander Bolshunov and the Russian Ski Federation, discussion about the internal dynamics of the Swedish sprinters, and a reminder about how you’re lucky to live outside Norway if you want to go to the Olympics for cross-country skiing.
Overcast skies mute the spectacular architecture along the River Elbe, which provides the backdrop for the sprint track in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and the A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com.
In the wake of the American women taking second to the Swedish powerhouse duo, and yesterday’s top two spots on the podium, Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling, the men’s team of JC Schoonmaker and Kevin Bolger lined up to race the freestyle team sprint final on the track in historic Dresden, Germany.
“Together again,” wrote Bolger in a post-race email. “We teamed up 3 years ago when JC came over for his first World Cup and didnt ski great then together, but being able to team up again and move to the final after a really solid semi was super rad today! He skied really well all weekend and I’m so impressed with how he’s looking, so it made today really fun!”
Six quick laps each, eleven exchanges total, on a flat and fast city 0.65-kilometer loop with minimal recovery means flooded legs and tight racing. Like a series of just-over one minute intervals with equal rest, athletes take a conservative start, accruing fatigue while minimizing the opportunity for crashes and broken equipment to decide the race, over fitness and tactics. As the number of remaining laps dwindles, the pace steadily builds, like a bottle rocket, until the critical point arrives in the last few laps and leaders explode off the front in an effort to take control of the outcome.
Kevin Bolger navigates a tight curve during the men’s team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
As expected from a lap that lasted just over a minute, the whole pack of ten teams stayed very tight through the halfway mark. The Norway II team of Thomas Larsen and Even Northug spent time at the front, putting in quick surges at the beginning of each leg to re-establish their position.
Tagging off after lap 6, the team tagged off with Great Britain on one side, and the Norway I team of Sindre Bjørnestad Skar and Håvard Solås Taugbøl, on the other. Still very much in the mix were the Russia I pairing of Alexander Bolshunov tagging Gleb Retivykh, Italy’s Francesco di Fabiani and Federico Pellegrino, and France’s Richard Jouve and Lucas Chanavat.
The leaders wait for a tag during the Dresden team sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)
At the half, the Americans remained in contact near the back of the pack, as Bolger tagged Schoonmaker in 9th (+2.0).
Coming into lap 9, Bolshunov made a move to the front to take the reins for Russia I, with both Norway teams and Jouve quickly responding to his tempo, while Italy and Great Britain worked hard to maintain contact. This burst set the tone for the final three laps.
As Retivykh unsuccessfully attempted to drop Taugbøl and Northug in lap 10, the pack in pursuit began to stretch out. While all remained in contact with the leaders, Great Britain began to look out of the running for a win, with Italy and France remaining a podium-threat in fourth and fifth. The teams behind thinned rapidly.
Still tight at the Tag, Norway II, Italy, and Norway I (left to right) head out for another lap during the Dresden team sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)
In Bolshunov’s final lap, he rocketed off the front, skiing powerfully through his legs with an aggressive forward lean, carrying momentum between each push. Whereas the early laps, rounding the tight curves looked careful and calculated, the men shot around the degrading bends, losing no speed as they pushed into the straightaways.
Tagging off for the final lap, Northug accelerated ahead of Retivykh, free skating powerfully off the first roller to regain the lead for Norway II. Feet quickly stepping around the first curve, Norway II looked in control with Norway I and Russia not ceding the win just yet. Italy and France remained on their tails, still in position for the podium.
Coming into the final curve hot, Taugbøl made an attempt to slingshot Norway I to the lead, but the tactic was thwarted by the closing speed and power of Northug. Standing up to pump his fist into the air, Northug coasted over the line for the win in 14:19.34, while Taugbøl narrowly edged out a hard-closing Retivykh to make it Norway II, Norway I (+0.42), then Russia I (0.62) for the podium.
Even Northug pumps his fist as he takes the win, while the second and third spots on the podium remain up for grabs behind him. (Photo: NordicFocus)
“It was amazing,” Northug told FIS at the finish. “We struggled a little bit in the semifinal, but in the final we did everything right. Thomas sent me out first on the final lap and that was the plan. It was good.”
Speaking to the experience of racing with Northug, Larsen spoke highly of his partner, and of putting the Norway II team ahead of Norway I on the podium.
“It’s fantastic, he’s an incredibly good skier,” Larsen said. “He hasn’t had so many chances in the World Cup so far, but now he shows with yesterday and last week, he shows that he is one of the best in the world. I think this was a dream team today, and it’s cool to be the underdogs and just take it home.”After a fast final leg by Pellegrino to keep his team in the mix for the top-three, Italy was next over the line, narrowly missing the podium in fourth (+0.78), with Chanavat bringing the French I team home in fifth (+1.21). Knowing he was no longer in position to snag top-three, Great Britain’s Andrew Young relaxed in the final stretch, coasting over the line in sixth (+3.84), followed by a sizable gap to the next racers.
The men’s podium of the team sprint in Dresden: The Norway II team of Thomas Larsen and Even Northug took the win ahead of Norway I, Sindre Bjørnestad Skar and Håvard Solås Taugbøl, and Russia I, Alexander Bolshunov and Gleb Retivykh. (Photo: NordicFocus)
After losing contact in the final laps, Schoonmaker brought the American team to the line in 9th (+11.36).
“Dresden is a really fun event,” Bolger said after the race. “I think it’s something a lot of us skiers on the a World Cup enjoy to mix things up!”
Bolger explained that he and Schoonmaker “just wanted to stay out of trouble — and try as best as we could to put ourselves into a position to where we could attack when we needed to… I was hoping for more of a tactical final but it seemed like Bolshunov had a different plan and really pushed the pace for my leg the whole time, which made it really hurt, but I think that makes it really fun and competitive!”
Providing insights into the team’s tactics and his experience during the final, Schoonmaker provided the following comment in a post-race email from the road.
“I would say our main strategy going into the final was to conserve energy while staying in the top half of the field so that we would be able to match any moves made later in the race,” Schoonmaker explained. “It seems everyone had the same plan in mind, though, so it was tough to make that work. We were a little too far back to make anything happen when the pace picked up in the second half of the race. In Dresden, it really seems to be all about being out front because passing is just hard on a short, narrow and turny course. It’s a super fun format with the short laps, but also very challenging!”
Racing in semifinal B, Luke Jager and Logan Hanneman skied to 10th (+10.96), with the Canadian duo of Russell Kennedy and Graham Ritchie not far behind in 12th (+14.91). Neither team advanced to the finals.
With champagne spraying, Even Northug and Thomas Larsen step off the top spot of the team sprint podium in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Despite sitting out the weekend in Dresden, Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo currently leads both the World Cup overall and sprint standings. Klæbo is roughly 150 points ahead of Sergey Ustiugov (RUS) in the overall, and 60 points ahead of Taugbøl in sprinting.
Leading the American men, Schoonmaker sits in 11th place in the sprint standings with 112 World Cup points, and 20th in the overall. Schoonmaker is also the second ranked U23 skier, trailing Russia’s Alexander Terentev by 219 points.
Ben Ogden also ranks inside the top-30 in sprinting, sitting in 23rd with 46 points. Ogden is 4th on the U23 list, with Gus Schumacher 20 points behind in 7th. Luke Jager sits in 13th of the 21 athletes on the U23 list, with Zanden McMullen close behind in 16th. The future of American skiing is looking bright.
Face painted with stars and stripes, JC Schoonmaker leads the American men in the overall, sprint, and U23 World Cup standings. (Photo: NordicFocus)
After a holiday break, racing continues with the Tour de Ski, which kicks off in Lenzerheide, SUI on December 28th.
The women’s team sprint podium in Dresden: The Sweden I duo of Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist took the win ahead of USA’s Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern, with Slovenia’s Eva Urevc and Anamarija Lampic in third. (Photo: NordicFocus)
This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and the A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com.
By Ryan Sederquist
Defending team sprint world champions Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling continued the Swedish women’s sprint dominance with a polished performance and confident victory Saturday morning in Dresden on day two of World Cup action in the German city.
“We just want to be in front because it’s a tight course,” Dahlqvist told a FIS reporter after the race. With athletes taking six turns each on the 644-meter course, which contains a maximum climb of 14 meters and a total height difference of just 4 meters, opportunities to pull away were low and the chances of crashing were high. In order to stay focused on their job, maintaining a lead was crucial for the dynamic duo.
Body to body being the name of the game, Maja Dahlqvist tags her teammate Jonna Sundling as the women set pace during the team sprint in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
“It’s difficult because [there are] people everywhere,” Sundling said when asked how she and Dahlqvist kept their calm in the bunched-up chaos. “The equipment – you want to keep it like it is – no broken poles and stuff. So, it’s difficult to focus on the right thing, but when you’re in the front, it’s easier.”
The Swedes did have some company at the front throughout the 11 exchanges. One of the early challenges came from the Jessie Diggins – Julia Kern pairing, who qualified with the top time out of semifinal B.
Kern explained post-race that staying near the leaders was part of their strategy heading into the team sprint.
“Jessie and I focused a lot on executing clean and fast tags, and tried to remain as far front in the pack as possible,” Kern said. “There is so much traffic and tangles that we wanted to avoid as much of that as possible. There was a strong headwind which made leading more costly, but it still is advantageous especially given how fast and firm the track was.”
Another surprise at the front was from Finland. The team of U23 athletes, Jasmi Joensuu and Jasmin Kahara, nabbed the final automatic qualifying spot in the first semifinal. Despite squeaking into the final, the young women made their presence known throughout the race, moving alongside Sundling and Dalqvist into second at the end of the tenth lap before ultimately finishing in fourth.
Jessie Diggins heads into what would be later become a dicy turn. (Photo: NordicFocus)
With Sundling leading off, Sweden set the pace through the first four laps, with different nations taking turns at their shoulder. Russia I took lap two, Norway II took lap three, and Slovenia, led by Anamarija Lampic, who was third in the individual yesterday, popped in on lap four. The Americans, who placed Diggins as their lead-off skier, patiently bided their time, content to sit in the tight grouping and stay on their skis. Unfortunately, a wrench was about to be thrown into that plan.
On lap five, Diggins moved into second place. Coming around the penultimate turn, she swung to the outside and was tangled up with Eva Urevc of Slovenia, who tumbled over the top of the 2018 Olympic gold medalist in the event. Diggins kept her cool, quickly rose to her feet, and skied hard to the next exchange. She tagged off to Kern 4.1 seconds back.
“I got back our places as quickly and efficiently as I could,” Diggins told FasterSkier after the race. She also noted that she is headed into Christmas break with a fresh set of bruises to go along with her podium cheese.
“I’m always proud of the ‘never give up attitude’ and I think it really paid off for us today. We didn’t panic, we just skied as smooth and smart and hard as we could.”
Julia Kern powers into her leg during the team sprint in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)Julia Kern navigates fast curves on course in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
After the crash, Kern and Diggins kept their composure and gradually crawled back into contention. Kern explained post-race that Diggins had also crashed in the semifinal, which evidenced how they could rebound.
“I think the crashes actually lit the fire for Jessie and I,” Kern wrote in a text. “It got us ready to fight back. I had full confidence in Jessie that she would ski right back on to the group in the semifinal and that is exactly what she did. We remained very calm in the process which was key. So come the finals when it happened again, I just smiled a little since I wasn’t worried one bit and knew we would just do the same thing as the semi finals. I had confidence in how we were both skiing and feeling out there, and crashes are almost always a part of the game in Dresden.”
By the next exchange, Kern had already lopped off 1.8 seconds of the deficit. By lap eight, Diggins was just 1.5 seconds out of the lead, which still belonged to Sweden. Going into lap nine, all of the major contenders were back. Trailing Sweden were the upstart Finns (+0.3), the United States (+0.6), and Russia (+1.1). The only key player seemingly out of the running was Slovenia, who sat 4.7 seconds out of the lead.
On the final lap, Sundling, the 26-year old two-time World Championship gold medalist, rocketed from the exchange zone with a stern tempo. Diggins matched it, slipping behind the sprint specialist.
Jessie Diggins heads out after receiving a tag from Julia Kern. (Photo: NordicFocus)
At the final exchange, Diggins handed off to Kern 0.5 seconds from Sweden. Slovenia, with Lampic to close, was in fourth, a mere 1.9 seconds back.
In the final lap, Dahlqvist, who was a member of the pairings that won the team sprint World Championship title in 2019 and 2021, bided her time, happy to cruise through the first straightaway. After the first hairpin turn, she accelerated to a comfortable lead, leaving the competition in the wake of her strong V2-alternate strides.
Coming into the homestretch, Dahlqvist coasted across the line in first (15:45.81). Meanwhile, Kern was being challenged by Lampic, who had moved in front of Finland on the final bend. A great sprinter on the flats, Kern held off the three-time World Championship medalist, stretching her boot forward at the line for second (+1.11), with Lampic rounding out the podium to put Slovenia in third (+1.21).
The women’s team sprint podium in Dresden: The Sweden I duo of Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist took the win ahead of USA’s Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern, with Slovenia’s Eva Urevc and Anamarija Lampic in third. (Photo: NordicFocus)
We’ve seen Kern excel on fast and flat courses before, and asked whether 24-year-old identified this style of racing as a strength.
“I think flat courses have been more of an advantage for me the past, but I feel my fitness is better this year so I actually enjoy the hills too,” Kern explained. “But given my background growing up skiing at the Weston ski track [outside of Boston, MA] on a golf course growing up, skiing on a flat, turny, manmade snow course, I always feel right at home in Dresden.”
On approaching this style of racing, in comparison to typical World Cup courses with more climbing, Kern explained how she modifies her focus.
“I don’t necessarily change my technique on the flatter course, but focus on staying stable and trying to use my legs as much as possible. I played around with a few different technique cues during training this week since the hardest part on the salted, icy fast snow is generating speed without wobbling or rushing the motions.”
Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern rebounded after two crashes to take the second step of the podium in the women’s freestyle team sprint in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Diggins, a veteran in the event, spoke highly of her partner’s efforts in Dresden.
“Wow – I’m so proud of Julia. She was confident and smooth,” said Diggins fondly. “It was a bit of a battlefield out there. You really had to fight for position and she did so with such grace and poise and power and speed. I’m really, really proud of her.”
Here’s the full audio clip from Diggins:
A second American contingent of Hailey Swirbul and Hannah Halvorsen skied to 8th (+2.74) in a tight Semifinal A, but did not advance into the final.
Hailey Swirbul (bib 9) comes in for the tag during the semifinal of Dresden’s team sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)Hannah Halvorsen wrist-bumps Sweden’s Moa Lundgren after the semifinal round of Dresden’s team sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)
As Period 1 draws to a close, we take a look at the current World Cup standings. Diggins now sits in fifth place in the overall standings, trailing teammate Rosie Brennan by nine points in fourth. Maja Dahlqvist is the overall leader with 464 points. Dahlqvist, who has won every sprint this season, also leads the sprint standings, more than doubling the points of second place Lampic from Slovenia. Diggins in the third-place position in sprinting heading into the Tour de Ski.
After period 1, Maja Dahlqvist leads both the overall and sprint World Cup standings. (Photo: NordicFocus)
The men’s podium of Dresden’s individual freestyle sprint. Håvard Solås Taugbøl (NOR) took the win ahead of Federico Pellegrino (ITA) and Lucas Chanavat (FRA). (Photo: NordicFocus)
This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and the A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com.
With Christmas decor lining a ribbon of snow providing a better indication that we are nearing the end of Period I and heading into the holiday season than the surrounding green grass in Dresden, Germany, athletes took to the track in the city for yet another iteration of its thrilling sprint weekend. Humid conditions well above freezing made for fast racing on the two-lap course, which often sees spicy turns and tactics, without a significant climb to separate the field in a deciding manner.
If you’d like a throwback from January, 2018, here’s a video clip from Instagram where Simi Hamilton painfully face-plants, just after having broken the pole of Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. This left Hamilton with a lip full of carbon-fiber splinters and plenty of abrasions from the harsh granular track. Good times.
After the first three weekends of racing, 21-year-old JC Schoonmaker sat in second place in the U23 World Cup standings, and 27th in the overall World Cup ranks. Showing he was ready to build on this platform, Schoonmaker smashed the qualifier, finishing third, 1.16 seconds behind Norway’s Håvard Solås Taugbøl and roughly 0.3 behind Richard Jouve of France, who qualified in second.
In an episode of Nordic Nation recorded earlier this week, Schoonmaker, along with teammates Ben Ogden and Gus Schumacher, discussed how their results in the early season races have encouraged them to raise their limits and take chances in their sprinting as they transition into their senior racing careers. Instead of choosing heat four or five, which they explained shows that one is limiting their potential on the day to the semifinal, they wanted to begin racing in earlier heats with the top qualifiers. Thus increasing their risk of being knocked out early, but also learning what it takes to advance further through the rounds.
JC Schoonmaker skis to 3rd in qualification in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Today, Schoonmaker raced in heat one alongside Taugbøl and Jouve, along with Even Northug (NOR), Johan Häggström (SWE), and teammate Logan Hanneman, who qualified in 7th, 28th, and 30th, respectively.
The first lap of the race, the pace was fast but the men looked cool, each carefully navigating the hairpin curves and not racing aggressively. As they accelerated in the second lap, Schoonmaker kept himself in contact with Jouve, who was not in the lead, but still racing in a position of control at the front with Taugbøl. Dropping into a tuck coming off a roller and safely rounding the hairpin, Schoonmaker headed to the final straight behind Jouve. As they powered through the final lanes, it was Taugbøl and Jouve at the front for a photo finish, with Northug finishing just ahead of Schoonmaker close on their tails for third and fourth.
JC Schoonmaker marks Richard Jouve (FRA) during the first quarterfinal heat in Dresden. Logan Hanneman stays in contact with the pack in bib 30. (Photo: NordicFocus)
As the remaining quarterfinals progressed, it became clear that Heat 1 was the fastest, allowing both Northug and Schoonmaker to advance to the semifinals.
Hanneman also stayed in contact through the round, finishing 1.88 second behind the leaders, but sixth in the heat. After the final rounds were decided, Hanneman’s position was 30th overall on the day.
Also racing in the quarters, Canada’s Graham Ritchie qualified in 16th and raced in the fifth quarterfinal heat. In a competitive position throughout the second lap, Ritchie came into the final hairpin on the inside of the curve, looking to slide up in position heading into the final stretch. Perhaps lacking real estate along the v-board, Ritchie went down, losing his position and ability to advance further. He ended his day in 26th.
Graham Ritchie pushes the pace in the quarterfinal in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
A post-race Instagram story posted by Ritchie’s coach Erik Bråten captioned “sh*t happens” showed his ski tip had broken off and the base had delaminated — not ideal.
Racing in the first semifinal, Schoonmaker looked comfortable and smooth, approaching the round in a similar way as the first in terms of his positioning heading into the second lap.
At the front, Italy’s Federico Pellegrino, last year’s winner, set the tone alongside Taugbøl, with Jouve in a strong position on their tails.
Lapping through the finish, JC Schoonmaker stays in position with the leaders to advance into the final round. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Putting faith in his boards and catching a quick draft, Schoonmaker again dropped low coming down the last roller and into the final curve. Once again, he was following Jouve and in contact with the front of the pack, however, as they headed into the final lanes, he was only in position to take fifth in the heat, unable to advance into the final round.
Still a very strong overall result, Schoonmaker ended his day in 9th overall.
In a post-race interview, Schoonmaker discussed his decision to select heat one, along with his rollerski warm up, maintaining the headspace needed to perform between rounds, and what’s next for him over the next few weeks. A quick note, we had some trouble with WiFi connection, which interrupted some of Schoonmaker’s comments. The trials of remote reporting from eight time zones away.
Taugbøl took the win in the first semi, with Pellegrino narrowly staying ahead of Chanavat in second and third. Jouve was just 0.3 seconds behind his teammate, leaving the two Frenchman in wait to see whether they would advance as lucky losers.
A close finish for the top-four, JC Schoonmaker crosses in fifth in his semifinal heat. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Lead changes and tight racing developed the plot line of the second heat of the semis, which featured Northug and his teammate Sindre Bjørnestad Skar fighting for position at the front with two Russians, Gleb Retivykh and Alexander Terentev, who beat Klæbo in the opening sprint in Ruka and currently ranks just ahead of Schoonmaker in the U23 standings.
Each unable to break away at the front on the fast and flat tracks, Northug, Skar, and Retivykh came to the line in unison, throwing their boots for a three-way photo finish. Though their times were indistinguishable, it was determined that their finish order was just that: Northug, Skar, Retivykh, with Terentev a ski length behind in fourth. Men crashed in every direction crossing the line, falling to the ground and gasping for air to evidence the intensity of the effort.
Heading into the finish, the second semifinal was tight between two Russians and two Norwegians. (Photo: NordicFocus)
By the clock, Jouve and Terentev were on the wrong side of the cusp for lucky loser. They ended their day in the semis, while Retivykh and Chanavat advanced to the final.
More lead changes and thrill, Chanavat took the lead in the first lap of the final. Lapping over the finish line for the first time, Taugbøl moved to the front while Pellegrino lurked on their tails. Down the backstretch, the Italian moved up alongside Chanavat, skiing powerfully on Taugbøl’s tails as they safely rounded the first hairpin. Not looking to cede space, Taugbøl held himself in a position of command at the front.
Around the final curve, Pellegrino tried to sneak around the outside of Taugbøl, but could not quite gain enough ground to find the lead. Heading into the final straightaway, Pellegrino was attacking the track with a powerful V2, but it was still Taugbøl with the advantage at the front, crossing the line just 0.15 seconds ahead of the Italian.
Norway’s Håvard Solås Taugbøl takes his first World Cup victory ahead of Federico Pellegrino (ITA) and Lucas Chanavat (FRA). (Photo: NordicFocus)
In pursuit, France’s Lucas Chanavat crossed the line a ski length behind Pellegrino for the third step of the podium (+0.68), with Northug, Skar, and Retivykh crossing a few meters behind to close out the final round in fourth (+1.22), fifth (+2.01), and sixth (+6.15).
Today’s result marked Taugbøl’s fist career World Cup victory.
“It feels pretty good,” he told FIS humbly after the race. “It’s of course a goal I have tried to reach my whole life, and to do that in Dresden in a show sprint venue, it’s really fun and I’m proud of myself today.”
The men’s podium congratulates one another on their efforts in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)Sportsmanship and respect on display at the finish of the men’s sprint in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Taugbøl also spoke to his highly-respected opponents with whom he shared the podium.
“Of course to beat guys like Pellegrino and Chanavat, it’s a dream come true. If you try to count how many podiums and victories they have, I can’t count so far. So it’s amazing to be there with them.”
Norway’s Håvard Solås Taugbøl earned his first World Cup victory on the tracks in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Despite not adding another win to his resume, today’s result perhaps marks a turning point in the start of Pellegrino’s season. The Italian, who has been a force in skate sprints for many seasons now, had not raced in a final yet this season.
In an Olympic year that features a freestyle sprint, Pellegrino will be looking to find his peak form in February. The Italian was 11th in the event at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, and took second in the classic sprint, his weaker discipline, in PyeongChang in 2018, just behind Klæbo.
Italy’s Federico Pellegrino skis back into form in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Outside the top 30, Kevin Bolger, who was 6th in the individual sprint in Dresden last year, qualified in 42nd (+7.97). Bolger was roughly two seconds outside the top-30.
Following Bolger, Ben Ogden finished 51st in the qualifier (+9.37), with Luke Jager in 63rd (+10.73).
Ben Ogden races the qualifier with the spectacular skyline of Dreden in the background. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Racing for Canada, Russell Kennedy took 48th (+8.85) in qualification.
The weekend of city sprinting continues tomorrow with men’s and women’s team sprints.
This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and the A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com.
For the fourth year in a row, the city of Dresden, Germany was ready to host an exciting city Freestyle sprint on a 1.3-kilometer course. A race that usually attracts fans from all over the world, for the second year in a row could not allow spectators on the course due to Covid. The last race before the holiday break, the skiers were ready to have fun, and enjoy the challenging and icy course.
Julia Kern (bib 10) takes the inside around a curve in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
“It is so amazing, it is one of my favorite races of the year. I love it, it’s fast and furious. it is going to be an exciting day of racing,” Julia Kern told FIS before the heats started. Kern’s family has roots in Germany, and she is often celebrated in Dresden as if she were a native.
On the women’s side, World Cup Sprint Leader, Maja Dahlqvist (SWE) was ready to continue her great start to the season. On a win-streak, has been on the top step of the podium in each of the last four individual sprint races, including the first three of this season. A fifth win would make Dahlqvist the second woman to win five consecutive individual sprint events in the World Cup, after Norwegian legend Marit Bjørgen, who won 11 in a row from December 2003 to January 2005.
Sweden’s Jonna Sundling set the mark in the qualifier, finishing the top spot in a time of 2:29.52. The American women placed four in the top-30 in qualification, with Hailey Swirbul leading the way in 7th(+2.39), followed by Kern in 10th (+3.49), Jessie Diggins in 17th (+4.87), and Hannah Halvorsen in 25th (+6.82).
The top American qualifier in Dresden, Hailey Swirbul races the quarterfinal. (Photo: NordicFocus)
In the first heat of the women’s sprint, Swirbul stayed in contact with the lead pack until the final 100 meters. In the final straightaway, Swirbul pushed to the line to cross fourth in her heat. Anamarija Lampic (SLO) and Kristine Stavås Skistad (NOR), who qualified in 6th and 9th, respectively, were the top two finishers in the heat.
In the second heat, Kern (USA) raced alongside Dahlqvist, who comfortably cruised through the heat to take the win ahead of Italy’s Greta Laurent. Kern solidly maintained her position within contact with the leaders throughout the two-lap course, but finished fifth in the heat, unable to advance.
Hannah Halvorsen advanced from the quarters to the semis in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
In the third heat, Hannah Halvorsen (USA) faced the top qualifier, Sundling, who won the classic sprint at last year’s World Championships in Oberstdorf, GER. Navigating through chaos, Halvorsen was able to stay on her feet after a crash between Nathalie von Siebenthal (SUI) and Magni Smeedas (NOR) leaving a group of three to fight for the top two spots. Sundling was able to cross the finish line comfortably in first, with a photo finish between Halvorsen and Jasmin Kahara (FIN) behind her. Halvorsen was able to outstretch Kahara in the bootslide, taking the second spot in her heat, and punching her ticket to the semi-final.
Diggins (USA) raced in the final quarter-final heat, staying with the main pack throughout the laps, pushing up from 5th to 3rd as they headed into the final stretch. Diggins finished third in the heat but was able to advance to the semi-finals as a lucky loser. Lena Quintin (FRA) and Moa Lundgren (SWE) were the two automatic qualifiers from this round.
Fast racing on icy tracks in Dresden makes staying upright and balanced an accomplishment of its own. (Photo: NordicFocus)
In the first semi-final, Sundling and Dahlqvist set a steady-pace with the pack staying together throughout both laps. Pulling to the front in the final 500 meters, Dahlqvist and Sundling cruised to the finish, crossing first and second, respectively. On their tails, Lampic and Skistad slid over the line in a photo finish, just 0.35 seconds behind Dahlqvist. Both these women advanced to the final as lucky losers.
The two Americans, Diggins, and Halvorsen both raced in the second semi-final heat, which featured the inevitable twists and turns of sprinting. At the lap, 23-year-old Lea Quintin of France, who had qualified in second, snapped her left pole, leaving her searching for a new one while the pack skied away.
Turning it up in the final stretch, Jessie Diggins and Hannah Halvorsen race the semifinal in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Meanwhile, Diggins and Halvorsen patiently waited near the back of the pack until the final straightaway where both made strong moves to contend for a spot in the final. Halvorsen powered from fifth place into a position to fight for second, but ended up just 0.27 seconds behind Eva Urevec of Slovenia who took the second automatic qualifier position. Diggins crossed a ski length behind Halvorsen, each less than a second behind Mathilde Myhrvold (NOR) who won the heat.
The final consisted of two Norwegians, two Swedes, and two Slovenian skiers fighting to claim the Dresden sprint title.
Dahlqvist follows Sundling on course in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Racing was tight and tactical, with all six women skiing together through the first loop. Dahlvquist and Sundling led the whole way, controlling the pace at the front. In the final 100m, Dahlvquist started to make her move, creating a small gap between herself and the field, to win in a time of 2:33:36. Sundling crossed just behind (+0.43) with Lampic closing fast for third (+0.64) to round out the top 3. Skistad ended her day in fourth (+1.64), with Myrhvold in fifth (+3.03) and Urevc in sixth (+6.15).
The women’s individual sprint podium in Dresden. Maja Dahlqvist (SWE) wins her fourth straight this season (of four), ahead of teammate Jonna Sundling and Anamarija Lamic (SLO). (Photo: NordicFocus)
The Americans put together an outstanding day overall with all four women finishing inside the World Cup points. After final rounds were decided, Halvorsen ended her day in seventh, a career-best result. Coming off a horrific accident in November, 2019, Halvorsen showed she is back on form in Dresden.
Introspective and progress-oriented, Halvorsen spoke to her day in Dresden, and how it helped her take a step forward with confidence in her ability to race into the semis and beyond.
After strong work in the semifinal, Hannah Halvorsen and Jessie Diggins end their days in 7th and 8th, respectively. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Diggins finished right behind Halvorsen in 8th place in the final rankings, while Swirbul ended her day in 16th and Kern ranked 22nd.
Two Canadian women raced the qualifier but did not advance into the rounds. Maya Macisaac-Jones led the Canadians in 52nd (+11.31), while Dahria Beatty finished 58th (+14.16).
The Americans and Canadians debrief the qualifier in Dresden. (Photo: NordicFocus)
With the win, Dahlvqist has taken over the overall World Cup lead from teammate – and roommate – Frida Karlsson (SWE). Diggins currently sits in 5th, behind teammate Rosie Brennan who ranks 4th. Now with a week off for Christmas, the teams will get some rest as they gear up for the Tour de Ski which starts on December 28th.
When asked about taking over the World Cup Lead from her teammate and best friend, Dahlvqist said in a FIS interview, “The most important thing is that it is still in our room”
Looking good in Period I, Maja Dahlqvist wins five in a row. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Full disclosure, we do get to the Dresden sprints, we swear, but it takes a few minutes in this episode.
On a day when Devon’s began his 39th trip around the sun – it was his birthday on December 20th – the discourse shimmied to a full spectrum of topics – most of which directly tie into sliding on snow. (For the most part.)
There’s the chat about backcountry skiing and the lovely video edits from Norwegian big-mountain ski phenom Nikolai Schirmer. Devon has lost some time to the wormhole that is Schirmer’s video series documenting his ascents and descents in Norway’s Lyngen Alps. (Honestly, if you are looking for an escape, this could be a good indoor choice.) For parents worried about their children growing up to be ski-mountaineers – Schirmer did graduate from law school.
In this episode, we also devaite and talk spicy food in Norway, and, by his own admission, Devon’s relative intolerance for serious spiciness. And yes, there is talk of the weekend’s sprinting in Dresden, Germany. The World Cup appears to have pulled it off, a no-fans city-sprint affair along the Elbe River in what was a sunny and spring-like Dresden.
Have a good holiday season. …. And if you are wondering, here’s a shot of some of the hardware from the medal haul grab-bag. (All medals assured to be those of the boss.)
Goods from the medal haul grab-bag. (Photo: Devon Kershaw)
Jessie Diggins leads the pack during the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and their A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com.
Another lovely spring-like day in Dresden, Germany with vibrant green grass contrasting the ribbon of man-made snow along the Elbe River bank. On course in the women’s team sprint final, a ten-team affair became a relative runaway as it concluded.
For the uninitiated and new to the team sprint concept, two-athletes form a team, and they tag off to one another six times each. In other words, each athlete races a .65 k lap (one time around the Dresden course) and tags off to their partner. Each partner races six 0.65 k laps for a total of 7.8 k for the team. It is dizzying. And yes, it can seem like a blur of Lycra and skis and poles. Roller derby meets cross-country ski refinement is one way to describe it.
At the race’s midpoint, the racing blur was led by an upstart team from China, pulling the pack along in their yellow and red highlighted suits. Switzerland I, U.S. I, Slovenia, Russia I, and Germany I were separated by 2.8 seconds. Just enough time back for those in the rear to keep hope alive, and for viewers to see that no real breakaway and podium locks had been determined. We’ll call it semi-scrum in its organization.
Dinigeer Yilamujiang of China leads the women’s pack halfway through the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
5.2 k into the race, at the eighth exchange, Russia I played their hand as they burned fuel upfront. The race became a four-team affair with Russia I setting the pace, and Switzerland I, Slovenia, and the U.S. racing in the slipstream. This trend continued with the U.S. falling off slightly at 6.5 k, 1.4 seconds back. Not much time, but in a team sprint event, when drafting and maintaining a lock on those in front are key, it can appear to be a mighty gap.
Russia I continued it’s work up front and the pattern was set on the final tag. With 0.7 k to go, the Russians were up 2.3 seconds on the Swiss, 2.5 seconds on Slovenia, and 2.6 seconds on the U.S.
Natalie Nepryaeva of Russia takes charge in the second half during the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. Caldwell Hamilton tucks in just behind. (Photo: NordicFocus)
In that final lap, Fähndrich for the Swiss, reeled in Russia’s Nepryaeva, who at the onset seemed uncatchable, seized control of the front and took the win in 16:38.34 minutes. Nepryaeva crossed 0.32 seconds back to secure second for Russia I. Lampic crossed 1.12 seconds back for Slovenia’s third place. Caldwell Hamilton, slightly off the pace, finished in fourth (+3.01) for U.S. I.
Switzerland’s Nadine Fähndrich celebrates bringing home a team sprint victory with partner Laurien Van Der Graaff. (Photo: NordicFocus)
“I felt very good and saw that Natalia [Nepryaeva] was already a bit tired and I could catch up a lot from behind. So I had a very good feeling, and was hoping and fighting to make it happen today,” said Fähndrich to Swiss broadcaster SRF about her team’s last loop.
Laurien Van Der Graaff and partner Nadine Fähndrich take the win for Switzerland in the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Van der Graaff, Fähndrich’s teammate, added, “I knew I had to send off Nadine in a good position. So I fought and suffered on my last leg, and talked to myself the whole time ‘come on, just a little bit more until I can tag off to her’. We already saw yesterday that she’s in great shape, she’s the strongest athlete at the moment. And I knew in the end she’d make it.”
The women’s podium of the team sprint in Dresden Germany. Switzerland’s Laurie Van Der Graaf and Nadine Fähndrich took the win with Russia’s Yulia Stupak and Natalia Nepryaeva in second, and Eva Urevc and Anamarija Lampic of Slovenia in third. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Sophie Caldwell Hamilton marks the leader around the bend during the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
“We fought hard out there, and I am so proud of all our teams for giving it out best effort!” wrote Diggins in a post-race email. “Personally I struggled a bit with positioning on such a short and tactical loop, but I was proud of how I held my own in city sprinting on a course that challenged me in different ways! I thought we had great skis and it’s nice to feel that we’re working our way into better and better racing form.”
Both Caldwell Hamilton and Diggins were coming off of strong performances on the course in yesterday’s individual sprint event, finishing 2nd and 4th, respectively. Both seemed well matched for the flat and spicy course, with tight corners where the manmade snow crumbles to a dicey sugar.
Jessie Diggins in control over the rollers during the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
“It was fast and furious out there today, as Dresden always is,” emailed Caldwell Hamilton. “I think Jessie and I both wanted to fight for a podium today and knew we were capable of it, but this race is a wild card and I think overall we skied quite well. For me personally, I always look back at these Dresden team sprints and wish I had skied more aggressively, but with so much carnage out there, you’re riding a fine line between aggressive and risky, so that sweet spot can be tricky to find. In hindsight, we can always find a small thing or two we would have done differently, but it’s still an effort I’m proud of and any time I get to team up with Jessie is an honor. Dresden hosted an exciting weekend as usual and now I’m looking forward to a little Christmas break in Seefeld!”
Jessie Diggins and Sophie Caldwell Hamilton celebrate a 4th place finish in the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Hannah Halvorsen and Julia Kern placed eighth in the final, 12.35 seconds off the winning time. The duop advanced to the final after placing fifth in the first semi-final. The top five teams from each semi advance to the finals.
Hannah Halvorsen faces off with Germany’s Laura Gimmler during the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
A quick look to the overall standings as Period 1 draws to a close: Despite sitting out the city sprints in Dresden, Rosie Brennan is still in charge of the yellow bib with 377 points. Missing this World Cup stop was part of Brennan’s season plan. Russia’s Tatiana Sorina trails by 41 points in second (334 pts), followed by Norway’s Therese Johaug in third (301 pts).
This World Cup coverage is made possible through the generous support of Marty and Kathy Hall and their A Hall Mark of Excellence Award. To learn more about A Hall Mark of Excellence Award or to learn how you can support FasterSkier’s coverage please contact info@fasterskier.com.
The team sprint is like a pump rocket, slowly building pressure for a final eruptive takeoff. Six 0.65 km laps each in rapid succession. Short recoveries between legs mean the athletes slowly wind up the effort while staying out of trouble, not wanting the rocket to misfire and lose it’s peak potential. Stay in the pack, drafting and in control, don’t crash or break a pole are sound strategies.
Chaos in the exchange zone, Richard Jouve tags Lucas Chanavat during the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
The men’s event evidenced this metaphor perfectly. The pack stayed close and looked comfortable with no crashes through the first half. As the final four exchanges progressed, you could feel the pressure from the pump steadily rise (in this case, three pumps wearing red, navy, or royal blue lycra) fighting against the confines of the bottle.
At the 7th exchange, just after the half-way mark, the pressure reached its limit and the launch began. Richard Jouve of the France 1 team accelerated from the exchange zone, making an effective push to stretch out the field. Italy’s Francesco De Fabiani and Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov kept close on his tails, and although the remaining pack did not immediately lose contact, it became increasingly clear who the podium contenders would be.
Foot on the gas, Richard Jouve accelerates to spread out the pack for the final half of the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Next exchange, Russia took the reins, with Gleb Retivykh setting pace. Yesterday’s sprint winner Federico Pellegrino looked confident as he tucked in behind the Russian, the winners of the two qualifying rounds squaring off. Lucas Chavanat of France kept close contact in third.
With the Dresden skyline as a backdrop, Italy’s Francesco De Fabiani leads Richard Jouve of France and American Kevin Bolger during the team sprint. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Russia continued their up-tempo from the front during the final lap where the three leading teams separated from the chasers. Heading into the lanes, all three teams had a chance. Retivykh took charge off of looker’s left, while Chavanat fought for centimeters on lookers right. Pellegrino tucked in behind the Frenchman, priming himself to sneak a boot around at the line.
Real estate was limited and Retivykh had unmatched finishing speed on the day, crossing the line for the win in 15:01.14. Chavanat stopped the clock +0.19 seconds behind in second, and Pellegrino carried the Italians to third (+0.58).
Down the home strech, Gleb Retivykh takes the victory for Russia at the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)The Russian victors Gleb Retivykh (L) and Alexander Bolshunov (R) shake hands after the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
“It is a very nice competition every time we come to Dresden…” Retivykh told FIS after the race. “We worked together really well and with tactics. The Russian teams took the podium today for women and men. We’re happy.”
Prior to today’s win, Russia was in a three-year drought for team sprint victories. Russia last won the event in February, 2017 during a pre-Olympic World Cup in PyeongChang, China. Retivykh was also the anchor on that day.
The men’s podium of the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. The Russia 1 team of Alexander Bolshunov and Gleb Retivykh stole the show, with Richard Jouve and Lucas Chavanat of France in close second, and Italy’s Francisco de Fabiani and Federico Pellegrino in third. (Photo: NordicFocus)
Behind the podium finishers, the U.S. team of Kevin Bolger and Simi Hamilton stayed in the mix, skiing strong in the middle of the pack and close to the leaders through the final two laps. With two laps of the course to go, Bolger and Hamilton began to lose contact along with the remaining teams, fading from 2 seconds back at 6.5 k to finish 12.57 seconds behind in 9th.
Kevin Bolger (bib 18) rounds the curve with Italy’s Francisco De Fabiani during the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)Simi Hamilton keeps the U.S. team in the mix during the team sprint in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: NordicFocus)
“Even though the result wasn’t exactly what we wanted today I thought we skied really well and fought through both heats,” wrote Hamilton after the race. “I felt great in our semi, and still pretty good for the final, but things were incredibly scrappy and we just kind of kept getting caught in the back with tangles, broken poles, and the likes. Team sprinting can be so fun and so frustrating at the same time, but it was just really, really cool to ski with Kevin today and I’m so psyched with how he’s skiing right now.”
Simi Hamilton fights to the finish with Jovian Hediger (SUI), Renaud Jay (FRA) just behind. (Photo: NordicFocus)
The Bolger-Hamilton duo had placed fifth in the first semi-final in a tight finish, 0.69 seconds behind winners Italy I ( De Fabiani and Pellegrino).
In the second men’s semi-final, the U.S. team of Logan Hanneman and JC Schoonmaker placed 10th (+27.21) and did not advance.
The World Cup takes a holiday break until the Tour de Ski which is scheduled to begin on January 1.
Andy Newell (19) and Kevin Bolger (28) compete in the 2019 Dresden City Sprint World Cup (Photo: Dresden World Cup)
Dresden City Sprint World Cup – Torsten Püschel Interview
April 29, 2019
In the lead-up to the Minneapolis World Cup in March 2020, there are some parallels to the city sprint weekend in Dresden, Germany. Both are urban events relatively new to the World Cup circuit.
What are the motivations and goals behind hosting a World Cup? What does it take to get a new event on the calendar? What has the Dresden World Cup learned and how is the event changing after the first two years of their five-year contract?
Garrott Kussy spoke with Torsten Püschel, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Dresden World Cup, to learn more about hosting a city sprint World Cup. Püschel grew up in Dresden as an elite athlete when the city was part of East Germany. He has spent the past 20 years working as a sports commentator for German television and radio, including the past six Olympic Games.
Launching a World Cup City Sprint: “Bring Skiing to the People”
Garrott Kuzzy: What was your inspiration for bringing a World Cup event to Dresden?
Torsten Püschel: First and foremost, because Dresden is my home. My co-founder (René Kindermann, also a German television sports commentator) and I are enthusiastic fans of our hometown. In 2014, the Mayor of Dresden, Helma Orosz, came to us and said: ‘Torsten & René, you both travel the world for sporting events. Do you have any ideas for promoting the city in the winter?’ Dresden is known for the Striezelmarkt, Germany’s oldest Christmas Market, in December. In the spring and summer, it is full of cyclists and travelers. But things were a little quiet in January.
Chief of Competition Georg Zipfel (L) and Co-Director Torsten Püschel talk about the event. (Photo: Dresden World Cup)
René and I were announcing at the World Cup in Lahti, Finland, where the nordic venue is within walking distance of the city. We thought, ‘Hey, how about we host a nordic World Cup in Dresden?’
We had conversations for over a year with all possible constituents before announcing our idea. We didn’t want anyone to feel left out. This was one of the keys to the success of the event.
The regional ski clubs loved the idea of bringing the World Cup to the people in the city, rather than bringing people to a more remote ski area in the Iron Mountains (Erzgebirge mountain range about 50 miles from Dresden, on the border with the Czech Republic). That also fits with the German Ski Federation’s mission to bring more winter sports to the cities.
Hannah Halvorsen competes in her first World Cup event (Photo: Garrott Kuzzy / LumiExperiences.com)
GK: Once you decided you wanted to host a World Cup, how did you make it happen? What were the challenges?
TP: There were three big challenges. First, we had to find a weekend that fit into the FIS calendar. Second, we had to get all of the permits from the city. There were over 10 different departments who had to sign off on our proposal. Finally, we had to achieve the FIS requirements like organizing accommodation, paying for athlete’s travel expenses and, of course, to build a venue in the city. It took over three years from having the idea in fall of 2014 to approval by FIS in May 2017, to actually hosting the event in January 2018.
GK: You mentioned that Dresden is known for its cycling. Rock climbers are also likely familiar with the famous sandstone Bastei rock formations. Cross country skiing is not as synonymous with the region. What are winters like in Dresden?
TP: Dresden itself is cold, but does not always have snow in the winter. Instead, people typically travel around 45 minutes into the surrounding Erzgebirge mountains to ski. Rather than make people travel to snow, our inspiration was to bring the World Cup to the people.
Aerial view of the race course in front of the State of Saxony’s Ministry of Culture building (Photo: Dresden World Cup)
Creating a Sustainable Event
GK: Has it been hard hosting a World Cup in a city without consistent snow? Are you taking into account environmental concerns?
TP: Creating an environmentally sustainable World Cup has actually been one of the most interesting parts of the project. From the beginning, we wanted to make sure the event was ‘green’–in the environmental sense at least. FIS actually has a Green Event Manual. We used the manual, along with the input from several local, environmentally focused non-profits, to make the event as sustainable as possible.
For example, it is actually better to host a city event than a rural event in the mountains because everything is so central. The athlete hotel is located right next to the course, so racers and coaches can walk to the venue. Tickets for spectators include public transportation.
FIS now requires that every World Cup venue has snowmaking, so every event is making snow–not just city sprints. We make our snow at the Dresden Airport with non-potable water collected from the roof of the airport. Snow guns make the snow inside an airport hanger, so no moisture is lost to wind or sun. The energy used to make the snow is 100% renewable; from hydro, solar and wind power.
Snowmaking container set up outside a hanger at the Dresden Airport (Photo: Dresden World Cup)
Indoor snowmaking means no moisture is lost to wind or sun (Photo: Dresden World Cup)
It takes about a month to make all the snow for the event, which we can even make in temperatures above freezing. Two days before the event, we transfer the snow from the airport to the venue. A short 650m snow loop has several advantages. First, it means we do not need to make much snow. Second, racers ski two laps, which is more exciting for spectators. On the team-sprint day, racers ski past the spectators 72 times–more than any other World Cup event.
The total carbon required for our snow production is about the same as one person in Dresden would use in two months of normal living.
A family heads out for an evening ski after the races (Photo: Dresden World Cup)
A Family Winter Weekend
GK: In Minneapolis, the race organizers are creating a four-day festival around the World Cup. How do you use the snow when World Cup racers aren’t racing?
TP: One of our goals is to help put Dresden on the world stage. The course runs along the banks of the Elbe River with the city skyline in the background. Of course, promoting the city and sport is a big part of our event.
As part of bringing skiing to the people, we leave the course set-up for 10 days. After the race weekend, we open the track to everyone. Elementary school kids come during the week to learn to ski. Tobias Angerer (Olympic Bronze Medalist and two-time World Cup Overall Champion) has connections to Dresden and spends the week teaching lessons. The German National Paralympic team teaches skiing to people with disabilities. A junior championship event brings over 450 kids for sprint races. We also host an event for the Special Olympics. The hill is used for sledding. The VIP hospitality ‘tent,’ which is actually a beautiful, temporary, two-story glass building, is perfect for companies to host team-building events, which is used for all 10 days as well.
Racers line up for the Team Sprint in front of the VIP hospitality building (Photo: Dresden World Cup)
Looking toward the future
GK: After two years, what have you learned? How will you evolve as you move forward?
TP: For the event, we will continue to add activities. For example, we will have a sponsor village next year, where people can sample Gruyère cheese, or try laser biathlon. We will also lower the ticket prices, aiming for cinema pricing–where spectators can access the event for the same price as a movie ticket. We really want this to become a family winter weekend.
Photo finish for second place in the women’s team sprint (Photo: Garrott Kuzzy / LumiExperiences.com)
GK: What is the athlete perspective of the event?
TP: Athletes have appreciated how firm and fast the course was; and how well the conditions held. That was very positive feedback. They also appreciate being able to walk, or run, from their hotel to the course.
Regarding the loop itself, the qualifying times were slower than FIS wants, so we are shortening the course by about 200m and making the whole venue more compact–which also improves spectating. We are reversing the direction of the course, putting the uphill at the beginning to try spreading out the field more. We are also adding more berms and bumps to make the course more challenging for athletes and exciting for spectators.
Men’s team sprint podium celebrates with champagne (Photo: Garrott Kuzzy / LumiExperiences.com)
GK: Why should someone travel to Dresden for the World Cup?
TP: There are several reasons. First, the event is quickly becoming a tradition in Dresden. The local community is excited to host the event. People are very friendly excited to host an international event and spectators. Second, everything is within walking distance. It’s special to be able to experience the World Cup during the day and the city of Dresden, including their restaurants and culture at night. Most importantly, the event is a lot of fun. There is an opportunity to interact with some of the best skiers in the world and watch them compete on one of the most iconic World Cup courses in front of the city skyline.
GK: Thank you, Torsten. Good luck as you prepare for the World Cup next winter.
Julia Kern (L) and Sophie Caldwell after finishing fourth place in the team sprint (Photo: Garrott Kuzzy / LumiExperiences.com)
About Garrott Kuzzy
Garrott competed in the 2010 Olympic Games and raced several years with the US Ski Team and the CXC Team. He is the founder of Lumi Experiences, specializing in cross-country ski vacations. Lumi Experiences is offering a trip “Dresden to the Dolomites” with VIP tickets to the Dresden World Cup and the opportunity to ski the Dolomitenlauf Worldloppet Ski Marathon in Austria.
The men’s 6 x 1.2 k freestyle team sprint podium at Sunday’s World Cup in Dresden, Germany, with Italy’s Dietmar Nöckler and Federico Pellegrino in first (c), Sweden’s Emil Jönsson and Teodor Peterson in second (l) and Russia’s Andrey Krasnov and Gleb Retivykh in third (r). (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
(Note: This article has been updated to include comments from Canada’s Bob Thompson.)
Federico Pellegrino’s winning move in the men’s 6 x 1.2-kilometer freestyle team sprint on Sunday wasn’t exactly the same as yesterday when the Italian attacked on the final climb of the individual skate sprint.
“Yesterday on the right side and today I tried on the left side and it was OK,” Pellegrino said in a post-race interview with the International Ski Federation (FIS).
By “OK,” Pellegrino meant perfect.
“Today everything was perfect, even the sun was super,” he said after winning his second race in as many days with team-sprint partner Dietmar Nöckler. “We can continue like this to the Olympics then catch the gold.”
A number of teams were looking to do exactly as the Italians did on Sunday on a tightly woven city sprint course in the heart of Dresden, Germany. This race marked the last team sprint before the Olympics, which starts in less than a month in PyeongChang, South Korea. The Olympic team sprint, set for Feb. 21, is also freestyle. Sunday was the first team sprint so far of the 2017/2018 season.
Pellegrino locked it up after Nöckler came through the last exchange in fifth, 2.6 seconds behind Sweden’s Emil Jönsson in first. On the final lap, Pellegrino chased Sweden’s Teodor Peterson and Switzerland’s Roman Schaad, before Pellegrino made his move past Schaad in first heading into the final rise before the stadium. The attack was just slightly before the one he executed to win Saturday’s skate sprint over Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo.
“I had to use it,” he said of the move.
Federico Pellegrino (front) celebrates across the line as he anchors Italy to a freestyle team sprint victory for his second-straight win at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. Behind him, Sweden I’s Teodor Peterson (second from r) and Russia’s Gleb Retivykh (r) battled for second, and Sweden II’s Karl-Johan Westberg (l) and Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (second for r) jockey for third. American Simi Hamilton (on the ground) is seen trying to recover from a crash. (Screenshot: ZDF broadcast)
First over the top, Pellegrino pushed farther ahead of Peterson in second while Schaad, Russia’s Gleb Retivykh, Sweden II’s Karl-Johan Westberg, Klæbo, and American Simi Hamilton chased in third. Hamilton went down when he collided with Klæbo just before the finish line, but was able to get up and finish eighth, 14.28 seconds behind Italy in first.
Pellegrino sealed the deal in 12:18.31, and Peterson crossed 1.07 seconds back for Sweden I in second place. Russia’s first team, with Andrey Krasnov and Retivykh, placed third (+1.23), just ahead of Switzerland I (Jovian Hediger and Schaad) in fourth (+1.45), Norway I (Kasper Stadaas and Klæbo) in fifth (+1.93), and Sweden II (Johan Häggström and Westberg) in sixth (+1.94). Italy II (Stefan Zelger and Giacomo Gabrielli) placed seventh (+7.31) ahead of the U.S. (Erik Bjornsen and Hamilton) in eighth.
“When I arrived at the finish line, I could go slow and had some time to look to the people and say thank you for a great day,” Pellegrino told German TV broadcaster ZDF. “I had really good fun here in Germany!”
“He showed all the world that today he is the strongest athlete on the track,” Nöckler said while standing next to his teammate Pellegrino in a televised interview with FIS. “And today we were both on the podium so we’re really happy.”
Bjornsen, Hamilton in the Mix
The U.S. men were in contention to the finish, with Bjornsen putting them in third on the second-to-last leg. Norway’s Stadaas had been given a 1.3-second lead at the fourth exchange by his teammate Klæbo (who had previously made his way back into first after Stadaas tagged him in fifth). While Stadaas widened the gap for the first half of his last loop, Bjornsen led the chase, skiing several seconds behind him in second place.
In an in-person interview with FasterSkier, Bjornsen recalled being tentative in the semifinals, where he and Hamilton finished fourth but advanced as lucky losers with a fast-enough time.
“Going into the final, I was feeling good and I wanted to use my aerobic capacity,” Bjornsen said. “As soon as Simi handed off to me, I was kind of in the back end of that group and Norway had a good lead and I was like, I’m just gonna go for it.”
Hamilton had tagged him in eighth, 2.5 seconds behind Norway in first. About halfway through the next 1.2 k loop, Bjornsen had bridged the gap to Stadaas, but brought a large pack of racers with him.
“I went to the outside and was able to pass my group of like six or so, and I bridged up to Norway and tried to hit that corner pretty hard, then it kind of hit me,” Bjornsen said. “I was tired, that group had caught up to me and unfortunately I had pulled — some people jumped on the back of me, so then they kind of went by me, but I was able to hand off in third so I was happy with that. We were in the mix today.”
Sweden’s Jönsson took the lead over the last rise before the stadium, and Switzerland’s Hediger slotted into second, coming through the exchange 0.9 seconds after Jönsson. Bjornsen tagged third, 2 seconds back.
American Simi Hamilton (r) chasing Russia’s Gleb Retivykh (19) and one of two Swedish teams the second semifinal of the men’s 6 x 1.2 k freestyle team sprint at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
From there, Hamilton kept himself in contention in the top five, hanging just behind Pellegrino and Peterson as the large group approached the finish. In the middle with several races on either side of him, Hamilton went down, hard, but stood back up again and finished eighth.
“My crash wasn’t too terrible, but I did break Klæbo’s pole with my face and got a bunch of carbon fiber splinters in my upper lip. So once I got that cleaned up I was okay,” Hamilton wrote in an email. “Whacked my head a bit too, but I’ll be fine.”
He explained that he and Bjornsen had made a game plan to “ski towards the front, stay out of crashes, and figure out how the semifinal was going to play out while racing,” he wrote. “I thought we both skied the semi well, although I think I could have been a bit more aggressive on my last lap and done more skiing that would have assured us a spot into the final. But it turned out okay.”
In the final, “Erik did an awesome job keeping us at the front and I just focused on doing the same for him,” Hamilton wrote. “He turned in a hell of a last leg, tagging me in 3rd for my last lap.”
Bjornsen was pleased with his last lap, but would have like to have been first through the final exchange.
“I wish I had a little higher speed that I could push past people quicker, but I find when I’m up against the best, my talent or whatever is to kind of press hard for a while,” Bjornsen said. “… So I just tried to send it hard for 45 seconds and it seemed to work out. I wish I could’ve handed off in first, but I’m happy to be in the mix there.”
On the final lap, Hamilton recalled “a decent sized gap up to first and second, I think mostly because those were the only two teams that had perfect tags on that last exchange,” he wrote.
Unsure whether to ski all out on his last of three 1.2 k efforts, while simultaneously pulling along competitors like Pellegrino and Klæbo, Hamilton focused on skiing fast, but not to his max.
“On the far end, Pellegrino went by me and by that point we were really close to making contact with the top two,” he wrote. “I thought we were totally in the hunt for a podium until somehow I lost a second on the plateau [after the last hill] with about 15 seconds of racing left. “I don’t know how I lost it, if it was just entirely my fault or if something happened like I got punched from my line, but I am pretty bummed about it because that was where I felt like I let the podium slip through our hands,” Hamilton continued. “Coming in to the finish lanes, I got tripped up with Klæbo and my skis got clipped as were skiing for the same lane. It wasn’t intentional and he’s a very clean racer, but it was definitely a bummer to not be able to sprint it out for 3rd, 4th, or 5th with those other guys.”
As for Norway, Klæbo told Germany’s ZDF he was out of the race at the start of that last lap: “After the last exchange it was too difficult, the gap was too large to the guys in front,” he said.
Overall, Hamilton concluded that it was a great and interesting weekend of racing at a new venue in Dresden.
“I think they could make some big improvements to the course with making it more technical, flowy, and wider, but I hope they continue to hold sprints here in the future,” he wrote.
Canada had two teams in the first semifinal of the men’s 6 x 1.2 k freestyle team sprint at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany, with Canada I’s Julien Locke (near) skiing just ahead of Canada II’s Dominique Moncion-Groulx, who caught an edge just ahead of Italy’s Federico Pellegrino (second from r) and American Ben Lustgarten (behind Pellegrino), over the top of a climb. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
While the Bjornsen and Hamilton as the U.S. Ski Team’s first team on Sunday were the lone North Americans to reach the men’s final, Canada came close with Bob Thompson and Julien Locke.
“The main points of our plan was make sure we stayed in the lead group and to take any easy opportunities to make up positions whenever we saw them,” Thompson, of the National Team Development Centre (NTDC) Thunder Bay, wrote in an email. “I started first as we were confident I could hang on to the pace and then after Julien’s excellent performance yesterday we felt he would have good speed to finish.”
The two ultimately finished seventh in the first team-sprint semifinal, just one place behind Great Britain’s James Clugnet and Andrew Young. The Brits advanced to the final as lucky losers in sixth, 1.85 seconds behind Norway’s Stadaas and Klæbo in first, becoming the first team from Great Britain to reach the final in a World Cup team sprint. (In the final, they finished behind the U.S. in ninth, 14.68 seconds out of first.)
After Thompson tagged Locke (Canadian National U25 Team/Black Jack Ski Club) in eighth in the last exchange of their semifinal, Locke picked off one place to finish seventh, 0.39 seconds behind Great Britain’s Young.
“The third leg just started going from the exchange and I was able to hang on to the back and then dodge around the French teams who both crashed,” Thompson explained. “So I was able to tag off to Julien solidly in the mix of the lead pack. Julien had a pole break on the small hill with just 200m to go and had to free skate in, so the .15 seconds from making the final hurts a bit.
“I’m happy with how we raced,” he continued. “We both stayed controlled and I think we had the pace well enough. I believe I skied it as well as I could have and being right up with those guys feels great.”
The Americans’ second team of Andy Newell and Ben Lustgarten crossed the line 0.57 seconds later for eighth place (+2.81) in that semifinal. Newell had put them in second place at the last exchange, just 0.11 seconds out of first.
“I felt good on my last leg and was able to make some moves and tag Ben in the lead going into the final lap,” Newell wrote in an email. “He skied really well to stay close to the leaders. If we were even less than a second faster I think we would have moved on as [lucky losers] instead of Sweden 2 and USA 1 from the next semi. So we were a bit unlucky there but it was a fun race.”
American Andy Newell (2) chasing Italy II’s Stefan Zelger (in blue) during the first semifinal of the men’s 6 x 1.2 k freestyle team sprint at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Previously, Newell had tagged Lustgarten in fourth at the first exchange, then Newell found himself back in 10th and almost 2 seconds back after his second leg.
“Ben and I tried to ski up toward the front half of the pack but had a small crash on our second tag,” Newell explained.
“The [second] handoff wasn’t clean but I got Newell just in time,” Lustgarten, of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project, recalled in an in-person interview with FasterSkier. “But there is so much happening and I obviously don’t have that much experience in this event, so it was just like a learning experience and trying to ski well. … On my last lap, Klæbo and Pellegrino went by and I am not really at that level yet so I didn’t really expect anything. I just tried to go as hard as I could.
“I haven’t done a team sprint in eight years maybe, so it was a whole new kind of experience,” Lustgarten explained. “And obviously all these guys are so fast and strong that it was just an insane event.”
Canada’s second team of Antoine Briand (Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre) and Dominique Moncion-Groulx (Alberta World Cup Academy) finished 13th in the first semifinal, 26.20 seconds out of first. Notably, Moncion-Groulx skied the fastest second leg of the race to bring them from 12th after the first exchange to sixth.
The World Cup has two more weekends of racing before the Olympics, with all-classic races next weekend in Planica, Slovenia (classic sprint and 10/15 k classic individual starts), followed by freestyle races in Seefeld, Austria, on Jan. 27-28 (skate sprints and 10/15 k freestyle mass starts).
Bjornsen said he was unsure whether he’d race next weekend in Planica, potentially opting for a training block before the Olympics instead.
“I still have to talk to [U.S .SKi Team Head Coach Chris] Grover about which races I’m going to start at the Olympics and so if it looks like I’ll have a full schedule at the Olympics then I’ll try to do a training block,” Bjornsen said.
Hamilton wrote that he was planning on racing the classic sprint in Planica, and was headed to Ramsau, Austria, with his teammates for a couple days of training first.
According to Thompson, the four Canadians that raced in Dresden were also on their way to Ramsau, Austria, where they’ll train until Tuesday and then continue on to Planica.
Kaisa Makarainen of Finland celebrates winning the women’s 12.5 k mass start in Ruhpolding, Germany, as Laura Dahlmeier (Germany) is second, Veronica Vitkova (Czech Republic) third, and Rosanna Crawford (Canada) fourth. (Photo: IBU/Biathlonworld)
IBU Biathlon World Cup (Ruhpolding, Germany): 12.5/15 k mass starts
Kaisa Makarainen of Finland took her first win of the season and will start next weekend with the overall World Cup leader’s bib after she outsprinted Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier by 0.8 seconds to claim the win in the 12.5 k mass start. In a tight race for third, Veronica Vitkova of the Czech Republic edged out Rosanna Crawford of Canada for the final spot on the podium; the pair crossed the line 4.6 and 5.2 seconds behind Makarainen. The podium finishers all had two penalties apiece while Crawford shot clean, repeating the 20-for-20 effort that netted her third place and her first-ever podium in the 15 k individual earlier this week. Germany’s Denise Herrmann was sixth, +16.7 seconds, despite four missed targets.
In the men’s 15 k mass start, Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Bø took a win over France’s Martin Fourcade as the pair continue their running battle this season. Bø had one penalty to Fourcade’s two, although that penalty came in the last shooting stage to make things interesting – Fourcade, whose penalties had come in the prior shooting stage, closed to within 4.5 seconds by the finish, but was unable to beat the Norwegian. Antonin Guigonnat, one of the newest members of the French World Cup team, shot 20-for-20 to claim third place and his second podium of the season. In an exciting race, the top nine men all finished within 15 seconds of one another. The sole U.S. entry, Tim Burke, was in the top 15 for much of the race before missing two shots in the final standing shooting stage and finishing 21st, +1:30.2
The women’s 6 x 1.2 k freestyle team sprint podium at Sunday’s World Cup in Dresden, Germany, with Sweden II’s Maja Dahlqvist and Ida Ingemarsdotter in first (c), Sweden I’s Hanna Falk and Stina Nilsson in second (l), and USA I’s Ida Sargent and Sophie Caldwell in third (r). (Photo: FIS Cross Country/Twitter)
FIS Cross Country World Cup (Dresden, Germany): 6 x 1.2 k freestyle team sprint
For the second-straight day in Dresden, Sophie Caldwell notched third place and was nearly second with U.S. teammate Ida Sargent on Sunday in the World Cup women’s 1.2-kilometer freestyle team sprint.
The race ended in a three-way fight for first, which Sweden II’s anchor Maja Dahlqvist took by 0.16 seconds over Sweden I’s Stina Nilsson. While the two lunged for the line, Caldwell came on strong to give them a run as well, finishing just 0.23 seconds back in third (after being in a photo finish for second).
Earlier in the day, Sargent and Caldwell had won the second semifinal to advance to the 10-team final. The U.S. Ski Team’s second team, Caitlin Patterson and Kikkan Randall, finished second in that heat, just 0.11 seconds back and advanced as well.
Sweden I won the first semifinal with Hanna Falk (Saturday’s individual skate-sprint winner) and Nilsson. Sweden II finished 0.17 back in second with Ida Ingemarsdotter and Dahlqvist.
In the final, Sweden II’s Ida Ingemarsdotter led through her first two legs before tagging Dahlqvist in third with one lap to go. Meanwhile, Sargent tagged Caldwell in fourth, 0.9 seconds back. On the final lap, with Switzerland, the two Swedish teams, and USA I’s Caldwell skiing together up front, they dropped Switzerland’s Laurien van der Graaff before the finish and went all out for first.
Dahlqvist took it for Sweden II in 13:33.4, Sweden I placed second and USA I third. The same duo of Caldwell and Sargent placed third in the pre-Olympic freestyle team sprint last year in PyeongChang, South Korea. There, Sargent also placed third in a classic sprint for her first World Cup podium. Sunday marked Caldwell’s fourth individual World Cup podium (sixth including team events).
USA II was up to sixth after Randall’s first leg, just 0.5 seconds out of first, and remained 1.8 seconds behind the leaders with two laps to go. On the second-to-last leg, Patterson tagged Randall in ninth, and Randall anchored them to eighth (+7.95).
Germany I finished fourth (+2.11) with Hanna Kolb and Sandra Ringwald, Slovenia was fifth (+4.46) with Alenka Cebasek and Vesna Fabjan, Germany II was sixth (+4.62) with Katharina Hennig and Elisabeth Schicho, and Switzerland seventh (+5.09) with Nadine Fähndrich and van der Graaff.
The men’s 6 x 1.2 k freestyle team sprint podium at Sunday’s World Cup in Dresden, Germany, with Italy’s Dietmar Nöckler and Federico Pellegrino in first (c), Sweden’s Emil Jönsson and Teodor Peterson in second (l) and Russia’s Andrey Krasnov and Gleb Retivykh in third (r). (Photo: FIS Cross Country/Twitter)
In the men’s race, Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo teamed up with Kasper Stadaas, and the two won their semifinal by 0.26 seconds over Italy’s Dietmar Nöckler and Saturday’s winnerFederico Pellegrino. The U.S. men’s first team of Erik Bjornsen and Simi Hamilton advanced to the final as the last lucky loser in the second semifinal, where they placed fourth, 0.85 seconds behind Russia I’s Andrey Krasnov and Gleb Retivykh in first. Sweden I (Emil Jönsson and Teodor Peterson) and Sweden II (Johan Häggström and Karl-Johan Westberg) also advanced in second and third in that heat.
In the final, which included Great Britain for the first time in team-sprint history (after James Clugnet and Andrew Young clinched the last lucky loser spot in the first semifinal in sixth place), Stadaas set a fast pace on the opening 1.2 k loop. He tagged Klæbo in first, 0.3 seconds ahead of Sweden I, while the U.S. hung in contention 0.9 seconds back in fifth.
Norway continued to lead until Stadaas’s second lap, where Russia’s Krasnov came through the third exchange first, 0.1 ahead of Switzerland’s Jovian Hediger in second. Stadaas tagged Klæbo in fourth, 0.5 seconds back, and Klæbo predictably recovered the lead on the next lap.
After he gave Stadaas a 1.3-second lead at the fourth exchange, Stadaas initially ran with it and extended it significantly. But he ran out of steam on the second half of his last loop and dropped to 10th (last place), 3.7 seconds out of first by the final exchange.
There, Jönsson tagged Peterson in first, 0.9 seconds ahead of Hediger in second. Bjornsen had brought the U.S. to third, 2 seconds back, after leading the chase group in second as they reeled in Stadaas.
On the final lap, Pellegrino came on strong in the last few hundred meters, just as he had done in Saturday’s individual sprint, to take the win for Italy in 12:18.3. Peterson anchored Sweden I to second place, 1 second back, and Russia’s Retivykh took third (+1.2), just ahead of Switzerland’s Roman Schaad in fourth (+1.4).
Hamilton suffered a nasty crash in the middle of the group just before the finish and crossed the line in eighth (+14.2).
Klæbo finished fifth for Norway (+1.9), with Sweden II in sixth (+1.9). Italy II (Stefan Zelger and Giacomo Gabrielli) followed in seventh (+7.3), Great Britain placed ninth (+14.6), and Switzerland II (Erwan Käser and Roman Furger) 10th (+20.9).
This is the last team sprint before a freestyle team sprint is contested at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
The women’s freestyle sprint podium on Saturday at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany, with Sweden’s Hanna Falk (c) and Maja Dahlqvist (l) in first and second, and American Sophie Caldwell (r) in third. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)
In Sophie Caldwell’s quarterfinal heat of the World Cup skate sprint in Dresden, Germany, she led from start nearly to finish. In the final 200 meters she was passed by Sweden’s Hanna Falk, but won a photo finish for second place and advanced to the semifinals.
In that quarterfinal heat, the U.S. Ski Team member had finished just 0.24 seconds behind Sweden’s Falk.
As the racing got even tighter in the semifinals and final, it became more difficult to shoot off the starting line and into first place. Caldwell spent much of those heats boxed in the middle or even the back of her six-woman heats, partly on purpose, but advanced to the final as a “lucky loser” anyway.
American Sophie Caldwell (11) leads Sweden’s Hanna Falk (1), Germany’s Hanna Kolb (21), France’s Aurore Jean (27), and others during their 1.2 k freestyle sprint quarterfinal on Saturday at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
“Sophie really executed the way she wanted to all day,” U.S. Ski Team Head Coach Chris Grover said. “She was in control of her quarterfinal, and then when she got to the semifinal, she purposely wanted to relax a little bit… same thing in the final. She was not going to, like, burn a match early. She was going to relax, be in the draft, save a little bit of energy early, and look to make a move.”
By the end of the final, despite skiing from the back instead of the front, Caldwell’s margin to Falk was almost the same as it had been in the quarterfinal, this time 0.30 seconds.
Falk took the win while Caldwell finished third, earning her second podium of the year.
“It was pretty frantic, and in the final I didn’t have a great start,” Caldwell said. “I found myself in the back and it’s easy to waste a lot of energy being in the back and trying to move up, so I tried to be patient and pick people off when I could. But you also kind of have to capitalize on those opportunities when they come, so I just tried to be patient and pick people off. There was a fall that I dodged, which worked to my advantage, and so I am really happy with it.”
The crash belonged to Sweden’s Stina Nilsson, the favorite to win the final even though Falk had the fastest qualifying time. Near the end of the race loop Nilsson tripped and went down, with Caldwell and Switzerland’s Laurien van der Graaf splitting to go around her, one of each side.
“The crash happened right in front of me,” Caldwell said in a U.S. Ski & Snowboard press release. “But I managed to avoid it and then put in a big push to maintain contact with the leaders.”
That liberated Caldwell from the back of the field, although she still had work to do to get near the front. From the beginning of the heat, Falk, Nilsson, and Swedish teammates Anna Dyvik and Maja Dahlqvist had controlled the pace.
Sweden’s Hanna Falk (1) edges her teammate Maja Dahlqvist (l) and American Sophie Caldwell (r) in the women’s 1.2 k freestyle sprint final on Saturday at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. (Screenshot: ZDF broadcast)
As the meters ticked down to the finish, Caldwell finally was able inch towards the lead.
“Where she ended up making that move, under the bridge, was a targeted strategy of hers,” Grover said.
Coming into the finish, everyone except Nilsson was still in it, and the five women all crossed the line within 0.68 seconds of one another. Falk, though, managed to stay clear of the pack and take her first win since 2010.
“I think I was a little unfocused in the start in the semifinal, so in the final I really tried to focus on the start,” she said in a finish-line interview with FIS’s Jeff Ellis. “Then I took the front, and it was just to push hard… I really like this kind of city sprint. It was a good day for me. I have all my family and fans from Ulricehamn here cheering for me here, so it was a good day.”
Dahlqvist claimed second (0.23), van der Graaf fourth (+0.58), and Dyvik fifth.
Sophie Caldwell’s last podium came just two weeks ago, where she finished second in the 1.5 k sprint in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
While pursuing a completely different strategy from Falk in the final, Caldwell proved that there are many ways to the right position, as long as you play your cards right.
“I am really psyched to be here,” Caldwell said. “ I’ve never had great results in Period 1 in the past, so I was really happy to have made the semifinals in all three of the sprints. I considered it a really strong start, but I was left wanting more.”
She is following up a second-place finish in the skate sprint in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, which kicked off the Tour de Ski. But Caldwell fell ill partway through the Tour, and didn’t start the (later-canceled) classic sprint in Oberstdorf, Germany.
“I woke up sick the morning of the sprint in Oberstdorf, so I was sick for a week,” she explained. “I am actually still clearing things out, but energy-wise I felt good the past few days. Today was going kind of be a test to see how I felt, and I guess I was well rested. It felt good.”
She is now third in the Sprint Cup behind Nilsson and Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla, who did not race in Dresden.
Sweden’s Stina Nilsson (2) winning the second semifinal just ahead of her teammates Hanna Falk (1) and Maja Dahlqvist (not shown) and American Sophie Caldwell (not shown). Dahlqvist placed second, Caldwell third and Falk fourth in that heat. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
City sprints aren’t so unusual; they have been held in Drammen, Norway, for many years straight, with other venues like Stockholm, Dusseldorf, Milan, and Quebec City coming and going from the schedule.
But even for a city sprint, this course was particularly flat, short, and fast, which played to some athletes’ strengths and left others just trying to do their best to get by.
“It was a really funny course a lot different than anything we have ever done — by far the shortest I have ever done and flattest,” Caldwell said.
Her American teammate Ida Sargent qualified in 14th position, a new experience on such a course.
“It’s a weird course,” she said. “It’s fast and flat. Not at all my favorite kind of sprint race. I just went into it looking at it as a challenge and an opportunity to improve on some of the things that are not really my strengths. So I’m pretty psyched with the qualifier to be right up there, on a course where I feel like a year or two ago I definitely wouldn’t have qualified on. That was exciting.”
Like Caldwell, Sargent led out her quarterfinal heat. And like Caldwell, she got swept up at the end of it, with her competitors using a small uphill and a subsequent downhill to shoot into the finishing straights. She couldn’t hang on to the top two and finished fourth in the heat, 0.43 seconds behind Sweden’s Ida Ingemarsdotter.
That put her 17th on the day.
“Coming into the finish, it was pretty fast and I wasn’t quite ready for that,” she said. “I should have switched to V2 sooner, and I felt like it was all over the place. So I’m kind of kicking myself.”
“Ida had a great start, took control, skiing how she wanted to ski, just ran out of gas at the end,” Grover said. “And I think it was a course where there’s no rest, it’s continuous effort – if V2’ing hard, V2 alternate-ing hard, if that isn’t your deal, then you could run out of gas at the end.”
Both Sargent and Caldwell thought it was important to start well on this course, even though in the semifinal and final Caldwell managed to succeed without ever leading.
“It’s really narrow and hard to pass,” Caldwell said. “It was pretty easy to sense when people were coming up, so I think people were guarding their space. That made it even harder to pass. When I was leading my quarterfinal I got to do some of that, and then when I wasn’t leading it was frustrating sometimes — you would see people bouncing around out there trying to make moves.”
“There’s room to move up, but it’s definitely big decisive moves,” Sargent agreed. “I just got out fast [in the quarterfinal] and tried to stay in my rhythm at the beginning. I could feel the others coming up and I would just try to increase the pace whenever I could feel someone coming up so I could keep control.”
Kikkan Randall (U.S. Ski Team) racing to 34th in the 1.2 k freestyle sprint qualifier on Saturday at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Also starting for the U.S., Kikkan Randall narrowly missed qualifying for the quarterfinals in 34th, 6.57 seconds behind Falk’s time and 0.6 seconds behind 30th-place Giulia Stuerz of Italy.
Randall, Caldwell, and Sargent are now looking forward to the Olympic Games, which begin in less than a month. Sargent sealed her qualification with that 17th-place finish, as she is now ranked 13th in the Sprint Cup, well within the top-50 designation required by the U.S. Ski Team.
“I am looking forward to the Olympics,” Caldwell said in a post-race press conference. “It has been a strong year for me, and especially for my whole team. We are going to compete as a team to win the first medal for the U.S. women in Olympics, and I am proud to be on the team.”
Julia Kern (U.S. Ski Team/Stratton Mountain School) racing to 38th in the women’s 1.2 k freestyle sprint qualifier at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Julia Kern finished 38th (+7.78) and Caitlin Patterson 40th (+8.56).
“We had an uncharacteristically poor qualification,” Grover said. “I have a feeling it was a combination of things… Just over two minutes for women and men a minute fifty, I think that might have been a little bit of a shock to the system. I couldn’t tell if our group was a little flat, or [this race is] just so uncharacteristic, something that we don’t really prepare for because it’s that much more on the anaerobic side instead of a mix of aerobic and anaerobic like we’re used to for a sprint.
“Anyway, to have Erik Bjornsen just miss the qualification, to have Kikkan just miss the qualification, to have the four athletes who did go in not have the best qualifications, something was a little bit missing,” he concluded.
In Sunday’s team sprint, Sargent and Caldwell will team up, with Randall and Patterson forming the second U.S. team in a field of 20 entries.
Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) racing to 40th in the women’s freestyle sprint qualifier at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Italy’s Federico Pellegrino (5) getting a ski tip ahead of Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (l) for the men’s freestyle sprint final win on Saturday at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. France’s Lucas Chanavat (1) placed third for the second-straight World Cup sprint, another Frenchman Richard Jouve (second from r) placed fourth, Sweden’s Emil Jönsson (second from l) was fifth, and Norway’s Even Northug (behind) took sixth after breaking a pole out of the start. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)
How do you beat Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo at his competition-crushing game? Take him by surprise with minimal time to recover. Italy’s Federico Pellegrino did just that on the last uphill rise of the 1.2-kilometer sprint course on Saturday in Dresden, Germany.
Dresden, a historic city in eastern Germany, debuted its brand-new course along the Elbe River on manmade snow amid damp conditions and temperatures above freezing throughout the day. Pellegrino had done what he needed to advance through the rounds, clocking the first-fastest time in the qualifier, 2.9 seconds behind France’s Lucas Chanavat in first, then placing second in his quarterfinal and third in the first semifinal. Klæbo won that semi by 0.16 seconds over Chanavat in second and 0.3 seconds ahead of Pellegrino in third. With a fast-enough time, Pellegrino moved on to the final, where he met the 21-year-old Klæbo again.
“I knew that at the beginning of the race, I’m becoming a little bit old so the younger Klæbo and Chanavat were faster than me,” Pellegrino, 27, said of the final in a post-race interview with the International Ski Federation (FIS). “So I just had to wait, but I wanted to attack in the longer race to the finish line.”
The race from his point of attack might have seemed like an eternity, but in actuality, it was about 500 meters before the finish. Klæbo and Chanavat had burst out of the start at lightning speed, skiing “shoulder to shoulder,” as Chanavat later said in a press conference, and slightly gapping the four skiers behind them — one of which was Pellegrino.
While Klæbo pushed the pace up front, Pellegrino kept the two leaders close, skiing just a couple strides back. France’s second man in the final, Richard Jouve slotted into fourth behind him and Sweden’s Emil Jönsson — in his first final in a year — followed in fifth. Behind them, Norway’s Even Northug (Petter Northug’s 22-year-old brother) worked to fasten a new pole after breaking his on the starting gate. That took him out of the race from the gun.
Chanavat attempted to get ahead of Klæbo on a tight righthand corner, but Klæbo held the inside line and his position. Coming out of that corner, Pellegrino latched on to Chanavat and brought the rest of the group with him. Shadowing the two leaders’ every move, Pellegrino accelerated just before the final rise, taking just three V2 pushes to get to the top.
Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (l) and Italy’s Federico Pellegrino (second from l) jockey for position just before the finish of the men’s freestyle sprint final at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany, while France’s Lucas Chanavat (1) and Richard Jouve chase, followed by Sweden’s Emil Jönsson (14). (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Even with Klæbo, the Italian took another push to move ahead and left Klæbo chasing. With about 75 meters to go, they began their all-out showdown to the finish, side by side, with Pellegrino staying just ahead to cross the line first in 1:52.77 minutes. Klæbo was just 0.18 seconds back in second and Chanavat 0.98 seconds behind in third.
“When I will have grandchildren this will be the story I am going to tell them, that I beat Johannes,” Pellegrino said, according to a FIS press release.
It was his first World Cup victory in nearly a year since winning a freestyle sprint in Falun, Sweden, late last January, and his 10th career individual World Cup win.
“Klæbo is a really good guy because if he wanted to he could stop me,” Pellegrino told FIS. “… He tried to stay stay quiet to let me go … he’s really good to continue to win.”
In the four sprints Klæbo’s contested this season, Saturday marked his first loss (he did not compete in the Tour de Ski, opting for a training block instead and racing at Norwegian nationals in Vang, Norway, where he won the classic sprint).
“It was a tough one,” Klæbo said of Saturday’s final. “Me and Chanavat was trying to go pretty hard from the start of the final, and I think both of us went a little bit too hard. … I’m satisfied with second place here but I have to do something else to beat him next time.”
Two seasons ago, Pellegrino was the overall Sprint World Cup champion. Last season, it was Klæbo as both the U23 and Sprint World Cup Champion.
The men’s freestyle sprint podium on Saturday at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany, with Italy’s Federico Pellegrino (c) in first, Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (l) in second, and France’s Lucas Chanavat (r) in third. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
“I always try to do my best; if the best means the victory it’s great,” Pellegrino said, according to FIS. “It was a really good show. I prefer courses with more hills. Yesterday I changed the way I was thinking about the race.”
“He was clever,” Klæbo said in an interview with NRK. “He skied like this in the semi and quarterfinal. Our strategies differed slightly.”
While Pellegrino kept himself in contention in the heats by skiing from behind, Klæbo did as he usually does, by leading with a pace few, if anyone else, could match. Klæbo qualified second, 0.15 seconds off Chanavat’s top qualifying time of 1:50.42, then won his quarterfinal by a clear-cut margin of 0.6 seconds over Switzerland’s Roman Schaad. Chanavat won his quarterfinal by 0.12 seconds over Pellegrino, then hung with Klæbo once again in the semifinal.
At the last World Cup sprint in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, the first stage of the Tour de Ski, Chanavat placed third in the skate sprint.
“I did my best and I competed to try to get the victory today, but I was a lot focused on Johannes,” Chanavat, 23, said at the press conference. “So I was surprised when Pellegrino came pretty strong on the side in the race.”
He added that the gap between him and Klæbo is getting closer. “So I’ll try to keep it shorter,” Chanavat said.
Jouve finished 0.25 seconds off the podium in fourth, 0.98 seconds behind Pellegrino, Jönsson finished fifth (+2.36), and Northug sixth (+12.04).
Hamilton 10th, Locke 15th
American Simi Hamilton made it to the semifinals and finished the day in 10th overall after placing fifth in the second semi, 0.38 seconds behind Jönsson in first. That heat ended in a three-way photo finish for first, which Jönsson took ahead of Northug (+0.01) and Jouve (+0.04). Those three men advanced to the final, but Hamilton and Norway’s fourth-place finisher in that semifinal, Pål Trøan Aune (+0.23) did not.
American Simi Hamilton (front) leads Germany’s Sebastian Eisenlauer during their quarterfinal of the men’s 1.2 k freestyle sprint at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Before that, Hamilton had qualified in 15th and finished second to Norway’s Fredrik Riseth in his quarterfinal.
“It was a really cool venue, great course,” Hamilton told FasterSkier in person after the race. “But it was really tight the whole way around so it was hard. My starts aren’t that good right now and so my quarter, I was basically trying to start as fast as I could and I still was second or third out of the blocks, so I wasn’t feeling super confident after that.”
Going into the semifinals, he decided not to worry about his start and concentrate on moving up later in the course.
“What ended up happening around that corner, I just couldn’t get around anyone,” Hamilton recalled. “Every time you get an opportunity to make a move, it gets shut down almost immediately, so that was really frustrating, but I was happy with how my body is feeling right now, and it’s fun to get into the heats.
“I am always way more comfortable skiing towards the back of the pack and then making a definite move somewhere on the course, so unfortunately for me like this course doesn’t favor doing that too well,” he continued. “You can’t afford to ski at the back and then pass four five people, not enough room or time.”
He added that he enjoyed how different the Dresden course was in comparison to other, much hillier World Cup terrain.
“I think the only super-short flat course we race like this was in Milan [Italy] years ago, so its fun just doing something different,” he said. “The crowd is awesome here.”
U.S. Ski Team Head Coach Chris Grover observed that Hamilton was at a disadvantage trying to move up from behind on Dresden’s course.
“He made it work in the quarterfinal,” Grover told FasterSkier. “He’s so good when he gets that opening to go. I think we saw in the semifinal that he would be starting to go and then get blocked. And again after the corner, started to go, and got blocked. And under the bridge, started to go, and then got blocked. It’s nobody’s fault, nobody obstructed him or anything like that, it’s just not a course with many passing options. The guys are so well-matched, in a semifinal or final it becomes that much harder. So he’s a little bit frustrated, but I think he’s in good shape.”
Andy Newell (U.S. Ski Team) racing to 18th in the men’s freestyle sprint qualifier at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. He went on to finish sixth in his quarterfinal for 27th overall. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Two Americans qualified for the heats in the top 30, with Andy Newell finishing 18th in that preliminary round, but Grover noted the U.S. team’s qualifiers overall were “uncharacteristically poor”.
“To have Erik Bjornsen just miss the qualification, to have Kikkan [Randall] just miss the qualification, to have the four athletes who did go in not have the best qualifications, something was a little bit missing,” he said.
(Bjornsen placed 32nd and Randall 34th in their respective men’s and women’s qualifiers. Bjornsen was 0.23 seconds out of 30th.)
Newell’s run ended in the quarterfinal, after he initially took the lead, ahead of Canada’s Julien Locke, but slipped to sixth on the second half of the course.
“Andy didn’t have the best start, but he got himself to first and he was able to take the best line,” Grover reflected.
He wasn’t sure why Newell then dropped to the back of the group, and Newell wrote in an email that he wasn’t sure what happened, either.
“Felt like I was able to accelerate to the front well but then managed to get swarmed before the last little bump and then it was extremely tough to pass before the finish,” Newell wrote. “I should know better than to let myself get stuck in the middle… on narrow tracks like this if you get stuck in the middle with guys on either side you can’t get a full push and thats how you get swarmed, bad tactics on my part.”
“Tomorrow should be fun, fast, and wild,” he added of Sunday’s freestyle team sprint. “Hopefully I’ll be able to be more aggressive tomorrow 🙂 Looking forward to it.”
Julien Locke (Canadian U25 Team/Black Jack) racing to 16th in the men’s freestyle sprint qualifier at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. He went on to place third in his quarterfinal for 15th overall, his best World Cup result. (Photo: Cross Country Canada/NordicFocus)
He finished his quarterfinal in sixth, 1.54 seconds behind Northug in first, for 27th overall. Meanwhile Locke hung with Northug and Jouve up front and finished third, 0.62 seconds out of first and just 0.18 seconds out of second.
While second place in that heat would have put him in the semifinals, 15th overall was still a career best for Locke, of the Canadian U25 Team and Black Jack Ski Club. Last March at World Cup Finals in Quebec, he placed 20th in the freestyle sprint. And just over a week ago at the NorAm Olympic trials in Mont Sainte-Anne (MSA), Quebec, Locke, 24, won the classic sprint final, but missed out on a potential Olympic spot by one place after qualifying second (the tiebreaker) behind Russell Kennedy (Team R.A.D.).
The individual top 30 was the second of Locke’s career. Fresh off of competing in Canada, he arrived in Dresden a day and a half ago.
“… A little bit of a tight schedule, but body feels great, and super-fun course out there with all these spectators,” Locke told FasterSkier after. “And yeah, short, very short. It was close to 1.1 [kilometers] and definitely the shortest sprint race I have ever done.”
“I was prepared to hit it hard here and I was hoping for sure to get into the heats and then get into the rounds,” he added. “I don’t like getting knocked out, but I am content with how today went.”
Bob Thompson (NTDC Thunder Bay) racing to 50th in the men’s freestyle sprint qualifier at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Three other Canadian men met the Cross Country Canada (CCC) selection criteria for Dresden, where Bob Thompson (NTDC Thunder Bay) finished 50th in the qualifier (+8.67), Dominique Moncion-Groulx (Alberta World Cup Academy) 59th (+9.99) and Antoine Briand (Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre) 60th (+10.12).
(Note: CCC High Performance Director Thomas Holland explained in an email that Briand was added as the fourth man, based on the U23 selection list, after Kennedy had to relinquish his starts in Dresden due to illness.)
For the U.S., Period 2 SuperTour leader Ben Lustgarten (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) finished 49th (+8.64) out of 67 men.
“I thought I skied well — usually this stuff is my weakness,” Lustgarten said after. “It’s like icy and slushy so usually when it’s like that skate skiing, I get off balance, but I was like trying really hard to stay focused and ski big. I only got bogged down a little bit on the big hill, but … I was only nine seconds out of first, so I think that is really good. I am really happy with that.”
The U.S. and Canada each have two teams entered for Sunday’s freestyle team sprint on the same course in Dresden, with Bjornsen and Hamilton (United States I), Newell and Lustgarten (U.S. II), Thompson and Locke (Canada I), and Briand and Moncoin-Groulx (Canada II).
“It’s going to be wild out there,” Lustgarten said. “[The Dresden organizers] pulled it off; they had to shorten the course a little bit because they didn’t have enough snow … but it was good. It’s the shortest sprint I have ever done in my life by far.”
The women’s freestyle sprint podium on Saturday at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany, with Sweden’s Hanna Falk (c) and Maja Dahlqvist (l) in first and second, and American Sophie Caldwell (r) in third. (Photo: FIS Cross Country/Twitter)
FIS Cross Country World Cup (Dresden, Germany): Freestyle sprints
For her second-straight World Cup sprint, Sophie Caldwell of the U.S. Ski Team reached the podium in the women’s 1.2-kilometer freestyle sprint on Saturday in Dresden, Germany.
Caldwell placed third in the final behind Sweden’s Hanna Falk, who won it in 2:11.02 minutes, and Maja Dahlqvist, also of Sweden, who placed second (+0.23). Caldwell and Dahlqvist both lunged in a photo finish for second, which Dahlqvist took by 0.07 seconds.
Also in the final, which included four Swedes, Switzerland’s Laurien van der Graaff finished fourth (+0.58), and Sweden’s Anna Dyvik followed in fifth (+0.68) and Stina Nilsson sixth (+7.56) after tripping.
Falk started the day by winning the women’s qualifier in 2:06.34, by just 0.02 seconds over Nilsson in second. Caldwell qualified 11th (+2.02). and another American Ida Sargent made it into the heats in 14th (+2.44). Kikkan Randall missed the top 30 by 0.6 seconds in 34th (+6.57), Julia Kern placed 38th (+7.78), and Caitlin Patterson, of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project (CGRP), was 40th (+8.56) out of 49 women in the qualifying round.
Sargent finished fourth in her quarterfinal, 043 seconds behind Sweden’s Ida Ingemarsdotter in first, to finish the day in 17th overall.
For Caldwell, who went on to advance in second in her quarterfinal and third in her semifinal, the podium came after she finished second in the last World Cup skate sprint (the first stage of the Tour de Ski) on Dec. 31 in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
Her boyfriend and fellow U.S. Ski Team member Simi Hamilton came close to reaching the men’s 1.2 k sprint final on Saturday after qualifying in 15th then placing second in his quarterfinal and fifth in the second semifinal, 0.38 seconds behind Sweden’s Emil Jönsson in first.
France’s Lucas Chanavat won the qualifier in 1:50.42, 0.15 seconds ahead of Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo in second. Hamilton was 4.32 seconds back in the qualifier, and his U.S. teammate Andy Newell also qualified in 18th (+4.91). Erik Bjornsen missed qualifying by 0.23 seconds in 32nd (+6.15) and Ben Lustgarten (CGRP) finished 49th (+8.64) out of 67 men.
The women’s freestyle sprint podium on Saturday at the World Cup in Dresden, Germany, with Italy’s Federico Pellegrino (c) in first, Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (l) in second, and France’s Lucas Chanavat (r) in third. (Photo: FIS Cross Country/Twitter)
While Hamilton’s day ended in the semifinals, putting him 10th overall (and Newell finished sixth in his quarterfinal to place 27th overall), Italy’s Federico Pellegrino timed his attack perfectly in the final, challenging Klæbo for the win down the finishing stretch. The Italian took it by 0.18 seconds in 1:52.77, Klæbo placed second and Chanavat third (+0.98).
France and Norway had two men in the final, with France’s Richard Jouve placing fourth (+1.23), Sweden’s Jönsson taking fifth (+2.36) for his best individual World Cup result since December 2016. Norway’s Even Northug finished sixth (+12.04) after breaking his pole out of the start.
Canada’s Julien Locke of the National U25 Team and Black Jack Ski Club had a career-best day, finishing 15th overall. He qualified 16th (+4.61) then placed third in his quarterfinal, crossing the line just 1 second behind Norway’s Fredrik Riseth, who won that heat. Hamilton was second in that quarterfinal, 0.67 seconds back.
Also for Canada, Bob Thompson (NTDC Thunder Bay) finished 50th in the qualifier (+8.67), Dominique Moncion-Groulx (Alberta World Cup Academy) was 59th (+9.99) and Antoine Briand (Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre) 60th (+10.12).
Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier, Franziska Preuss, Denise Herrmann and Franziska Hildebrand (left to right) celebrating their win in the women’s 4×6-kilometer relay at the 2018 IBU World Cup in Ruhpolding, Germany. (Photo: IBU/Biathlonworld)
IBU World Cup (Ruhpolding, Germany): Women’s relay
The teams from Germany and Italy dueled for the top position all race in Saturday’s 4 x 6-kilometer women’s relay at the IBU World Cup in Ruhpolding, Germany. Cheered on by some 20,000 home-crowd fans, Germany’s anchor Laura Dahlmeier stayed on the ski tails of Italy’s Federica Sanfilippo after the last shooting stage, then passed her before the last major climb and held a narrow lead around the rest of the course to cross the finish line first in a time of 1:08:47.0 hours, with Italy 2.9 seconds behind. German had a team total of zero penalties and nine spares.
“It’s incredibly fun to win in front of this audience here today,” Dahlmeier told German broadcaster ZDF in an interview right after the race, according to a translation. “I think this will boost our whole team morale. We showed today that we are a team to be reckoned with in relays. It was just a nice race.”
Germany with Franziska Preuss, Denise Herrmann, Franziska Hildebrand, and Dahlmeier was never more than 30 seconds behind the pace, even though Hildebrand temporarily fell back from leading the field to tagging off to Dahlmeier in fourth position.
“My race held all kinds of surprises today,” Hildebrand told ZDF with a laugh. “It started with a fall on an icy patch 100 meters after it began… Then I dropped my pole, also had to exchange the replacement one, and then three spares [in prone] to avoid the penalty. Today everything conspired in my race.”
Italy with Lisa Vittozzi, Dorothea Wierer (coming off a victory in the individual race on Thursday), Nicole Gontier and Sanfilippo had the best shooting performance of the day, with no penalty and just three spares.
“That last loop with Laura was really tough,” Sanfilippo said in the press conference. “I gave my best, I tried all for my team. I knew that I can be strong on the last loop. I tried to attack, but Laura was a little bit stronger. But I am also really happy that we finished in second place, I think that was really important for our team.”
Sweden with Linn Persson, Mona Brorsson, Anna Magnusson and anchor Jenny Öberg was third, 17.2 seconds back, with no penalty and five spares. Brorsson and Öberg managed to move the team up to the podium positions, for the second one in a row following a third place from Oberhof, Germany, a week ago. Before that, the Swedish women’s team had been on a six-year hiatus from those lofty positions.
“It’s cool to be on the podium again,” Persson said in the press conference.
“This is like our second home and there were a lot of Swedes here, so we had big support during the race on the tracks,” Brorsson added.” That was an advantage for us.”
Just a few seconds off the podium, Norway with Synnøve Solemdal, Tiril Eckhoff, Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold and Marte Olsbu was fourth (+23.1, with no penalty and nine spares), with Olsbu outsprinting Poland’s anchor Weronika Nowakowska on the finish stretch (+24.5, with no penalty and five spares). For both teams it was their best relay result of the season so far.
Switzerland with the three sisters Elisa, Selina and Aita Gasparin reinforced by Lena Häcki surprisingly led the race at the third exchange after Selina had moved them in front, but her youngest sister Aita could not hold that position, falling back with a penalty lap in the last standing stage to finish eighth (+1:37.1, with one penalty and 11 spares).
Biathlon Canada’s team of Emma Lunder, Julia Ransom, Sarah Beaudry, and Rosanna Crawford started the race with a setback after Lunder incurred a penalty in her prone stage, leaving the range in 23rd position at the end of the field and already almost a minute behind the leader. She managed to limit the gap with a clean standing stage to exchange still in 23rd position and 1:47 back.
Taking over Ransom then remained clean in both stages to move the team up to 17th, tagging off 2:14 behind. Beaudry only required one spare in her prone stage (0+1, 0+0) to improve to the 12th position even making up 3 seconds to the leaders.
Then Crawford, fresh off her first career podium in the individual race on Thursday, managed to also shoot clean in both stages and overtook the teams from Slovakia and Ukraine while further decreasing the gap to finish the race in 10th position, 1:56.7 back, with one penalty and just four spares.
“Things were a bit softer and slushy today compared to the individual, but nothing too bad,” Crawford commented on the conditions in an email to FasterSkier. “There was quite a bit of wind on the range, which I think was tricking people, the wind flags weren’t showing much but I had to make 6 left correction during zero [target practice].”
“Today was a solid showing from our team,” she added regarding their result. “Everyone cleaned standing, I think we can be really happy of this race, and take some real confidence going into the Olympic relay.”
Previously this season Canada had finished the relay in Oberhof, also Germany, in 14th position, and the first one in Hochfilzen, Austria, in ninth.
For US Biathlon with Susan Dunklee, Clare Egan, Emily Dreissigacker, and Joanne Reid, it was the first women’s relay of the year after missing out on the first two races of the season in this discipline.
Thus starting at the very end of the field, veteran Dunklee moved up through the pack and got through the prone stage with one spare. But then she had to fight against a penalty lap in her standing stage requiring all three spare rounds, leaving the range in 12th position. With the fastest course time on the opening leg, she managed to slightly decrease the gap to 21.6 seconds and made up three positions to exchange in ninth place.
Egan missed the first two shots in her prone stage, but hit the targets with her spares leaving the range over a minute back. She followed that up by cleaning her standing stage and left the range 1:29.5 back, then only lost five more seconds on the last loop to exchange in 14th.
Dreissigacker also needed just one spare in her prone shooting, but then incurred two penalties in her standing stage, doubling the gap and falling back to 19th position at the exchange and 3:51 back.
Anchor Reid needed three spares on her leg (0+2, 0+1) and managed to still overtake the teams from China and Finland to finish 17th, 4:57.7 behind Germany, with two penalties and 13 spares overall.
“Finally we had a full team and raced a relay!” Dunklee wrote on Instagram. “Competing on a foreign continent has its challenges.”
Ski Classics (Seefeld, Austria): 60 k Kaiser Maximilian Lauf
The men’s podium at the Kaiser Maximilian Lauf 60 k Ski Classics marathon in Seefeld, Austria, with Norway’s Tord Asle Gjerdalen (c) in first, Sweden’s Andreas Holmberg (l) second, and Russia’s Ilya Chernousov (r) third. (Photo: Visma Ski Classics)
At the third Ski Classics event of the 2017/2018 season, the 60-kilometer Kaiser Maximilian Lauf on Saturday in Seefeld, Sweden’s Britta Johansson Norgren (Lager 157 Ski Team) and Norway’s Tord Asle Gjerdalen (Team Santander) took the women’s and men’s victories, respectively.
Johansson Norgren and Japan’s Masako Ishida (Team Koteng) broke away shortly after the start. The two went back and forth for a while until Johannson Norgren gapped Ishida in the Leutasch valley. While Ishida was caught by a chase pack with Sara Lindborg (Team Serneke), Kari Vikhagen Gjeitnes (Santander) and Lina Korsgren (Åre Ski Team), she reined Johansson Norgren back in on the long climbs after the valley. Ultimately, Johansson Norgren took the win in 2:49:16.0 hours, while Lindborg claimed second, 37.5 seconds back. Ishida finished third (+58.9), Gjeitnes placed fourth (+1:40.7) after injuring her ankle about 2 k before the finish, and Korsgren fifth (+2:05.1).
The women’s podium at the Kaiser Maximilian Lauf 60 k Ski Classics marathon in Seefeld, Austria, with Sweden’s Britta Johansson Norgren (c) in first, Sweden’s Sara Lindborg (l) second, and Japan’s Masako Ishida (r) third. (Photo: Visma Ski Classics)
“It was my plan to go full speed from the beginning,” Johansson Norgren said, according to a Ski Classics press release. “I knew Ishida will go fast in the climbs, but I felt strong from the beginning. It was really hard skiing alone in the valley, and when Ishida caught me up, I wasn’t sure if I could win the race. But the last part of the course was perfect for me and I had no problems securing the victory today.”
The Leutasch valley was the turning point of the men’s race as well, where Vinjar Skogsholm (Team Parkettpartner) and Andreas Holmberg (Team Serneke) broke away from the pack and had built a 90-second gap on the chase group as they left the valley. There on the first climb out of the valley, Holmberg pushed the pace and dropped Skogsholm, while Gjerdalen and Ilya Chernousov (Bauer Ski Team) worked to catch Holmberg up front. They caught him 3 k before the finish and Gjerdalen was first across the finish line in 2:27:49 hours, 14.8 seconds ahead of Holmberg in second.
Chernousov finished third (+32.0), Ermil Vokuev (Russian Marathon Team) was fourth (+1:07.6), and Anton Karlsson (Lager 157) fifth (+1:08.2).
“I didn’t like the fact that we gave too much leeway for Holmberg and Skogsholm,” Gjerdalen said, according to the press release. “I’m happy that Ilya helped me in our attempt to catch up with Holmberg, but I wasn’t really sure if we were going to make it. You never know how the other person is feeling in the front, what kind of skis he has and what goes on in his mind. But I managed to win today and it feels great to be back on the top.”
In the overall “Champion” standings, Nordgren leads with 450 points, 110 ahead of Lindborg in second. Gjerdalen is first in the men’s champion standings with 330 points, 50 points ahead of Morten Eide Pedersen in second.
The Ski Classics tour moves to Zuoz, Switzerland, next weekend for the 65 k La Diagonela.
On Sunday, the International Ski Federation (FIS) approved its calendar for the 2017/2018 Cross-Country World Cup season at its spring meeting in Portoroz, Slovenia. The season opens with the Ruka triple — three straight days of racing Nov. 24-26 in Kuusamo, Finland — and includes a sprint weekend in Dresden, Germany, classic races in Planica, Slovenia, and skate races in Seefeld, Austria (host of 2019 World Championships), all in Period 2.
Next comes the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, from Feb. 9-25.
The season wraps up with Period 4 in Finland, Norway and Sweden, with World Cup Finals in Falun, Sweden.
Full calendar below or for original PDF, click here.
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