Tag: Evelina Settlin

Sweden Snags First and Third in Lahti Classic Team Sprint

From left to right,Tiril Udnes Weng and Maiken Caspersen Falla of Norway I in second, Maja Dahlqvist and Ida Ingemarsdotter of Sweden I in first, and Evelina Settlin and Hanna Falk of Sweden II in third. (Photo: FIS cross country screenshot)

It was a weekend of sprinting in Lahti, Finland, with many World Cup athletes closing out Sunday having traversed the famed 1.4-kilometer 2016 World Championships sprint loop at top speed close to ten times.

By the time Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist got on course for the final lap of the women’s classic Team Sprint, she had already tallied nine–in Saturday’s freestyle sprint she made it through the qualifier, quarterfinal, semifinal and final (placing third), and on Sunday, she and teammate Ida Ingemarsdotter had to first complete in the 6 x 1.4 k semifinals to advance to the 6 x 1.4 k final.

Through the first two thirds of Sunday’s final, it appeared the extra kilometers had worn on the Swede. She and Ingemarsdotter remained positioned in fifth or sixth through first four exchanges, watching from behind the pace of Norway’s Team I, Norway’s Team II, Russia’s Team I and Finland’s Team I.

In her last leg and just before the final exchange, however, Dahlqvist’s teammate Ingemarsdotter made a decisive surge to the front. By the time Ingemarsdotter handed off to Dahlqvist for the race’s final sprint lap, only Tiril Udnes Weng of Norway’s Team I remained in front. Heading into the races final kilometer and half, Sweden’s Team I was positioned in second.

If Dahlqvist was feeling anything in her legs from the weekend’s sprint series, it must have been motivation. She charged into the last sprint lap chasing down Maiken Caspersen Falla, the anchor for Norway Team I and the winner of Saturday’s skate sprint.

In the end, Dahlqvist’s press proved too strong for Falla. She overcame the Norwegian and Sweden’s Team I crossed first in a time of 18:24.96 for the win. Falla crossed 1.84 seconds behind to put Norway Team I in second place. Claiming third place, 3.55 seconds back from the winners, was Sweden’s Team II of Evelina Settlin and Hanna Falk.

With World Championships just around the corner, the U.S. entered two teams in the sprint: USA I was comprised of Ida Sargent and Sophie Caldwell. The two women raced the first semifinal and finished outside of advancing to the finals, placing 12th overall. Sargent and Caldwell have partner up in the past and landed on the podium–last year in Dresden and two years ago in the Pyeongchang World Cup–so making it into the final and onto the podium had been in the back of their minds.

“Classic team sprint I think is my favorite race so I was really excited for today but unfortunately it didn’t go as well as we hoped” Sargent wrote in an email.

Sargent cited the pace of the semifinal as unlike team sprint semis that she has scrambled for in the past.

“Today’s race was the fastest team sprint semifinal that I’ve ever raced,” she wrote. “It was hard from the gun rather than building into it more like some races. My skis were really slick for the first two legs so I was using a lot more energy to stay at the front than some of the girls that I was skiing with. Then on the third lap when the pace really picked up I didn’t have much left and was just trying to not completely explode.”

Kelsey Phinney and Julia Kern were entered as USA II and placed 14th overall. The duo placed seventh in their semi-final.

Resources were stretched a little thinner this weekend in Lahti due to the simultaneous USST pre-World’s training training camp in Davos, Switzerland.

“We have a really small service staff here and they were working so hard to get us great skis,” Sargent wrote. “Today was just a trickier klister day with not much time for testing so we ran out of time. Yesterday I felt like we had the best skis in the field which was super impressive since we only had a few techs here who were all working so hard.”

U.S. World Cup coach, Matt Whitcomb indicated that he helped with skis on Sunday and because of that role, spent most of his time waxing instead of on course.

“While it was definitely a disappointment not to have any teams advance through the semis today, we did see a lot of athletes ski really well,” Whitcomb said during a phone conversation. “Unfortunately, Ida struggled a little bit with her skis and Simi struggled with his glide. … Sophie and she felt like she had really awesome skis and felt really good, so she has returned from her trip home very strong,” Whitcomb continued.

Caldwell recently returned to the U.S. to spend time with her mother.

“I have no real regrets,” Whitcomb said. “Our team, staff, athletes, we all tried and executed the plan we intended to, sometime it all doesn’t work out as perfectly as planned.”

Athletes will remain in Finland for two days before heading down to Cogne, Italy on Wednesday for the final World Cup races before World Championships in Seefeld, Austria.

“While the results were a little bit disappointing today in Lahti, I really believe we have a team that is well prepared for World Championships,” Whitcomb said. “We like to go into the Championships having knocked a few races out of the park and we had a couple hits this weekend, but not as many as we intended to. So we will be looking to swing hard in Cogne. I feel very confident about our Seefeld Championships with this team, its a strong crew.”

Results

February 10, 2019
Sunday Rundown from Lahti and Canada (Canmore Biathlon Sprints Cancelled)

2019 Lahti, Finland’s World Cup classic team sprint podium. From left to right, Norway I in second, Sweden I in first, and Sweden II in third. (Photo: @fiscrosscountry Instagram screenshot)

FIS World Cup Lahti, Finland Classic Team Sprint

Sunday in Lahti, Finland the women raced a 6 x 1.4-kilometer classic team sprint. U.S. fans saw their hopes for a podium snuffed out in the two semi-finals that determined the 10 teams advancing to the finals.

In the first team sprint semi, the U.S. Ski Team’s (USST) Ida Sargent and Sophie Caldwell placed sixth overall and did not advance. Sargent and Caldwell, constituting team USA I, were 10.78 seconds off the winning time of Sweden II’s Evelina Settlin and Hannah Falk, who won the first semifinal in 18:36.74 minutes.

In the second semi, USA II’s Kelsey Phinney (SMS T2) and Julia Kern (USST D-Team) raced to seventh (+1:06.32). Norway I’s Tiril Udnes Weng and Maiken Caspersen Falla marked the fastest time of 18:31.09 minutes.

In the women’s final, Sweden I’s Ida Ingemarsdotter and Maja Dahlqvist won in 18:24.96 minutes. Weng and Falla took second (+1.84), Sweden II’s Settlin and Falk placed third (+3.55).

Women’s Results

2019 Lahti, Finland’s World Cup classic team sprint podium. From left to right, Norway II in second, Norway I in first, and Finland I in third. (Photo: fis-ski.com screenshot)

The men raced a 6 x 1.6 k classic team sprint in Lahti. Both U.S. teams entered raced in the second semi with neither placing well enough to advance. The second semi was won by Russia I’s Artem Maltsev and Gleb Retivykh in 19:31.22 minutes.

In that semi-final, USA II’s Kevin Bolger and Logan Hanneman placed sixth (+6.60), USA I’s Simi Hamilton and Erik Bjornsen were seventh (+16.05).

USA II placed 12th overall, USA I 14th in the final standings.

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Emil Iversen of Norway won the first semi in 19:22.32 minutes.

Norway I’s tandem won the final in 18:57.19 followed closely by Norway II’s Sindre Bjørnestad Skar and Eirik Brandsdal in second (+0.65). It was a photo finish for second and third, as Finland I’s Iivo Niskanen and Ristomatti Hakola finished 0.71 seconds back to take the third podium spot.

Men’s Results

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Today’s IBU World Cup sprints in Canmore, Canada have been cancelled due to extreme cold temperatures. Current temperatures in Canmore are -17 degrees Fahrenheit. A temperature reading of -4 degrees Fahrenheit on the coldest part of the course is the minimum for IBU competitions.

This race rundown will be updated.

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Western Canadian Championships, Telemark, Kelowna B.C., Relays

Westerns wrapped up with club relays on a day where the thermometer flirted with cancellation before rising to -17C at 9am (that is 2 Fahrenheit, for residents of Liberia, Myanmar, and the USA).

The relay event is intended to help build club spirit in a less competitive environment. In practice, many skiers just find two friends they want to ski with. Despite the cold, 105 teams competed today.

In the open men category, the ‘BC Lost Boys’ team won easily, with Rémi Drolet, Gareth Williams, and Julien Locke finishing the 15km in 38:00.9. Drolet and Locke are teammates at Black Jack while Williams is a Telemark local. All three are national team members.

Julien Locke leads Rémi Drolet and Sam Hendry in Saturday’s mass start classic. The relay used the same 5km loop. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

‘Alberta 1’ placed second, at 1:47.1 back, with Thomas Manktelow (), Michael MacIsaac-Jones (AWCA), and Sam Hendry (Team R.A.D.) ‘BC Power, Speed, and Grace’ was third, with Tallon Noble (Strathcona), Michael Murdoch (Whistler), and Ian Williams (Telemark) at 2:26.8.

The open women used the same 5km loop as the men (and the same as on Saturday). ‘BC Supernovas’ won in 47:25.7, with BC team members Paige Latta (Sovereign Lake), Elizabeth Elliot (AWCA), and Benita Peiffer (Whistler). ‘BC Avalanche’ took second at 1:33.4 with Katie Weaver (RMR), Gina Cinelli (Revelstoke), and Beth Granstrom (AWCA). ‘Just the Ladies – No Nick’ was just 3.5 seconds behind 2nd place with Claire Grall-Johnson (AWCA), Amanda Thompson (AWCA), and Hannah Jirousek (AWCA) representing Yukon/Ontario.

Results: Relays, Full Weekend

February 10, 2019
Norway Wins 11th Consecutive 4 x 5 K Relay; U.S. in Sixth with a Diggins Charge

The women’s 4 x 5 k relay winners from Ulricehamn, Sweden’s World Cup. From left to right, Norway’s Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, Therese Johaug, Heidi Weng, and Ingvild Flugstad Østberg (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)

“We have a strong team, many girls are going fast. We do this together so we are really happy,” Therese Johaug told the International Ski Federation (FIS) after Sunday’s 4 x 5-kilometer relay in Ulricehamn, Sweden. With wind, snow, and crowds lining the course the 4 x 5 k women’s relay appeared to simply be an illustration of Norway’s astounding plug-and-play depth. Sunday marked Norway’s 11th 4 x 5 k consecutive relay win dating back to 2011.

When Johaug makes a move expect gaps to form. Norway’s Therese Johaug, making her move during the women’s 4 x 5 k relay in Ulricehamn, Sweden. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)

Earlier this season, Norway bested Russia in Beitostølen, Norway for the win. Back in that December race, Norway’s winning lineup featured Heidi Weng, Therese Johaug, Haga Ragnhild, and Ingvild Flugstad Østberg. Employing their luxury of depth on Sunday, Norway simply swapped an in-form Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen for Ragnhild. Jacobsen placed second in yesterday’s 10 k skate.

Whether the race is tight, or a runaway, Norway’s benchmark is the win. In 57:06.3 minutes, the winning time on Sunday, Norway I illustrated that over four legs of skiing, they remain peerless.

At the first tag after 5 k, Weng came in among a cluster of nine teams all within 8.1 seconds. Russia I was first, Norway I second (+0.5). The gift that is Johaug took over for Norway I on the second classic leg. Nothing earth-shattering, but Johaug kept the pace high enough to tag Jacobsen for a 9.3 second lead on chasers Russia I. A bit more than 15 seconds back were Sweden I and Finland I.

Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla during the women’s 4 x 5 k relay in Ulricehamn, Sweden. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)

With Kalla taking over for Sweden I on the initial skate leg, empowered by the frenzied crowds, one could envision a Kalla-catch where she powers and glides into contact with Norway I. That simply did not happen.

Kalla’s magic was subdued on Sunday. Jacobsen added more time to Norway I’s lead. As Jacobsen tagged Østberg skiing the anchor leg for Norway I, Jonna Sundling waited 21.4 seconds for Kalla to come through.

Five k later, Østberg came through for the win and a comfortable 37.4-second gap on second place Sweden I.

Sweden I’s team consisted of Evelina Settlin, Ebba Andersson, Charlotte Kalla, and Jonna Sundlin. In third was Finland with Laura Mononen, Krista Pärmäkoski, Riitta-Liisa Roponen, and Evelina Piippo. Finland was 41.2 seconds behind Norway I’s winning time.

For the U.S., Sadie Bjornsen, Rosie Brennan, Caitlin Patterson, and Jessie Diggins finished in sixth (+1:26.6). The order of the U.S. lineup was a carbon-copy of December’s 4 x 5 k team in Beitostølen. Back then, the foursome placed fifth, 48 seconds back, in what was a tighter race for second and third place. In that race, the U.S. was 10.7 seconds from the podium’s second step.

Sunday in Ulricehamn, Bjornsen kept the U.S. in contact, tagging Brennan in fourth, 4.5 seconds behind. Brennan lost some ground, losing contact with chasers Finland, Sweden I, and Russia I. She tagged Patterson in fifth place, 44.9 seconds behind Norway I in the lead.

In bib 4- the U.S Ski Team’s Sadie Bjornsen is locked on during the women’s 4 x 5 k relay in Ulricehamn, Sweden.( Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)

“I knew that it was going to be challenging to break the race up,” Bjornsen emailed to several outlets. “That said, I was going to do my best to do so. On the two climbs, I moved to the front, and tried to push the pace. On the flat section following the second climb, I was doing my best to push the double pole, but the draft seemed to keep the race as one. As we rounded a corner into the stadium, suddenly six people passed, and I was stuck back in the pack. With little room to move, I felt like a tiger in a cage as I was trying to make my way back to the front in the final 1.3k loop. Unfortunately, I got stuck behind Germany and Norway team 2 when those front two girls made a small break, so I wasn’t able to respond as I would have liked. With two tracks, and v-boards on both sides of those tracks, it is way too easy to get stuck at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Patterson found herself in that place of fending off skiers from behind and attempting to gap up to those in front. She tagged Diggins at 15 k in seventh, with a 1:20.3 deficit.

Diggins kept firing as she skied the anchor leg. Even if a podium spot was out of reach, the immediate task of catching Russia II was her carrot. At the 15 k mark, when Diggins took the team on her own 5 k journey, Russia II has already tagged off roughly 18 seconds ahead of the Americans. By 17.2 k, Diggins had Russia II almost in contact, and by a kilometer later, she had passed Russia II to gain sixth place.

The U.S. was able to put nearly 20 seconds on Russia II, who placed seventh overall, by the finish.

“I’m so proud of my teammates for going out there and fighting as hard as they can!” Diggins emailed to FasterSkier. “I had fun hunting down Russia and practicing my tactics, all-out race effort, and pacing and I’m really looking forward to the World Champs relays! I’ve been feeling great this weekend and finally absorbing the fitness boost from doing the tour de ski, so I’m happy with where I’m at as we ramp up preparations for the Seefeld.”

The relays are a moment to assess a team’s collective standing on the World Cup — to find areas to improve upon during the podium quest.

“Rosie [Brennan], I think she’s wishing she pushed a little bit harder at some points in her race; I haven’t had time to talk to Caitlin [Patterson] or Jessie [Diggins] after the race but I think we had a little bit of what we had at Beitostølen, which was two really strong legs and then two decent legs, medium legs, but we just don’t have quite the four extraordinary legs to put together right now to stay in the mix as long as we need,” U.S. Ski Team Head Coach Chris Grover explained in a post-race phone call.

Caitlin Patterson for the U.S. during the women’s 4 x 5 k relay in Ulricehamn, Sweden. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)

The nature of powerhouses like Norway in the women’s field is that reality reveals itself with large sample size datasets. Eleven wins in a row are, within the world of World Cup skiing, statistically significant. Even more, all four members of Sunday’s relay team for Norway I placed in the top-8 in Saturday’s 10 k skate. In the quest for relay podiums, none of this is lost on Grover, who remains optimistic and grounded in the U.S. quest to remain podium viable in the 4x 5 k relay.

Asked if Norway’s power comes into the calculus when planning for relay day, the longtime coach kept the tangible goal of catching second and third place as the benchmark.

“We’re always trying to put together a team that might be third, on the right day if everything could come together,” Grover added. “We’re trying to compete for a medal spot, but we don’t feel like we have the team to win that race, and I think other nations are probably looking at it in a similar way.”

The World Cup takes a break from racing and will commence again in Lahti, Finland on Feb. 9.

-David Brown contributed

Women’s Results

January 27, 2019
Sunday Race Rundown: Ulricehamn, Antholz, and Lake Placid (Updated)

The winners of the 2019 4 x 5 k relay in Ulricehamn, Sweden: (l-r) Norway’s Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, Therese Johaug, Heidi Weng, and Ingvild Flugstad Østberg. (Photo: fis-ski.com screenshot)

FIS World Cup Ulricehamn, Sweden 4 x 5 k / 4 x 7.5 k relay

The sun rises, the sun sets, and Norway wins the women’s 4 x 5-kilometer relay in Ulricehamn, Norway on Sunday. For the 11th time in a row, a Norwegian women’s team bested the world in the storied race format.

Heidi Weng, Therese Johaug, Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, and Ingvild Flugstad Østberg won in a time of 57:06.3 minutes. For the first tag, nine teams came in separated by 8.1 seconds. Johaug, skiing the second leg for Norway, opened a gap of 9.3 seconds over Russia I by the 10 k mark.

The time back to second-placed Sweden I stretched to 37.4 seconds by the finish.

Sweden I’s team consisted of Evelina Settlin, Ebba Andersson, Charlotte Kalla, and Jonna Sundling.

Finland I placed third (+41.2) wth Laura Mononen, Krista Pärmäkoski, , Riitta-Liisa Roponen, and Evelina Piippo.

The U.S. team of Sadie Bjornsen, Rosie Brennan, Caitlin Patterson, and Jessie Diggins finished in sixth (+1:26.6).

Women’s Results

In the men’s 4x 7.5k relay, Russia II and Russia I came away in first and second place respectively.

Russia II’s team of Evgeniy Belov, Alexander Bessmertnykh, Denis Spitsov, and Artem Maltsev won in a time of 1:17.53.2 hours.

Russia I’s Andrey Larkov, Alexander Bolshunov, Andrey Melnichenko, and Sergey Ustiugov finished 20.8 seconds back.

In third was Norway, 35.8 seconds behind. Hans Christer Holund, Didrik Tønseth, Sjur Røthe, and Simen Hegstad Krüger, Norway’s foursome, were 35.8 seconds back. On the first leg, at 9.7 k, Norway was in ninth place, with a 43.1-second deficit.

The U.S. team of Erik Bjornsen, Scott Patterson, David Norris, and Ben Lustgarten placed 13th (+4:10.8).

Men’s Relay Results

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IBU World Cup Antholz, Germany 12.5 k / 15 k Mass Start

On Sunday in Antholz, home country athlete Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier won in 35:32.8 minutes while skiing a single penalty lap during her first prone stage. The Czech Republic’s Marketa Davidova placed second (13.1, 0+0+1+0), with Vanessa Hinz of Germany in third (+16.4 1+0+0+0).

“It’s a fantastic feeling to be right at the top again,” Dahlmeier told the IBU. “I started very badly and I felt slow. But I came back strongly and I remained virtually without error in the shooting. It was a good weekend for me.”

US Biathlon’s Clare Egan raced and shot to 15th overall, 1:05.8 back, with two penalties in her first prone stage, otherwise she shot clean.

Rosanna Crawford of Canada placed 28th (+3:50.2, 0+1+3+1).

Women’s Results

In the men’s 15 k mass start, there was one new development: Johannes Thingnes Bø of Norway did not win. He did, however, place second to France’s Quentin Fillon Maillet. He won the race in 34:39.4 seconds while shooting clean in all four stages. Depositing between PLN 60 and PLN 199, we will receive a bonus of 125% of our deposit (a maximum of PLN 1,600), as well as a package of 50 free spins Vulkan Bet on the Doom of Dead slot machine. On the other hand, if we deposit at least PLN 200, we will get 100 free spins after the game as a reward, as well as a bonus of as much as 200% of our own deposit (a maximum of PLN 2,800 to visit).

Bø was 14.3 seconds back in second place, with a single miss in each of his standing stages. Germany’s Arnd Peiffer was third (+24.6, 0+0+0+0).

Christian Gow of Canada was the sole North American in the race. He placed 27th (+3:22.5, 1+1+0+1).

Men’s Results

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Lake Placid SuperTour 10 k/15 k mass start classic

Kaitlynn Miller (CGRP) won the women’s 1o k classic mass start in 36:12.7 minutes. Coming in 2.9 seconds back was Jessica Yeaton (APU/Australian National Team) in second place. In third, skiing for Dartmouth, was Katharine Ogden (37:27.8).

Women’s Results

Kyle Bratrud (SMS T2) won the men’s 15 k classic mass start in 46:41.3 minutes. In second place was Adam Martin (CGRP) who raced to a time of 46:55.0. Canada’s Andy Shields (Lappe Nordic) placed third in 47:41.6.

Men’s Results

January 27, 2019
Sweden’s Sundling Scores First World Cup Win; Sadie Bjornsen Podiums in Lillehammer Skate Sprint

The women’s podium from the 2018 1.3 k World Cup freestyle sprint in Lillehammer, Norway. Sweden’s Jonna Sundling (center) won, teammate Stina Nilsson (left) was second, and U.S. skier Sadie Bjornsen (right) third. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)

With the two big climbs over 1.3-kilometer freestyle sprint course, the women’s World Cup freestyle sprint course in Lillehammer, Norway packs a quad-burning punch. With lungs then legs poaching any extra oxygen, the women’s final, which featured four of six athletes from Sweden, was a primetime show.

Jonna Sundling of Sweden crossing the line first in the final of the women’s 1.3 k sprint in Lillehammer, Norway. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)

Nilsson is a finisher, known for her closeout efforts in the finishing straight. But as she and twenty-three-year-old Sundling glided into the S-turns before the final 100 meters, Sundling’s skis looked to have a glide-advantage.

It didn’t take long down the stretch for Sundling to pass Nilsson for her first career World Cup victory. She won in a time of 2:52.74 minutes. This was Sundling’s 29th World Cup start, and her second podium. She placed second last season in Falun’s skate sprint.

Sundling qualified for the heats in 26th (+5.74). She advanced to the semis by winning the first heat. However, she was a lucky loser in the first semi-final to advance to the six-skier final.

Nilsson placed second (+.34), the U.S. Ski Team’s (USST) Sadie Bjornsen was third (+3.03).

Sadie Bjornsen of the US (bib 6) out lunges Sweden’s Ida Ingemarsdotter in the second semifinal during the 2018 Lillehammer, Norway World Cup skate sprints. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)

For Bjornsen, she showed the early season form reminiscent of last season. During the 2017-2018 World Cup, Bjornsen posted a second place during the first weekend’s classic sprint, and a third place in the Lillehammer classic sprint the following weekend.

This season, Bjornsen skied to an 11th place in the Ruka, Finland classic sprint and an 11th in the 10 k classic. With her near-the-front-of-the-pack skiing today, Bjornsen skied with assertiveness and confidence on her way to securing her first career World Cup skate sprint podium.

It was Bjonrsen’s sixth career podium on the World Cup circuit.

“I think sometimes I get easily pushed around a bit, it’s harder when your skis are not just going straight like classic,” Bjornsen said in the post-race press conference about her need to ski for position. “I was just focusing on trying to be in a position to really be in the front of the pack at the top of that climb. I kept finding some openings on the right side of the track to pass some people.”

Bjornsen displayed keen instincts on the final climb. Even more impressive was her display of horsepower as she took a seam up the right-hand side, and began gapping fourth, fifth, and sixth place behind her.

“Then coming into the finish, I tried to start free skating like three seconds before I wanted to because I knew that that speed would carry me across the finish,” Bjornsen said.

Bjornsen was the fastest North American qualifier in sixth, 1.88 seconds behind the speediest qualifier, Sweden’s Hannah Falk, who stopped the clock in 2:56.43 minutes.

Bjornsen advanced to the semis by placing second to Falk in the third heat. It was déjà vu in the second semi-final, where Bjornsen again placed second to Falk to secure a spot in the final.

Bjornsen enters Saturday’s 10 k individual start classic in third overall for the Lillehammer three-day tour.

The U.S. Ski Team’s Jessie Diggins skiing next to Russia’s Yulia Belorukova in the second heat during Lillehammer, Norway’s 1.3 k World Cup freestyle sprint. Diggins placed 17th overall.

After qualifying ninth and 12th respectively, U.S. skiers Rosie Brennan (APU) and Jessie Diggins (USST) did not advance to the semi-finals. Diggins and Brennan raced in the second heat. Diggins placed fourth, Brennan fifth.

Diggins finished the day in 17th, Brennan 21st.

Also for the U.S., Ida Sargent (USST) qualified 34th (+7.28), Kelsey Phinney (SMS T2) in 38th (+8.76), Caitlin Patterson (CGRP) 59th (+13.18), and Kaitlynn Miller (CGRP) 73rd (+20.78).

USST athlete Sophie Caldwell did not start as she is fighting a cold.

No Canadian women were entered.

Racing continues tomorrow for the women with a 10 k interval start classic race.

Women’s Qualification | Women’s Final Results

November 30, 2018
Friday Rundown: World Cup Cross-Country Sprint in Lillehammer, Norway

The women’s podium from the 2018 1.3 k World Cup freestyle sprint in Lillehammer, Norway. Sweden’s Jonna Sundling (center) won, teammate Stina Nilsson (left) was second, and U.S. skier Sadie Bjornsen (right) third.

FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Lillehammer Norway: Freestyle Sprint

Women’s Report | Men’s Report

In Friday’s women’s 1.3-kilometer freestyle sprint in Lillehammer, Norway, the first day of three successive days of World Cup racing, the women’s sprint final was stacked with Swedes, with four of six athletes sporting the yellow, blue, and white.

In the final, Jonna Sundling of Sweden passed teammate Stina Nilsson meters before the finish line to take the win in 2:52.74 minutes. It was Sundling’s first career individual World Cup win. Nilsson placed second (+.34), the U.S. Ski Team’s (USST) Sadie Bjornsen was third (+3.03).

Evelina Settlin, also of Sweden, placed fourth (+3.82), Kristine Stavås Skistad from Norway was fifth (+6.65), while the day’s fastest qualifier, Hannah Falk, finished sixth (+9.81).

American’s Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan were knocked out when they placed fourth and fifth respectively in the second heat. The top-four spots in the second heat were separated by 0.42 seconds. Diggins finished the day in 17th, Brennan in 21st.

Sweden’s Falk won the qualifier in 2:56.43 minutes.

The U.S. Ski Team’s (USST) Bjornsen was the fastest North American qualifier in sixth (+1.88). Brennan qualified in ninth (+3.11), Diggins 12th (+3.66).

Ida Sargent (USST) qualified 34th (+7.28), Kelsey Phinney (SMS T2) in 38th (+8.76), Caitlin Patterson (CGRP) 59th (+13.18), and Kaitlynn Miller (CGRP) 73rd (+20.78).

USST athlete Sophie Caldwell did not start as she is fighting a cold.

No Canadian women were entered

The men raced on a slightly longer 1.6 k course. Italy’s Federico Pellegrino, known for his skate sprint flash, won the men’s final in 3:19.17 minutes. On-form Norwegian Emil Iversen was second (+0.44), while Canada’s Alex Harvey, took third (+0.68).

Norway’s Sindre Bjørnestad Skar placed fourth overall (+0.91), with Finn Hågen Krogh racing to fifth (+1:07). Finland’s Ristomatti Juhani Hakola crossed the line in sixth (+2.43).

Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won the qualifier in a time of 3:07.63. Klæbo placed sixth in the first semifinal finishing over thirty seconds back after breaking a pole.

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Canada’s Alex Harvey and USST skier Simi Hamilton were the only North American men to qualify for the heats. Harvey qualified 17th (+7.59), Hamilton 22nd (+8.72). While Harvey eventually moved onto the final, placing third, Hamilton bowed out in the third heat. Hamilton placed fourth and was unable to advance as a lucky loser. Hamilton finished 19th overall in Friday’s sprint.

For Canada, Andy Shields placed 60th (+14.59), Russell Kennedy (Team R.A.D.) 64th (+15.21), Julien Locke (CNST) did not start.

The USST’s Kevin Bolger was the next best placed American in 61st (+14.63). Also for the USST, Erik Bjornsen was 63rd (+15.04), Paddy Caldwell 82nd (+19.34). David Norris (APU) placed 90th (+20.71), Scott Patterson of the USST finished in 92nd (+22.21), and Adam Martin (CGRP) 108th (+32.72).

Stay tuned for full race reports and you can view our Lillehammer Triple course preview here.

Women’s Qualification | Women’s Final Results | Men’s Qualification | Men’s Final Results

November 30, 2018
Kalla, Belov Top Gällivare FIS Opener; Randall 8th, Kershaw 12th

Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla racing to a win in her first race of the 2017/2018 season, the women’s 5 k freestyle in Gällivare, Sweden, on Friday. (Photo: Sporteventgallivare/Instagram)

Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla and Hanna Falk went 1-2 in Sweden’s season-opening International Ski Federation (FIS) race on Friday in Gällivare, with Kalla winning the women’s 5-kilometer freestyle by 8.8 seconds in 12:58.1 minutes. Falk, her teammate on the Swedish women’s team, placed second and Russia’s Yulia Belorukova took the third spot on the podium, 10.3 seconds out of first.

The host nation had three in the top four, with Ida Ingemarsdotter in fourth (+16.1). Switzerland’s Nathalie von Siebenthal finished fifth (+17.8), Russia’s Yulia Tchekaleva placed sixth (+23.4), and Russia’s Natalia Nepryaeva was seventh (+25.0).

Kikkan Randall of the U.S. Ski Team raced to eighth (+27.2), just ahead of Sweden’s Evelina Settlin in ninth (+32.0) and Russia’s Anna Nechaevskaya in 10th (+33.5). Japan’s Masako Ishida was just 0.3 seconds out of the top 10 in 11th.

In an email, Randall explained that she decided to venture to Europe earlier this year to get some racing in ahead of the World Cup.

“We also wanted a little extra time to let Breck adjust to the 10hr time change!” she wrote of her 1-year-old son, who will be traveling the World Cup circuit with Randall and her husband, Jeff Ellis, this winter.

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Most of the U.S. Ski Team arrived in Rovaniemi, Finland, on Thursday, Nov. 16 (with the exception of Andy Newell, who is racing this weekend in Beitostølen, Norway, with Noah Hoffman). The rest of her teammates planned to train at the Santasport Olympic training center in Rovaniemi until Nov. 21, when the entire team will meet up in Kuusamo (also known as Ruka), Finland — the site of next weekend’s World Cup opener.

“I’m happy with my start today,” Randall wrote of Friday’s race. “It took my a couple km’s to get going today but I felt like I was finding my rhythm in the 2nd half of the course. It’s my first hard session this week after the travel over so today was a good jolt! It was a competitive field and I was satisfied to be in the mix.”

Ninety-two women raced the Gällivare 5 k skate, compared to 56 women on Friday in Beitostølen (Norway’s FIS season-opener). Randall planned to race the 10 k classic on Saturday in Gällivare, then skip Sunday’s classic sprint.

“It’s great to be back around other World Cup skiers again and I’ve always liked Gällivare so it’s nice to be back here,” she wrote. “My former wax tech lives here and has been taking great care of us. … Looking forward to meeting up with the team in Ruka next week.”

With 46 Swedes and 23 Russians accounting for most of the women’s field, Canada’s Emily Nishikawa put herself in the mix in 26th, 54.9 seconds behind Kalla. Nishikawa’s Canadian World Cup teammate Dahria Beatty placed 56th (+1:38.3).

For Nishikawa, who’s known as a distance skier, the top-30 result was notable in that a 5 k falls somewhere between a sprint and a distance race.

“5km is such a hard distance, and it is over so fast, but it is a lot of fun,” Nishikawa wrote in an email. “I have been able to work on my sprinting a bit more this summer as I have been injury free, so I’m looking forward to seeing more speed in my racing this season.”

She planned to race all three days in Gällivare, including Sunday’s sprint.

“With these races, I am just hoping to fine tune my fitness and get some hard intensity in to feel sharp for the upcoming World Cup races,” added Nishikawa, who’s entering her fifth World Cup season as a leading member of the Canadian women’s World Cup Team. “Today’s race was a really hard effort and I am happy with how I skied today.”

The 12th-ranked Russian woman on Friday, Evgenia Shapovalova, who was recently banned for life from future Olympics, placed 22nd.

Belov Bests Ustiugov

In the men’s 10 k freestyle on Friday, another one of the Russians sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Evgeniy Belov won in 23:08.5. He was 6.5 seconds faster than his Russian teammate Sergey Ustiugov, who placed second. Ustiugov is the defending Tour de Ski champion and Overall World Cup runner-up.

Switzerland’s Dario Cologna placed third, 7.6 seconds out of first, and Russia swept fourth through ninth, with Sweden’s Marcus Hellner following in 10th (+36.4). Out of the five actively competing skiers the IOC sanctioned earlier this month, all five raced on Friday in Gällivare, which was legal considering FIS had not ruled they can’t.

Four of those skiers are men. In addition to Belov, Maxim Vylegzhanin placed 14th (+43.2), Alexander Legkov followed in 15th (+45.9) and Alexey Petukhov finished 23rd (+56.7) out of 157 finishers on Friday.

Devon Kershaw (front) training with U.S. Ski Team sprinter Andy Newell in Sjusjøen, Norway, last week. (Photo: Noah Hoffman)

Ahead of them, Canada’s Devon Kershaw ended up 12th (+39.9), tying another Russian Artem Maltsev (who is not on the IOC-banned list) with identical times.

“My stance on the whole Russian fiasco is unchanged,” Kershaw wrote in an email, referring to a previous email he wrote to FasterSkier earlier this week when asked how he felt about the IOC-banned Russians competing in FIS events. “I find the entire thing both disturbing and hilarious. The fact that FIS is risking their credibility like this makes no sense to me. Apparently there will be an emergency meeting of sorts tomorrow about it (with FIS I’m assuming but I haven’t heard much about it) – so we’ll have to all wait and see what they come up with.

“As for seeing Belov win – I mean, that’s no surprise,” Kershaw continued. “He’s shown that he’s a force when he’s in form. But yeah, the fact that he and others have been recently banned for life by the IOC are winning races after that news came out just shows the Mickey Mouse club that our sport has become.”

As for his own race, Kershaw wrote that he felt great about it. The course suited him well without too much hard climbing. “… You kind of need to be pushing the whole way around. I really like courses like that,” he wrote.

The conditions, however, with about 10 to 15 centimeters of new snow from the early morning that continued into the race, made the course slower, which Kershaw found to be more challenging.

“But that is another reason why I am so satisfied with the effort today. Individual start skating in soft conditions? Not my favourite, so I’m happy how I was able to execute things,” he wrote. “For me to be in the mix in a 10km skate like that feels great. I had good energy all race and hit my technical goals for the race too, so I have to be satisfied.”

Kershaw and the rest of Canada’s Period 1 World Cup team arrived in Gällivare last Sunday. Over the last week, they’ve been testing equipment and getting into a race routine ahead of the World Cup opener, he explained.

“I changed various things with my training this year so it’s exciting to see how my body feels in the beginning of a new season,” Kershaw wrote. “… My goals are really to just be calm and execute well – which means going into the racing with no expectations other than to ski as technically well as possible while working on the whole pacing thing (which can be challenging at the beginning of the season when you don’t have that many races in the body). I’ll look to have another well executed race tomorrow and the results will be what they will be.”

Canada’s NorAm leader at the end of last season, Russell Kennedy (Team R.A.D.) was the next-best Canadian in 48th (+1:35.7), followed by Len Valjas (World Cup Team) in 49th (+1:37.0). Jack Carlyle (Alberta World Cup Academy) placed 67th (+2:07.2), Julien Locke (National U25 Team) was 72nd (+2:10.9), Graeme Killick (World Cup Team) 90th (+2:32.2), Brian McKeever (Para Nordic Team) 97th (+2:39.0), and Jess Cockney (World Cup Team) 119th (+3:10.7). Knute Johnsgaard (World Cup Team) did not start.

Racing continues in Gällivare this weekend with 10/15 k classic individual starts on Saturday followed by classic sprints on Sunday.

Results: Women | Men

November 17, 2017