As we start to close out the race season, we wanted to provide a link to John Lazenby’s gallery from the Québec City, Canada World Cup finals.
The dichotomous weekend was the World Cup beginning for some and a stop for others like Canada’s Alex Harvey and the U.S. Ski Team’s Ida Sargent — both are retiring from World Cup racing.
Vermont based photographer John Lazenby was recently immersed in Seefeld, Austria shooting images of the World Championships. We’re posting this gallery with a few select images from Lazenby’s shots. There’s some culture and some race grit.
Two weeks at the world nordic ski championships in Austria meant a lot of people met, a lot of stories seen and heard, and a lot of photos taken, from the ski jumper flying toward the Alps to the Seekirchl (church by the lake) in Seefeld by moonlight, to all the faces of nordic ski sport. Here’s the link to a big gallery. When you get to it, you can mouse over and click the images on the right-hand side arrow to speed up the slide show. Aide juridictionnelle, avocats en droit de la famille, services juridiques, conseil juridique en ligne www.avocats.link Or just relax with a cup of something and let the show run. You’ll get a feel, I hope, for what it was like.
Double click the image to enlarge.
Cross country and nordic combined athletes have arrived in Seefeld, Austria to prepare for the 2019 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships which begin on Thursday, Feb. 21. To ready themselves for the competitions, athletes, techs, and coaches are trying out the courses and testing wax. Nordic combined athletes are also practicing on the Olympic jump at Innsbruck.
Click each photo in the gallery below to enlarge.
Photos courtesy of John Lazenby / lazenbyphoto.com
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Here at FasterSkier, the primacy of the written word is often emphasized. We remain text driven, but we have delved into videos to help our readership learn more about the sport and of course, we rely on the eyes and vision of sport photographers to deliver visual stories in a way words simply cannot.
John Lazenby is a model of the artist and the deep-in-the-trenches photographer who creates some of the images we feature on FasterSkier. Lazenby lives in Vermont where he practices his craft. You can check out some of his work at his website.
At major nordic ski events, Lazenby remains chill, and is rattle-proof. Sub-zero Lahti, Finland cold is not too cold for Lazenby. Sleep deprived and on a Vermont sunrise internal time-clock is no deterrent to cover the action and send photos our way. His workhorse persistence is an asset to our community. We are better for it.
Lazenby will be shooting for FasterSkier in Seefeld, Austria this February at the Nordic Ski World Championships. Well before then, we wanted to pull together a sample of Lazenby’s kind work as we bring him out, just a little bit, from behind the lens.
Click the image twice for a big look.
Ski orienteering — it’s a real-deal, fast-paced sport. Don’t believe it, check out these photos.
Earlier this month from March 5-10, the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury, Vermont, hosted the 2018 Ski Orienteering World Cup and World Masters Championship. Photographer John Lazenby captured some high-action moments at the races. Check out his complete gallery here and a sampling of his shots below (click each to enlarge):
See also: Intro to Ski-O | When the World Comes to Craftsbury
Videos:
Interview with Sara Mae Berman and Larry Berman, oldest IOF masters skiers
Photos from the two-day US Biathlon Association (USBA) Rollerski Championships held last weekend, Aug. 12-13, at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho, Vt.
Photographer John Lazenby’s full collection can be found here.
![](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2017/03/JCL_1689_1W.jpg")
Whew, that was a whirlwind. Over the last two and a half weeks of Nordic World Championships racing in Lahti, Finland, we witnessed the U.S. and Canadian cross-country teams capture a total of four medals: silver and bronze in the women’s freestyle sprint (with Americans Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall, respectively), bronze in the women’s classic team sprint (with U.S. teammates Diggins and Sadie Bjornsen), and gold in the final race of World Championships: the men’s 50-kilometer freestyle mass start (won by Canada’s Alex Harvey).
With two extremely hardworking FasterSkier reporters and a tireless contributing photographer on the ground in Lahti, we did our best to cover these historic moments in skiing history. Thanks to John Lazenby, here is a collection of unseen photos from the last 13 days. View his entire collection on Lazenbyphoto.com.
(Click each photo to enlarge)
![](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2017/02/JCL_2922_1W-e1487694617676.jpg")
LAHTI, Finland — Tuesday at Lahti’s venue for the 2017 Nordic World Ski Championships, the sun sets early. Although technically sunset was 5:22 p.m., the sun on this clear-sky day was still wintertime reluctant. It seemed too short a time for the sun’s transect to thaw Lahti. Temps were in the mid-to-low 20 degrees Fahrenheit. But a brisk wind called for down coats and insulated pants for those not actively skiing — in the shade, it felt like the teens.
![](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2017/02/JCL_3107_1W-e1487694598139.jpg")
For athletes, it was a day of pre-competition ski and wax testing on bulletproof tracks that gradually deteriorated on the steeper climbs. The ski loops have good coverage. The snow remains coarse, as the tracks are covered with predominately manmade snow with trace amounts of natural snow tilled in.
Lahti’s most dominant feature are its ski jumps, which are among the first objects to catch morning light. The surrounding landscape isn’t marked by serrated mountains, but by subtle hills that make the venue’s three domineering jumps (a K 116, K 90, and K 64), that much more ominous. First nordic-combined skiers then women’s ski jumpers had an opportunity for test flights off the K 90.
On the non-skiing side of things, the venue was abuzz of last-minute prep: television cables being covered for protection before the onslaught of spectators, event producers testing the stadium’s Skycam, sponsors unpacking schwag, and media arriving to pick up credentials. Like the athletes fine tuning before the competition begins, Lahti’s organizers are near set for the big show.
On Wednesday, two qualification races will ensue: the women’s 5-kilometer classic and men’s 10 k classic individual starts. These races are for athletes from “non-skiing” nations who have not met the FIS-point benchmark to participate in the championships. Start rights to Lahti’s distance races are granted to the top-10 male and female finishers. (All skiers are granted start rights for Thursday’s freestyle sprint regardless of their results in Wednesday’s qualifier.)
5 k start list | 10 k start list
***
Cross-Country Competition Schedule:
(All cross-country and nordic-combined events will be streamed live in the U.S. on NBCSports.com)
![](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2017/02/JCL_1180_3W-e1487695300690.jpg")
Wednesday, Feb. 22
-Women’s 5 k classic interval start (7:00 a.m. EST)
-Men’s 10 k classic interval start (8:30 a.m. EST)
Thursday, Feb. 23
-Women’s freestyle k sprint (10:30 a.m. EST)
-Men’s freestyle k sprint
Saturday, Feb. 25
-Women’s 15 k skiathlon (5:00 a.m. EST)
-Men’s 30 k skiathlon (7:30 a.m. EST)
Sunday, Feb. 26
-Women’s classic team sprint
-Men’s classic team sprint
(Semifinals starting at 4:30 a.m. EST, finals starting at 6:30 a.m. EST)
Tuesday, Feb. 28
-Women’s 10 k classic interval start (6:45 a.m. EST)
Wednesday, Mar. 1
-Men’s 15 k classic interval start (6:45 a.m. EST)
Thursday, Mar. 2
-Women’s 4 x 5 k team relay (8:00 a.m. EST)
Friday, Mar. 3
-Men’s 4 x 10 k team relay (6:30 a.m. EST)
Saturday, Mar. 4
-Women’s 30 k freestyle mass start (7:30 a.m. EST)
Sunday, Mar. 5
-Men’s 50 k freestyle mass start (7:30 a.m. EST)
U.S. 2017 World Championships Team:
Men
Women
Canadian 2017 World Championships Team:
Men
Women
Nordic Combined Competition Schedule:
(All cross-country and nordic-combined events will be streamed live in the U.S. on NBCSports.com)
Friday, Feb. 24
-Individual HS 100 competition round (8:30 a.m. EST)
-Individual 10 k cross-country race (6:30 a.m. EST)
Sunday, Feb. 26
-Team event HS 100 competition round (5:00 a.m. EST)
-Team event 4 x 5 k cross-country race (8:30 a.m. EST)
Wednesday, Mar. 1
-Individual HS 130 competition round (5:00 a.m. EST)
-Individual 10 k cross-country race (9:15 a.m. EST)
Friday, Mar. 3
-Team sprint HS 130 competition round (9:00 a.m. EST)
-Team sprint 2 x 7.5 k cross-country race (11:15 a.m. EST)
U.S. Nordic Combined 2017 World Championships Team:
![The top finishers shortly after the women's 30 k classic mass start at 2016 U.S. Distance Nationals in Craftsbury, Vt., on Saturday, March 26. Jessie Diggins (r) with Liz Stephen (second from r), and Craftsbury's Caitlin Patterson (l), Kaitlynn Miller (second from l) and Ida Sargent (c), all of which finished in the top five. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2016/03/D7K__6158copyWFS.jpg")
Special thanks to John Lazenby of Lazenbyphoto.com for his contributions to our coverage over the last several months.
For a complete highlights reel from last week’s U.S. SuperTour Finals and Distance Nationals in Craftsbury, Vt., visit: www.lazenbyphoto.com/craftsbury-super-tour-finals-2016/
QUEBEC CITY — After an off-day, the Ski Tour Canada picked up again a bit farther east in Québec City with Stage 3: the men’s and women’s freestyle sprints on Friday. Hometown hero Alex Harvey came up big in front of thousands of fans, skiing in second for most of the final and challenging the frontrunner, Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov, for the win in the finishing stretch. In the end, another French-speaking skier, France’s Baptiste Gros took the victory.
“At the top of the last uphill, I was right behind Ustiugov in the best position possible,” Harvey said in a post-race press conference. “I thought I could win this one, but then Baptiste passed me on my right and surprised everyone.”
Harvey held on for second place, 0.55 seconds behind, and Ustiugov placed third (+0.79). Behind them, Norway’s Petter Northug placed fourth (+1.91), Maciej Starega of Poland took fifth (+2.12) and France’s Richard Jouve was sixth (+2.18).
“Right now, I’m in the best shape of this season,” Harvey noted at the press conference. “That was the goal.”
In the women’s final, Sweden’s Stina Nilsson fended off four Norwegians for the win, beating out Maiken Caspersen Falla by 0.11 seconds at the line. By making the semifinals, Falla achieved her season-long goal and locked up the Sprint World Cup title. Falla led the Norwegians in second place and Heidi Weng was third (+0.56) to take the lead in the overall Tour. Behind her in the sprint, fellow Norwegians Ingvild Flugstad Østberg and Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen placed fourth (+1.09) and fifth (+1.57), ahead Sweden’s Ida Ingemarsdotter in sixth (+9.43).
Four U.S. women finished in the top 20, with Sadie Bjornsen leading them in eighth, and Simi Hamilton as the top American man in eighth. Canada’s second man behind Harvey, Jess Cockney had his best race of the season by far to place 10th overall. Two other U.S. Ski Team members made the heats, with Erik Bjornsen finishing 20th overall and Andy Newell 29th.
Stay tuned for comprehensive reports on both races. For now, check out some photos from the day.
Results:
![Andy Newell and Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess during official training on Monday, one day before the start of the 2016 Ski Tour Canada in Gatineau, Quebec. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2016/03/Newell-and-Dakota-Blackhorse-von-Jess.jpg")
(Note: This article has been updated to reflect the adjusted distances for the men’s and women’s classic mass starts in Montreal on Wednesday, March 2.)
The U.S. Ski Team is ready. And we’re sure the Canadians are bursting at the seams. Are you? Over the last week, World Cup cross-country ski racers from about 25 nations descended on Ottawa, Ontario, and the Gatineau just across the river in western Quebec in anticipation of the first of eight stages at the Ski Tour Canada, which doubles as World Cup finals.
Races start Tuesday with the men’s and women’s 1.7-kilometer freestyle sprints in Gatineau, with the elimination rounds starting at 1:45 Eastern time, and continue Wednesday about 200 kilometers east in Montreal, Quebec, with the first distance races of the Tour: the women’s 10.5 k and men’s 17.5 k classic mass starts.
With temperatures up around freezing on Monday afternoon, the Gatineau sprint course both softened and transformed under the sun. It cooled down considerably overnight, with temperatures around -17 degrees Celsius (1 Fahrenheit) and a forecast high of -10 (14 Fahrenheit) with high winds expected.
![Looking down the finishing stretch at the World Cup course in Montreal, as seen Monday two days before the races there on Wednesday. (Photo: Francois Leger Dionne)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2016/03/P1014776.jpg")
A blizzard is also on the way, with snowfall anticipated in Montreal starting between 4 and 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Accumulation could be around 25-30 centimeters (10-12 inches) of snow Tuesday night and into Wednesday: race day in Montreal.
There, the 3.5 k course has been altered slightly from its original plan due to “technical challenges related to the water supply service,” which would have made snowmaking difficult atop Mount Royal, a large hill just west of downtown Montreal, organizers explained in press release earlier this month. The course was moved from the top to the bottom, near the George-Étienne Cartier Monument, “a location that is easily accessible to the public,” the release stated.
Snow conditions on Monday were “rock hard” and icy, according to one FasterSkier reporter, due to freezing rain Monday morning.
Like Gatineau, Montreal’s high temperatures were around freezing on Monday and forecast to be -10 Celsius on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Here is a collection of photos and quotes from the days leading up to the Tour, as well as a complete schedule below.
All races are expected to be broadcast on NBC Sports Live Extra (accessible to U.S. subscribers via cable or satellite), and all times are Eastern Standard Time.
Tuesday, March 1: Gatineau
(Not part of broadcast: Women’s qualifier at 11:15 a.m.: start list | Men’s qualifier at noon: start list)
1:45 p.m. – Men’s and women’s freestyle sprint heats
Wednesday, March 2: Montreal
12:00 p.m. – Women’s 13 k classic mass start
2:30 p.m. – Men’s 20 k classic mass start
Friday, March 4: Quebec City
3:30 p.m. – Men’s and women’s freestyle sprint
Saturday, March 5: Quebec City
3:00 p.m. – Women’s 10 k freestyle pursuit
4:00 p.m. – Men’s 15 k freestyle pursuit
Tuesday, March 8: Canmore
3:00 p.m. – Men’s and women’s classic sprint
Wednesday, March 9: Canmore
12:00 p.m. – Women’s 15 k skiathlon
2:30 p.m. – Men’s 30 k skiathlon
Friday, March 11: Canmore
11:45 a.m. – Women’s 10 k freestyle interval start
3:00 p.m. – Men’s 15 k freestyle interval start
Saturday, March 12: Canmore
3:00 p.m. – Women’s 10 k classic pursuit
4:00 p.m. – Men’s 15 k classic pursuit
CRAFTSBURY, Vt. — It was an thrilling three days of competition at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center as SuperTour, Dartmouth Carnival, and Eastern Cup racing took place on its snowy trails. FasterSkier was on-site, providing live broadcast from Friday’s freestyle sprints, Saturday’s freestyle interval starts, and Sunday’s classic mass starts.
Photographer John Lazenby was also in northern Vermont to document the weekend’s events. Check out his shots from the races below. For more photos visit his website.
