Tag: lotta weng

Norway Wins Overall on Final Day of Junior Worlds; Canadian Women 10th in Relay

The Swedish women’s relay team congratulates anchor Jonna Sundling at the finish, with Anna Dyvik, Sofia Henriksson, and Maja Dahlqvist, after defending their Junior World Championships relay title with another win on Monday in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (Photo: Fiemme2014)

Monday’s final event of the Junior World Championships included the women’s 4×3.3-kilometer and men’s 4×5-kilometer relays. Both events alternated classic and skating legs in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

According to a press release, Russia, France and Sweden led through the classic legs, while Norway and Finland sat patiently. On the last leg, Norway’s Eirik Sverdrup Augdal was first to pick up the pace at the end of a long uphill. Alexey Chervotkin, of Russia, and Jean Tiberghien, of France, were surprised and forced to react quickly. Over the final sprint, Augdal found the best line and captured gold for Norway in 53:36.6, exactly 1 second ahead of Tiberghien who outskied Chervotkin by a tenth of a second for second.

Norway’s Eirik Sverdrup Augdal looks back after anchoring his 4×5 relay to gold on Monday on the last day of Junior World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy. France took second, 0.1 seconds ahead of Russia. Augdal teamed up with Eivind Krane Heimdal, Petter Reistad, and Johan Hoel. (Photo: Fiemme2014)

In the women’s relay, Russia led the first leg, but Sweden’s Sofia Henriksson did not let the Russian off easily, according to press release. Early in the the skate portion, Sweden was a hair ahead of Russia, while Norway was shortly behind, attempting to make up ground. At the final exchange, Russia’s Natalia Nepryaeva started off with a slight advantage over Jonna Sundling of Sweden, but by the end of the last leg, Sundling had gained enough ground to surpass — and even create a gap on — Nepryaeva, sealing the win for Sweden in 39:54.8. Russia took second, 7.7 seconds behind, and Norway’s Lotta Weng followed in third, 26.8 seconds behind the Swedes.

With four gold, two silver, and eighth bronze medals, Norway was crowned as the winning team at the 2014 FIS Nordic Junior/U23 World Ski Championships.

Among the North Americans, Canada placed just above the U.S. women in 10^th (out of 14 teams). The Canadian females chosen to participate in the day’s event included Frédérique Vézina of the Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre (CNEPH), Dahria Beatty (Alberta World Cup Academy), Anne-Marie Comeau (CNEPH), and Katherine Stewart-Jones (Nakkertok). They raced in that order and Team Canada finished 2:49.9 behind the winners.

“I love mass starts so I was pretty pumped when I knew what position I had for the relay,” Vézina wrote in an email. “It was a great fast fight right from the start. My body felt very good and I was able to stay with the lead pack up the first long up hill.”

With slightly slower skis, Vézina explained she struggled on the downhills, but was able to catch back up to the pack on the climbs. “I am very happy with our race and it was as always a lot of fun!” she wrote.

The American women finished about a minute after, 3:51.4 behind the leaders in 12th. Racers included Nichole Bathe (University of Alaska-Fairbanks), University of Vermont’s Marion Woods and Stephanie Kirk, as well as Sloan Storey (University of Utah), respectively.

The Americans men placed 12^th out of 18 teams, 3:08.4 behind the winners, with Canada finishing 45 seconds later in 13^th. The U.S. men’s team included Adam Martin (Northern Michigan University), Lars Hannah (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club), Thomas O’Harra (Alaska Pacific University), and Patrick Caldwell (Dartmouth College), in that order.

“It was exciting to race today, because we got another chance to race head to head with the best junior athletes,” Martin wrote on Monday. “I was able to hang with the Norwegian skier for both 2.5 k loops. … In general the relay was fun, it was a nice way to conclude the week. … It is very motivational to see some of the other athletes’ strong form and on days like today realize that I can really get in and race them.”

The Canadian men’s team included Ricardo Izquierdo-Bernier (Fondeurs Laurentides), Alexis Dumas (Skibec), Scott James Hill (NDC Thunder Bay), and Benjamin Wilkinson-Zan (NDC Thunder Bay), who crossed the finish line in 13^th. The Canadians finished in 57:30.4, 3:53.8 minutes behind the winners.

Results: Men | Women

February 4, 2014
Junior Nationals: Americans Keep Norwegians from J1 Podium Sweeps

Norwegian twins Tiril and Lotta Weng on their way to another 1-2 finish at 2013 Junior Nationals on Saturday, this time in the J1 girls 10 k classic mass start in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com. Proceeds go to NNF)

By Eric Troyer

(Via jn2013fairbanks.us)

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Once again, the Norwegian skiers dominated the Junior 1 10 k classic mass starts in the 2013 Cross Country Junior Nationals on Saturday, but the American racers didn’t let their guests take all the podium spots.

Keegan Swirbul (Aspen Valley SSC), the first American and third overall behind Norwegians Mattis Stenshagen and Sjur Slettom on Saturday in the J1 boys 10 k classic mass start at 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com)

Keegan Swirbul of Rocky Mountain, took third overall in the boys race, which was good for the top American spot, and he finished just one second behind Norwegian and second-place finisher Sjur Slettom.

“I was surprised I was that close,” Swirbul said.

Far West’s Peter Holmes, taking fourth, and New England’s Jack Schrupp, in fifth, both finished ahead of Norwegian Martin Thon to take the second and third American places.

“It’s fun. They’re fast,” said Holmes.

In the girls race, Marion Woods of Alaska, reeled in Lisa Kvamme of Norway, to take third place and the top place for the Americans in the women’s race.

“I’m so glad they’re out here,” Woods said, adding that they helped increase the overall competition.

The Norwegian skiers also include twins Tiril and Lotta Weng, who took first and second, respectively, in the girls race, and Mattis Stenshagen, who took first in the boys race. The Norwegians are racing as guests as part of an effort to give American racers a taste of what’s possible with enough work and the right training and attitude.

Intermountain’s Lizzie Gill, who took fifth overall and the second American spot, likes the competition.

“My dad always tells me that I should try to be skiing like Jessie Diggins,” said Gill, smiling, “but now he tells me to ski like Norwegians.”

The Norwegians are also learning from their experience over here, especially how to race on tight, curvy racecourses.

“In Norway there are not so many corners,” said Stenshagen. “I like it.”

Slettom agreed.

“I like trying something else,” he said, “not just climbing and sitting on the downhills.”

Woods Breaks Away to Take Third, U.S. Title in Girls J1 Race

The Norwegians looked to put the girls J1 10-kilometer race away early. They started strong, all three pulling slightly ahead of a group of American skiers, led by Marion Woods. Kvamme fell back a bit by the third kilometer but was still ahead of a large pack of Americans, still led by Woods, as they charged through the Stadium on to their second lap. Woods was less worried by the leaders than who was behind.

An excited Marion Woods (Alaska Winter Stars) at the finish of Saturday’s J1 girls 10 k classic mass start at the 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. Woods was the top American in third behind Norwegians Tiril and Lotta Weng. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com)

“Going from the bottom of Warm-up to the top of Tower, I knew that something was going to happen,” said Woods. “There was a pretty large pack of girls behind me. Having led for a couple of K I knew that they could make a breakaway at any moment.”

During the second climb of South Tower, both Woods and Lizzie Gill were the ones to make a breakaway. They reeled in Kvamme and were ahead of her with less than three kilometers to go. Several more Americans caught Kvamme, but by the climb to Sidewinder, about 8.5 kilometers into the race, Kvamme had pulled back into fourth place.

That’s when Tiril Weng made her move, pulling about 10 seconds ahead of her sister, Lotta, in less than a kilometer. Woods was still in third followed by Gill, but Kvamme was starting to gain on her. A pack of Americans, led by Amy Bianco, of Midwest, followed and Woods knew they were back there.

“Going up the last hill. I never knew what was really behind me,” said Woods. “I knew that really at any moment they could come on and pass me.”

That pack of Americans never caught Woods, but they started to gain on Gill coming up the Warm-up hill right before the finish.

“I definitely died a little at the end, but they were right behind me and they kept me going, so, yeah, that was pretty fun,” said Gill.

Tiril won the race in 33 minutes, 47.3 seconds, 16 seconds ahead of her sister, who finished in 34:03.7. Woods finished third at 34:26.9 and Kvamme finished fourth at 35:09.0, but it was close as Gill finished just under a second behind. Nicole Bathe, of Midwest, took sixth as the third American, just beating Bianco by less than two seconds.

Swirbul Uses Sidewinder Move to Take American J1 Boys Title

In the boys J1 1o k, the Norwegians also pulled ahead early, but several Americans including Cal Deline, of Rocky Mountain, Thomas O’Harra, of Alaska, and Peter Holmes, of Far West, were hot on their tail.

Norway’s Mattis Stenshagen on his way to winning the J1 boys 10 k classic mass start at 2013 Junior Nationals on Saturday. He beat teammate Sjur Slettom and Rocky Mountain’s Keegan Swirbul. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com)

By kilometer four, O’Harra and the three Norwegians were leading a pack that included Deline, Swirbul, and Eric Backstrum, of Alaska. As they climbed out of Warm-up into the Stadium for their second lap, Norwegians Stenshagen and Slettom had pulled ahead by a few seconds. Close on their tails was Swirbul, Deline, and Norwegian Thon. O’Harra had fallen back to about ninth place.

Stenshagen really started to put the hammer down on the second climb of South Tower. He pulled about 10 seconds ahead of Slettom, who was followed closely by Swirbul and Holmes.

“We knew the Norwegians were going to go in the second lap and they went right where I thought,” said Swirbul, “so I was just trying to conserve as much energy on the first lap and do a 5 k time trial.”

Holmes said the hardest part of the race was increasing the pace up the second climb of South Tower. He wasn’t sure he could hang on.

“I was a little iffy about it, but I’m glad I did,” he said.

With about two kilometers to go, Stenshagen had increased his lead to about 20 seconds over Slettom, who was still followed closely by Swirbul, with Far West’s Holmes a little farther back.

“We just skied together, me and the Far West guy, and then I tried to put a move on him on Sidewinder and it worked real well,” said Swirbul.

Not too far behind was Jack Schrupp, of New England.

Stenshagen increased that lead to about 30 seconds with a kilometer to go, while Swirbul had reeled in Slettom, with Holmes just a few seconds behind.

Stenshagen easily won first by 30 seconds with a time of 29 minutes, 17 seconds. The race for second was much closer, but the last sprint to the finish proved decisive as Slettom pulled away, beating Swirbul by just one second.

“He had a way better double pole than I do, but I was thankful to be that close to him,” said Swirbul.

Swirbul, with a time of 29:49.7, took third overall and first for the Americans. Holmes came in about eight seconds later, taking the second American spot, with Schrupp about four seconds after that, wrapping up the third American spot. Thon finished about nine seconds later, taking sixth place overall.

Complete results

For more photos from 2013 Junior Nationals, visit bertboyer.zenfolio.com. Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation (NNF).

March 17, 2013
Junior Nationals: Miller Surprises Norwegians in J1 Sprint; Blanchet & Gesior Notch Gold

Intermountain’s Annika Miller of Payette Lakes (r) takes on Lotta Weng (6) and her Norwegian teammates in Thursday’s J1 girls freestyle sprint A-final at the 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com. Proceeds go to NNF)

(Via jn2013fairbanks.us)

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Spectators watching halfway through the Junior 1 national championship girls sprint race on Thursday must have wondered whether three Norwegians were on their way to a sweep.

At that point, twins Tiril and Lotta Weng seemed in control, while fellow Norwegian Lisa Kvamme trailed slightly and American Annika Miller fought to stay close.

The next time spectators in the Birch Hill Recreation Area stadium spotted the skiers one tough climb and several hundred meters later, many must have been shocked to see Miller en route to a clear win at the U.S. Cross Country Junior Nationals.

“I really wanted to (win). I was like ‘You know, the U.S. needs to be on top today,’ ” said Miller of Team Intermountain, whose win was no fluke considering that she finished the qualifying round in first as well.

But keeping up with the Norwegians, who competed as guests and are not eligible to claim U.S. Championship medals, was no easy task.

“I was really worried coming up that first hill because they were just hammering,” Miller said.

Miller, from McCall, Idaho, quietly stalked the Norwegians and then charged past them on the final East Ramp uphill.

“I was kind of neck-and-neck with them coming up the last hill and then just off the top they just didn’t have enough left, I guess,” Miller said. “And so I hammered the top and hoped they didn’t have too much of a draft and just went for it.”

It was a risky strategy that could have backfired had the Norwegians hopped in Miller’s slipstream and slingshotted past her at the bottom of the hill leading into the flat finishing stretch.

Instead Miller won going away in 3 minutes, 4.14 seconds. Tiril Weng was runner-up a half-second behind, Lotta Weng placed third and Kvamme finished a distant fourth.

The other two skiers in the A Final, Marion Woods of Alaska and Zoe Snow of New England, placed fifth and sixth, respectively, but won the U.S. silver and bronze medals.

Hannah Halvorsen (Sugar Bowl Academy) leads New England’s Julia Kern (l) and Alaska’s Lydia Blanchet (r) in Thursday’s J2 girls freestyle sprint A-final at the 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. Blanchet went on to win, Kern was second and Halvorsen placed third. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com)

In the J2 girls race, Lydia Blanchet of Anchorage could hardly believe she won.

“It just hadn’t crossed my mind that I could be a sprint champion,” said Blanchet, who considers herself more of a distance skier.

That Blanchet, the 2013 Alaska High School Skimeister, would top Julie Kern of New England seemed improbable, given that Kern was the defending J2 sprint champion and won Thursday’s qualifying round.

Blanchet grabbed the lead halfway through the 1-kilometer course with a nifty move on the inside of a tight corner. She held off Kern by 0.46 seconds and was never seriously threatened on the homestretch.

“I knew (Kern) was there. It wasn’t until I looked around and didn’t see anyone’s shadow that I kind of started realizing that ‘Oh my gosh, I might be able to win this race,” Blanchet said. “To pull this one off is just a good confidence boost for me.”

Hannah Halvorsen edged New England teammate Leah Lange to win bronze.

In girls OJ, Felicia Gesior credited her fast skis.

Clearly her talent had plenty to do with the decisive victory that gave Great Lakes its first gold medal of the championships.

Gesior, who competes for Northern Michigan University, placed 11th in the same race a year ago at Soldier Hollow, Utah. This time she and Stephanie Kirk of Alaska, the top two qualifiers, broke away from the pack early on. Gesior bided her time just behind Kirk for half the race, then blew past her on the final climb of the 1.25-kilometer course.

“Once I was gone, I kind of went,” Gesior said.

As Gesior powered through a stiff headwind on the finishing straight, Kirk struggled home 5.75 seconds later. Celia Haering of Alaska took bronze.

Complete results

Felicia Gesior (Great Lakes) leads Alaska’s Stephanie Kirk in the OJ girls freestyle sprint A-final at 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com)

For more photos from 2013 Junior Nationals, visit bertboyer.zenfolio.com. Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation (NNF).

March 15, 2013
Junior Nationals: Intermountain Wins Close J1 Girls Relay; Rocky Mountain Boys Prevail

Rocky Mountain (front left) racing for first (and finishing second to Norway) in the J1 boys 3×3.3 k relay on Tuesday at 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: facebook.com/pages/JN-2013-Fairbanks/153097771413595)

(Via jn2013fairbanks.us)

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Often relay races come down to a drag race on the homestretch.

Not on Tuesday, however, at the U.S. Cross Country Junior Nationals at Birch Hill Recreation Area.

Of the six 3 x 3-kilometer classic relays contested for national championships — two each in the Junior 1, J2 and Older Junior divisions — only two were decided by less than 30 seconds and only one was up for grabs on the final straightaway. That race was the girls Junior 1 event, in which Intermountain edged Midwest by 3.7 seconds and Alaska by 4 seconds.

IM anchor Annika Miller, of McCall, Idaho, passed Nicole Bathe of Midwest shortly after reaching the top of the grueling Sidewinder climb with just over a kilometer remaining.

“That hurt,” Miller said of the long, gradual climb.

Then she held off Bathe and a hard-charging Marion Woods of Alaska. Miller hung on after looking back to check on her pursuers’ whereabouts.

“The uphill finish was just a killer,” Miller said.

Intermountain won gold in 34:11.5 while Midwest edged Alaska by 0.3 seconds in 34:15.2. Alaska rallied to reach the podium after finishing the first of three legs in 14th place.

Despite their younger age, the J1 girls proved much more competitive than their OJ counterparts, as remarkably eight of the top nine teams came from the J1 division. Both groups raced at the same time but results were then separated by division.

Topping all squads was the Norwegian J1 trio of Lotta Weng, Tiril Weng and Lisa Kvamme with a superlative time of 33:07.8. Norway, however, is entered in the guest class and not eligible for placement on the U.S. podium. But the Norwegian girls again showed they are in a class of their own by almost immediately leaving the rest of the field behind.

The boys J1 race featured a similar situation in that the top American team, Rocky Mountain, was chasing squads from Norway and the Older Junior division.

Rocky Mountain — with Keegan Swirbul, Evan Weinman and Cal Deline — handled the domestic J1 competition for gold in 28:42.

“My teammates crushed it. I couldn’t have been handed off in a better spot,” said Deline, who was tagged having a huge lead on New England and just a half-second deficit to Norway’s J1 guest team.

Deline, wearing a hat with a Swedish flag that he traded for recently in Europe, attempted to catch a ride with Norway’s anchor Mattis Stenshagen.

“It was an opportunity to try and hang on, but he was going too fast for me,” Deline said.

Norway was the first J1 team across the line in 28:13. New England placed second among U.S. teams in 29:21 and Alaska earned bronze in 29:35.

Wednesday is a day reserved for training and rest. The championships resume Thursday at 11:45 a.m. with 1.25-kilometer freestyle sprints.

Complete results

March 13, 2013
Junior Nationals: Norway Impresses while Alaska, New England Girls Sweep

Norway’s Tiril Weng (NTG Lillehammer) on her way to winning the opening race at 2013 Junior Nationals, the J1/OJ girls 5 k freestyle, on Monday in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com/f490643483. All proceeds go to NNF)

(Via www.jn2013fairbanks.us)

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Alaska and New England each achieved a sweep in the opening girls races at the U.S. Cross Country Junior Nationals ski championships.

Double take: J1/OJ girls runner-up Lotta Weng of Norway during Monday’s 5 k freestyle at 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com/f490643483)

Norway, despite owning the day’s most dominant performances, couldn’t quite get a sweep of its own on Monday.

While Norwegian twins Tiril and Lotta Weng blew away the competition in the 5-kilometer interval-start freestyle (with Tiril winning in 14:19.2, more than a minute ahead of the top American), their NTG Lillehammer teammate Lisa Kvamme was nipped by an American in the Junior 1 division. That prevented the Scandinavians from repeating the performance of their male teammates earlier in the day.

But in the Older Junior division, Alaskans Stephanie Kirk, Sarah Freistone and Hannah Boyer ruled the podium.

“All three of us have come back from our colleges,” said Kirk, a freshman at the University of Vermont. “It’s been fun reuniting with friends in the hotel and hanging out, but to be able to reunite on the podium, too, that was just pretty amazing.”

In J2, New England’s Katharine Ogden, Julia Kern and Leah Brams took the top three spots. Ogden, one of the final finishers, snatched victory from defending J2 champion Kern by 1.6 seconds in 15:35.7.

Spectators, athletes and coaches crowded around a large flat-screen monitor that provided near-instant results in the sunlit stadium.

Katharine Ogden (Stratton Mountain School) racing to a J2 girls victory in Monday’s 5 k freestyle opener at the 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com/f490643483)

“One of my coaches told me,” Ogden said. “I was so excited because it was a sweep and amazing.”

But the most amazing performances were reserved for the Wengs, who easily bested skiers up to three years older. Tiril Weng was 17.9 seconds faster than sister Lotta’s mark and 1:01 speedier than Kirk, the OJ winner.

“The track was different from Norway,” Tiril Weng said. “The downhill was much more corners. (I had no problem) but it was scary.”

The Wengs are not related to current World Cup standout Heidi Weng but they also seem destined to make a future mark on the international stage.

“Lotta and Tiril are (among) the five best juniors in Norway and they are only 16 years old,” Team Norway head coach Per Ola Gasmann said.

Kirk, who had never before cracked the top 10 at Junior Nationals, was impressed.

“It’s cool that Norwegians could compete with us,” she said. “It kind of also humbles you a little bit knowing that there’s always going to be someone faster, but it also motivates us.”

Alayna Sonnesyn of Midwest (15:20.8) prevented a Norwegian sweep in J1 by skiing 4.5 seconds faster than Norway’s Kvamme.

Because Norwegians are ineligible for medals and team points, Annika Miller of Intermountain was second in J1 in the U.S. standings and Katrin Larusson of Far West placed third.

The younger J1 skiers showed their mettle by tallying six of the first seven spots in the combined J1/OJ results.

“That just shows the future has good potential with all those younguns,” Kirk said.

Stephanie Kirk (Alaska Winter Stars), the top OJ and third overall in Monday’s 5 k freestyle at 2013 Junior Nationals in Fairbanks, Alaska. (Photo: bertboyer.zenfolio.com/f490643483)

Results | Boys recap

For more photos from 2013 Junior Nationals, visit bertboyer.zenfolio.com. Proceeds go to the National Nordic Foundation (NNF).

March 12, 2013