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.
Calling it like it was: fir trees draped in fog and the colorful hues of Junior Worlds Lycra a deep contrast to the pervasive monochromatic snow and forest. This was the backdrop for World Junior’s freestyle sprint day in Oberwiesenthal, Germany. Keeping things real for several North Americans, expectations were high as the core, for example, of the U.S. team is riddled with potential podiums.
For the North American women, three skiers qualified for the heats in the 1.2 skate sprint: Novie McCabe (U.S./MVNT) qualified in 19th (+7.62), Elizabeth Elliott (CAN/Revelsoke Nordic) 27th (+9:05), and Benita Peiffer (CAN/Whistler Nordic) 30th (+9.58).
Norway’s Helene Marie Fossesholm, the day’s fastest qualifier. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
The fastest qualifier on the day was Norway’s Helene Marie Fossesholm in 2:28.53. According to FIS, Fossesholm has raced two individual World Cups. She placed fifth in Falun’s 10 k skate mass start, and 18th in Lillehammer’s 15 k skiathlon. Both races were this season.
Fossesholm advanced to the final’s but placed fifth, 2.62 seconds off the win. Sweden’s Louise Lindstrom, the day’s 11th fastest qualifier, won in 2:33.41. Poland’s Izabela Marcisz was second (+0.47), and Switzerland’s Siri Wigger third (+1:07).
Sweden’s Louise Lindstrom with the win. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Sweden’s Louise Lindstrom was the day’s 11th fastest qualifier and the unexpected winner. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
McCabe placed fifth in the fourth quarterfinal to finish 22nd overall. The eighteen-year-old from Washington’s Methow Valley remained in contact with the quarterfinal’s leaders when she came to a stop to avoid a skier merging into her path on a short but critical climb. There, she lost vital time.
Novie McCabe during qualification on Saturday’s World Junior’s skate sprint. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Novie McCabe during her World Junior’s skate sprint quarterfinal. She was the 19th fastest qualifier, and placed 22nd overall. (Photo: Doug Stephen)
Elliott placed 23rd after placing fifth in the third heat, while Peiffer was 25th overall. Peiffer was fifth in the first quarterfinal.
Also for the U.S., Sydney Palmer-Leger (SVSEF) skied to 49th, Callie Young (Dartmouth) 54th, and Mara McCollor 73rd (Minneapolis Ski Club).
For Canada Liliane Gagnon (Skibec Nordique) placed 39th, and Molly Miller (Black Jack Ski Club) 42nd.
The U20 World Juniors 4 x 5 k relay first place team from the U.S, (l-r) Johnny Hagenbuch, Ben Ogden, Luke Jager, and Gus Schumacher. (Photo: JWSC2019 / Mikaela Takala)
2019 U23 World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland 4 x 3 k and 4x 5 k relay
In a historic first for the U.S., the U20 men’s team won the 4 x 5-kilometer relay today in Lahti, Finland at the 2019 World Junior Ski Championships. Luke Jager skied the first classic leg for the U.S., Ben Ogden skied the second classic, Johnny Hagenbuch skied the first initial skate leg and Gus Schumacher raced the anchor leg.
The foursome won in a time of 45:34.7 minutes, and beat second-place Russia by 3.8 seconds.
Russia’s team was comprised of Egor Trefilov, Andrey Kuznetsov, Yaroslav Egoshin, and Alexander Terentev.
Germany’s team of Jakob Milz, Florian Knopf, Anian Sossau, and Friedrich Moch took third finishing 6.3 seconds behind.
For Canada, Remi Drolet , Sam Hendry, Xavier McKeever, and Thomas Stephen skied to 11th (+2:29.7).
In the 4 x 3.3 k U20 women’s race, Norway’s Kristin Austgulen Fosnaes, Astrid Stav, Helene Marie Fossesholm, and Kristine Stavås Skistad won at the line in 35:24.7 minutes.
Russia’s Anastasia Faleeva, Kristina Kuskova, Veronika Stepanova, and Anna Grukhvina were a close second, stopping the clock 1.0 seconds back.
Louise Lindström, Frida Karlsson, Tilde Baangman, and Lin Svahn for Sweden placed third (+33.3).
The U.S. team of Mara McCollor, Kendall Kramer, Sydney Palmer-Leger and Novie McCabe skied to fourth place, 40.5 seconds back.
For Canada, Anne-Marie Petitclerc, Jasmine Drolet, Anna Pryce, and Molly Miller placed 11th, 3:01.4 minutes behind.
FIS Cross Country World Cup Ulricehamn, Sweden 10/15 k freestyle
In what is his skiing canvas, the 15 k freestyle, France’s thirty-two-year-old Maurice Manificat won his first World Cup of the season in Ulricehamn, Sweden today in 34:55.4 minutes. It was a tight race in that Norway’s Simen Hegstad Krüger Simen Hegstad Krüger who placed second finished 1.1 seconds back. Teammate Didrik Tønseth was third (+8.7).
Canada’s Alex Harvey was the best placed North American in ninth (+31.4). Lenny Valjas skied to 57th (+2:32.1), and Bob Thompson 77th (+4:16.6).
For the U.S., Scott Patterson finished 35th (+1:26.5), David Norris 53rd (+2:11.3), Ben Lustgarten 64th (+3:04.7).
Norway’s Therese Johaug kept her distance win streak alive at eight wins in eight starts on the World Cup this season. She won the women’s 10 k skate race in 25:48.2 minutes, with teammate Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen in second, 22.8 seconds back. Third place went to Sweden’s Ebba Andersson, 24.9 seconds behind.
The U.S. Ski Team’s Jessie Diggins skied to fourth place (+38.3), while teammate Sadie Bjornsen was 15th (+1:25.1). Caitlin Paterson (CGRP) had her best World Cup result of the season, skiing to 23rd (+1:49.9). Rosie Brennan (APU) placed 28th (+2:03.2), and Rosie Frankowski 42nd (+2:28.0).
Dahria Beatty was the only Canadian entered. She finished 56th (+3:54.7).
In the women’s 10 k pursuit, Italy’s Dorothea Wierer won in a time of 29:20.1 after skiing two penalties (1+0+0+1). Second place went to Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier, who finished 6.0 seconds after Wierer after one missed shot (0+0+1+0). Saturday’s third place went to another Italian, Lisa Vittozzi, who finished 16.2 seconds behind the winner after tying Wierer’s shooting score.
Clare Egan led the way for the U.S., racing to 11th (+1:31.9) after skiing two penalties (0+0+0+2).
“I’m really happy with my race today,” Egan wrote in an email. “The wind and altitude are always a challenge here, but I took my time on the range and capitalized on the fast glide of my skis to save energy on course. I made a costly and dumb mistake on my last shot but still came away with my second-best career result. I’ll take what I learned from today and go for it again tomorrow in the mass start! Can’t wait!”
Joanna Reid was the next American to finish, placing 29th (+2:55.2) after three missed shots (1+0+0+2).
For Canada, Rosanna Crawford finished 34th (+3:30.8) after skiing five penalties (2+1+1+1) and her teammate Megan Bankes finished 39th (+3:37.1) with five misses (1+0+3+1). Also skiing for Canada, Sarah Beaudry placed 46th (+5:07.5), also with five penalties (4+0+1+0).
In the men’s 12.5 k pursuit, Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Bø
won in a time of 31:33.7 after skiing three penalties (1+1+0+1). France’s Antonin Guigonnat raced to second place, 34.8 seconds behind with one missed shot (0+0+1+0). The third and final podium spot on Saturday went to France’s Quentin Fillon Maillet, who skied two penalties (1+0+0+1) and finished 40.6 seconds back from the winning time.
Sean Doherty for the U.S. placed 47th (+4:39.1, 3+2+1+0). Jake Brown was lapped and was not given an official time.
For Canada, Jules Burnotte skied to 54th (+5:42.8, 1+3+1+1), and Scott Gow 55th (+6:39.7, 4+0+2+3).
Canada’s Antoine Briand (CNEPH) was the fastest qualifier on the day in 3:14.71 minutes and won the men’s final. Dominique Moncion-Groulx (Nakkertok) placed second in the final, with Ben Saxton (SMS T2) in third.
Saxton was the second fastest qualifier, with Oliver Hamel (CNEPH) third fastest.
For the women, Sophie Caldwell (USST/SMS T2) scorched the qualifier in 3:40.44 minutes with Jessica Yeaton (APU/Australian National Team) qualifying in second (3:50.49). Dartmouth’s Katharine Ogden qualified third (3:51.79).
Caldwell went on to win the final in 3:37.06, with Yeaton in second and Kelsey Phinney (SMS T2) in third.
