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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.

Tag: Natalia Korosteleva

  • With Sprint Victory in Moscow, Kowalczyk Takes Over Yellow Bib

    With Sprint Victory in Moscow, Kowalczyk Takes Over Yellow Bib

    Kowalczyk on her way to winning the freestyle sprint in Moscow, Russia. Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus.

    The reigning queen of Polish skiing is officially back on top of the world. After a slow start to her 2011-2012 campaign, Justyna Kowalczyk owned the Tour de Ski in January, then followed up that performance with her victory on Thursday in the Moscow city sprint.

    In doing so, she took over the yellow bib that represents the top level of World Cup success.

    In front of a home crowd, Russian teammates Natalia Korosteleva and Anastasia Dotsenko finished a close second and third in the freestyle sprint, respectively.

    “I’m really emotional today, because normally I am not strong at city sprints,” Kowalczyk said in a press conference after the race. “I am happy I have taken over the yellow, but it will be a hard job to keep it till the end of the season.”

    With her third straight victory, worth 100 World Cup points, Kowalczyk overtook Norway’s Marit Bjoergen in the standings, and now sits ahead by 38 points. Following illness earlier this month, Bjoergen was absent from Moscow on Thursday.

    In contrast to the collision-ridden sprints seen at other venues this season, the wide trails in Moscow afforded competitors plenty of room to maneuver, and unfolded relatively tamely.

    In her quarterfinal, Kowalczyk got off to a moderate start, and skied in the middle of the pack while Korosteleva led the way. A headwind in Moscow gave skiers reason enough to tuck in behind each other to conserve energy, which is exactly what Kowalczyk did after moving up into second.

    Kowalczyk leading the charge over the bridge in the quarterfinals, with Sargent (26) close behind. Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus.

    The reportedly slow snow and longer-than-usual distance made a visible difference in the way the women skied: For a sprint race, their tempo seemed more labored and deliberate than what it had been in Dusseldorf or Milan earlier this season. Kowalczyk moved into the lead in the second half of the race, and comfortably crossed the line in first. Her final effort from the front made hers the fastest quarterfinal.

    While skiing from the front worked for Kowalczyk, others were unable to maintain the lead through the finish after pushing early.

    In the fourth heat, Astrid Jacobsen (NOR), the second-fastest qualifier and fresh off a Norwegian sprint title, paid for her decision to ski from the front and faded to fourth, failing to advance. Anastasia Dotsenko (RUS) and Riikka Sarasoja-Lilja (FIN) successfully drafted and passed her in the final straightaway.

    The beginning of the first semifinal presented an unusual sight: three American women in black spandex, all skiing at the front of the pack. Jessie Diggins led early, with her teammates Kikkan Randall and Ida Sargent just behind her.

    The Americans led all the way to the top of a bridge just before the final straightaway, but as the pack came off of the brief downhill on the other side, Korosteleva pulled up behind Randall and squeezed in front of Sargent.

    As Diggins, Korosteleva and Randall entered the lanes, it almost appeared as though the Russian would win the heat, but Diggins lunged for the top spot. Randall was less lucky, and crossed the line in third. With the second semi yet to take place, at that point a spot in the final as a lucky loser was still a possibility for the World Cup sprint leader. Ida Ingemarsdotter (SWE), Ingvild Oestberg (NOR) and Sargent finished fourth, fifth, and sixth.

    The second semifinal featured Kowalczyk and Saarinen, who skied to the front out of the gate and remained there for the entirety of the heat. Kowalczyk didn’t seem to suffer from doing most of the work; when the real race began up the bridge, she held her lead, though Saarinen threatened to edge her to the line in the final meters.

    Just as it had been in the quarters, Kowalczyk’s semi was the faster of the two, and third and fourth place finishers Dotsenko and Krista Lahteenmaki (FIN) made it through to the finals as the lucky losers.

    As the six remaining women lined up next to each other for the final, Kowalczyk was the clear favorite next to Diggins, Korosteleva, Dotsenko, Saarinen and Lahteenmaki. Diggins presented a bit of a wild card—she had clearly demonstrated spectacular fitness in the first two rounds, but it was hard to tell how much they had taken out of her.

    Kowalczyk raising her arms in triumph. Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus.

    The gun went off and Korosteleva took the lead, with Diggins skiing wide to tuck into second down the back side of the first of the two bridges. Kowalczyk began to push her way up halfway through, and moved into second behind Korosteleva. Diggins held position in the middle of the pack, and as the group skated up the hill on the second bridge, the pack was still tight behind Kowalczyk and Korosteleva.

    Down the other side into the stadium, Kowalczyk and Korosteleva were practically even, but Kowalczyk once again proved her dominance and took victory in a lunge. Dotsenko was third (+0.2), Saarinen fourth (+0.7) Lahteenmaki fifth (+0.8) and Diggins, who ran out of gas in the final 150 meters, was sixth (+1.1)—still a career best effort.

    For the two Russians in second and third, podium finishes at home brought a great deal of pride.

    “It is special for me,” said Korosteleva. “The fans and atmosphere was great. I hope the cross-country World Cup returns to Moscow.”

    “I’m proud to be on the podium in Moscow,” added Dotsenko.

    The World Cup continues on Saturday in Rybinsk with a 10 k freestyle.

    Women’s results.

    Women’s World Cup standings.

    The women's podium in Moscow: 1. Kowalczyk 2. Korosteleva 3. Dotsenko. Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus.

  • Team 2: Russia

    Russia

    Nations Cup Ranking: 2nd (7701 pts)

    Men: 2nd (4180 pts)

    Women: 2nd (3521 pts)

    2010/2011 A Team

    Men

    Evgeny Belov

    Michael Devyatyarov

    Maxim Vylegzhanin

    Nikita Kriukov

    Alexander Legkov

    Alexander Panzhinsky

    Andrey Parfenov

    Alexey Petukhov

    Petr Sedov

    Sergey Shiriaev

    Ilia Chernousov

    Vasily Rochev

    Nikolay Morilov

    Alexey Moriakov

    Alexey Slepov

    Women

    Natalia Korosteleva

    Olga Savialova

    Evgenia Medvedeva

    Yulia Tchekaleva

    Svetlana Nikolaeva

    Julia Tikhonova

    What You May Have Missed Last Season

    Perhaps the biggest news about the Russians in the last year was how few of their athletes were busted for doping. The country takes a whole lot of flack for their less-than-stellar record with performance-enhancing drug use, but let’s take a step back and consider: Between 2007 and 2009, no fewer than 13 of Russia’s cross-country skiers were sanctioned for doping violations. That’s not even including seven other cases involving competitors in nordic combined, alpine skiing, and freestyle—although, to be fair, six of those were for marijuana metabolites. (Yeah, alpine skiers dope with the wacky tobacky. Really guys?)

    Considering the number of cases in previous years, the winter of 2010 was a surprisingly clean one for the Russians. Alena Sidko was busted for EPO (although the head coach of the Russian Olympic team originally said that she had been left off the squad because she was too fat), and Elena Vedeneeva refused a drug test, but that was about it—nobody was caught at the Olympics, or even at World Cups. Nikolai Pankratov was stopped early this fall with some suspicious drugs on the Swiss border and likely faces a two-year ban, but he’s not on the national team, and was said to have been planning on competing for Belarus this coming year.

    All the controversy surrounding the Russian doping problems is impossible to ignore, but it does overshadow an impressively deep program. Between their men and women, no fewer than 52 Russian athletes scored World Cup points last year—the most of any country. And their second place in the Nation’s Cup is especially impressive when you consider that they only had one athlete of each gender in the top 10 of the World Cup rankings—Maxim Vylegzhanin was the best-placed in eighth, with 532 total points.

    At the 2010 Olympics, the team ended up with four medals: gold and silver out of a sensational performance in the men’s sprint by Nikita Kriukov and Alexander Panzhinskiy, and two bronzes from the men’s and women’s team sprint. That tally would have pleased most nations, but it wasn’t nearly enough for Russia. After an angry letter sent by the country’s ski team to Russian president Dmitry Medvedev in the spring, the president of the country’s ski association ended up resigning, and a new one, Elena Vyalbe, took over. Vyalbe, a former Olympic gold medalist, was a certifiably nasty skier in her own right in the 1990s—she started in a national program at age 11, ultimately won dozens of World Cup races, and took five out of five gold medals at the 1997 World Championships in Trondheim, surely crushing the hopes of every Norwegian citizen alive. Vyalbe wasted no time turning things around once appointed president, ridding the association of a number of coaches tied to the doping scandals of the past.

    What You Should Know For This Season

    On the women’s side, the team has lost Irina Khazova, arguably the team’s third-best athlete, to pregnancy. But the rest of the team’s top five are all coming back. Yulia Tchekaleva appears to be on-form, judging from her seventh place in last weekend’s 10 k skate in Beitostolen (and no, banned former Olympic champion Yuliya Chepalova didn’t shanghai the International Ski Federation just by switching a few letters around—Tchekaleva is actually a different person), and Natalia Korosteleva will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the sprints—she’s the one who almost knocked Kikkan Randall down to third place in Oslo last March.

    On the men’s side, Sergey Shiriaev started his season strong in Finland, while the trio of Alexander Legkov, Petr Sedov, and Evgeniy Belov locked the Norwegians out of their own podium in the tune-up races in Beitostolen. Legkov surely has an axe to grind after his fourth place in last year’s Olympic pursuit—he could be a threat to pull World Cup points by the bundle, but to do so, he’ll have to race more often. Last year, his season was over after Vancouver.

    One potential hurdle for the Russians to overcome if they want to contend for the Nation’s Cup is an issue with their visas, reported yesterday by the website SkiRun.ru. According to Vasili Parnyakov, a commentator for the site, the Russian visas for the Schengen-area countries—among them the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, and Sweden—are valid for only 90 days for the six-month period between October 1 and April 1. That could limit the amount of time each athlete spends in western Europe, which in turn could put a damper on individual World Cup point totals, but that’s only if the problem is not resolved before the end of the season.

    One thing that the Russians have going for them is their sweet title system. As far as this reporter can gather, the country still bestows titles on its athletes and coaches based on a system developed in the Soviet era that has carried through to the present times. For example, Elena Vyalbe is an “honored trainer of Russia,” and an “honored master of sport.” Alexey Batalov, a member of the Russian Ski Association’s presidium, is the “head of the theory and methodology of skiing” at the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sports and Tourism. Natalia Korosteleva is a “master of sport, international class.” Such a classification system is likely the only thing standing between North America and cross-country skiing dominance. Just think: Beckie Scott could be the “supreme viceroy of Canadian skiing, mounted division,” John Caldwell could be “honored mogul of the old school,” and, well, you get the drift.

    Who You Should Watch

    Petr Sedov is more than one to watch. He’s one to whom you should keep your eyes glued at all times. (The International Ski Federation thinks so, too—they tested him six times in seven days in Vancouver. The young man has started nine races at Junior World Championships, won five of them, and missed the podium in just one. He’s only 20, can barely grow a moustache, and is 6’1” and a mere 165 pounds. He’s already got Olympic experience, and in his two individual World Cup starts, he placed eighth and tenth. With ten more pounds and a bit more international experience, it’s scary to contemplate just how fast Sedov will be. He is coached by his father, Nikolai, who runs a squad of promising young Russian athletes. Nikolai also coached Irina Khazova, who won a bronze medal for her third place in the team sprint in Vancouver—and who also was caught using a masking agent in 2007 and banned for two years.

  • Unstoppable Bjoergen Wins Again, Randall 2nd in Oslo

    Kikkan Randall (USA) racing last month at the Olympics. She took home her 3rd career World Cup podium today.

    Oslo, Norway – Marit Bjoergen (NOR) has been nigh on unstoppable since the beginning of February, and has won every World Cup  race since the Olympics.  Today was no different though Kikkan Randall nearly pulled off the upset, leading the Norwegian star into the homestretch of the freestyle sprint in Oslo.

    Bjoergen won both races at the famed Holmenkollen Ski Stadium, and showed no ill effects from yesterday’s 30km.  The sprint victory did not come easily, but at the end, she showed the strength that won her five Olympic medals.

    And with wins by Bjoergen becoming rote, the story of the day belonged to Randall, the silver medalist in the freestyle sprint at World Championships last year.

    Randall has quietly been on fire since the start of the Olympics, but has not had an opportunity to race her premier event – the skate sprint.  She performed exceptionally well in the Olympics with great efforts and results in every event she entered.  Her 8th in the classic sprint was a career-best.

    But the last time she got to strap on her skate skis for an individual sprint was nearly three months ago in Davos, Switzerland.

    She took advantage of that opportunity today, showing the poise that allowed her to become the first American woman to win a World Cup race and a championship medal, skiing relaxed and strong toward the front of each of her heats.

    Randall qualified in 8th, and according to US Sprint Coach Chris Grover, that is always a good sign.

    “Typically when I see her [Randall] qualify in the top-10 in a skate sprint, it means it’s on, she is in good form,” he told FasterSkier.

    Randall spent most of the heats toward the front, in either first or second.  In the quarterfinals she cruised across the line next to Natalia Korosteleva (RUS) clear of the field after the pair broke away late in the 1.3km loop.

    In the semis, she was again matched with Korosteleva, as well as Swedish phenom Hannah Falk, Italian veteran Arianna Follis,  Vesna Fabjan (SLO), and Riikka Sarasoja (FIN).

    She started strong, moving right into 2nd place behind Falk.  Fabjan, riding fast skis, moved up on the flat terrain entering the first big climb.  Randall slipped back, to 3rd, then to 4th.  But over the top of the next rise she accelerated back up and snuck into 2nd, now behind Korosteleva.  Once again the two were able to open a small gap on the field in the homestretch and advance to the finals.

    Bjoergen did not have as easy a time.  She met Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) in the quarterfinals, and the two finished 1-2 in that heat.  They paired again in the semis, with Kowalczyk getting off the line slowly.  She attacked aggressively trying to move up, but Anna Olsson (SWE) and Celine Brun-Lie (NOR) controlled the race at the front, with Bjoergen in 3rd.

    Advancement for the two favorites was not guaranteed until Brun-Lie appeared to catch a tip entering the big climb causing her to crash into Olsson.  The two went down and Bjoergen and Kowalczyk suddenly had the lead and a berth in the finals.

    Bjoergen appeared spent after the heat, perhaps showing signs of fatigue form Saturday’s win in the 30km.

    Falk made it through as a lucky loser and joined Bjoergen, Kowalczyk, Randall, Korosteleva and Silvana Bucher (SUI), the other lucky loser, in the fight for the podium.  Fabjan posted the same time as Falk, but Falk got the nod in the photo finish, and Fabjan was done for the day.

    With the exception of Bucher, each of these women have multiple World Cup podiums under their belts, and despite Bjoergen’s recent dominance, any were capable of victory.

    Bucher, on the other hand, was a surprise to reach the finals.  A majority of her World Cup starts have come in distance races and relays.  Until today she had only cracked the top-30 in an individual sprint once before – a 26th against a weak field this year in Rybinsk.

    So the stage was set.  Randall again got off to a good start, immediately taking the lead.

    With major reconstruction on the stadium area, this was the first time any of these athletes had raced what will be next year’s World Championship course.

    Getting out to an early lead is very important noted Grover as the middle section of the loop is not wide – just enough room for two skaters abreast.  This makes it difficult to pass until the end.

    “She [Randall] was always in first or second and with this course, that is very important,” said Grover.  “Going out and getting an early lead and holding that lead is really critical.”

    Kowalczyk once again was very slow off the line, last place with a small gap to makeup before the race was 10 seconds old.  Such a disadvantage does not seem to phase the overall World Cup Champion, and as in the semifinal, she attacked immediately, and had moved into 1st over the top of the first small climb.

    Randall was to one side and just behind as Kowalczyk moved.  The Pole appeared to bump or step on the American’s pole almost causing Randall to go down.  She recovered impressively and did not lose any noticeable ground.

    With Bjoergen just behind, Randall attacked on the large climb.  She moved by Kowalczyk with Bjoergen just behind.  They held their position over the top and through the fast corners.

    Kowalczyk uncharacteristically ran out of gas, and could not hold the pace.  Korosteleva moved into 3rd.  The Russian had quietly maintained good position near Bjoergen, and took advantage as Kowalczyk faded.

    The three women came down onto the homestretch clear of the rest of the heat.  The finish is fast with a descent into the last flat, and some skiers free skated almost to the line.  Randall held her lead onto level ground, but Bjoergen put on a charge that no one could match, skiing away from Randall and Korosteleva.

    “I felt quite tired after yesterday’s 30 km and it is great that I also won the sprint,” said Bjoergen.  “The crowds here are just amazing and the atmosphere was great.”

    Korosteleva closed the small gap on Randall, and the two lunged for the line.  It looked closer than it was, and the photo finish camera showed Randall at least a foot in front for her third career World Cup podium.

    “We knew she was in awesome shape,” said Grover.  “All four of her Olympics were great races for her.  They just weren’t in her strongest disciplines.  We knew it was totally possible that either her or Newell would be on the podium today.”

    Added Randall, “I’m really proud because there are a lot of times out there when other countries look so much better, they have so much support, and it’s easy to get bogged down.  But I believed succeeding was possible for so long, so it’s good to show that it wasn’t just a one-time thing, but that we can consistently be on the podium.”

    Kowalczyk ended up 4th, clinching her first Sprint Cup title.  She already had wrapped up her second consecutive overall World Cup win.

    The race had added importance for Randall as her performance moved her up to 39th in the overall World Cup standings.  Only the top-50 skiers in the standings and Continental Cup leaders will start the World Cup Finals beginning on Wednesday in Stockholm.  Randall had been outside the top-50, but now has a start spot and will compete in Sweden.

    Complete Results