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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: notes

  • USST Notes: Where in the World is the USST…and other tidbits

    With one more race weekend on the docket for the first World Cup period, the US Ski Team has dispersed to various spots around the globe.

    On the Road Again

    The World Cup Team has been split in half, with Andy Newell, Kikkan Randall, Kris Freeman, Torin Koos and Lars Flora, along with coaches/servicemen Wadsworth, Augustson, and Johanson made the nine hour drive to Rogla, Slovenia yesterday.

    Newell describes the first-time World Cup venue as “Basically in the middle of nowhere on top of a mountain. But it looks sweet.”

    As expected, Newell will start the sprint, and is currently planning on the 30k, pending how he recovers from the first day.  If he “feels great,” he will go.  But if he is coughing badly or generally not recovered, he will skip the distance event.  “I have to be a little careful this time of year at altitude when it’s cold.”

    After hard intervals in -20 temperatures in Davos (a mix of level 3 and 4) and some icy kneecaps, Newell is feeling solid – though altitude can make such evaluations difficult – “Better than last weekend and ready to race.”

    The venue is 1,500 meters above sea level.

    Not as much for Koos, who is fighting a cold according to coach Matt Whitcomb.  There has been illness going around, and Koos may have succumbed.  This report was from Wednesday, so hopefully he is ok.

    Freeman, Randall, and Flora are all healthy and ready to go.  Whitcomb, always the optimist, is expecting “our best weekend of the year.
    Those guys are prepared.”

    Newell describes the Rogla sprint course as tough, and long for the women.

    The rest of the team returned to where ever they call home.  Morgan Arritola and Liz Stephen, along with coaches /servicemen Vordenberg, Grover, Whitcomb, Gibbs and Hanson are now all state-side.

    Arritola and Grover both contracted colds during the long travel, but have some time to recover.

    “We were pscyched to have Sun Valley body-worker Brett Hanson on the trip with us.  He worked really hard for us on all fronts and kept the team healthy and recovered,” said Whitcomb.

    So Far So Good

    No matter what happens this weekend, the first phase of the World Cup has been a great success for the US.

    For Grover, the personal high point has been the fitness of all the US athletes.

    “The preparation that these athletes have had this season was very effective.  Almost every day of World Cup racing included at Top-7 finish by a US athlete.  This has not happened too often in the past.  It was very exciting to be a part of, and to be working daily on skis for these athletes.”

    And the most exciting moment?  Freeman’s 4th.  “We were all (coaches, servicemen, and athletes) watching the clock tick as he came roaring into the finish.  It was a spectacular performance.”

    Whitcomb seconded that, but ranked Randall’s sprint 7th just as high. “f you haven’t seen a U.S. skier fight for a podium in a World Cup, I
    recommend making it happen,” he said.

    Personally, he was excited to see Arritola and Stephen “fire their jets” and post career-best World Cup results in Davos.

    While many World Cup skiers took to the slopes on Monday (off-day), Newell took it easy.  With all the sickness going around, he rested and “kicked it on main street Davos.”

    Unfortunately he was not bored enough to orchestrate a video production, but warns that “boredom could strike at any time.”

    Vordenberg’s wife, Barb, headed the US cheering section in Davos with an American flag suspended from her avalanche probe over the race course.  “She brought good noise.”

    Silas Gill, a former athlete of Whitcomb’s at Burke took the train from Italy to support the US in the sprints.  “Fans are always great,” says Whitcomb.

    Now What…

    After Rogla, Newell meets US Ski Jumper and girlfriend Jessica Jerome in Muich.  The two will train and celebrate Christmas in Ramsau, Austria before Newell heads to the Tour de Ski.

    Grover is looking forward to the NorAm sprints in Canmore.  “These races should be the best indicator so far of who are potential candidates for the classic sprint at the Games, outside of Kikkan, Torin, and Andy.”

    Newell promised me a sweet FasterSkier tee-shirt for Christmas.  Too bad the store is down for repair.

  • North American World Cup Notes and Quotes

    North American World Cup Notes and Quotes

    Kris Freeman (USA) - exhausted after finsihing 7th in the 15km Freestyle - Davos World Cup
    Kris Freeman (USA) – exhausted after finsihing 7th in the 15km Freestyle – Davos World Cup

    Overall it was a successful day for the US and Canada in Davos.  Read the race reports for details onthe results:

    Men’s 15km Freestyle

    Women’s 10km Freestyle

    The top performance of the day belonged to Kris Freeman, finishing 7th.

    “It feels really good. I tried to ski like I did in Kuusamo. I just went out conservatively and was able to really take it in,” Freeman said. “I’d like to be able to take a little more, but I’m pretty happy with my fitness right now and it’s definitely fun to race like this.

    “I just need to get a little bit more before the Olympics, but I’ve got time.”

    Freeman’s result was his top mark in a World Cup skate race.

    “He is clearly in great form,” said USST Sprint Coach Chris Grover. “He is also skiing very smart – starting very controlled and building his pace from lap to lap.

    “This strategy takes a lot of confidence.  The past two weekends Bird has come through the first split station at me either in the 40s or 50s.  But he is picking up speed where most are loosing ground.”

    Young American distance skiers Morgan Arritola (34th) and Liz Stephen (40th) both skied well.  Both posted personal bests in FIS points and place at a European World Cup.

    “It was their best race of the year so far. It was a really good race for them to finish the first World Cup period with,” USST Head Coach Pete Vordenberg said. “It’s been a nice experience and having results that show progress for them is encouraging.”

    Added Grover, “I do think they were great results, and even so, I know that neither woman felt at the top of their form today.  I feel confident that both will see even better results at an international level this winter.”

    Grover attributed the strong performances by the to young women to excellent preparation over the last week and a half, as well as the fact both live and train at altitude.  Davos is the highest stop on the World Cup, and the first time Stephen and Arritola contested such an event at this level.  The two, along with Freeman and Lars Flora have been in Davos since Kuusamo races two weeks ago.

    “They’re definitely improving and this race shows that,” Vordenberg concluded.  “I am sure they’re going to have some good races coming up and the plan is to peak at the Olympics, so that’s where we should see our best results from everyone.”

    Kikkan Randall did not have a good race, finishing 65th.

    “Just an off day,” said Grover”  As you know, when you have an off day at this level, you end up on page 4 of the results, no matter who you are.”

    Read more from Kikkan here.

    Lars Flora finished the race in the mid-60s, but was disqualified for forgetting to get his skis marked.

    A good day...
    A good day…

    Devon Kershaw led the Canadian team today, finishing an excellent 9th.

    “We had such a good training week last week and Dave Wood did such a fantastic job of guiding us through our problems and getting our team’s focus back mentally on the job we have to do,” said Kershaw.

    “We had a strong day today and now we are so excited as a team to keep in touch with Canada’s Olympic Trials that start today back home, and find out who the first person that will be joining us in Vancouver-Whistler. We are very excited for that and wish them all luck.”

    With the exception of a strong sprint result by Chandra Crawford last week in Dusseldorf, the Canadians have been struggling – both on and off the trails, but today appears to have been a turning point.

    “I worked so incredibly hard for that today. I had to go all out and then some,” said an exhausted Kershaw. “I pushed really hard for it and I needed that really badly.”

    “I try not to focus on results, but it has been such a bad start with all kinds of things going on that I didn’t know what to expect,” added Kershaw. “I paid the price today, but that was a great race for me no matter what time of the year it is.”

    Ivan Babikov was the next Canadian finisher in 26th, despite battling illness. 

    George Grey, who posted a solid 28th had the following to say about the day and teammmate Babikov – “A little bit of World Cup redemption for Canada today. Tight race. Ivan is tougher than STEEL.”

    Added Kershaw on Twitter, also regarding Babikov, “Seriously, the effort and madness (Ivan raced CRAZY sick) that is that little Bulldog of a Babs is ridiculous…”

    Alex Harvey was 34th and Sara Renner 25th.

    Contributing Sources: USSA, CCC