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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: Siri Wigger

  • Mass Start day at World Juniors: Remi Drolet 4th, Schumacher 5th…Laukli 5th, McCabe 9th (Includes Audio Interview with USST Coach Bernie Nelson)

    Mass Start day at World Juniors: Remi Drolet 4th, Schumacher 5th…Laukli 5th, McCabe 9th (Includes Audio Interview with USST Coach Bernie Nelson)

    Helen Marie Fossesholm of Norway taking the junior women’s 15 k mass start skate. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

    Wednesday in Oberwiesenthal, Germany World Juniors continued with a 15 k mass start skate for the women. 

    Junior Women’s  15 k Mass Start Skate

    Norway’s Helene Marie Fossesholm (18) won her second race of these championships by taking the mass start skate in 35:55.6 minutes. Fossesholm also won the 5 k interval start classic race on Monday. Poland’s Izabela Marcisz placed second 1:09.3 back. Marcisz also won a bronze in the 5 k classic. Switzerland’s Siri Wigger skied herself into third (+1:10.6). The theme continues, this was Wigger’s second 2020 championship medal, after placing third in the skate sprint. 

    Sophia Laukli (bib 56) skied to 5th overall in the junior women’s 15 k mass start skate. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

    Starting in bib 56, layered well back at the start, was Sophia Laukli (Middlebury) for the U.S. Laukli (19), in her first Junior Worlds, moved up in the pack to place fifth overall (+1:26.5). 

    Novie McCabe (MVNST) skied to ninth (+1:33.0) for her best individual Junior World’s result. Mccabe placed 10th in last year’s championship 15 k classic in lahti, Finland. Kendall Kramer (Fairbanks Nordic) was 24th (+2:54.5), and Sydney Palmer-Leger (SVSEF) did not finish. 

    Novie McCabe on her way to 9th overall in the 15 k mass start skate. (Doug Stephen)

    Interview with U.S. Ski Team Coach Bernie Nelson

    Liliane Gagnon (Skibec Nordique) was the top finisher for Canada in 34th (+3:38.2). Jasmine Drolet (Blackjack Nordic Club) followed close behind in 36th (+3:39.0). Benita Peiffer (Whistler Nordic) placed 49th (+4:43.2), and Elizabeth Elliott (Revelstoke Nordic) skied to 51st (+4:39.1).

    From left to right: Canada’s Jasmine Drolet, Elizabeth Elliott, Benita Peiffer, and Liliane Gagnon. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

    Junior Women’s Results 

     

    Junior Men’s 30 k Mass Start Skate

    The junior men raced a 30 k mass start skate Wednesday with Norway’s Iver Tildhelm Andersen winning in a time of 1:13:39.0. Anderson medlaed in last year’s Junior World’s, placing third in the 10 k skate.

    Second place went to Germany’s Friedrich Moch who crossed the line 9.4 seconds back. Moch also placed second in Monday’s 10 k classic. Third place went to Martin Kirkeberg Mørk of Norway, who was 32.8 seconds off the winning pace. 

    Remi Drolet of Canada skiing to 4th overall at the Junior World’s 30 k mass start skate. (Photo: Dough Stephen)

    Scrolling not so far down on the results sheet to places fourth and fifth, respectively, added some excitement for North America; Remi Drolet (Black Jack Nordic) of Canada placed fourth overall (+43.2), and Gus Schumacher (AWS) of the U.S. fifth (+56.1). For Drolet, this was a Junior World’s career best result – he placed seventh in last year’s Junior World’s 30 k mass start skate. 

    At 25 k Wednesday, Drolet was positioned sixth overall, 19.4 seconds back on the then leading Moch. He was in a group with Mørk, and Italy’s Davide Graz. Roughly four seconds ahead was Schmacher as their carrot. By 28.8 k, Schumacher had faded slightly, as Drolet moved into fourth.

    Schumacher won Monday’s 10 k classic, and with Wednesday’s fifth, nearly matches his fourth place in the 2019 Junior World’s 30 k mass start classic.      

    Gus Schumacher (bib 1), leading the 30 k mass start skate at the 2020 Junior Worlds. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

    Thomas Stephen (Foothills Nordic) of Canada, placed 17th (+3:35.8), Xavier McKeever (Foothills Nordic) 32nd (+5:43.3), and Michael Murdoch (Whistler Nordic) 45th (+8:23.5). 

    For the U.S., Luke Jager placed 19th (+3:46.1), Johnny Hagenbuch (SVSEF) 20th (+3:49.2), and Zanden McMullen (APU) 35th (+6:03.3). 

    Luke Jager (bib 13) and Johnny Hagenbuch (bib 7), during the junior men’s 30 k mass start skate. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

     

    Thomas Stephen skiing to 17th overall in the Junior World’s 30 k mass start skate. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

    These events conclude individual racing for the juniors at these World Championships. 

    Junior Men’s Results

     

  • World Juniors: 1.2 k Skate Sprint with Three North Americans in top-30, Sweden with the Win (Updated)

    World Juniors: 1.2 k Skate Sprint with Three North Americans in top-30, Sweden with the Win (Updated)

    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.   

    Junior Women’s Qualification | Junior Women’s Results | Junior Women’s Brackets

     

    Canada’s Elizabeth Elliott, during her World Junior’s quarterfinal. She placed 23rd overall. (Photo: Doug Stephen)

     

    Benita Peiffer of Canada, during the World Junior’s skate sprint. Peiffer placed 25th overall. (Photo: Doug Stephen)