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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: team canada

  • Steep Climbs to Olympic Dreams

    Steep Climbs to Olympic Dreams

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    Mattis Stenshagen (NOR) sealed the deal on Alpe Cermis becoming the only Norwegian man to secure an Olympic Team berth based on results from the Tour de Ski. (Photo: – Modica/NordicFocus)

    So, Norwegian Olympic selection continues to be a stressful and chaotic process for Team Norway. After eight exhausting days of Tour de Ski competition—and six grueling events—it seemed the only result that mattered to the committee selecting Norway’s Olympic Team was a win in the final stage atop the Alpe Cermis. Mattis Stenshagen won the hellacious climb, stuffing Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo and Harald Oestberg Amundsen firmly into the back seat, and storming onto the overall podium. Combined with his other podium performances this season, that seems finally to have made the difference. Stenshagen exits the Tour de Ski having finally qualified for his country’s Olympic Team. Like Stenshagen, Karoline Simpson-Larsen won the final stage of the Women’s Tour de Ski—the climb up Alpe Cermis—ahead of Jessie Diggins and Heidi Weng. At last, that performance has indicated to the committee selecting Norway’s Olympic Team that Simpson-Larsen is deserving of a spot.

    For the remaining Norwegian contenders—both women and men—the Tour de Ski didn’t work out the way most had hoped it would. The Tour offered a chance for contenders like Eva Ingebritsen, Nora Saness, Kristin Austgulen Fosnaes, and Ingrid Bergene Aabrekk to show what they can do. Likewise, the men’s field was stacked with numerous World Cup winners and Olympic and World Championship medalists:  Emil Iversen, Andreas Fjorden Ree, Lars Heggen, Simen Hegstad Krueger. None of them stood out enough to be offered Olympic berths. Simpson-Larsen and Stenshagen delivered wins atop the Alpe Cermis in the final stage of the Tour, but for all the others the Olympic Games remain a huge question mark.

    Already a winner on the World Cup circuit this season, it took a victory on Alpe Cermis to secure Karoline Simpson-Larsen a spot on the Norwegian Olympic Team. (Photo: Modica/NordicFocus)
    Team Norway

    Apparently, anything less than a victory on Alpe Cermis is simply not enough to impress the committee picking this team. As an example, Julie Bjervig Drivenes skied right alongside Heidi Weng in Toblach’s 20 k Pursuit. Weng is already named to the Olympic Team, and Driveness may eventually join her . . . but no such designation was announced after the conclusion of the Tour de Ski. Emil Iversen was third in the climb up Alpe Cermis; no announcements were made regarding his status, either. Early on, Team Norway suggested that their remaining Olympic Team positions would be selected based on results at the Tour, but only Simpson-Larsen and Stenshagen—winners of the climb up Alpe Cermis—heard their names called. That is truly a steep standard . . .

    So, here’s Team Norway so far:

    Men: Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Erik Valnes, Harald Oestberg Amundsen, Mattis Stenshagen, Einar Hedegart, Martin Lowestroem Nyenget. Two open spots remain, spots that will be filled by other Norwegians who are entirely capable of winning individual medals in Milano-Cortina. Klaebo could be defeated in the Classic Sprint . . . but no one with any sense would bet against him. Klaebo and Valnes seem likely to be gold medal favorites in the Team Sprint, and the Norwegians look like a solid favorite to win the Team Relay. Klaebo will be a favorite in all the other individual events, though his own teammates are likely to be his most serious rivals.

    Women: Heidi Weng, Kristine Stavaas Skistad, Karoline Simpson-Larsen, Astrid Oeyre Slind. Five more spots remain open, and it looks like those will be decided at Norwegian National Championships next week where all remaining contenders will miss World Cup races in Oberhof in order to participate in those Norwegian Championships. One thing’s for sure, qualifying for Norway’s Olympic Team is one of the sporting world’s toughest needles to thread. And it’s not out of the question that Norway makes an Olympic selection that favors skiers who stayed home from the Tour (like Lotta Udnes Weng).

    There are more notable Norwegian contenders to consider . . .

    Mathilde Myhrvold crashed out of the Tour de Ski with a dislocated shoulder. She may be done for the season, and her Olympic aspirations crushed. Maybe she heals up by Milano-Cortina, maybe not. In the absence of Myhrvold, there are no other Norwegian Sprinters likely to contend in Olympic Sprint events. And there really isn’t a way to form a Norwegian relay team that’s likely to challenge Team Sweden, though strange things have been known to happen in Olympic Team Relays.

    Emil Iversen has been reborn this season; he proved it yet again with his third place climb of the Alpe Cermis, and fourth place overall finish in the Tour. Unlike Stenshagen, Iversen’s Tour performance has been judged to be not good enough. Not yet, anyway.

    Sammy Smith dominated both Freestyle and Classic Sprints at recent US Nationals in Lake Placid. If those selecting remaining spots for the US Olympic Team were looking for consistency in racing performances, then Smith appears likely to be the obvious choice. (Photo : Nancie Battaglia)
    US Nationals

    The scheduling of the US Nationals makes it a logical qualifying competition for the Olympics. Oddly, this is a competition that doesn’t incorporate the same race formats as events in the upcoming Winter Games.

    Even though she spent the autumn season playing for the Stanford University soccer team (which finished a heartbreaking runner up in the NCAA championship), Sammy Smith was the one skier at US Nationals to really make an impression in Lake Placid. Smith won both the Freestyle Sprint and the Classic Sprint (technically, a SuperTour event) in commanding fashion, winning the Classic qualifier by a mile, and leading for nearly every meter of her heats and finals. Julia Kern may already have the spot wrapped up to join Jessie Diggins in the Milano-Cortina’s Team Sprint, but Smith looks like a solid bet to join the team in the Classic Sprint event.

    Other skiers delivered solid performances in both Sprint and Distance events, including Hailey Swirbul and Ava Thurston. If the selection committee is looking for future stars, those might be names we’ll continue hearing in the future.

    Early season Olympic Team contenders proved less of their arguments in Lake Placid, but remain possible candidates for Olympic selection.

    Alayna Sonnesyn went home early from the Tour de Ski (after a less-than-stellar showing in Stage 1) only to find herself earning only one podium placing at US Nationals—second behind Smith in the Freestyle Sprint—but that proved to be her high-water mark for the week of racing in Lake Placid. Sonnesyn would finish 10th in the 20 k, and 13th in the Classic Sprint.

    Leader in SuperTour standings prior to Lake Placid, Lauren Jortberg declined her invitation to the Tour de Ski, opting to take her chances at US Nationals—stress minimized, far less money spent, far greater chance of success (making the Olympic team). She finished fifth in the Freestyle Sprint, 37th in the 10 k Classic Interval Start, DNS in the 20 k, and fourth in the Classic Sprint. It remains to be seen if those results will prove sufficient to claim a spot on the Olympic roster.

    Luci Anderson had flirted with idea of qualifying for the cross-country events in Milano-Cortina, but she departed Italy after Stage 1 of the Tour de Ski and traveled to the venue where US Biathlon was holding time trials to consider Olympic Team candidates. Anderson’s performance in those time trials earned her a spot on the team, followed by a top 20 placing in a subsequent IBU cup race.

    With spots already having been earned (or reserved) for Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, and Rosie Brennan, Team USA still has the opportunity to select five more members of the women’s Olympic roster. Team coaches have suggested that little (if any) coaches’ discretion will be utilized in the process, though the question of Sophia Laukli’s status continues to linger.

    The sole Canadian skier in World Cup Period 1, Katherine Stewart-Jones had already earned her Olympic berth for Milano-Cortina based on her fine finishes in 2025. (Photo:  Modica/NordicFocus)
    Canada’s Olympic Selections

    The only Canadian skier—man or woman—racing in World Cup Period 1 was Katharine Stewart-Jones who earned her Olympic Team nomination through multiple top-10 World Cup finishes during the 2024-25 season. She’s waged a great World Cup campaign thus far, and her confirmation on Canada’s Olympic Team comes as no surprise. The rest of her teammates raced it out at home, hoping to earn spots of their own. Just prior to the start of the Tour de Ski, it was announced that Canada’s Olympic Team had been named. The following is the roster of the Canadian Olympic Team: Antoine Cyr , Xavier McKeever, Rémi Drolet , Max Hollmann , Tom Stephen, Jasmine Drolet, Liliane Gagnon, Alison Mackie , Sonjaa Schmidt , Amelia Wells, and Katherine Stewart-Jones.

    Sweden in the Catbird Seat

    Team Sweden would seem to suffer no drama, nor intrigue, nor surprises in the selection of skiers to fill its Olympic roster, especially on the Women’s side: Jonna Sundling, Maia Dahlqvist, Frida Karlsson, Ebba Andersson, Moa Ilar, Moa Lundgren, Linn Svahn, Emma Ribom, Johanna Hagstroem. It wouldn’t be difficult to pick that team. Deciding who among them will populate the Team Relay could become another story, entirely. One way or another, Team Sweden will provide contenders for the top step of the Olympic podium in every Women’s Cross-Country event in Milano-Cortina. I, for one, can’t hum the tune of the Swedish national anthem. After Milano-Cortina, I expect it will be a far more familiar tune . . .

     

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  • Working Out with Perianne Jones

    Working Out with Perianne Jones

    Note: This is the first of a new series about working out with high-performance athletes. The idea is to shed light on the daily routine of someone dedicated to training and share a regular Joe’s story of trying to keep up. 

    ALMONTE, Ontario — Upon my early arrival in Almonte, I decided to explore the hometown of Canadian Cross Country Ski Team member Perianne Jones.

    A few lefthand turns and I had completed the grand tour of the town about 50 kilometers outside of Ottawa. Apparently, the man who invented basketball, James Naismith, grew up there, and I was a week late for the town’s celebrated puppet parade. With a population of about 4,500, Almonte had a lot going on.

    Well, not a ton, but enough.

    With 25 minutes to spare before meeting Jones, I chose to conserve my energy for the day’s events – a double workout with the 2010 Olympian – and drove straight to her home.

    Perianne Jones of the Canadian Cross Country Ski Team sips water at a turnaround point while rollerskiing near her hometown of Almonte, Ontario, on August 15.

    In front of her family’s log cabin at the end of the street, I found the 26-year-old dressed and ready to go. With muscles bulging as she moved broken tree limbs aside, I knew she was the person I was looking for.

    I wheeled around to park and Jones waved. I guess I met her expectations, too. She invited me into her home, and by 10 a.m. sharp, without any obvious concern for promptness, we were out on the road.

    A member of Canada’s Senior World Cup Team, Jones started her classic rollerski with a smooth kick double pole up a gradual climb to the main road. With a sense of what was coming, I ambled along on my road bike.

    We chatted throughout the nearly 13-mile workout while Jones and a friend of mine rollerskied at a pace I gauged as moderate. In reality, the 1-½ hour session was part of Jones’ recovery: a 10-day vacation from training full time.

    I had caught her in a rare appearance back home. Aside from living in Canmore, Alberta, for the last eight years, she had spent much of the summer skiing on glaciers and training as far west as Hawaii.

    After several weeks of intense high-altitude work – first in Maui at 10,000 feet with the Canadian national team and then on Alaska’s Eagle Glacier with about 20 women – Jones flew to Ontario. For almost a week, she stayed at a friends’ lake cabin west of Ottawa, mostly reading and resting up.

    “When I was at the cottage, I was sleeping 11 or 12 hours a night,” she said. “So it was pretty good for my recovery.”

    The night before we met in Almonte, she said she hadn’t slept much. Too much garlic at a local garlic festival the day before was likely to blame, she joked.

    “I feel like I’m ready to get back into normal training,” she said during lunch at an Almonte café. “Maybe it wasn’t the garlic. Maybe it was that I haven’t trained in a long time – like seriously – so that’s why I wasn’t sleeping. You just get kind of antsy and want to get back into it.”

    Back home rollerskiing on relatively flat country roads, she didn’t seem too bored. A group of women and children near her high school provided some distraction, stopping to watch as she passed by.

    Rollerskiing wasn’t overly common in Almonte, Jones explained. But it was evident they were more interested in her than the rollers.

    Just across the town line into Blakeney, an assortment of emus and goats stood attentively near the side of the road. Even they couldn’t take their eyes off Jones.

    On the way back, we took a water break in front of the farm.  I stood a street’s width away from the fence-pecking birds while Jones got up close. Not a way I’d want to lose a finger, I thought, but she wasn’t worried.

    Perianne Jones checks out a farm scene of goats and emus during a morning rollerski in Blakeney, Ontario, on Aug. 15.

    The 5-foot-7 ½ Jones wasn’t easily intimidated. When she joined the Canadian national team in Canmore in 2003, she couldn’t do a pull-up. Hours after our morning workout, she proved she overcame that.

    Shortly before 4 p.m., Jones found a couple of commuter bikes in her yard and suggested we ride to her hometown gym. As she led the way, I noted our speed during the mostly uphill ride – 15.5 miles per hour – and she was on a one-speed bike.

    Why would I expect anything different? A few miles away at Almonte Fitness Centre, Jones quietly entered the no-frills gym and moved toward a back room. There, she warmed up with plyometrics and hurdle jumps, and I mimicked her moves for the experience.

    In the mirror, she looked like a track star. I looked like a lumbering fool.

    Ten minutes later, we moved to the main floor where a few muscular men took little note of us. It didn’t matter that Jones was doing hang cleans and stepping up on a teetering box with 135 pounds on her back; I had to help her get it up there.

    I asked if she had others spot her when she was alone. Not unless other women were there, she replied. The day I was there, the only other female in the room stole the cable machine Jones was using.

    Elsewhere, Jones said she received plenty of attention. Her local ski club, Nakkertok, welcomed her annual appearances. But in the male-dominated gym, her chin-ups with 45 extra pounds drew few looks.

    That was the exercise she was most proud of.

    “When I moved out to Canmore, we used to have the strength test where we did a minute of everything, and I’d get to the chin-up part and I’d just hang there,” she said. “It was impossible.”

    She and teammate Amanda Ammar resolved to complete the test, so they integrated pull-ups into their daily routine.

    “We’d go for a run and hit up the chin-up bar,” Jones said. “We started by just going down and eventually we got a lot better. It’s pretty fun.”

    Once she could lift herself, she hung additional weight from a chain around her waist. She finished each heavier set with a quick, aggressive chin-up – the exclamation point on her achievement.

    Initially a runner who began lifting later on, Jones said she enjoyed strength training. Her best performances came in Canmore with her strength coach and the teammates she trained with most: Chandra Crawford, Devon Kershaw and Ivan Babikov.

    “I’m glad I’m not in the gym more than two days a week, but it’s nice,” she said. “It’s always fun doing strength because you can see your improvements. … Whether or not that makes you a better skier I don’t know, … (but) it’s always encouraging.”

    Perianne Jones adds weight before doing chin-ups at Almonte Fitness Centre in Almonte, Ontario, on Aug. 15.

    Clearly, all her pull-ups, tricep cable thrusts and core work paid off. Last winter, the sprinter won several Nor-Am Cup golds and finished sixth in the World Championships team sprint with teammate Dasha Gaiazova. At the 2010 Olympics, Jones was 41st in the classic sprint and helped Canada’s 4 x 5 k relay place 15th.

    This year, she’s gearing up for the World Cup, including some opening races Nov. 19-20 in Norway and a classic sprint in Finland the following weekend.

    With a little less volume and some more intensity in her personalized regimen, Jones said she felt well rested. In Canmore, she would continue rollerskiing most days, run about four days a week, and hike and mountain bike when she could.

    On Aug. 28, she planned to run her once-a-year road race at the Calgary Women’s 5 k.

    “We’re pretty lucky as skiers because we can do so much for training,” Jones said, reflecting on her hula-hooping phase that helped pass time between races.

    “We have so many options,” she added. “If you were a swimmer, every day is in the pool, then I would probably be cranky.”