Tag: World Championships rookie

World Champs Rookies: 10 Questions with Rosie Brennan

Rosie Brennan racing to 33rd overall in Saturday’s World Cup classic sprint Östersund, Sweden. She placed 32nd in Sunday’s 10-kilometer freestyle individual start. (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)

We can’t imagine anything much more exciting than making an event like World Championships for the first time, so we contacted the North American skiers living that exact dream this year. The U.S. Ski Team announced its 16-strong senior World Championships team on Jan. 26, and Cross Country Canada selected nine to its squad. Last Tuesday, the U.S. added Ben Saxton as its 17th member.

Instead of interrogating them with the usual “tell us how you’re feeling,” we decided to pose the following 10 questions to each of the North Americans headed to their first World Championships from Feb. 18-March 1 in Falun, Sweden.

***

Rosie Brennan, a 26-year-old Park City native who skis for Alaska Pacific University, has been unstoppable in the 2015 season. Described by USST Head Coach Chris Grover as “the number one athlete in the U.S. to beat,” Brennan has dominated the domestic circuit, taking the period one SuperTour leader bib and winning three of four races at the 2015 U.S. Cross Country Championships. In January she achieved her best World Cup results in Rybinsk, Russia where she earned 13th in the 10 k skate and 20th in the 15 k skiathlon. Most recently, she placed 33rd and 32nd in the Östersund World Cup classic sprint and 10 k freestyle.

Rosie Brennan (APU) celebrates her definitive win in the women’s 1.5 k classic sprint on at the 2015 U.S. Cross Country Championships in Houghton, Mich., where she notched her third national title. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)

1. What was the first thing you did when you found out you were named to the World Championships team?

“Well I was not supposed to tell anyone, but my roommate, Sadie [Bjornsen], had assumed what my meeting was about so of course, I walked in smiling, and she started screaming so we cracked a beer, made a toast, and sent a picture to Flora.”

2. What’s been the biggest performance of your career so far? What one race stands out the most and why?

“I think the first time I won Junior Nationals was the event that effected my future career the most. Of course I’m faster now and probably look a little better skiing and have won some much bigger races, but that race showed me that anything was possible. I had only been skiing a few years, didn’t know anyone outside of Intermountain, didn’t know what other girls were fast, but just really wanted to be a skier and had put in a lot of work to catch up to my peers. I just went out on a mission and won as a result, completely shocking myself and probably most people, but from then on knew that hard work was effective and I could do anything if I worked hard enough.”

3. What are you most looking forward to at World Championships?

“I’m looking forward to have my mom and brother there with me!”

4. What’s your biggest motivation while racing?

“I am most motivated by wanting to show that my hard work was worth it, that I did everything I could to go as fast as I could.”

5. Which race(s) do you hope or plan to compete in?

“I do not know which races I will be racing in. I don’t like specializing however, so I would gladly race any of them!”

6. If you could race the team sprint with anyone in the world, who would it be?

“Sadie Bjornsen. She has been a close friend and training buddy since my first World Juniors in 2007. We train really well together, have a ton of fun, and she is always an inspiration to me. I hope someday we will race a team sprint together!”

APU Coach Erik Flora runs to grab a new pole for Rosie Brennan after she broke her pole and was given an oversized one in the women’s 10 k freestyle at the 2015 Cross Country Championships in Houghton, Michigan

7. Which world cup skier would you least like to meet in a dark alley (or the final 100 meters of a race)?

“Probably someone from a small, tropical country because it probably means I just had a bad race.”

8. What will be your key to success in Falun?

“Getting in the right mindset and believing in myself.”

9. Finish this sentence: If I made the podium at World Champs __________.

“I would cry for sure.”

10. Name a person who’s had a major influence on your skiing career.

“Erik Flora. I showed up to APU a little beat up and got a little more beat up my first summer, but his positivity kept me believing and kept me coming back. When my father passed away this summer, I didn’t even know if I would keep racing, but here I am headed to World Champs. Erik picked up my pieces and never once talked about racing or the season, but somehow kept me going, reminding me of the daily accomplishments, believing anything was possible, and helping me work through everything I was facing. I have no doubt that I would not be here if Erik was not my coach.”

February 16, 2015
World Champs Rookies: 10 Questions with Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt

Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (Rocky Mountain Racers) at U23 World Championships last week in Almaty, Kazakhstan. There, the 22-year-old Bouffard-Nesbitt posted the best result of her career: 12th in the 15 k skiathlon. (Photo: Raphaël Couturier)

We can’t imagine anything much more exciting than making an event like World Championships for the first time, so we contacted the North American skiers living that exact dream this year. The U.S. Ski Team announced its 16-strong senior World Championships team on Jan. 26, and Cross Country Canada selected nine to its squad on Monday. On Tuesday, the U.S. added Ben Saxton as its 17th member.

Instead of interrogating them with the usual “tell us how you’re feeling,” we decided to pose the following 10 questions to each of the North Americans headed to their first World Championships from Feb. 18-March 1 in Falun, Sweden.

***

Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt, 22, has never been to the World Cup, and she doesn’t belong to a Canadian national training centre, either. Yet next week, she’ll be one of Canada’s select few racing at her first World Championships in Falun.

How did that happen? Bouffard-Nesbitt, who trains with Rocky Mountain Racers in Canmore, Alberta, placed 12th when it counted — last Saturday in the 15 k skiathlon, the last race of U23 World Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Two days later on Monday night, she arrived in Östersund, Sweden, to meet the rest of the Canadian World Cup team. This Saturday, one week after her breakthrough race, she plans to race the classic sprint in her first World Cup.

“I’m feeling pretty run down so I’ve mostly been resting, trying to get my energy back,” Bouffard-Nesbitt explained in an email. “As my first-ever World Cup, my only goals are to enjoy it, to absolutely make the most out of it, and learn!”

Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt and Rocky Mountain Racers teammate Maya MacIsaac-Jones enjoy a nice outing on their first day in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where both raced at U23 and Junior World Championships, respectively. (Photo: Annah Hanthorn)

1. What was the first thing you did when you found out you were named to the World Championships team?

“I was up the night after the skiathlon and everyone had gone to bed, but our team leader told me to stay up to wait for an email that would be coming from our HP director. When the email appeared in my inbox, my heart raced and I couldn’t stop grinning, and then I just collapsed into bed, not to say that I actually slept though. How could I fall asleep after getting news like that!”

2. What’s been the biggest performance of your career so far? Which race stands out the most and why?

“Without the question the last race I did, twelfth place in the skiathlon at Worlds in Kazakhstan! Every one of the three races from Worlds this year are memorable for me. They were all great races, and after each one of them I was never able to contain my excitement. After I found out I was 17th in the 10k skate, I just jumped and hugged whoever was in the room with me at the time. A coach told me shortly after that had I not fallen I would have been top fifteen. All I could say was ‘I should probably be disappointed, but I don’t even care because I just came 17th!’ That was an unprecedented result for me!”

3. What are you most looking forward to at World Championships?

“Everything! It’s World Champs! It’s a huge dream realized. I honestly can’t pick out one thing, I’m just stoked for the experience!”

4. Whats your biggest motivation while racing?

I don’t want to have any regrets at the end of a competition, so I always tell myself to not leave anything out on the course. As my friend Sophie [Carrier-Laforte] would say: ‘Donne ta vie!’ [literally, ’Give your life!’]”

A happy Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (Rocky Mountain Racers) at U23 World Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan. (Photo: Timo Puiras)

5. Which race(s) do you hope or plan to compete in?

“We will make decisions closer to the event about what races I will do, but right now I’m looking at the sprint and the 10k skate.”

6. If you could race the team sprint with anyone in the world, who would it be?

“Another Canadian. Anyone who I’ve trained with and shared the journey with.”

7. Which World Cup skier would you least want to meet in a dark alley (or in the last 100 meters of a race)?

“Hmmm probably Petukhov, but I’m sure he’s just misunderstood.”

8. What will be your key to success in Falun?

“I’m going to continue to focus on process over outcome, and I’m just going to try to do everything in my power to have the best possible races. I don’t have any loft expectations, so I’m really looking forward to just gaining some experience!”

9. Finish this sentence: If I made the podium at World Champs, I would …

“Get really funky and dance my way up to the podium and wouldn’t stop until we shut the after-party down!”

10. Name someone who’s had a major influence on your skiing career.

“Les Parsons. He helped me develop so much as a younger athlete and taught me everything I know about the mental aspects of racing and being an athlete. I owe him a lot and I am totally motivated by the time he’s selflessly invested in me and others.”

See also: Jess Cockney | Kyle Bratrud

February 12, 2015
World Champs Rookies: 10 Questions with Jess Cockney

Jesse Cockney (Canadian National Development B-team/Alberta World Cup Academy) during the World Cup freestyle sprint qualifier on Dec. 21 in Davos, Switzerland. Cockney qualified 23rd and finished 29th overall. (Photo: CCC/Twitter)

We can’t imagine anything much more exciting than making an event like World Championships for the first time, so we contacted the North American skiers living that exact dream this year. The U.S. Ski Team announced its 16-strong senior World Championships team on Jan. 26, and Cross Country Canada selected nine to its squad on Monday. On Tuesday, the U.S. added Ben Saxton as its 17th member.

Instead of interrogating them with the usual “tell us how you’re feeling,” we decided to pose the following 10 questions to each of the North Americans headed to their first World Championships from Feb. 18-March 1 in Falun, Sweden.

Jess Cockney, 25, is no stranger to big-time international racing. The son of Canada Winter Games multiple gold medalist, Angus Cockney, he competed in three events at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, last season. In all, the Canadian National Development B-Team and Alberta World Cup Academy skier (originally from Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories) has accumulated more than two dozen World Cup starts, with a best result of ninth in the freestyle sprint at home in 2012 in Canmore, Alberta.

“Looking forward to getting after it again after the long time off from racing,” Cockney wrote in an email on Tuesday.

He spent the last week in Meråker, Norway, east of Trondheim, at Canadian World Cup coach Tor-Arne Hetland’s cabin with World Cup teammates Devon Kershaw and Lenny Valjas. Before that, Cockney explained they were in Livigno, Italy, with Graeme Killick and Alex Harvey following the last World Cup in Rybinsk, Russia.

Jess Cockney on his mom’s front step with her truck behind him this past summer in Canmore, Alberta. (Courtesy photo)

1. What was the first thing you did when you found out you were named to the World Championships team?

“I got back to work trying to find my speed again!”

2. What’s been the biggest result of your career so far? What one race stands out the most and why?

“Definitely my 9th place in the Canmore World Cup sprint a couple years ago. That was a crazy day and hopefully I can scratch the shape again soon.”

3. What are you most looking forward to at World Championships?

“I’m psyched to be back together with the whole team, it’s a wicked group and I love having them to share all these experiences with.”

4. What’s your biggest motivation while racing?

“My biggest motivation is to be the best that I can be on that day and make sure the work in the summer wasn’t wasted.”

Jess Cockney placed 61st in the men’s 1.5 k classic sprint qualifier on Jan. 17 in Otepää, Estonia. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)

5. Which race(s) do you hope or plan to compete in?

“I’ll race the classic sprint for sure and see how things are after that.”

6. If you could race the team sprint with anyone in the world, who would it be?

“Anyone from Foothills Nordic!”

7. Which World Cup skier would you least want to meet in a dark alley (or in the last 100 meters of a race)?

“Canmore had some rough streets growing up, I ain’t scared a no nordies.”

8. What will be your key to success in Falun?

“I’ve had trouble being mentally ready for the speed you gotta ski to make it in for top 30 so I really have to be in the moment and make things simple on race day.”

9. Finish this sentence: If I made the podium at World Champs, I would … :

“Dance in the finish until they take down the stadium for nighttime grooming, and probably keep dancing around the groomer.”

10. Name one person who’s had a major influence on your skiing career:

“Gord Jewett. Gord and I were teammates on the [Alberta World Cup Academy] for two years and it was huge for me to see how an athlete like him lived his day to day. Being around an older dog when I was a puppy I had my fair share of times when I got barked at and that definitely helped me take training seriously and be a pro at workouts.”

February 11, 2015