U.S. Ski Team News - Cross Country

Randall Second at Holmenkollen

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

OSLO, Norway (March 14) - Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) showed the world her skills Sunday, taking second in freestyle sprint at Holmenkollen to mark the third podium of her career.

"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," Randall said. "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."

The day was a special treat for Randall. The World Championship silver medalist is a sprint favorite, but had not skied in the discipline for some time and was happy to get back to sprinting.

"I'm so excited. I really like skate sprints because I feel like I can use everything that I have," Randall said. "It had been since December since I've been able to do a World Cup skate sprint and it was great to get out there and feel good."

The day was a hard fought one for Randall, who fought through tiring qualification heats to get to the finals.

"The qualifying round was pretty darn hard because the course doesn't have a lot of rest built in. You have to be working the whole time. That was the first hard part," Randall said.

Next up, Randall had to make it through the finals, and she had the right strategy both for herself and to defeat the course in Oslo.

"In the heats I felt the good strategy was to get out front because there's not a lot of great places to pass. I took the lead in the quarterfinals and that seemed to work pretty well," Randall said. "In the final I got into second up and over the first hill. That was a good position to be in. I got tangled up with someone up the next climb and it was a little bit of a scary moment but I had a lot of good moments so I didn't lose anything."

Randall made it through to the final heat of five racers and it got intense when she took the lead coming into the finish.

"I continued to stay in second and when we came back into the stadium I skated really hard and had a lead going up the final big uphill and that strategy worked really well," Randall said. "The finish stretch is really exciting because it's got a big downhill coming in and the finish line comes pretty quick so you've really got to be on it."

But, in the final stretch, Randall was overtaken by winner Marit Bjoergen of Norway to land second on the podium.

The day brought even more excitement to Randall as she was able to move on and compete in World Cup Finals.

"Going into today, I really wanted to be able to race in the World Cup finals next week, but I was sitting just outside the top 50. I needed a good result in order to get enough points to qualify for those races, so it feels good to have done that," Randall said. "I just want to race a lot, give it all I have and finish out the season strong."

In the men's sprint, Andy Newell (Shaftsburry, VT) led the way for the U.S., finishing 10th.

"It was an amazing team effort from the waxers, the coaches and the athletes. We worked really well together here in Olso," U.S. Cross Country Head Coach Peter Vordenberg said. "We made really good skis and carried out a good plan together and gave the athletes every opportunity to show what they had, and what they had was really good."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 CROSS COUNTRY WORLD CUP
Oslo, Norway - March 14, 2010
Freestyle Sprint

Men
1. Anders Gloeersen, Norway
2. Alexey Petukhov, Russia
3. Marcus Hellner, Sweden
4. Nikolay Morilov, Russia
5. Eirik Brandsdal, Norway
-
10. Andy Newell, Shaftsburry, VT
34. Simeon Hamilton, Aspen, CO
66. Mike Hinckley, Anchorage
73. Brian Gregg, Winthrop, WA

Women
1. Marit Bjoergen, Norway
2. Kikkan Randall, Anchorage
3. Natalia Korosteleva, Russia
4. Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland
5. Hanna Falk, Sweden
-
61. Caitlin Compton, Minneapolis, MN
# # #

Norway's Women Sweep XC

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

OSLO, Norway (March 13) - With only two more stops on the World Cup before season's end, Morgan Arritola (Ketchum, ID) took the lead for the U.S., finishing 31st during the women's 30K mass start in Norway on Saturday. It was a joyous day for Norway, with Petter Northug taking the men's 50K and Marit Bjoergen leading a Norway podium sweep at the Holmenkollen Ski Festival, the Super Bowl of the sport of cross country ski racing.

Arritola, who was just outside the points bubble, was followed for the U.S. by Caitlin Compton (Minneapolis, MN) who was 51st and Liz Stephen (East Montpelier, VT) in 52nd.

As a special treat for all their countrymen who came to support them in Oslo's Holmenkollen Ski Stadium, the site of next year's World Championships, Bjoergen won with Kristin Stoermer Steira second and Therese Johaug third. Northug was followed by Italy's Pietro Piller Cottrer in second and Vincent Vittoz of France third.

In the men's 50K, Brian Gregg (Winthrop, WA) led the way for U.S. men, finishing 39th to mark his best World Cup result to date. James Southam (Anchorage) followed for the U.S. in 42nd and Mike Hinckley (Anchorage) marked his best long-distance result in 43rd.

The Holmenkollen World Cup in Norway continues Sunday with men's and women's freestyle sprints, before heading to Sweden for races in Stockholm and Falun.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 CROS COUNTRY WORLD CUP
Olso, Norway - March 13, 2010

Men's 50k
1. Petter Northug, Norway, 2:09:18.5
2. Pietro Piller Cottrer, Italy, 2:09:21.4
3. Vincent Vittoz, France, 2:09:51.2
4. Anders Soedergren, Sweden, 2:10:15.9
5. Johan Olsson, Sweden, 2:10:24.5
-
39. Brian Gregg, Winthrop, WA, 2:20:59.8
42. James Southam, Anchorage, 2:23:29.9
43. Mike Hinckley, Anchorage, 2:23:36.6

Women's 30K
1. Marit Bjoergen, Norway, 1:24:10.8
2. Kristin Stoermer Steira, Norway, 1:24:12.0
3. Therese Johaug, Norway, 1:24:18.8
4. Charlotte Kalla, Sweden, 1:25:00.2
5. Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle, Germany, 1:25:37.3
-
31. Morgan Arritola, Ketchum, ID, 1:29:45.1
51. Caitlin Compton, Minneapolis, MN, 1:35:13.8
52. Liz Stephen, East Montpelier, VT, 1:35:33.9
# # #

Newell on Classic Sprint Podium

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

DRAMMEN, Norway (March 11) - Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, VT) sprinted to his first World Cup podium in two years, finishing third in a classic sprint Thursday in front of thousands on the streets of Drammen, Norway.

"To have that kind of energy and get up there on the podium for the first time ever in a classic race was pretty sweet," Newell said. "I'm really psyched. It's been way too long. It's taken me two years, so this feels good."

Newell qualified 11th and worked his way through the sprints on a rugged course with snow packed onto the streets of Drammen. He worked his lines carefully through the heats, narrowly avoiding disaster in the quarterfinals, before finishing second in the semis to make the final round of six.

"It's a really scrappy race and the snow is always kind of soft. There's not really any other race like it," Newell said. "It's super scrappy on some of the corners. I was taking some tight lines. In the quarterfinal I got tangled up with a guy in the downhill and ended up cruising down it on one ski. I was lucky enough to not crash in there."

It was Newell's first classic podium, after a pair of top threes in skating sprints the most recent two years ago. It was also a bit of redemption after a disappointing Olympics.

"I was really bummed to have not been able to do this during the Olympics, so I was kind of out for revenge today," Newell said. "I was disappointed with the sprint at the Olympics because I had been feeling great all of February. My fitness was really good and to crash out was pretty frustrating.

"I was disappointed and I'm sure the rest of the ski fans in the U.S. were disappointed, so it was good to show people that we have the potential to be on the podium."

According to Newell, the race was hard fought, and until he crossed the finish line, he was unaware of how he had done.

"It's always a really tough race because the times are always really close. Out of any World Cup, it's one of the toughest fields," Newell said. "I was so psyched when I crossed the finish line. When you're racing like that you're so in the zone that you almost don't realize that you're in a podium position. When I crossed the finish line it was such a relief to be up there with some of those great skiers."

Adding to the excitement of the day for Newell was being able to race in front of such a large crowd in the race that took place on the city streets.

"It's such a cool course because there's 70,000 people out there or something like that," Newell said.

Now, Newell's focus shifts to the upcoming races where he says he hopes he will be able to finish out the season strong.

"The focus for me is on the next two sprints. We're going to race again on Sunday so it's a pretty quick turnaround. But it's my favorite time of year because you're not doing any training, you're just racing and that's what it's all about," Newell said. "I'll hopefully finish out the season strong and do the best that I can in the season's sprint World Cup standings. That's my goal."

The cross country team races again in Norway on Saturday for the prestigious Holmenkollen Ski Festival with a men's 50K and women's 30K mass start.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 Viewsmann FIS Cross Country World Cup
Drammen, Finland – March 11, 2010
Classic Sprint

Men
1. Emil Joensson, Sweden
2. Petter Northug, Norway
3. Andy Newell, Shaftsbury, VT
4. Eirik Brandsdal, Norway
5. Yuichi Onda, Japan
-
53. Simi Hamilton, Aspen, CO
65. Brian Gregg

Women
1. Marit Bjoergen, Norway
2. Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Finland
3. Pirjo Muranen, Finland
4. Magdalena Pajala, Sweden
5. Karianne Bjellaanes, Norway
-
34. Kikkan Randall, Anchorage
###

TD Bank XC JOs Commence

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

PRESQUE ISLE, ME (Mar. 8) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association 's (USSA) TD Bank Cross Country Junior Olympics opened on Monday, March 8 at Presque Isle, beginning with the men's and women's sprint. The best junior cross country athletes from USSA clubs across the country will ski hard in hopes of winning Junior Olympic gold.

The TD Bank Junior Olympics are the highest level championships for junior cross country nationwide with athletes qualifying at the divisional and regional level to earn spots.

The TD Cross Country Junior Olympics will continue through March 13 with four events, ending a season filled of stamina and drive from USSA athletes.

TD BANK CROSS COUNTRY JUNIOR OLYMPICS
Presque Isle, ME

March 8
Men's and women's classic sprint

March 10
Men's and women's classic (5K, 10K, 15K)

March 12
Men's and women's freestyle interval start (5K, 10K)

March 13
Men's and women's freestyle 3x relay (3K, 5K)

Randall Leads U.S. in Finland

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

LAHTI, Finland (March 6) - World Championship silver medalist Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) got back into the World Cup season Saturday, leading the U.S. in 24th during the women's 15K and men's 30K pursuits in Finland.

The women's race was won by Marit Bjoergen of Norway, followed by Poland's Justyna Kowalczyk in second and Therese Johaug of Norway in third.

According to U.S. Cross Country Head Coach Pete Vordenberg, the result is an encouraging one for Randall's future in the sport.

"She definitely hasn't done a lot of pursuits, but this year I think her distance racing has come a long way," Vordenberg said. "For her, 24th is a pretty encouraging result. It wasn't too long ago when there was just no way she was going to get in the top 30. I think she's still rolling well."

Morgan Arritola (Ketchum, ID) had a landmark for the year, landing in the top 30 of the World Cup for the first time this season.

In the men's race, which was won by Maurice Manificat of France, James Southam (Anchorage) led the U.S. in 36th.

For Vordenberg, a key to the team's success will be figuring out how they can make improvements.

"We're just a notch or two down from where we could be at this time and we're thinking hard about what's going on with the team, why that is and where we could have done things better," Vordenberg said.

But, the team still has one more World Cup this season and Vordenberg said they will keep their focus.

"We have Oslo coming up, and our thing is just to keep our head down and keep hammering away every day and that's what we'll do until the end," Vordenberg said.

The World Cup in Finland continues Sunday with a team sprint event.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 Viessmann FIS Cross Country World Cup
Lahti, Finland - March 6, 2010
15K/30K Pursuit

Men
1. Maurice Manificat, France, 1:11:44.2
2. Lukas Bauer, Czech Republic, 1:11:47.8
3. Ilia Chernousov, Russia, 1:12:30.4
4. Maxim Vylegzhanin, Russia, 1:12:30.4
5. Valerio Checchi, Italy, 1:12:31.1
-
36. James Southam, Anchorage, 1:15:51.0
46. Andy Newell, Shaftsbury, VT, 1:18:28.6

Women
1. Marit Bjoergen, Norway, 40:10.8
2. Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland, 40:21.9
3. Therese Johaug, Norway, 40:28.6
4. Riitta-Liisa Roponen, Finland, 40:59.3
5. Marthe Kristoffersen, Norway, 41:00.3
-
24. Kikkan Randall, Anchorage, 42:49.5
29. Morgan Arritola, Ketchum, ID, 43:18.2
40. Liz Stephen, East Montpelier, VT, 44:52.5
# # #

Northug Wraps Up With 50K Gold

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK, BC (Feb. 28) – Norway's Petter Northug won his second gold medal in Sunday's men's 50K mass start classic. James Southam (Anchorage) finished 28th to lead the U.S. in the final ski event at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

The finish marked Southam's best five Olympic races after not finishing the 50K in Torino. He was only 15 seconds back of the leaders at the halfway mark at Whistler Olympic Park.

"It was one of those things where I was just kind of relaxed out of the start and I just picked up spaces where I could (move), and all of a sudden I was top 5 after a while," Southam said.

Southam felt cramping at the 20K mark, falling back off the pace and then losing sight of the leaders at a ski change 10K later.

"It was my best finish at this level ever and it was almost amazing," Southam said. "It was better than the rest of the days and almost a great day."

Kris Freeman (Andover, NH) did not finish Sunday.

"It's been an exhausting two weeks," Freeman said. "I have no real answers for why my first race went so bad or why this race went so bad.

"I was skiing relaxed, but you can just tell when something is off."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park, BC – Feb. 28
Men's 50K Mass Start Classic

Gold – Petter Northug, Norway, 2:05:35.5
Silver – Axel Teichmann, Germany, +0.3
Bronze – Johan Olsson, Sweden, +1.0
4. Tobias Angerer, Germany, +1.5
5. Devon Kershaw, Canada, +1.6
-
28. James Southam, Anchorage, +4:32.8
DNF – Kris Freeman, Andover, NH
###

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Randall Personal Best at 30K

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK, BC (Feb. 27) – Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) had her best-ever distance finish in the women's 30K mass start classic on Saturday. Known primarily as a sprinter, Randall finished 24th, while Holly Brooks (Anchorage) also had a strong showing for the U.S. in 36th.

"Today was a really solid race for me," Randall said. "I haven't done a 30K at a major championship before. It was nice to get in and ski with a bunch of really fast women."

Randall, who competed in four events at these Games with an eighth-place classic sprint finish, opted not to change her skis at lap intervals, pushing straight through.

"It was nice coming through the stadium and getting a little bit of an advantage on people," she said. "I cramped up pretty bad on the last lap, but I managed to hold it together, so I'm pretty happy with it."

"The Olympics overall have been a fantastic two weeks for me. I hit my goals in the sprint and the team sprint and finished it off with a solid race today."

Brooks struggled in the 4x5K relay, feeling less than 100 percent, but she felt great toward the finish of Saturday's race.

"Today I really skied within myself," Brooks said. "I almost wish that I had 10 more K to go, because I felt like I was catching a bunch of girls in front of me."

Brooks said she came in knowing that she had to start slow after she "punched" the uphills and couldn't recover on the downhill portions of earlier races. She only changed skis once.

"I'm really happy that I did it," Brooks said. "Yesterday I wasn't going to, but I'm glad I did. I was so excited for the Olympics and I felt like I almost had an obligation."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park, BC – Feb. 27
Women's 30K Mass Start Classic

Gold – Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland, 1:30:33.7
Silver – Marit Bjoergen, Norway, +0.3
Bronze – Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Finland, +1:05.0
4. Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle, Germany, +1:19.2
5. Masako Ishida, Japan, +1:22.8
-
24. Kikkan Randall, Anchorage, +4:25.3
36. Holly Brooks, Anchorage, +7:40.8
DNF – Morgan Arritola, Ketchum, ID
# # #

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Dussault Skates to Super Tour Win

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

HAYWARD, WI (Feb. 27) - Rebecca Dussault (Gunnison, CO) skated to victory on Saturday in the U.S. Super Tour 50K F in Hayward. The men's competition was won by Italy's Fabio Santus.

Dussault took charge beating Tazlina Mannix (Anchorage, AK) for the win. Manniz trailed Dussault by less than a second. Canada's Brooke Gosling pushed her way on the podium, landing the third and final spot.

Santus led the men's race capturing the Super Tour win. Tad Elliot (Durango, CO) was a close second, less than a half second out of first. Chris Cook (Rhinelander, WI) skated onto the podium in third.

The next stop on the U.S. Super tour is scheduled for March 24-29 in Maine.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
U.S. Super Tour
Hayward, WI
February 27, 2010
50K F MST

Men

1. Fabio Santus, Italy, 1:56.58
2. Tad Elliot, Durango, CO, 1:57.06
3. Chris Cook, Rhinelander, WI, 1:58.41
4. Morten Pedersen, Norway, 1:58.42
5. Sergio Bonaldi, Italy, 1:58.43
-
6. Michael Hinckley, Anchorage, AK, 1:58.43
8. Matthew Liebsch, Minneapolis, MN, 1:58.08
9. Martin Stuge Baanerud, Marquette, MI, 1:58.10
10. Sylvan Ellefson, Vail, CO, 1:58.12
11. Brian Gregg, Hayward, MN, 1:58.12
13. Leif Zimmermann, Bozeman, MT, 1:58.58
14. Bryan Cook, Rhinelander, WI, 1:59.10
15. Adam Swank, Duluth, MN, 1:59.34

Women

1. Rebeca Dussault, Gunnison, CO, 2:18.18
2. Tazlina Mannix, Anchorage, AK, 2:18.49
3. Brooke Gosling, Canada, 2:18.57
4. Maria Stuber, Marquette, MI, 2:20.29
5. Johanna Winters, Minneapolis, MN, 2:22.49
-
6. Evelyn Doug, Bend, OR, 2:22.54
7. Mary Beth Tuttle, Pine Springs, MN, 2:20.30
8. Kristina Owen houghton, MI, 2:20.47
9. Kristina Trystad-Saari, Bozeman, MT, 2:22.47
10Jan Guenther, Mound, MN, 2;23.22
11. Bethann Chamberlain, Caribou, ME, 2:23.30
12. Sarah Max, Bend, OR, 2:23.30
13. Elaine Nelson, Duluth, MN, 2:23.30
14. Angela Robinson, Roseville, MN, 2:24.02
15. Kimm Rudd, Plymouth, MN, 2:26.33
# # #

Randall Leads U.S. in Relay

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK, BC (Feb. 25) – Norway’s Marit Bjoergen pulled well ahead of the Italian team to coast to her third gold of these Games in the women’s 4x5K relay on Thursday. Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) led the U.S. Ski Team into 12th place, with the sprint specialist gritting out a fourth-place first leg.

"I've been on the World Cup a few years now and I knew that if I could put together a good race that I could bring our team in near the front," Randall said. "It's fun to be ahead of those teams that you know can win medals, and we'll just have to keep working on our depth."

Randall (Anchorage) was just 10.4 seconds back of leaders Sweden when teammate Holly Brooks (Anchorage) took over for the second leg of classic racing and dropped the pace.

"I'm just not feeling 100 percent," Brooks said. "I don't know if I have some underlying sickness. My head was hurting a lot at the end of the race and my legs kind of fluttered at the end of the race."

Morgan Arritola (Ketchum, ID) raced the third leg of free, with Caitlin Compton (Minneapolis) racing the anchor leg.

"I struggled to find the speed in the snow, the glide," Compton said. "I felt like the body wanted to be faster than the snow was letting it go. Kind of a weird feeling out there."

Randall said the "sky's the limit" for the U.S. Team after significant improvements in recent years.

"We have to take small steps," Randall said. "We're not going to do it overnight. We've made huge leaps and bounds since 2002 and 2006, and we're getting closer all the time and expecting more and more. I know some of our skiers didn't race as well as they wanted to these two weeks, but I'm pretty happy with some of my performances, and I think we're just going to get better and better."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park, BC – Feb. 25
Ladies 4x5K Relay Classic/Free

Gold – Norway, 55:19.5
Silver – Germany, +24.6
Bronze – Finland, +30.4
4. Italy, +45.4
5. Sweden, +59.4
-
12. United States, +3:38.0
###

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Sweden Takes Relay Gold

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK, BC (Feb. 24) – Norway's Petter Northug gained more than 22 seconds on Swedish leader Marcus Hellner to pull his team from sixth to silver on an exciting final leg of Wednesday's 4x10K classic/free relay. Sweden hung on for a comfortable gold, while the U.S. Team led by Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, VT) finished 13th.

"It's been a while since I've done a distance race," Newell said. "In a relay, you want to ski with a pack and keep contact with the pack. For me, that means not skiing your own pace. I feel like I could get around 10K faster if I skied my own pace, but I had to try to hang with the pack and I ended up losing some time in the last 2K, but I tried to fight hard."

Still, Newell stayed within 42 seconds of the leaders on his classic leg, then fellow sprint specialist Torin Koos (Leavenworth, WA) took over for his first distance race in two months.

"Today was a real tough day for me," Koos said. "I didn't start too hard, but it just started to progressively get on me. I just couldn't get going. And when I tried to get going, I just really hurt myself. It was frustrating for not only me but my teammates."

Garrott Kuzzy (Minneapolis) and Simi Hamilton (Aspen, CO) raced the free legs, working with the Estonian team to gain time on the field. Hamilton made a late pass to put the U.S. ahead into 13th.

"I was just trying to draft as much as possible and then threw the hammer down," he said."

Kuzzy said he was happy with the way he skied and the team's overall effort.

"It was a lot of fun," he said. "I thought we had a good team going into it. A lot of sprinters, but I think everyone stepped up to the plate and gave it our best."

Sunday's 50K mass start classic race concludes the cross country schedule for the men's squad. The race begins at 9:30 a.m. PT.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park, BC (Feb. 24)
Men's 4x10K Relay Classic/Free

Gold – Sweden, 1:45:05.4
Silver – Norway, +15.4
Bronze – Czech Republic, +16.5
4. France, +20.9
5. Finland, +24.9
-
13. United States, +6:22.3
###

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Men Sprint to 9th in Team Final

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK, BC (Feb. 22) – Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, VT) and Torin Koos (Leavenworth, WA) wound up ninth in Monday's team sprint competition, a promising result in which the duo was second in the semifinals and ranked as high as third halfway through the final round.

"It's an improvement for sure considering the way the Games have been going," Newell said. "This was a big step forward. It felt great in the semifinals. We slowed down a bit for the final, but we both hung in there up until the last lap, so that's all you can do. We gave it our best shot."

Norway's Petter Northug sprinted past Germany's Axel Teichmann in the stadium for gold, with the Russian team taking third on the 1.6-kilometer course.

The U.S. fought from seventh to third by the third of the six alternating laps.

"It was a really solid day and that was all I could do today," said Koos, in his third Olympics. "All in all we were really close.

"I just tried to get out to a good start. I was trying to be a little crafty out there. I found my way in the front. I wasn't pushing the pace or anything I was slowing it down and then the other people were pushing it."

Koos said it's a "new day" for the U.S. Team, even if they might have expected more from themselves individually.

"It's like you're the Olympic champion or you finish last," he said. "I would love to say that we just won the first medal since 1976, but it's the closest we've ever been in my era of skiing, so it's close."

The men's 4x10K relay is Wednesday at 11:15 p.m. PT

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park, BC (Feb. 22)
Men's Team Sprint

Gold – Norway
Silver – Germany
Bronze – Russia
4. Canada
5. Kazakhstan
-
9. United States
###

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Women Take 6th in Team Sprint

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK, BC (Feb. 22) – Caitlin Compton (Minneapolis) and Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) joined forces for a strong performance in Monday's team sprint, finishing sixth – up four spots from 10th in Torino.

"It all kind of came together at the last minute," Randall said. "We have a really strong women's team all together and we didn't pick our team until the last two days, but Caitlin's really strong and it's great to have a partner that's going to keep me in the race."

The pair fought from sixth to third on the last three rounds of the semifinals, a clutch drive into the final. It was more of the same in the final, with Randall mustering the power on her last sprint to bring them from eighth to sixth.

"Kikkan's last lap was phenomenal," Compton said. "You couldn't ask a person to have a better lap."

The U.S. had been behind the eight ball from the start, falling into ninth when Compton got tripped up by fallen skiers.

"I noticed some girls bogging down to the right and I saw an opening so I went left and sure enough the group to the right went down," she said. "As they were clearing their pileup, one of the girls just stepped right out in front of me on my ski and I went down."

Randall was preparing for her first lap and didn’t see the accident, but she could tell from the spread-out field that something had happened.

"I was hoping Caitlin got the good end of that, but she did get caught up in it, so I knew that our game plan just changed a little bit and that we were going to have to try to make up some ground every lap," she said.

"Overall I felt strong every round and still had a lot left at the finish."

Germany eked out a .6-second win over Sweden, with Russia claiming the bronze just four seconds back.

Compton said the format – six grueling sprints for semifinals, an hour break, and six more sprints – suited the duo perfectly.

"It was a great race for the two of us and I think just having an hour in between really plays to our strengths so I think we were ready to go out there and give it everything we have."

The women's team 4X5K relay is Thursday at 11 a.m. PT.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park, BC (Feb. 22)
Women's Team Sprint

Gold – Germany, 18:03.7
Silver – Sweden, +0.6
Bronze – Russia, +4.0
4. Italy, +10.5
5. Norway, +29.1
6. United States, +47.9
###

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Cook, Dussault Lead U.S. Again

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

MADISON, WI (Feb. 21) - For the second day in a row, Bryan Cook (Marquette, MI) and Rebecca Dussault (Gunnison, CO) paved the way for the U.S. in Sunday's Super Tour sprint race. Canada's Phillip Widmer and Dussault won the race.

Widmer claimed his second victory in Madison, winning the sprint 1K classic. Trailing Widmer was Canadian Julien Nury in second and Cook in third.

The women's podium mirrored Saturday;s with Dussault on top. Joining Dussault in the top three were Maria Stuber (Marquette, MI) and Audrey Weber (St. Louis Park, MN).

The next stop on the U.S. Super Tour schedule is Hayward, WI on Feb. 27.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
U.S. Super Tour
Madison, WI
February, 21, 2010
Men's Sprint 1K CL

1. Phillip Widmer, Canada
2. Julien Nury, Canada
3. Bryan Cook, Marquette, MI
4. Brian Gregg, Winthrop, WA
5. Sean Crooks, Canada
-
6. Matthew Edward Liebsch, Plymouth, MN
7. Tim Reynolds, Craftsbury Common, VT
8. Chris Cook, Rhinelander, WI
9. Ian Case, Truckee, CA
10. Skyler Davis, Jericho, VT
11. Mark Iverson, Anchorage, AK
12. Gus Kaeding, Marquette, MI
13. Marshall Greene, Bend, OR
14. Matthew Briggs, Concord, MA
14. David Chamberlain, Caribou, ME

Women's Sprint 1K CL

1. Rebbeca Dussault, Gunnison, CO
2. Maria Stuber, Marquette, MI
3. Audrey Weber, St. Louis Park, MN
4. Hannah Dreissigacker, Morrisville, VT
5. Chelsea Little, Craftsbury Common, VT
# # #

Cook, Dussault Front U.S.

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

MADISON, WI (Feb. 20) - Bryan Cook (Marquette, MI) and Rebecca Dussault (Gunnison, CO) led the U.S. charge in Saturday's Super Tour 10/10K MST in Madison. Cook posted a second place finish behind Canada's Phillip Widmer in first. Dussault won the women's race.

Widmer led the field, winning the race by nearly four seconds. It was a fight to the finish for second place with Canada's Sean Crooks and Cook tying with the time of 2:14.00.

Dussault was in complete control beating the field bu over 10 seconds. Maria Stuber (Marquette, MI) and Audrey Weber (St. Louis Park, MN) rounded out the podium in second and third.

The Super Tour will pick up again in Madison on Sunday for the sprint race.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
U.S. Super Tour
Madison, WI
February 20, 2010
Men's 10 K MST

1. Phillip Widmer, Canada, 22:10.30
2. Sean Crooks, Canada, 22:14.00
2. Bryan Cook, Marquette, MI, 22:14.00
4. Michael Somppi, Canada 22:14.80
5. Justin Nury, Canada, 22:21.80
-
6. Brian Gregg, Winthrop, WA, 22:22.40
8. Chris Cook. Rhinelander, WI, 22:23.50
9. Mark Iverson, Anchorage, AK, 23:20.20
11. Gus Kaeding, Marquette, MI, 23:35.40
12. David Chamberlain, Caribou, ME, 23:43.10
14. Oliver Burruss, Craftsbury Common, VT, 23:48.60
15. Matthew Briggs, Concord, MA, 23:49.60

Women's 10 K MST

1. Rebecca Dussault, Gunnison, CO, 16:22.20
2. Maria Stuber, Marquette, MI, 16:36.80
3. Audrey Weber, St. Louis Park, MN, 17:35.10
4. Hannah Dreissigacker, Morrisville, VT, 18:03.80
# # #

Men Push Through Tough Pursuit

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK, BC (Feb. 20) – Sweden's Marcus Hellner sprinted to gold in the men's 30 kilometer cross country pursuit on Saturday, while James Southam (Anchorage) was 34th to lead the U.S.

Blood sugar problems for diabetic Kris Freeman (Andover, NH) dropped him to 45th, but he showed enough resilience to finish the race.

The pair labored through the 15K of classic racing and the 15K of freestyle in wet and soft conditions, falling well short of the results they had hoped for.

"The classic didn't go as planned," Southam said. "I never quite felt the rhythm classic skiing out there. I was able to hang with the pack for most of it. The little group was 30-33 (placed) people. A couple K before the switch, I took a digger and lost contact with them.

"I got in the skating part and started feeling pretty good on the second leg of the skate and was able to get with a group of guys and was able to relax for a little bit and then drop those guys."

Freeman saw his hopes come to an end when the longtime diabetes sufferer miscalculated his blood sugar and hit the snow on the fourth lap of the classic race.

"All of a sudden, my body wasn't working," he said. "I thought that was going to be it. If the coach hadn't come over, I thought I was going to have to walk back to the finish line."

One of the German coaches gave Freeman a bottle of Gatorade and goo, and he bravely rose to his feet.

"It's the Olympics and I want to finish the race," Freeman said. "I got up and after about 5K, I started to feel better, the sugar started coming back up.

"I'm crushed. I don’t know what's happened. I've been skiing towards this for four years and it's my worst nightmare."

Still, U.S. Cross Country Head Coach Pete Vordenberg said the confusion offers at least one silver lining: it wasn't performance-related.

"Today, while it's not fun, at least we had the satisfaction of knowing he had blood sugar issues," he said.

"I think we came in here with a chance to medal. We had some of our best results in the early World Cup season and that's what's really puzzling for us and quite frustrating for us. We really felt like we were on track coming in here. Our expectations were in line with our abilities."

The men's team sprint competition awaits Monday, with the women's 4x10K relay on Wednesday.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park, BC – Feb. 20
Men's 30 km Pursuit

Gold – Marcus Hellner, Sweden, 1:15:11.4
Silver – Tobias Angerer, Germany, +2.1
Bronze – Johan Olsson, Sweden, +2.8
4. Alexander Legkov, Russia, +4.0
5. Ivan Babikov, Canada, +9.1
-
34. James Southam, Anchorage, +5:34.8
45. Kris Freeman, Andover, NH, +7:51.2
###

U.S. Women Battle Hard in Pursuit

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK (Feb. 19) – Norway's Marit Bjoergen came from behind to earn her second gold medal of the 2010 Olympics on a sunny day in Whistler, adding her victory in the 15K pursuit to an earlier sprint win. The field of four U.S. women, all first-time Olympians, put down a solid effort in the half-classic, half-free technique race, but came up short in the results. Morgan Arritola (Ketchum, ID) led the U.S. women in 38th.

"It was tough out there today. My legs felt really heavy. The path always starts out fast and maybe it was a little too fast for me, I'm not sure," said Holly Brooks (Anchorage).

Brooks was a disappointing 56th, dropping time in the classic portion after a good start in the 7.5 kilometers of freestyle.

"My legs just flooded with lactic acid and I was trying to hang in there, but today was pretty brutal," she said.

Still, failing to do your best in the Olympics is far from total failure, said Liz Stephen (East Montpelier, VT).

"There's people who don't even get to be here, so you can't quit." she said. "It was tough today, but not every day is going to go the way you visualized it. And if you're not having (a good day) out there, you have to realize what you can do to fight for not being last on a certain day."

Arritola wasn't pleased with her U.S.-best placement, either, getting off to a rough start and churning away at her energy reserves trying to recover.

"I skied as hard as I could, but it just wasn't a day for me," she said. "The freestyle leg went OK, I skied up a few places, but I know I can classic ski with some of the girls who are farther up the line, and I'd like to get that chance, so I've just got to keep racing."

On the other hand, Caitlin Compton (Minneapolis) was happy to have had a good skate session after difficulties in the classic.

"Traditionally I'm a better skate skier," she said. "I think I was a little slick until I figured out which of the tracks was better. But I put on the skate skis and I felt incredibly strong."

The day was rounded out by near-perfect weather. Sunshine and large crowds were both beaming as the action got underway.

"I can't remember too many days with sunshine like this back home," said Holly Brooks (Anchorage).

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park – Feb. 19
Ladies 15K Pursuit

Gold – Marit Bjoergen, Norway, 39:58.1
Silver – Anna Haag, Sweden, +8.9
Bronze – Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland, +9.3
4. Kristin Stoermer Steira, Norway, +9.4
5. Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, Finland, +42.5
-
38. Morgan Arritola, Ketchum, ID, +3:27.8
43. Caitlin Compton, Minneapolis, +4:25.2
56. Holly Brooks, Anchorage, +5:40.7
58. Liz Stephen, East Montpelier, VT, +5:55.7
###

Randall Sets U.S. Record in 8th

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

WHISTLER, BC (Feb. 17) – It was a mixed day for the U.S. Olympic Cross Country Team on Wednesday. On the bright side, Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) scored a U.S. Olympic record with eighth place in the women's individual classic sprint, but the team's medal hopes took a hit when expected men's contender Andy Newell (Shaftsbury, VT) slipped off course and finished 45th.

Russia's Alexander Panzhinskiy took gold in the men's competition, beating compatriot Nikita Kriukov in a photo finish, while Norway's Marit Bjoergen won top honors for the women.

"My goal going in today was to make the top 12, and I did that," said Randall, the lucky loser in quarterfinals before bowing out in a semifinal heat that included Bjoergen. "All season, I've been feeling like there was one gear missing, and it showed up at just the right time. What a fun day out there."

Randall was ninth in Torino's freestyle sprint, but her only other top-10 result in a major international classic sprint was seventh in China three years ago.

Simi Hamilton (Aspen, CO) had the best classic sprint of his career to lead the U.S. men in 29th.

Although the individual progress of Randall and Hamilton was encouraging, U.S. Olympic Cross Country Team Head Coach Pete Vordenberg had higher hopes for the team.

"It's Kikkan's best classic sprint ever and also Simi's best classic sprint ever, so those are for sure the highlights. Doing better than you've ever done before is great, especially on the Olympic stage. As far as overall, sport comes with disappointment and sometimes it doesn't go as well as you want. Sport brings ups and downs, and we've got ups in our future."

Hamilton said he's improved his double-polling technique, but got "bogged down" on the last 150 meters of the course. He was the only U.S. male to advance to the quarterfinals.

"I'm happy with the race, but it's always a bummer to not finish your day in the A finals," he said. "But you live to ski another day and take a bunch of things I learned out here and apply them to the next race."

Newell, who consistently ranks among the top 10 in World Cup sprint events, fell during qualification and wound up 45th.

"I tried to ski conservatively on this course, but it's a tricky thing," Newell said. "I just found some ice."

Three-time Olympian Torin Koos (Leavenworth, WA) finished 36th, while Garrott Kuzzy (Minneapolis) was 47th.

Holly Brooks (Anchorage) was 38 as the only other competitor for the women's team, which rested athletes with designs on the pursuit Friday at 1 p.m. PT.

The men's pursuit follows Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park, BC (Feb. 17)

Men's Individual Sprint

Gold - Alexander Panzhinskiy, Russia, 3:36.3
Silver - Nikita Kriukov, Russia, +0.0
Bronze – Petter Northug, Norway, +9.2
4. Ola Vigen Hattestad, Kazakhstan, +13.7
5. Alexey Poltaranin, Norway, +18.1
-
29. Simi Hamilton, Aspen, CO
36. Torin Koos, Leavenworth, WA
45. Andy Newell, Shaftsbury, VT
47. Garrott Kuzzy, Minneapolis
###

Women's Individual Sprint

Gold – Marit Bjoergen, Norway, 3:39.2
Silver – Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland, +1.1
Bronze – Petra Majdic, Slovenia, +1.8
4. Anna Olsson, Sweden, +2.5
5. Magda Genuin, +9.9
-
8. Kikkan Randall, Anchorage
38. Holly Brooks, Anchorage
###

15K Free Kicks Off XC Men's Slate

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK, BC (Feb. 15) – Dario Cologna won gold for Switzerland as the Olympic men's cross country schedule opened with the men's 15K free event on Monday at Whistler Olympic Park. James Southam (Anchorage) was the top finisher for the U.S. in 48th.

Southam wound up 2:21.9 behind Cologna, a result that didn't thrill him but left him with a positive mindset heading forward.

"It wasn't my best day," he said. "But, you know, it's a start. Coming into the Games, this is probably the weakest of the three individual events I'll be in, but I went out there and gave it what I had. Unfortunately, everything didn't quite come together."

Fellow Olympic veteran Kris Freeman (Andover, NH), usually better in the classic technique, was seventh in the 15K free at a World Cup last year in Davis, Switzerland but took 59th in a disappointing race.

"I just had a bad day," Freeman said, with the 50K classic offering a chance at redemption on Feb. 28, the last day of the Games.

Olympic rookies Garrott Kuzzy (Minneapolis, MN) and Simi Hamilton (Aspen, CO) went 58th and 64th, respectively, while gaining some priceless experience.

"I felt pretty good going into it," Kuzzy said. "It's a beautiful day, and we've had some great preparation going into it. The track was the best I've seen all week since we've been here. It's nice to get a race under my legs."

Hamilton said his goal was to ski the first lap or first 10K controlled and relaxed.

"I think I achieved that," he said. "It was a tough course. There are so many technical corners that it's hard to get a solid recovery between corners."

The men's individual sprint classic will kick off with qualification at 10:40 p.m. PT on Wednesday, with finals at 1:55 p.m.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park, BC – Feb. 15
Men's 15 km Free

Gold - Dario Cologna, Switzerland, 33.36.3
Silver - Pietro Piller Cottrer, Italy, +24.6
Bronze - Lukas Bauer, Czech Republic, +35.7
4. Marcus Hellner, Sweden, +37.2
5. Vincent Vittoz, France, +39.9
-
48. James Southam, Anchorage, +2:21.9
58. Garrott Kuzzy, Minneapolis, +3:05.2
59. Kris Freeman, Andover, NH, +3:05.3
64. Simi Hamilton, Aspen, CO, +3:54.2

Compton Leads USA in XC Opener

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK, BC (Feb. 15) – Charlotte Kalla won gold for Sweden in the first cross country event of these Games, while Caitlin Compton (Minneapolis) was the top finisher for the U.S. in 30th after a long, hard fight to reach her first Olympics at 29.

"30th result isn't bad considering this is my first Olympics," said Compton, who competed in her first World Cup event of the season last weekend in Canmore, AB, taking 14th. "I think we have great potential for this next week and the next four years.

"Part of me had such a great time during the first lap. All of the fast women were around me, and it was exciting coming through the stadium with them."

"It was good to get the first race underway," said 34th-place Morgan Arritola (Ketchum, ID). "I didn't feel great, I didn't feel terrible. A little sigh of relief now and I'm ready for the pursuit."

Concerns about changing course conditions abated when the skiers hit the course, said Holly Brooks (Anchorage), 42nd.

"It was a happy medium between the rock-hard conditions yesterday and the deep sugar of a couple days before," Brooks said. "I felt pretty good and tried to start pretty conservative because the last two 10k skates I've done, I went out pretty hard and blew up at the end."

Liz Stephen (Montpelier, VT) was slightly disappointed with 50th after feeling good in training, struggling to replicate that speed in the finals.

"It was not the result I wanted, but it was a great course and I'm having a blast," she said. "I guess I just didn't put the race together that I wanted."

Results aside, the experience of racing in the Olympics for the first time wasn't lost on any of the four rookie U.S. athletes.

"Last night, they handed out bibs to us and we were so giddy," Stephen said.

The women's individual sprint classic is set for Wednesday - with finals at 1:55 p.m. PT - while the 15 km pursuit awaits Friday at 1 p.m.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park, BC – Feb. 15
Women's 10 km Free

Gold - Charlotte Kalla, Sweden, 24:58.4
Silver - Kirstina Smigun-Vaehi, Estonia, +6.6
Bronze - Marit Bjoergen, Norway, +15.9
4. Anna Haag, Sweden, +20.9
5. Justyna Kowalczyk, Poland, +21.7
-
30. Caitlin Compton, Minneapolis, +1:50.7
34. Morgan Arritola, Ketchum, ID, +2:06.0
42. Holly Brooks, Anchorage, +2:19.2
50. Liz Stephen, Montpelier, VT, +2:42.7

Elliot, Deyong Lead in Super Tour

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

ASPEN, CO (Feb. 14) – Tad Elliot (Durango, CO) and Nicole Deyong (Ketchum, ID) topped the men and women's podium in Sunday's 21/21K F MST U.S. Super Tour race in Aspen.

Elliot topped the field by nearly thirty seconds, crossing the finish strong. Glenn Randall (Collbran, CO) and Noah Hoffman (Aspen, CO) skated their way onto their podium in second and third.

Deyong posted a solid time to take the win. Deyong was joined by Kristina Trygsad-Saari (Bozeman, MT) and Evelyn Dong (Bend, OR) on the podium. Trygsad-Saari was second, followed by Dong in third.

The next stop for the U.S. Super Tour is Madison, WI, Feb. 20-21.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
U.S. Super Tour
Aspen, CO
February 14, 2010
21/12K Freestyle MST

Men

1. Tad Elliot, Durango, CO, 57:40.50
2. Glenn Randall, Collbran, CO, 58:05.90
3. Noah Hoffman, Aspen, CO, 59:55.10
4. Michael Sinnott, Sun Valley, ID, 59:59.30
5. Sylvan Ellefson, Vail, CO, 1:00:47.30
-
6. Brayton Osgood, Bend. OR, 1:00:59.90
7. Michael Brothers, Monument, CO, 1:01:05.00
8. Andrew Johnson, Park City, UT, 1:01:34.60
9. Mark Iverson, Anchorage, AK, 1:01:55.80
10. Chris Cook, Rhinelander, WI, 1:03:49.70
11. John Kirlin, Casper, WY, 1:08:54.50
12. Daniel Lewi, Laramie, WY, 1:11:17.90
13. Michael Fitzgerald, Laramie, WY, 1:18:59.10

Women

1. Nicole Deyong, Ketchum, ID, 1:08:19.70
2. Kristina Trygstad-Saari, Bozeman, MT, 1:08:25.60
3. Evelyn Dong, Bend, OR, 1:11:38.30
4. Natalie Ward, Aspen, CO, 1:14:34.80
5. Amy Caldwell, Boulder, CO, 1:16:12.80
-
6. Marie Cartwright, Laramie, WY, 1:24:45.20
7. Shanna McCleary, Evansville, WY, 1:28:22.90
8. Morgan Cropsey, Casper, WY, 1:36.12.00
# # #