SkiTrax Olympics 2018

Olympics 2018

OLYMPIC

GOLD

Diggins and Randall Make U.S. History

PARALYMPICS 32 Medals Won by U.S.A. and Canada

RETIREMENTS 14 Athletes Depart

GEAR 2019 Inside Scoop Official publication of

$4.95 www.skitrax.com

Registration Number 9875 Agreement Number 1372521 Printed in Canada www.skitrax.com

Plus XC Ski Nationals CCC Restructures World Cup Season Wrap Hall & Crawford Honoured

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 1

2 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

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CONTENTS Summer 2018 Volume 28, Issue 3

GEAR 28

28

OLYMPICS 32

Gear 2019 Preview

by Dalia and Dan Clausen

38

2018 Olympic Games: Historic Gold for U.S. Women

by Noah Simms

2018 Paralympics: Record 32 Medals for Canada & U.S.A.

by Jenn Jackson

COMPETITION 40

2018 USSA SuperTour Finals and Long Distance Nationals

by Julie Melanson

42

2018 Canadian Ski Nationals

by Noah Simms

44

FIS XC World Cup Wrap-up

46

38 32

by Jack Cracker

RETIREMENTS

IBU Biathlon World Cup Season Recap

by Noah Simms

48

12

Nordic Combined World Cup Wrap

44

by Ron Johnson

50 Ski-jumping

Season Finale

13

by Jack Cracker

17

Liz Stephen

18

48 COVER COLUMNS

Olympics 2018

OLYMPIC

GOLD

Diggins and Randall Make U.S. History

PARALYMPICS 32 Medals Won by U.S.A. and Canada

RETIREMENTS 14 Athletes Depart

GEAR 2019 Inside Scoop Official publication of

$4.95 www.skitrax.com

Registration Number 9875 Agreement Number 1372521 Printed in Canada www.skitrax.com

Plus XC Ski Nationals CCC Restructures World Cup Season Wrap Hall & Crawford Honoured

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 1

Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall celebrate historic Olympic gold at Pyeongchang 2018, the U.S.A.’s first Games gold in cross-country skiing.

Sarah Brunson

8 52

Out In Front Waxworx

18

20

by Jack Cook and Patrick Moore

53

Graves on Nordic

21

Sasseville Report

21

54

by Peter Graves

by Jack Sasseville

by Sue Wemyss

Noah Hoffman

by Ron Johnson

Kris Freeman

by Chris Hatton

20 Knute Johnsgaard

Devon Kershaw

by Noah Simms

Kikkan Randall

by Sue Wemyss

by Ron Johnson

Jesse Cockney

by Ron Johnson

Graeme Killick

by Julie Melanson

Chris Klebl

28 22

Tim Burke

23

Lowell Bailey

24

Bryan Fletcher

24

Julia Ransom

25

Macx Davies

25

Russell Currier

by Sue Wemyss

by Sue Wemyss

by Ron Johnson

by Chris Hatton

by Chris Hatton

by Ron Johnson

by Ron Johnson

SkiTrax, a division of 1198189 Ontario Inc., is published 4 times each season: Annual, Winter, February/March and Spring, at 260 Spadina Ave., #200, Toronto, ON M5T 2E4. Advertising rates/data are available on request: Phone (416) 977-2100; Fax (416) 977-9200, or write to the address above.The entire contents are the property of SkiTrax Magazine and may not be reprinted or reproduced, in whole or in part, without the written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited material or contributions are welcome, but must be accompanied by return postage. SkiTrax Magazine will handle all such material with reasonable care; however, it assumes no responsibility for the safety, loss of, or damage to such photographs or manuscripts. 2nd Class Publications Mail Registration #9875, paid at 969 Eastern Ave., Toronto, ON M4L 1A5. If undeliverable or address changed, please notify: 260 Spadina Ave., #200, Toronto, ON M5T 2E4. U.S. Office of Publication: 240 Portage Road, PO Box 670-25, Lewiston, NY, 14092. Periodicals postage paid at Niagara Falls, NY. 2nd Class U.S. Publications, USPS Registration #012177. Return all undeliverable mail to: SkiTrax Magazine, PO Box 553, Niagara Falls, NY 14304.

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OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 3

publisher/editor Benjamin Sadavoy international correspondent Peter Graves contributors

WATCH LIVE WORLD CUP BIATHLON

Dalia and Dan Clausen, Jack Cook, Jim Fredericks, Peter Graves, Chris Hatton, Jennifer Jackson, Ron Johnson, Julie Melanson, Patrick Moore, Jack Sasseville, Noah Simms, Jonathan Wiesel, Sue Wemyss photographic contributions Reese Brown, Sarah Brunson, Ross Burton, Canadian Paralympic Committee, CCC, Jon Engen, flyingpointroad.com, Peter Graves, Martin Kaiser, Tom Kelly, Flawia Krawczyk, Joe Kusumoto, Nordic Focus, Heinz Ruckemann, Herb Swanson, US Biathlon, US Paralympic Committee, USSA graphic design Ingrid Riets copy editing Claudia Brown administration & circulation Crystal Burs production CrackerJack Enterprises webmaster David Irving advertising sales Benjamin Sadavoy editorial office 260 Spadina Ave., #200, Toronto, ON M5T 2E4 Phone: (416) 977-2100; Fax: (416) 977-9200 subscriptions (2017/18) Newsstand (plus 13% HST).......................................... $4.95 Annual (plus 13% HST)................................................ $5.95 1 yr. (4 issues) Canada........................................$14.95 CDN 1 yr. (4 issues) USA...............................................$17.95 US 2 yr. (8 issues) Canada........................................$25.95 CDN 2 yr. (8 issues) USA...............................................$32.95 US International Subscribers: US$34.95 (1-yr); US$62.95 (2-yr) customer service Phone: (416) 977-2100; Fax: (416) 977-9200

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Printed in Canada, Issued Fall 2018 4 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

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OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 5

KICK Sarah Brunson

American Jessie Diggins (l) outsprints Sweden's Stina Nilsson by a scant 0.19 seconds in the women's Team Sprint at Pyeongchang 2018, claiming the U.S.A.'s first Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing with teammate Kikkan Randall.

6 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

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Historic Milestones What a colossal historic victory for Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall, when claiming the U.S.A.’s first Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing at Pyeongchang 2018 after winning the women’s Team Sprint. The medal was a testimony to the true grit of the dynamic duo and affirmation of an incredible journey for the U.S. women’s team, which first competed at the Games back in 1972.

Olympic gold was a storybook ending to legendary Randall’s incredible career, and we also salute the amazing record 32 medals won by the U.S. and Canadian Paralympic teams. In this milestone edition, we pay tribute to more than a dozen athletes who are also retiring, including Devon Kershaw, Tim Burke and Lowell Bailey, and we congratulate renowned Marty Hall and Chandra Crawford on their Hall of Fame inductions. As well, check out our "Gear 2019" preview to add more kick and more glide to the new season ahead. - BAS www.skitrax.com

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 7

OUT IN FRONT

Rudy Project and Kikkan Randall Partner Support AKTIV Against Cancer

photos: Reese Brown

O

nly four months after returning home from her golden moment at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, American ski star Kikkan Randall was diagnosed with breast cancer. She now fights alongside Rudy Project with the goal of raising money to support AKTIV Against Cancer through the sale of custom limited-edition pink sunglasses.

Randall has had great success in the world of crosscountry skiing, winning Olympic Team Sprint gold, as well as 13 World Cup victories and three overall Sprint Globes. She was a committed trailblazer for the U.S. women’s ski team, inspiring young athletes and growing the program to new heights. She is known internationally for her upbeat and energetic nature both on and off the snow. She is now working as an ambassador and spokesperson for the Norwegian-based organization ACTIV Against Cancer.

ACTIV Against Cancer was co-founded in 2007 by nine-time New York City Marathon champion Grete Waitz and Helle Aanesen. Their goal was to inspire both patients and doctors to use the amazing benefits of physical acKikkan Randall is a 5-time Olympian and sits on the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission.

Legendary Kikkan Randall had an amazing career with a storybook ending that featured the U.S.A.’s first Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing.

tivity during the cancer-recovery process. During her own battle with cancer, Waitz discovered that exercising through the illness allowed her to maintain a high quality of life. So using her sporting influence and personal experience, Waitz decided she wanted to share it with the world. She passed away in 2011, but her legacy continues on, with the organization celebrating its 10th anniversary last year.

Rudy Project was inspired by Randall’s courage, and plans to sell custom pink Tralyx sunglasses to support ACTIV Against Cancer. The custom shades have an MSRP of $250, but will be offered for $200, with Rudy Project donating $50 per pair to the charity. If the company can sell all 200 limited-edition sunglasses, it will donate $10,000. These custom shades will go on sale on Oct. 1 to honour Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Kikkan Randall will continue to post updates on her battle with cancer through her blog at www.kikkan.com/blog-media. Discover more on Randall’s career at www.skitrax.com.

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OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 9

Calgary Bids on 2026 Olympic Games

OUT IN FRONT

Legendary Marty Hall Inducted into U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame POSITION ONLY

Peter Graves

Kathy and Marty Hall at the induction dinner for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Class of 2017 at Squaw Valley, site of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games.

O

n April 14, legendary Marty Hall was inducted into the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017 at Squaw Valley, Calif., site of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games. The mood was wonderful and electric, with many tributes at the induction dinner attended by approximately 500 people, including many skiing notables.

In addition to Hall, the other honoured inductees included Hermann Gollner, Mike and Steve Marolt, Thomas Weisel, Eddie Ferguson, Shaun Palmer and the late speed-skier Steve McKinney. For Hall and his wife, Kathy, it was a remarkable and memorable journey, and a special walk down memory lane, as Squaw Valley is where Hall’s career began.

A large contingent of “Marty fans” joined the festivities that began with a superb informal breakfast on the morning of the induction, hosted by Kathy and Hall. It was a chance for many fans to speak from the heart about Hall’s contribution to the sport – it was honest, and many laughs and tears were shared.

Among the contributors were Hall’s and Kathy’s family, but also luminaries of the Nordic sport, who traveled to share this special experience. His longtime friend Peter Davis spoke, as did 1976 and 1980 U.S. Olympian Doug Peterson, Canadian colleagues Dave Wood and Toni Scheier, outgoing U.S. Ski & Snowboarding Vice-president Communications Director Tom Kelly, former athlete Alison Owen Bradley and broadcast announcer and commentator Peter Graves.

A number of Bowdin College athletes also made the gathering, as did many fans from the University of New Hampshire.

Hall intersected many lives and was greatly respected for his drive, vision, dogged determination and was known as someone who always called them as he saw them. He continues to inspire many to this day.

10 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

Not only was he a respected coach for both the U.S. and Canadian ski teams, which he led to great success, but Hall also was the author of the award-winning book One Stride Ahead. His crowning achievement was Bill Koch’s 1976 Olympic silver medal, marking the historic first Games medal won by an American cross-country skier. This season, Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall took home the first U.S. women’s Olympic cross-country-ski medal claiming gold in the Team Sprint at Pyeongchang 2018. Into his eighties, Hall still continues to be a relevant pundit of the sport he dearly loves.

It was a special few hours spent paying tribute to a man who has given his life to the sport. Hall was never the relaxed sort – his life was about skiing innovation and truth-seeking.

Yes, he was a taskmaster, but for him, it was all about standards and helping athletes and colleagues achieve their very best.

People were Hall’s touchstone, and he really connected, making them think and prodding them to be better. We all feel lucky to be counted among those who experienced Hall’s magic and his passion for life and the sport.

SkiTrax joins the ski community at large in wishing Marty and Kathy Hall the very best and thank them for their years of inspiration and contribution to the sport. – PG

After a period of on-again, off-again interest in hosting another Winter Olympic Games, Calgary is moving forward with its 2026 bid process after a crucial city council vote in June.

Although there continues to be some local city councillors who are not interested in the bid, the process has moved past all city council hurdles. However, it has yet to be determined how much of the more than $5 billion cost of hosting the Games will be covered by the province of Alberta and how much the city will have to pay.

The bid now moves forward to a plebiscite, or direct vote, to be put to Calgary residents for voting on Nov. 13.

Calgary’s bid picked up steam this past spring when the International Olympic Committee determined that many of the facilities used in the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary would qualify for use again in 2026.

Still, the current plan also includes two new facilities: a fieldhouse that would be home to figure skating and speed skating, as well as a mid-sized indoor arena.

In August, Mary Moran, at that time the president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development, was announced as the CEO of the Calgary 2026 bid.

In addition to Calgary, other cities that are considering bids for the Games and took part in the 2018 Observer Programme in Pyeongchang, South Korea included Sapporo, Japan; Sion, Switzerland; Stockholm, Sweden; Erzurum, Turkey and and a joint Italian bid from Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The deadline to submit a bid is January 2019, with the winning bid to be announced in September 2019.

Lake Placid to Host 2023 Winter World Universiade Games Lake Placid, N.Y. will once again be home to the Winter World Universiade Games after the International University Sports Federation (FISU) announced on Aug. 16 that the Adirondacks Region will host the competition in 2023.

The multisport competition will see 600 universities from 60 countries around the world sending competitors to the Lake Placid area for 11 days of competition in 70 events that include eight compulsory sports. The event is staged every two years and draws thousands of athletes. Lake Placid first hosted the competition in 1972.

Lake Placid will reap many benefits from hosting the Games, including Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) continued on page 12 www.skitrax.com

OUT IN FRONT

Andy Newell: New Path Ahead Launches Nordic Team Solutions

courtesy of Andy Newell

S

oon after the previous season ended, Andy Newell announced on social media that it was his last season with the US Ski Team (USST), Newell steps away as he is embarking from Team USA. on a new path ahead.

After 16 years, Newell has stepped away from the team, but not from racing, now wanting a more flexible, self-directed schedule.

Married last June to fellow cross-country racer and Stratton Mountain T2 Elite Team member Erika Flowers, Newell indicated that he’d like to spend more time at home and give back to the sport that’s given him so much.

It has since been announced that Newell will be launching Nordic Team Solutions, a platform to that will allow him to be hired for training camps, clinics, presentations and consulting by teams and individuals.

Newell first raced for the US XC Ski Team at the 2001 and 2002 Junior World Championships in Karpacz-Szklarska, Poland and Schonach, Germany respectively.

“Andy was in high school when FIS introduced sprint skiing on the international circuit.

He was fast, really fast, and placed in the top eight at Junior Worlds for three years in a row.

He was offered a spot on the USST when he graduated from SMS,” said Sverre Caldwell, his SMS (Stratton Mountain School) coach.

Top results in Continental Cups and the US XC Ski Nationals in Rumford, Me. during the first half of the 2004 season earned Newell his first World Cup tour for that winter’s second half. He took home his first World Cup points that March with a 15th-place finish in Pragelato, Italy.

In 2005, he was promoted to the “A” team, where he’s been ever since. His 2006 season saw breakthrough results, as he earned six top-15’s in World Cup sprints and placed a U.S. men’s high of 16th in the Freestyle sprint at the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino. He claimed his first World Cup podium in Changchun, China, finishing third.

The next winter in 2007, he finished sixth overall in the World Cup sprint standings and earned a career-best fifth in the Classic sprint race at the Nordic World Championships in Sapporo, Japan.

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Newell earned two more World Cup sprint podiums, claiming second in Lahti, Finland in 2008 and third in Drammen, Norway in 2010.

His highest ranking in the season-long World Cup sprint totals was fourth, achieved in 2010, and he also earned World Cup distance points from 2011 through 2014.

A four-time Olympian, Newell’s involvement with cross-country skiing goes well beyond his personal racing achievements. After graduating from the SMS, he continued to return to this program to train with and inspire the younger skiers, while making cross-country skiing “cool” in the eyes of young athletes.

Newell created and starred in many videos for his X Ski Films film-making company. While

Kikkan Randall headlined and led many “Fast and Female” events that empower young girls on snow (and continues to do so), Newell started and led “Speed Camps” for young boys on skis, with the help of teammates such as Simi Hamilton.

Newell is also involved in environmental activism. Partnering with Protect Our Winters, he started an Athletes for Action initiative in 2013.

He rallied 105 athletes from the U.S. and other countries leading up to and during the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia to sign a letter to world leaders, calling on them to act on climate change.

For more information on Nordic Team Solutions, visit www.nordicteamsolutions.com. – SW

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OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 11

continued from page 10

OUT IN FRONT

Kikkan Randall Retires Amazing Career with Storybook Olympic Gold Ending

by Sue Wemyss

sporting-venue upgrades. Significant improvements will be made to the region’s premier cross-country venue, Mount Van Hoevenberg, including a 5km racing loop and stadium, according to Jon Lundin, ORDA’s communications manager.

The upcoming 2019 Games will be held from March 1-12 in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, followed by the 2021 competition in Lucerne, Switzerland.

NordicFocus

Salomon Appoints Lazzaroni to Lead Nordic Ski Business in the Americas

Legendary Kikkan Randall celebrates her third Sprint Cup globe and an incredible career of historic results and inspirational passion.

K

ikkan Randall’s 18-year career officially came to a close with a unique victory lap at the last round of the FIS World Cup in Falun, Sweden as she celebrated her amazing career in front of a cheering stadium with her son, Breck. Randall helped pioneer the U.S. women’s Nordic-skiing program, inspiring success, team spirit and support and culminating in her gold medal with Jessie Diggins at the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games for a storybook ending to her stellar career.

Randall was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, but began her skiing career as an Alaska Pacific University (APU) athlete at age 16 under the wing of Jim Galanes. She won her first National title in January 2002 in the Freestyle sprint and qualified for her first Olympics at home at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002.

Part of the U.S. development squad until 2005, Randall joined the U.S. Olympic team for the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy, finishing a record ninth place in the Freestyle sprint.

The following season, she earned her first World Cup podium in January 2007 in Russia, which opened the floodgates for more stunning results that followed. The next year, she won her first World Cup and went on to claim 13 World Cup victories during a career that included 29 podiums.

By 2009, the U.S. women’s team was coming together, with Randall and Pete Vordenberg, the U.S. crosscountry-ski head coach, creating the framework and building blocks with such skiers as Liz Stephen, Holly Brooks, Laura Valaas and Morgan Arritola. More recruits joined along the way and Randall’s leadership was key, as she shared a World Cup Team Sprint podium first with Sadie Bjornsen in 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, then with Jessie Diggins in 2012 in Milan, Italy and then later that season in Quebec City, Quebec.

In 2012, Randall made history again, winning her first Sprint Cup globe, and then defended her title for two consecutive years in 2013 and 2014 against the best sprinters in the world.

Randall and Diggins had the right chemistry and speed, striking gold in the Team Sprint at the 2013 FIS Nordic World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

12 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

Randall was also an integral part of the U.S. women’s 4x5km relay team that included Brooks, Stephen, Diggins and, later, Bjornsen, as the squad took their first bronze medal in 2012 in Gallivare, Sweden. The fab foursome went on to claim four more relay bronze medals.

Randall always inspired team spirit among the squad with unique ways to lighten the tense mood of competition.

First there were the memorable Team USA signature relay socks in 2012, which Randall bought at a convenience store in Germany. Later in 2015, the entire U.S. team released a hilarious “Uptown Funk” music video just before the Falun 2015 Nordic World Championships. Randall’s infectious spirit, passion and “fun” attitude had lit a fire of enthusiasm.

Just prior to her final World Cup season in Fall 2017, the U.S. team took delivery of their first wax truck, which became a reality thanks to the work of the dynamic duo of Randall and Liz Arky, a member of the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees at USSA, who shared the team’s story to attract donors who signed onto this dream – and it paid off big time.

The storybook ending to her incredible career saw Randall win the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the U.S. cross-country-ski team in the Team Sprint with Diggins at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The 18year effort finally payed off for Randall – with work and perseverance, she wrote another historic chapter with the U.S. team as they evolved from valiant competitors to Olympic champions.

Randall has recently been elected to the International Olympic Committee Athlete Commission, while also maintaining her role as president of Fast and Female USA. She and her husband, Jeff, celebrated the birth of their son, Breck, in April 2016, and she is now working on an MBA at APU, along with motivational speaking and sponsor work. What an amazing career!

This summer, Randall was diagnosed with breast cancer and announced on her blog that she is undergoing treatments, adding that her “prognosis is good," and vowed to bring “tenacity, strength and energy toward this challenge.” (see page 6).

Salomon has appointed Robert Lazzaroni as Nordic regional commercial manager for the Americas, effective Aug. 27.

Lazzaroni is a 25-year industry veteran and, most recently, the Nordic domestic-program director for U.S. Ski & Snowboard. In his new role, he will direct Salomon’s Nordic business in the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

During his three-year term with U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Lazzaroni played a key role in the management of the 2017 FIS Nordic Junior World Championships in Utah. He is also a past member of the French ski team (1983-1988).

Lazzaroni filled a variety of roles in Nordic-product development, sales and marketing at The Rossignol Group between 1994 and 2011.

In his new role, Lazzaroni will serve as the primary manager of Salomon’s Nordic category in the Americas. He will also serve as a key stakeholder in developing overall strategy with global brand management.

Yukon Announces $1.4 Million for Sport Sports and Recreation in the Yukon announced a $1.4-million grant from the Government of Yukon in partnership with the Yukon Lottery.

Twenty-eight sports will benefit from the recent infusion of capital, with the cross-country-skiing set to receive the largest chunk.

The Yukon Recreation Advisory Committee will control the grants that range from $7,500 to $113,00 and will be given directly to the 28 sporting groups or five special recreation groups. Yukon Sport 4 Life will handle grants from $2,750 to $63,500, and will be geared toward 26 sport groups. In addition, individual athletes will also receive grants from $500 to $11,500.

The sport of cross-country skiing will accept the maximum from each organization, with a total income of $176,500. Athletes Dahria Beatty, Graham Nishikawa and Jessica

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OUT IN FRONT Frotten will also receive the maximum individual grant of $11,500. Out of the 32 athletes qualifying, nine were cross-country skiers. For more information, visit www.community.gov.yk.ca.

Devon Kershaw Retires One of Canada's Most Successful Cross-country Skiers Sudbury’s Kershaw and long-time teammate Alex Harvey reached a new historic level winning Team Sprint gold in the Holmenkollen at the FIS Nordic Worlds, becoming the first Canadian men to stand on the top step of the Worlds podium.

Rundle Sport Rollerskis Joins Cross Country Canada

Biathlon Canada has announced that Pavel Lantsov will be added to the coaching staff to support National team head coach Matthias Ahrens in developing and leading the senior National team.

Originally from Chita, Russia, Pavel has 18 years overall coaching experience, including the past seven years with the Russian National biathlon team. His successes include training both women and men to Olympic, World Cup, World and European Championships medals.

Pavel will start full-time with the National team in July 2018 and plans to bring his wife to Canmore, Alta. in the new year.

Biathlon Canada also announced that Roddy Ward, its former National team women’s coach/high-performance director, has taken up the newly created position of long-term athlete-development director.

The new position will focus on creating and implementing welldefined development pathways for athletes to progress from club-level competitions through to the U20 and U24 National teams and, ultimately, the senior National team.

Ward brings a wealth of experience to this role and will be working with Jacquelin Akerman, the coach and athlete-development manager. continued on page 14 www.skitrax.com

Nordic Focus

On Aug. 17, Cross Country Canada (CCC) announced Rundle Sport as an official equipment supplier.

According to CCC, it received excellent feedback from athletes, and as a result will be distributing Rundle Sport Flex Skate rollerskis to all senior National team athletes, U25 National team athletes and National para-Nordic team athletes.

Athletes commented on the smoothness and reliability of the rollerskis, as well as their on-snow feel, which allows them to optimize their rollerski training and transition from rollerskiing to snow-skiing.

Rundle Sport, based in Canmore, Alta., was launched in 2013 with the release of TrueSki Technology, the world’s first and only rubber-damped rollerski-suspension system.

Biathlon Canada Announces New Coach and Development Director

by Jack Cracker

I

n May after an amazingly successful career, Canadian cross-country-skiing icon Devon Kershaw from Sudbury, Ont. announced his retirement via his Twitter feed with a photo of his racing boots hanging from a line.

“It has been 15 great years, chasing my dreams in a sport that I absolutely love, but I have a wife and a 15-month-old daughter now, and it is just getting harder and harder to be away,” said Kershaw.

The 35-year-old broke onto the National scene in 2003 inspired by Pierre Harvey, Beckie Scott and Sara Renner, and trained alongside eight fellow Canucks, all with united goals.

“Having Beckie and Sara around was huge for us young guys. They did some heavy lifting and taught the next generation of athletes like me what it takes to compete at this level,” continued Kershaw.

At only 23 years of age, the Ontario native made his Olympic debut in Torino, Italy, and just weeks later, he claimed a bronze medal in a sprint race in Borlaenge, Sweden, becoming the second Canadian male ever to stand on the World Cup cross-country-ski podium. Years later, Kershaw reflected on that day, still in disbelief.

“Nobody believed it was possible for Canadian men to be contenders on the World Cup. The world didn’t believe it, and the Canadian cross-country-ski community, by and large, didn’t believe it,” he commented.

Kershaw continued to push past barriers, inspiring numerous athletes along the way, including long-time teammate Alex Harvey. The pair reached a new level in 2011, winning a historic gold medal at the FIS Nordic World Championships in Oslo, Norway, becoming the first Canadian men to stand on the top step of the Worlds podium.

“Devon was like a big brother for me. He showed me the path of excellence in our sport from the day I joined

the World Cup team,” said Harvey. “It’s been a great journey for us. We gave Canada its first World Championship title together, and since that day, we never looked back.”

Kershaw first won a stage World Cup in January 2012 at the Tour de Ski, victorious in the Freestyle sprint in Toblach, Italy. The next year was his best-ever season, as he won his first distance World Cup in Rybinsk, Russia, followed by winning Canada’s first sprint World Cup gold in Szklarska, Poland, for a total of six medals that included second overall in the World Cup rankings.

He also has the distinction of being the only skier to compete at all 12 Tour de Ski competitions, but he fell short of his Olympic dream, with a fourth-place finish in the Team Sprint with Harvey and a fifth-place result in the 50km Classic-ski race at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, B.C. “After skiing for two hours and to finish two seconds from a gold medal and less than a second from a bronze in 2010 really was a heartbreak” said Kershaw, reflecting on the 2010 Olympic 50km ski race. After a successful lead-up to the 2014 Games in Sochi, everything that could go wrong did, and Kershaw missed out on breaking one final record – being the first Canadian man to stand on the Olympic podium.

Kershaw, one of the most successful cross-country skiers in Canada of all time, put the Canadian men’s team on the map, racking up a total of 14 World Cup medals.

Now living in Norway with his wife, Kershaw is heading back to school and spending more time with family.

Looking back on his career, Kershaw thanks his family, teammates, supporters and, most of all, this sport.

“It was an incredible journey. Everything that I have in my life – my wife, my daughter, my friends and the incredible people I have met along the way – I owe to this great sport.”

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 13

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OUT IN FRONT

NENSA Launches New Rollerski Series

Lemyre is New HP Advisor and Tomlinson is New Chair of BOD

by Ron Johnson

CCC

Jennifer Tomlinson is the new Chair of Cross Country Canada's new Board of Directors.

has been the head of the school’s department of coaching and psychology since 2008. He will split his time, advising Cross Country Canada’s high-performance program while continuing his role as a professor of sports psychology at the University in Oslo over the next year.

Lemyre worked with the women’s National biathlon team, the men’s cross-country ski team, as well as Norwegian cycling teams, including stints at the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Games.

He’s excited to be working with his home country, and believes he has the right skills and experiences to make an impact in the Nordic program, and will work hard to 14 SKITRAX SPRING 2018

CCC

O

n June 5, Cross Country Canada (CCC) embarked on a new chapter for the sport’s governing federation. In a major shakeup of the organization resulting from significant budget cuts, four people who held key positions were laid off.

Included in the overhaul were Ivan Babikov, CCC head coach; along with Mike Edwards, the Para-Nordic high-performance director; Martine Grenon-Lafontaine, manager of communications and marketing; and Lisa Patterson, the high-performance development coordinator.

Babikov took over in 2016 following his retirement, and while the National team had some notable success, such as the men’s historic Team Relay first medal in Sweden and Alex Harvey’s 50km Freestyle gold at the Nordic Worlds in Lahti in 2017. It failed to win a medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Two days later, on June 7, CCC announced that it had hired Nic Lemyre as its new high-performance director, replacing Tom Holland, who retired from the position of high-performance director following the 2018 Olympic Games.

A former athlete himself, Lemyre moved to Norway in the 1990s to work in the Norwegian sports system, including its world-class Nordic squad.

Holding a Ph.D in sport and exercise psychology from The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Lemyre

Nic Lemyre is the new Highperformance and Development Advisor at Cross Country Canada.

identify and fix gaps in the Canadian system.

“I’m very humbled to have this opportunity now to contribute to the growth of the Canadian program,” said Lemyre. “I am ecstatic to be able to bring my knowledge and skills back to my sport roots at home in Canada.”

Meanwhile, the National team will look much different in the year ahead with the numerous retirements of such World Cup athletes as Devon Kershaw, Graeme Killick, Jesse Cockney and Knute Johnsgaard. Currently, only Harvey remains on the “A” team.

It was reported that CCC had faced a fairly major budget shortfall, which some estimated to be in the $500,000 range. According to Shane Pearsall, CCC’s new Chief Executive Officer appointed 18 months ago, the situation was not as dire as once thought, and the current budget sits at approximately $4.15 million.

“It’s a bit higher than we anticipated,” he says, citing funding from Own The Podium, as well as new donations for the somewhat rosier picture. Pearsall did not elaborate on the budget cuts or if they impacted the recent layoffs.

He did confirm the loss of Mackenzie Investments as a major sponsor, which came on board after the 2010 Winter Olympics to sponsor a group of seven winter sports.

There has also been change to the Board of Directors as well following CCC’s Annual General Meeting in Canmore, Alta. On June 19, Jennifer Tomlinson was named as the Chair of the Board of Directors. She has held several positions and chaired several committees for the association, becoming the first woman to ever hold the position.

“Cross-country skiing is deeply rooted in our family, and I’m extremely proud to carry the torch in our sport’s quest towards the future building on the success in our past,” said Tomlinson.

Tomlinson will lead a Board made up of new as well as familiar faces that includes Angelo Cristofanilli, Sarah Daitch, Ryan Jackson (athlete director), Ted Kalil, Patricia MacDonell, Jeff Sim, Bruce Simms and Jo Wolach (DCC chair).

With all the personnel changes at CCC comes news of a rebranding proposal to guide the organization moving forward. “The time is now to build a forward-looking strategy, rally and energize the team inside, and signal a positive change outside,” CCC stated in a press release.

Celebrity Deathmatch: Jensen vs Newell

Nensa

CCC Restructures and Sees Funding Cuts

In mid-July, the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) launched a new five-race rollerski series headlined by a “Celebrity Deathmatch” between the world’s fastest Super-Sprint skier, Ludvig Soegnen Jensen from Norway, and U.S. sprint king, Andy Newell.

Soon after, Bag Balm of Lyndonville, Vt. was named the title sponsor, SkiTrax Magazine joined in as presenting media sponsor, and Marty and Kathy Hall contributed an equal prize purse for men and women in the Series.

On Aug. 8, it was showtime, with Jensen, aka Ludde, and Newell facing off at the U16 National camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., as the Norwegian speedster retained his crown. Next up was the App Gap Challenge, round one of the new 2018 NENSA Bag Balm Rollerski Series p/b SkiTrax, in Fayston, Vt. on Aug. 11. With almost 120 finishers, the event doubled the 2017 field. Held in a Pursuit-style

format, racers tackled the steep slopes of Vermont’s toughest climb, beginning with skating and then transitioning to Classic mid-race.

The women’s field battled the 5km course, with Caitlin Patterson dominating the second half to take the overall win over Ida Sargent in second place. For the 7km men’s event, Kyle Bratrud had the fastest skate leg and never looked back, taking home the victory, with Adam Martin in second.

The Series continues on the Sept.

15-16 with the NYSEF Challenge (3km Prologue followed by a 1.5km sprint) on Day One, followed by the legendary Climb to the Castle race the next day.

The Fall Rollerski Classic will follow on Oct. 13, and the Series wraps with the NENSA Elite Invitational at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vt. on Nov. 3. With a $1,000 cash purse for the overall winners, the Series will also feature an awards and Winter Kick-off Party at the Trapp Bierhall.

For more information, visit www. nensa.com. continued on page 16 www.skitrax.com

OUT IN FRONT

To Be Inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame

C

Chandra Crawford celebrates Olympic gold in 2006.

Heinz Ruckemann

Chandra Crawford anada’s Sports Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2018 to be inducted at a ceremony on Oct. 18 at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre. Included among the eight inductees is cross-country-ski great Chandra Crawford.

The Olympic gold medalist will take her place in the Hall of Fame along with six-time world champion wheelchair racer Jeff Adams, four-time Grey Cup football champion Damon Allen, groundbreaking female baseball player and broadcaster Mary Baker, Canadian diving legend Alexandre Despatie, four-time Stanley Cup champion Dave Keon, Olympic rower Dr. Sandra Kirby and indigenous sport-pioneer and advocate Wilton Littlechild.

Crawford won a gold medal in the women’s cross-country 1.1 km sprint at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. She finished her successful career with two World Cup wins and five podium finishes, also winning gold at the 2005 Canadian Championships.

Each of the inductees selected to join the Class of 2018 has fostered inspiration both on and off the field of play, using sport as a platform to build a better country for their fellow athletes and all Canadians.

In 2005, Crawford established Fast and Female, a not-for-profit organization, to change the culture around girls in sports and provide inspirational role models. With a vision to create “a positive, empowering environment for girls in sport,” the organization has grown and now hosts 50 events all over North America with ambassadors from 25 different sports and reaches more than 3,000 girls aged eight to 18 annually.

“We are pleased to announce the Class of 2018. This year’s Class has broken down barriers, blazed new trails and served as proud international ambassadors for Canadian values. This group of people is a great reflection of Canada’s rich sporting history,” said Janice Smith, interim president and CEO of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. – RJ

www.skitrax.com

Worldloppet’s 40th Anniversary

I

n 1978, American Tony Wise pioneered the first Worldloppet season, combining nine of the world's most popular races into a united calendar at a meeting in Uppsala, Sweden.

Now 40 years old, the Worldloppet Ski Federation holds 20 races in 20 different countries over four different continents delivering quality racing for 110,000 annual participants of all abilities from all over the globe. The FIS Worldloppet Cup was created during the 1999/2000 season as a platform for the top Nordic skiers to compete at the highest level in marathon-like distances.

“For many people who have been involved in Worldloppet races from the beginning, the time has passed in a glimpse," said Epp Paal, the CEO of Worldloppet (WL). "Perhaps because it has been so interesting. For WL President Juha Viljamaa, it took 37 years to become a Master, demonstrating that there is room and time for everyone to accomplish their goals.”

To learn more, check out the hashtag #worldloppet40 for unique and historical content on several social-media platforms or visit the Worldloppet website at www.worldloppet.com – NS

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 15

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OUT IN FRONT

Legendary American ski legend and former Olympian, Jon Rein Engen

Tribute to Honour

Jon Engen Nordic Skiing Loses a True Champion of the Sport

by Jim Fredericks

Jon Engen at the 1992 Biathlon Worlds in Albertville, France

In Winter 1988, Engen went to the U.S. Olympic tryouts in biathlon, and when he narrowly missed making the team, he turned his efforts to cross-country and succeeded in being named to the 1988 U.S. Olympic cross-country team. He went on to make two more Olympic teams in 1992 and 1996 as a biathlete. Engen was a fierce competitor and well known on the ski circuit, whether it was biathlon, marathon skiing or the U.S. cross-country National circuit.

In his later years, he competed as a Masters racer and achieved World Masters champion status multiple times in his age group. As a competitor, Engen was wellliked on the ski circuit, but also feared by his competitors. However, his humble demeanour outside of competition attributed to his popularity off the ski course.

After his Olympic years, Engen moved to Sun Valley, where he married Darlene Young. Both Engen and Young competed on the marathon circuit with Team Rossignol for many years. During this time period, Engen created his own coaching group in the Sun Valley area. He coached racers of all levels, but particularly 16 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

photos: Engen Collection

O

n April 26, Jon Engen passed away peacefully after an extraordinarily courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Throughout the fight, he never gave up hope or his spirit.

Engen was born in Norway and came to Bozeman, Mont., where he settled after graduating from Montana State University with a degree in engineering in 1983.

Having a strong background in Nordic skiing and a true love of the outdoors, Bozeman became a perfect setting to pursue his interests and a career in engineering.

enjoyed working with Masters skiers. Being an engineer, Engen had a very analytical mind, which contributed to his success as a coach. While skiing for Team Rossignol, his teammates often looked up to Engen for his expertise in training and technique. Many of those racers still credit Engen’s coaching as a contributing factor in their success.

Ski racing was not Engen’s only passion. During the summer months, he would take to road cycling and compete with much success in statewide and national timetrial competition. He developed many friends in the cycling world, and was well respected for his riding strengths and technical knowledge.

Engen made time to give back to the sport of Nordic skiing after his most competitive years. He served as U.S. Ski and Snowboard’s Cross Country Sport Committee chair from 2006 to 2014, and was involved in almost every aspect of the sport. As an athlete, coach and industry representative, Engen was regarded as one of the committee’s most impactful leaders. He was inducted into the

Darlene Young and Jon Engen

Sun Valley Hall of Fame in 2014, and was honoured this year at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Chairman’s Awards dinner with the Al Merrill Award for his service to Nordic skiing in America.

Engen touched many people over the years, and will surely be missed as a force in the Nordic sports.

Lake Placid to Receive Major Upgrades Forty years young, the Lake Placid, N.Y. region is about to receive some serious upgrades to its winter-sports facilities that put the area on the map when it hosted the Winter Olympics in 1980.

The upgrades were announced following news that the area plans to host the 2023 Winter World Universiade Games.

The five-year master plan includes improvements in all Olympic Regional Development Authority areas, including Whiteface Mountain, Gore Mountain, Mount Van Hoevenberg and the ski-jumping complex, with the first phase of upgrades pegged at approximately $20 million.

Improvements at Mount Van Hoevenberg include an eight-million-gallon snowmaking reservoir and storage structure, as well as five kilometres of new International-Ski-Federation-sanctioned ski trails with snowmaking and lighting, a new biathlon stadium area, a new sliding-sports training building, new base-area welcome lodge, a combined bobsled and luge-track support building, access and utility improvements, a new alpine coaster ride that follows the 1932/1980 bobsled track, parking improvements and improved vehicular and pedestrian routing.

In addition to the improvements at ORDA’s premier cross-country facility, other notable upgrades include new beginner and intermediate trails and lifts at Whiteface Mountain and Gore Mountain, improved snowmaking at each alpine centre, as well as a slew of new equipment at the ski-jumping facility, highlighted by a new 70-metre ski jump.

In October 2017, a Snowfactory portable-snowmaking system by TechnoAlpin was installed, a first in North America, and it exceeded expectations, as Mount Van Hoevenberg’s Cross Country & Biathlon Center, which hosts 35,000 skier visits each winter, was open for more than 150 days.

Phase One of the new construction is reported to begin this fall and finish by Winter 2019.

Big Thunder Nordic Adds New Coaching Staff Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club (BTNSC) is excited to welcome back Adam Kates as its head coach beginning September 2018. Kates has been skiing in Thunder Bay, Ont. for almost continued on page 22 www.skitrax.com

OUT IN FRONT

Liz Stephen Retires

by Sue Wemyss

www.skitrax.com

Herb Swanson Nordic Focus

Nordic Focus

O

ver a 12-year career, Liz Stephen achieved more than just fantastic results; she also helped push the U.S. women’s cross-country-ski program to a new level.

Stephen began her racing career on the alpine circuit, competing for the Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont. At the age of 15, she switched to the Nordic discipline and immediately became competitive under the wing of Burke’s head coach, Matt Whitcomb.

Year 2008 saw her first international podium, placing third in the 15km Freestyle event at the U23 World Championships in Malles, Italy.

The next year, Stephen Liz Stephen had participated in her a remarkable career. first of five Elite World Championships and qualified for the U.S. Olympic team for the Vancouver Games. Stephen would also race at the 2014 and 2018 Olympics, with her top performance coming in Sochi with a 12th place in the Skiathlon.

Stephen excelled in the long-distance events, and claimed two World Cup podiums, finishing

Liz Stephen celebrated a fabulous 12-year career at the season finale.

Stephen won six National titles and claimed two World Cup silver podiums.

second at Rybinsk, Russia in 2015 and second at the Pyeongchang Test Event in 2017.

She captured six National Championships titles, with her last coming in 2011 in the 20km Freestyle.

Also a talented natural climber, she often challenged for the win up the brutally steep Alpe Cermis, the final stage of the Tour de Ski. In 2015, she finished fifth overall, but nailed her best result in 2016, coming in second on the final stage up Cermis.

She also won the seventh annual NYSEF Climb to the Castle Rollerski race in Wilmington, N.Y. in 2013 and the North Face Race to the Top of Vermont in Stowe that same year.

The women’s 4x5km relay has had huge success over the past decade, and Stephen was an integral member, most often racing the third leg.

She and her teammates hit the podium for the first time in Gaellivare, Sweden in 2012, earning third place. In each of the 2013, 2015 and 2017 World Championship relays, the team recorded stellar fourth-place finishes.

In addition to her racing prowess, Stephen added great spirit and a fun, caring personality to the US National team. Back home in Utah, she will return to school to become a nurse, but she will never lose her drive and passion.

Her advice to young skiers reflects her philosophy: “Love the pursuit of the goal, not the goal itself. Be a good teammate above all else. Find the joy of sport and life in every moment you can. And try, try, try, try, try as hard as you can as many days and in as many things as you can. That’s how you find out just how good you can be.”

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 17

OUT IN FRONT

Noah Hoffman Retires

by Ron Johnson

Noah Hoffman claimed both the 30km and 50km National crosscountry-ski titles and was one of the top distance skiers in the U.S.

Olympian and Stage World Cup Winner

by Chris Hatton

First U.S. Skier in World Cup Red Group

L

egendary Kris Freeman, 37, is hanging up the skis following an amazing 18-year career and a legacy that includes five Olympic Games, 17 U.S. cross-country-ski National titles, multiple top-10 results on the World Cup, a fourth at the FIS Nordic Worlds and gold in the 30km at the inaugural U23 Nordic World Championships in 2003.

Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 19, Freeman, a New Hampshire native, spent his career inspiring others while educating the rest of the world on the possibilities for those suffering with this disease.

At an early age, he was already looking to follow in the footsteps of his brother, former U.S. Olympian Justin Freeman, and showed unbelievable potential in his initial few seasons of cross-country racing. He won his first National Championship title in the men’s 30km Classic in 2000 and raced on the U.S. Ski Team (USST) from 2002 to 2013.

It was prior to the 2002 Olympics, while undergoing regular blood work for the USST, that he tested positive for Type 1 diabetes. When the team doctor told him that it would not be possible for him to compete, he took it upon himself to find new doctors, learn everything he could about the disease and continued to race at the highest international level.

Freeman understood that it would take an enormous amount of work to even compete at that level and so collaborated with Zack Caldwell from Caldwell Sport, whom he’d met during his formative ski years while attending the University of Vermont. The duo painstakingly regulated and monitored Freeman’s blood-sugar levels and developed specific training programs and a regimen to help him realize his dreams.

In such a high-stress environment, Freeman would often times require multiple OmniPods (an insulin-delivery system) to regulate his insulin levels, and he held himself to an unbelievably strict diet prior to competition.

18 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

Hoffman has signed on as an athletic presenter for TrueSport, the partner brand of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. In addition, he has begun classes at Brown University in Providence, R.I. as a first-year undergraduate.

A Type 1 diabetic, Kris Freeman earned 17 cross-country-ski National titles and was the dominant U.S. distance skier at the senior level for 16 years.

Tom Kelly / USSA

Kris Freeman Retires

Nordic Focus

A

merican cross-country-skier Noah Hoffman announced his retirement via his personal blog on March 8, stating that his last race would be the FIS World Cup event at the Holmenkollen Ski Festival in Oslo, Norway two days later.

Hoffman, who was born in Evergreen, Colo. and skis out of Vail, took up the sport at the age of four and made his World Cup debut 15 years later in January 2009.

In 2012, he made a big splash at the U23 World Championships, placing second in the 15km Classic, one of the highest finishes ever by an American at these Championships. That same year, Hoffman won the U.S. National Championship in the 30km Classic, and claimed the 50km title in 2014 and in 2015.

Hoffman was one of the top distance skiers in the U.S., and won a Stage World Cup in 2013 at the season opener in Kuusamo, Finland, taking the final stage of the Ruka Triple, the 15km freestyle Pursuit. His best individual World Cup result was eighth in the 30km Skiathlon at the test event in Pyeongchang, South Korea in Feb. 2017, matching his result at the Canmore, Alta. World Cup in 2012 in the same event.

He represented his country at back-to-back Winter Olympics in 2014 and 2018, finishing 26th in the 50km Classic in Sochi, Russia after skiing near the front for the first 45km, as well as 11th in the men’s 4x10km relay.

It is also notable that Hoffman declined an invitation to attend the White House after the 2018 Olympic Games to protest the U.S. pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement and its inaction on climate change. Instead, he spent the day talking to schoolchildren about the importance of the issue.

He was able to manage and overcome the challenges and was the dominant U.S. distance skier at the senior level for 16 years, playing a pivotal role in the success of the USST. He achieved in his career what others could only dream of, being the first American to qualify for the “Red Group,” and so becoming one of the top 30 athletes on the World Cup circuit.

His marquee race was the 15km Classic, and he finished just off the podium in fourth at the 2003 Worlds in Val di Fiemme, Italy and again in 2009 at Liberec, Czech Republic, which remains one of his most memorable results, as Team USA took home multiple podiums in Nordic-combined, ski jumping and cross-country skiing at those World Championships.

To this day, Freeman’s goal is to overturn misinformation on Type 1 diabetes, and he continually works with multiple diabetes’ foundations to raise awareness and funding for the disease. While stepping away from the Professional cross-country-ski scene, he now takes on the role of father with his wife, Amber, to perhaps foster the next generation of Freemans in the sport. www.skitrax.com

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OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 19

OUT IN FRONT

Knute Johnsgaard Retires

Historic Relay Bronze Highlights Career

by Ron Johnson

Jesse Cockney Retires

Double Olympian Claimed 2nd in the Sprint at Canmore World Cup

by Ron Johnson

J

esse Cockney started cross-country skiing in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories when he was three years old and went on to ski at the highest level of the sport for Canada’s senior National team for more than a decade.

He participated at two Olympic Winter Games and announced his retirement in March at the 2018 Ski Nationals in Thunder Bay, Ont. Cockney is reportedly set to begin studies at the University of Calgary with an eye on a law degree with gusto equal to his storied cross-countryskiing career.

An Inuvialuit raised in Yellowknife meant he grew up skiing and was a natural.

His father, Angus, also skied on the junior National team, winning two gold medals at the Canada Winter Games, and had a hand in how quickly Cockney developed as an athlete.

When he was seven years old, he moved to Canmore, Alta. to develop his talent for skiing in Alberta’s youth programs, and he continues to live there with his girlfriend, Annika Hicks. Jesse made his first World Cup appearance in 2011 and turned heads at the U23 Nordic Worlds sprints in Otepää, Estonia, when he scraped by in 30th in the qualifications, but then made the finals, where he claimed sixth. He also had a breakthrough performance at the Canada Winter Games that same year, winning three gold medals in the 4x5km relay, Freestyle sprint and 15km Classic.

Cockney’s best result was at the FIS Alberta World Cup, where he was second behind Sweden’s Emil Joensson in the men’s 1.3km Freestyle-sprint qualifications in Canmore, Alta. in December 2012.

He made his Olympic debut in 2014 at the Sochi Winter Games in Russia, and appeared again at the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where he competed in the Classic sprint, placing 35th.

Being a positive role model for aboriginal youth in Canada has always been a priority for him, either on his own or through the Classroom Champions program. He plans to continue to work with youth in the future and to support programs offered by Canmore’s Foothills Nordic Club.

Nordic Focus

(l-r) Len Valjas, Alex Harvey, Knute Johnsgaard and Devon Kershaw celebrate men’s relay bronze in 2017.

C

20 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

Jesse Cockney made his mark and enjoys being a positive role model for aboriginal youth in Canada.

Nordic Focus

anadian cross-country skier Knute Johnsgaard announced his retirement through a blog post on April 20. Born in 1992, he grew up near Whitehorse, Yukon, began skiing at the young age of six and went on to compete in the Junior World Championships in 2012 and the Elite Worlds in 2017. He was part of the men’s Canadian relay team that won historic bronze, their first-ever medal in the relay, at Ulricehamn, Sweden in January 2017.

Johnsgaard became a Canadian Olympian at the Pyeongchang 2018 Games, highlighted by a ninth-place finish in the men’s 4x10km relay. In an interview with CBC, the 25-year-old Yukon native spoke maturely about his path to the highest level, explaining that it may not be as picture-perfect as everyone thinks.

“The world of sport is cruel, in that I was always left wanting more. When you believe anything is possible, then everything less than perfect is not good enough,” said Johnsgaard. “I always found myself striving for the next step that I could only hope would bring satisfaction. Instead, it brought only desire for greater success, which only got exponentially harder to achieve as I climbed the ladder.”

He opened up about struggling with depression and anxiety throughout his career, associating the battle for success in sport with mental illness.

“The final step was hard for me, and near the end of my career, I began to struggle with anxiety and depression. It took so much energy that I didn’t have anything left over for ski races anymore, and I wasn’t happy," he wrote in his blog.

After returning from the Olympics, the Yukon native made the decision and felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and is now looking forward to setting down roots back home. Although removed from the international scene, he doesn’t want to distance himself entirely from the cross-country-ski world and is considering coaching younger athletes.

When his decision was announced, Johnsgaard had the entire town of Whitehorse behind him, supporting their local star with positive messages, banners and even dried meat.

“It was really special to feel all that love and support from back home,” he concluded in the CBC interview. “It really meant a lot to me. To have that support from family and friends back home whether or not you’re standing on the podium is so special. No matter what it’s worth it. It makes the whole journey more enjoyable.”

www.skitrax.com

Graeme Killick Retires

Chris Klebl Retires

by Julie Melanson

by Ron Johnson

Double Olympian Won 50km CL National Title in 2017

P

aralympic medal-winning Canadian cross-country sit-skier Chris Klebl announced his retirement in March following a silver-medal performance at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

This followed a dozen years of international competition for Klebl, who represented both the U.S. and Canada during his stellar career.

Klebl was born in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1972, and grew up skiing and snowboarding in Austria before moving to the United States in 1987. Following spinal-cord injuries that resulted from a snowboarding accident in Colorado, Klebl worked as a massage therapist in Hawaii and in the software industry in California before being introduced to sit-skiing by American Para-skier Monica Bascio and beginning competing in 2005.

He competed for the U.S. and did quite well in top competitions, including a dozen World Cup podiums, 11 National titles and appeared in two Paralympic Games.

In 2011, Klebl began to compete for Canada, and his move north of the border to Canmore, Alta. seemed to pay off in immediate benefits.

At the IPC Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing World Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, he took home a gold medal in the 15km race, as well as a silver medal in the sprint.

And, in 2014, Klebl, 42 at the time, lined up for the Maple Leaf squad at the Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia and shocked the world as he won his first Paralympic medal, a gold one at that, in the 10km event.

“The Paralympics are once every four years, and this is my third,” Klebl told media outlet CBC at the time. “I’ve been doing this for 10 years. It was the last opportunity for the next four years. I’m pretty excited.”

Fast-forward those four years, and this past spring in Pyeongchang, Klebl was part of a Canadian Nordic team that set a national record, winning an incredible 16 medals that included a silver slung around Klebl’s neck for his efforts in the 4-by-2.5km Mixed-Relay event, capping off an impressive career.

Nordic Focus

Graeme Killick broke into the top 20 in the men's 50km FR with a career-best 19th at the FIS World Championships in 2015 at Falun, Sweden.

Impressive Career Includes Paralympic Gold and Silver

G

www.skitrax.com

Chris Klebl enjoyed a stellar career in both the U.S.A. and Canada with multiple World Cup podiums and Paralympic medals as well.

Canadian Paralympic Committee

raeme Killick began skiing at the age of five in the Jackrabbit program at Ptarmigan Nordic Ski Club in Fort McMurray, Alta. In 2009, at the age of 19, he participated in the World Junior Ski Championships in France, placing 14th in the Classic sprint, 15th in the 20km Pursuit and 25th in the 10km skate. The following year at the U23 Championships in Germany, he placed seventh in the 30km Pursuit.

Killick competed on both the World Cup and Nor-Am Cup circuits.

He made his World Cup debut in January 2011, competing in the Skiathlon and the 50km and 15km events.

His best career result was 19th in the men's 50km FR at the FIS World Championships in 2015 at Falun, Sweden. Killick proved his strength in the 15km Freestyle as well when he crossed the line in 15th at the Norwegian National Championships in Vang in 2018.

Killick made his Olympic debut at the Sochi 2014 Games and placed 26th in the 50km Mass Start. At Pyeongchang 2018, he finished 27th in the 50km. Killick was a key member of the men's 4x10km relay at the Sochi and Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. In the latter, he gained precious seconds, moving up three places during his leg to help bring the team to a ninth-place finish.

On a national scale, Killick finished fifth in the overall Nor-Am Cup standings in 2012 and 2013 and won the Skiathlon at the Ski Nationals in 2014 and 2015. He won his first 50km National title in a battle to the finish line against Andy Shields at Canmore in 2017. “I've always wanted the 50-kilometre title, so it was really special to be able to do it today here in Canmore,” he told media outlet CBC. The FIS World Cups held in Canada were also important steppingstones during his career. “I think the domestic World Cups have brought a lot of attention to the sport, and it's really exciting to see a level of engagement that will propel the next generation of Canadian skiers.”

Killick also has a passion for surfing and windsurfing, with annual trips to Maui made after the ski season.

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 21

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OUT IN FRONT

Tim Burke Retires First American to Wear World Cup Leader’s Bib

by Sue Wemyss

two decades, and previously held the job from 2008 to 2014. The club is looking forward to watching Kates mentor the next generation of Thunder Bay skiers. With experience as a high-performance athlete and his extensive coaching certification, it is expected that the athletes will flourish under Kates’ direction.

BTNSC is a not-for-profit club that promotes cross-country skiing in Thunder Bay. It shares the common goal of developing athletes of all ages and abilities. For more information, visit www.btnordic.ca.

Lappe Nordic Announces New Staff

US Biathlon

Tim Burke (r) and Lowell Bailey celebrated their fabulous careers at their last European race in Oslo, Norway.

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Nordic Focus

im Burke, one of America’s top biathletes, has reThe New York native made history in December 2009 tired following a career that spanned two decades by being the first American to capture the overall lead in at the sport’s highest level. Burke achieved specthe World Cup and earn the yellow leader’s bib. He did tacular results, shared his wisdom with younger teamso with top results at the opening World Cup in Oestermates and, in 2009, rewrote the history books. Fortusund, followed by consistent finishes at the races that nately, the 36-year-old will be staying on in the sport by followed. The next year, Burke made his second Olympic assuming a new role as athlete-development manager appearance, this time at Vancouver 2010. for the US Biathlon Association.

The 2012-13 season held more career highlights for Burke took up biathlon as a young teen, which comBurke. He earned a silver medal in the 20km Individual bined his enjoyment of shooting and skiing. He grew up race, breaking a long Biathlon World Championship mednear Lake Placid in the town of Paul Smiths, N.Y., and comal drought for the American men. He also achieved his peted in his first Junior World Biathlon Championships in best World Cup season ranking, finishing 10th overall. the year 2000, representing the U.S. for the next four years, Burke made his final Olympic appearance at the competing as well at the 2003 Junior Biathlon Worlds.

Pyeongchang 2018 Games, where he captured his The next season was an uncertain time for Burke, as best-ever Individual Olympic performance, finishing he developed severe hip problems that almost ended 17th in the Pursuit. He was also part of the U.S. men’s his career, but the American battled back to earn his relay team that finished the 2018 Games on a high first IBU World Cup start in Ruhpolding, Germany during note with its sixth-place finish in the 4x7.5km relay, the 2003-04 season. That year, he also qualified for the matching the team’s result at the 1972 Olympics in Biathlon World ChampionSapporo, Japan. ship team, which would be The final race of Burke's the first of 11 appearances. career was at the 2018 U.S. The four-time Olympian Nationals in Park City, Utah, made his debut at Torino where he crossed his final fin2006, and during the followish line with longtime teaming winter, he earned his first mate Lowell Bailey, who also World Cup points in the retired. Burke now takes on a 20km race at the seanew role at the US Biathlon son-opener in Oestersund, Association as athlete-develSweden. He also scored his opment manager to assist deTim Burke became the first American first top-10 finish in a World veloping biathletes across to capture the overall World Cup yellow Cup that year with a sixth the U.S.A. and help them leader's bib at Pokljuka, Slovenia in 2009. in Slovenia. jump to the next level.

22 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

Lappe Nordic is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to its team. Rena Veihbek, a former Lakehead University athlete, will take on a new role as Club Program manager, handling administrative work for Lappe’s programs, from its youth Bunny/Jackrabbit group to its Junior and Adult race squads. She will also help support and organize the school programs.

Lappe has also added a new head coach, Eric Bailey, who is one of Canada’s most accomplished ski coaches. Bailey has had 20 years in a coaching role and holds Level 3 CCC qualifications. He looks to deliver a unique experience for all athletes, using both fun and scientific coaching methods. For more information, visit www.lappenordic.ca/.

One Way Declared Bankrupt and Acquired by Fischer Finnish Nordic-ski company One Way Sports declared bankruptcy in March, but the brand known for its bright-yellow ski poles and top skier sponsorships will live on, as it was purchased by Fischer Sports GmbH. Fischer has acquired the unrestricted use of trademarks, patents, patent applications and domain names of One Way and OW. One Way was founded in Finland in 2004, and developed into an iconic brand with a focus on cross-country skiing. Its product portfolio included poles, goggles, skis, boots, rollerskis, textiles and accessories.

One Way’s slick ski poles have been the brand of choice for many top athletes, including Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla, Switzerland’s Dario Cologna, Finland’s Matti Heikkinen and France’s biathlon superstar Martin Fourcade.

Until last year, the company also sponsored gold-medal-winning American cross-country skier Jessie Diggins. At one time, One Way was also an official supplier to Canada's national cross-country-ski team. www.skitrax.com

OUT IN FRONT

Fans are stoked that the BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup will return to North America in February 2019 with two weekends of racing.

The first weekend marks the return of the World Cup to renowned Canmore Nordic Center in Canmore, Alta. from Feb. 7-10. The biathlon World Cup caravan will then transfer to Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah for the following weekend of competitions on Feb. 14-17 at the site of the 2002 Olympic Games biathlon races. The IBU Biathlon World Cup was held for the first time in Canmore in 2016, while the Olympic venue at Soldier Hollow has not seen an international biathlon race since the 2002 Winter Games.

Canmore will feature a 15k/20km Individual competition, then two days later, a women’s 4x6km relay, as well as a 4x7.5km men’s relay.

The competitions conclude with the 12.5/15km Mass-Start races.

Following the Canadian leg, racers trek up to a higher altitude a few days later at Soldier Hollow for the 7.5/10km sprint races. A rest day lets everyone catch their breath before the 10/12.5km Pursuits on the Saturday and Sunday’s Single-Mixed and Mixed-Relay competitions.

“It’s been an amazing start for ticket sales,” said Ken Davies, Canmore’s chief of the organizing committee. “Many of the purchasers are the same as those who attended the World Cup in 2016.”

The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation is pleased to see investments made at the venue, including an updated range, coaches’ box, a modern scoring system, snow-making machines and spectator access, pay off.

“The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation has worked to return Soldier Hollow Nordic Center to international standards. We look forward to showcasing Soldier Hollow and the Heber Valley on an international stage for this incredible event,” said Colin Hilton, president and CEO of the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation.

With an expected 50-million viewers per World Cup broadcast, this sport is gaining traction in North America. For more info, visit www.canmorebiathlon.ca and www. biathlonworldcuputah.com. – TA www.skitrax.com

Wins Historic Biathlon Worlds Gold for USA

by Sue Wemyss

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fter a successful 17-year career with US Biathlon, Lowell Bailey, 37, from Lake Placid, N.Y. announced his retirement following the 2017-18 season. The four-time Olympian made history at the 2017 IBU Biathlon World Championships, winning the first-ever Championship gold medal by an American biathlete.

Bailey grew up with cross-country skiing in his blood, competing in his first race at the age of three, and with the help of childhood ski-coach Bill Brooker, the young rising star was invited to a US Biathlon talent-identification camp when he was 13 years old. The opportunity to combine shooting and skiing became his passion, and he focused on competing at the Junior Biathlon World Championships from 1999 through to 2001, where he achieved his best result, finishing 11th in the Pursuit.

As he graduated from the junior ranks, Bailey narrowly missed out on his first Olympic berth in 2002 for the Salt Lake City Games. However, the next year he qualified for the senior Biathlon Worlds in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, the first of 11 appearances at Worlds.

During the 2003-04 season, Bailey put his international career on hold to race for the University of Vermont’s (UVM) Catamount ski team. While attending UVM, he placed second on two occasions at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships.

Bailey returned to full-time training at the Maine Winter Sports Center in Fort Kent, Me. He went on to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018.

At 30, he had a breakthrough season in 2011-12 with two top-five World Cup performances, finishing the season in 14th overall. He surpassed that ranking during the 2016-17 season, where he finished a record eighth overall, the best-ever result by an American biathlete.

Bailey reached a new high point of racing achievement for the men’s US Biathlon team at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The Lake Placid native registered

Lowell Bailey made history in 2017, winning the U.S.A.’s Biathlon Worlds gold medal.

Nordic Focus

Canmore and Soldier Hollow to Host IBU Biathlon World Cups

Lowell Bailey Retires

the best result at an Olympic Games for an American biathlete, placing eighth in the Individual 20km race.

Soon after, he followed that up with his first World Cup podium in the men’s 10km sprint at Kontiolahti, Finland.

In 2015, he tied the knot with Erika Edgley and started a family. By the next year, he was considering hanging up his skis for good to focus on his new family life. Fortunately, the chairman of the board of the Crosscut Mountain Sports Center reached out and offered Bailey a job as a consultant for its new biathlon-training facility, allowing him to work while away at competitions.

Bailey took the opportunity, and in 2017, he scored his most iconic victory of all, a win at the Biathlon World Championships in men’s 20km Individual at Hochfilzen, Austria. He shot clean in all four shooting rounds on his way to gold, and his victory held American fans in awe.

He took home another World Cup podium the next month at the Pyeongchang Test Event, scoring the silver in the 10km sprint, and a week later, he won silver in the Single Mixed-Relay event with teammate Susan Dunklee at the IBU World Cup in Kontiolahti, marking the U.S.A.’s first team medal in 23 years. The duo took home bronze in the same event at the IBU Open European Championships on Jan. 28, 2018 at Ridnaun-Val Ridanna, Italy.

Bailey concluded his career at the 2018 US Nationals in Park City, Utah, crossing his final finish line together with longtime teammate Tim Burke, who also retired. Bailey and his wife, Erika, are now expecting their second child in July, and are now based in Bozeman, where he is the executive director of the Crosscut Mountain Sports Center.

Team USA celebrates Lowell Bailey’s historic gold medal.

Nordic Focus

“Our goal is to develop One Way into the world’s leading supplier of cross-country and alpine ski poles,” said Franz Föttinger, CEO of Fischer Sports GmbH in a release.

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 23

OUT IN FRONT

Bryan Fletcher Retires

Julia Ransom Retires

Storied Career Includes a Historic King’s Cup Victory

Two Career Top-10 Finishes

by Chris Hatton

by Ron Johnson

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A Junior Biathlon Worlds silver medalist, Julie Ransom earned two top-10 results during her successful career.

Nordic Focus

fter an incredible 159 World Cup starts, U.S. Nordic-combined athlete Bryan Fletcher announced his retirement from competition following a seventh-place finish at Trondheim, Norway.

“I’m very happy,” Fletcher said, following his final World Cup competition. “This was the perfect way to end the day and end the career. Today, I was able to fight for the podium. I didn’t quite have the legs I was hoping for at the end, but, all in all, I’m not disappointed whatsoever.”

Fletcher has been a member of the U.S. Nordic-combined team since 2006, and has long established himself as one of the best combined skiers in the world.

He took up the sport of ski jumping as a distraction from a childhood diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He leaves the sport following an impressive career that includes 27 Individual World Cup top-10’s, multiple Continental Cup podiums and a win at the historic King’s Cup at the Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway, the biggest World Cup event of the season.

Fletcher grew up in Steamboat Springs, Colo., aka Ski Town USA, home to the historic Howelsen Hill ski-jumping venue. He was skiing by the time he was three years old. His father took him up the mountain almost every day. He started jumping at four, cross-country at six, and his future as a combined skier was pretty much set, despite having to overcome childhood cancer.

“The doctors didn’t want me to jump, but I loved it,” he said. “My parents wanted me to be happy, so I started and I’ve stuck with it.”

In recent years, Fletcher co-founded a charity called ccThrive to help childhood cancer survivors thrive after treatment. He co-founded the organization with Gavin Shamis, a young cancer survivor who overcame his own battles and is now a member of the USA Luge Junior National development team and training for the 2022 Olympics.

Fletcher, a two-time U.S. National champion in 2015 and 2016, competed in two Olympic Winter Games, including this year in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where he placed 17th in both Individual races. In Pyeongchang, Fletcher competed alongside his brother, Taylor, who is known as one of the country’s best cross-country skiers.

Fletcher said that he intends to focus on school and family and plans to finish school as soon as possible. He lives in Park City, Utah with his wife, Nikki, and daughter, Ellery.

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Nordic Focus

Bryan Fletcher earned 27 Individual World Cup top-10’s and a win at the historic King’s Cup at the Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway in 2012.

24 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

fter being named one of the top performers on Biathlon Canada’s World Cup team, Julia Ransom, 25, made the difficult decision to retire after a relatively short but successful career.

Beginning in her youth, the Kelowna, B.C. native was on skis with the aid of her parents, and made her first appearance on the biathlon scene at the age of 12. In 2011, she made the move to Canmore, Alta. to focus her efforts on training and competing in the sport.

With the guidance of solid coaching at the Biathlon Alberta Training Centre, she achieved multiple top-10 international results within the next year, highlighted by a silver medal in the Pursuit and a fifth place in the sprint at the Junior Biathlon World Championships in 2012.

Jumping to her debut with the National team in 2015, she played an important role in helping the women’s relay team achieve a 10th-place finish at the Biathlon World Championships in Finland, followed by a 20th-place in Individual and 11th place in the Mixed relay at the 2016 Biathlon Worlds in Norway.

Ransom had a breakthrough ninth-place result with perfect shooting, her first top-10 finish, in the women’s 15km at the IBU World Cup 2017/18 season kick-off in Ostersund, Sweden on Nov. 29. She matched that effort with clean shooting again in the women’s 7.5km sprint at Oberhof, Germany in January 2018.

The pinnacle of her career came with her Olympic debut at Pyeongchang 2018, highlighted by a 10th-place result in 4x6km relay and a 12th in the Mixed relay.

Following the Games, she wrote on Instagram: “What an incredible last couple of weeks! It was an honour to have been able to represent my home, family, sport and country at the Olympics this year. A massive thank you to everybody that cheered, supported and believed in my dream. I am forever grateful to you.”

She aims to pursue other interests such as mountain biking and backcountry skiing while she finishes her degree at Alberta’s Athabasca University. www.skitrax.com

Macx Davies Retires

Russell Currier Retires

2013 Junior Champion in Sprint, Pursuit and Mass-Start

Celebrates 18-Year Career

by Ron Johnson

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by Chris Hatton

merican biathlete Russell Currier announced his retirement from competition after almost 20 years in the sport in a post on his blog.

“This past week was also officially the last series of biathlon races of my career. The full details on that thought will come in another update.

It has been a long and strange trip. It was as much mine as it was for my supporters that never gave up through the highs and lows. For now, I’m in Bozeman, Mont. for a semi-vacation. I was already out West, so why not kill two birds with one round? With that said, I’m going to enjoy the brief moment in moving from the non-real world to real-world transition.”

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fter four years with Biathlon Canada, Macx Davies, 26, has decided to retire from competition after an accomplished career in the sport. The Canmore, Alta. native has experienced international success at multiple IBU Events, World Cups and World Championships alike. The self-proclaimed “terrible shot” relied on his skiing speed and agility as a competitive advantage, according to his bio on the Canadian Olympic Team website.

His early enrollment in the Jack Rabbits Nordic ski program at the Canmore Nordic Ski Club began his training at a young age, and he later moved to the Biathlon Alberta Training Centre in 2011 to further develop his career. Within the next two seasons, Davies became the 2013 Canadian and North American junior champion in sprint, Pursuit and Mass-Start competition, as well as finishing eighth in the 15km Individual event at the 2013 Junior Biathlon World Championships.

A strong 2015/2016 season saw Davies’ results highlighted by a 10thplace result in the sprint at the IBU World Cup in Oestersund, Sweden and a 15th-place finish in the sprint at the IBU Cup in Obertilliach, Austria.

Olympian Russell Currier had strong junior results and enjoyed an18-year career.

Nordic Focus

Nordic Focus

Macx Davies’ career is highlighted by a 10th-place result in the sprint at the IBU World Cup in Oestersund.

During 2016/2017, he struggled to maintain success throughout the season, and questioned his continuation in the sport. After removing himself from competition for a month and a half, he came back strong with an Olympic debut at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games as a member of Biathlon Canada’s 4x7.5km relay team.

With an 11th-place finish at the event, this was one of the major highlights of his career and a high note on which to end. Davies announced he was stepping away from the competitive scene permanently to pursue a degree at Athabasca University, while continuing to coach at the Canmore Nordic Ski Club. www.skitrax.com

Born and raised in Stockholm, Me., Currier’s biathlon career began in 2001, and he turned heads at the 2008 Junior World Championships in Ruhpolding, Germany with a 15th in the Individual, a 15th in the sprint, 20th in the Pursuit and ninth in the relay.

His other career highlights include competing at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games, where he finished 49th in the Individual 20km, 60th in the sprint and 16th in the relay. He also represented the U.S. at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games, but did not compete.

Currier had been contemplating retirement since 2016, but was compelled to continue through one more Olympic cycle. At the 2018 US Biathlon National Championships in Park City, Utah, he finished fourth in the sprint, sixth in the Pursuit and fifth in the Mass Start.

Currently, Currier is back in Maine working in landscaping, and continuing to train while he decides his next steps. He recently ran an ultramarathon and has expressed some interest in competing further.

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 25

2017-2018 U.S. CROSS COUNTRY SKI TEAM

U.S. men’s silver-medal 4x5km relay at 2018 Junior World Championships Luke Jager, Hunter Wonders, Gus Schumacher, and Ben Ogden (L TO R)

26 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

hailey swirbul: -Silver in the 5km individual start Classic -Bronze in the 10km Skiathlon -USA's best Junior Worlds cross country result EVER!!

www.skitrax.com

SUPPORT CROSS COUNTRY SKIING

BECOME A MEMBER AT: MY.USSA.ORG/JOINNORDIC www.skitrax.com

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 27

GEAR 2019 Preview The combined Outdoor Retailer and SIA Snow Show held in Denver, Colo. from Jan. 25-28 saw the largest U.S. trade show for outdoor and winter-sports industries host more than 1,000 brands. Ski and accessory manufacturers rolled out the red carpet on their new lines, and gear lovers have plenty to look forward to this coming season. SkiTrax was on hand, and here’s a snapshot of some of the great new high-tech products the Nordic world will be dying to get their hands on this coming winter.

Rottefella's new innovative MOVE binding system

Rottefella MOVE Binding System Rottefella has introduced MOVE, the world’s first slide-able binding system, winner of an ISPO award.

The new system lets you to move the binding backward or forward without releasing your boots. The innovative concept is easy to operate via a red dial near the front of the binding, allowing you to go from +3 to -1 in three simple turns. Skiers can now quickly and effortlessly adjust their position on their skis while out on the trail for improved performance in changing conditions. When the binding is moved back, it raises the camber, offering more glide, and when moved forward, it lowers the camber for better kick. According to Rottefella, the new bindings are International-Ski-Federation-approved and can be used with all current systems via a MOVE Switch Kit and Adaptor. Both Madshus and Alpina are using this exciting new system..

Swix Quantum Series Ski Poles

Rossignol's new Nordic Overboot

28 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

by Dalia and Dan Clausen

New for this season is the Quantum Series pole lineup from Swix. The re-design process began last year with its new Triac 3.0 and strap system used by top athletes at the 2018 Olympics. The new series features six carbon-fibre-shaft poles, courtesy of a new fabrication technique called cold-rolling, which provides a higher percentage of carbon fibre. The Triac 3.0 strap system is found on the Quantum 1, 2 and 3, while the lightweight Triac 3.0 basket system is featured throughout the series, all at a better price point and a great new option for skiers this season.

www.skitrax.com

Leki Nordic Tune Shark Boa Glove

Madshus Birkebeiner Skis

Leki has teamed up with Boa to create a new high-performance Nordic-ski glove. The innovative design of the Nordic Tune Shark Boa allows for maximum energy transfer from the skier through the glove and into the pole. This glove’s system allows the skier to precisely dial in the glove for a custom fit. It works in concert with Leki’s innovative Shark trigger system. Optimal energy transfer is achieved by a loop on the glove that clicks into the pole for a tight interface between the glove and the pole itself. The optimal fit of the Boa system further enhances energy transfer from the palm through to the pole for maximum performance

Longtime skiers will remember Madshus’s beautiful light-blondwood Birkebeiner skis from the 1970s. When the ski was revamped in the 1980s, a waxable fibreglass version with a light sidecut and a fast racing base was offered. Now, several decades later, its updated version is a skin ski. At 47-44-45mm, this new ski features pure race-performance DNA, with greater width and more shape in its sidecut. The new Birkebeiner Intelligrip skin ski has a 70% mohair and 30% nylon skin, which offers the perfect combination of grip, glide and durability. Lightweight skis at 1,175g/190m, with a touch more stability, they are perfect for touring or training. The slightly higher camber height at half-weight compression delivers better glide, but does require a more active kick. Now with Rottefella’s new MOVE system, that allows you to move the binding on the fly, the Birkebeiner can adapt to any skiing style, terrain and snow conditions.

Leki's new Nordic Tune Shark Boa glove

Salomon S-Lab Carbon Skate Skis Rossignol Premium Classic Ski & Overboot New this winter from Rossignol is its Premium Classic ski with the Scandinavian flex of World Cup design and construction, available in waxable and skin options. The new ski is a step above the existing World Cup Classics and offers a smooth transition from primary to secondary camber through its multipiece density sidewall material that helps keep the camber uniform. The tip profile has also been redesigned and lightened up. With a steeper angle, the ski’s “soft-free” tip is designed to make it fast in a wide variety of conditions.

Its skin option has eye-catching graphics.

Rossignol is also introducing an overboot to be worn over cross-countryski boots, so you can drive or walk in rugged environments. Offering great traction on slippery surfaces, its Neoprene upper keeps water and snow out so your feet are kept warm and dry pre-ski or during race-stretching and warm-ups. The overboot fits over your Classic, combi or skate cross-countryski boots.

Fischer Women’s Comfort Boot For 2019, Fischer is now offering an updated version of its women’s Touring Comfort boot. It will still retain some of the same features as the previous model, such as the reinforced ejection-mold heel counter, internal insulation throughout and the fleece-lined cuff for additional warmth. This will be the first women’s boot in Fischer women’s Touring line to come in a sleek black-and-white colour combination, a counterpoint to the white boots that female fans have grown to love.

Bliz Matrix multi-sport eyewear www.skitrax.com

Engineered for power, Salomon’s carbon skate skis have been very good performers. New for this year is an updated camber on its S-Lab SK Yellow ski, giving improved pressure distribution, a more relaxed stance and greater tip engagement, while still offering a free-tip feel.

At 1,000g, this lightweight ski will deliver quicker turnover and increased appreciation on any incline. Its the choice of Olympic gold-medalist Jessie Diggins. Need we say more.

The S-Lab SK Blue skis for dry- or cold-snow conditions have also been tweaked for increased stability and better weight distribution from tip to tail. Lightweight with its thin-ply-specific 45° carbon-weave construction for improved torsion-to-flex, these skis keep you more relaxed during longer hauls. Designed to be “consumer-friendly,” these boards will appeal to a wide range of skiers.

Bliz Matrix Eyewear

Fischer's Comfort boot for women

Already on the World Cup scene and available to the public this winter, Bliz’s new Matrix multi-sport eyewear functions well in cross-country skiing and other outdoor activities. Its main feature is its large uninterrupted frame, which allows you full field of vision.

The large lens protects your eyes and face from wind, snow and ice, but with enough ventilation to direct gentle air flow over the lens so you stay fog-free.

The temple and nose-pieces are adjustable for optimal comfort. The Matrix comes in a variety of colours and lens options.

(l-r) Swix's new Quantum Series ski poles, Madshus's Birkebeiner skin skis, Salomon S-Lab Carbon skate skis OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 29

Auclair Gloves The Auclair Capreol is a well-insulated introductory glove for the middle- or high-school skier. It offers a high-end Amara palm with added cushioning, all at an entry-level price point. The lining is soft and comfortable, and the knit cuff helps to keep cold air out from around the wrist.

Its new Pinery glove comes in a variety of fun colours and is also offered as a claw or full mitt. With 70g of Thinsulate insulation, it’s a great glove for colder days. The palm is made of form-fitting Amara material, while the inside liner is made of a brushed soft material, which adds to its optimal fit.

The Trillium, a new, more performance-driven glove in Auclair’s Nordic collection, offers a closer fit and features 70g of Thinsulate on its back for warmth. A thinner Amara palm allows closer contact and power transfer from the hand to the pole, while the snug Neoprene wrist cuff keeps cold air out.

One Way Premio SLG 10 Ski Poles This season’s One Way top-of-the-line Premio SLG 10 ski pole has gone on a diet. The updated version, still the choice of many top skiers in the U.S., Canada and abroad, is made of a lighter carbon material from Japan, exclusive to One Way. With the same stiffness as before, it is lighter than ever. The basket change-it system is still offered and only adds 3g to the total weight of this now-lighter pole.

Anti-Freeze SuperPuff Jacket Andrew Gerlach, creator of the Anti-Freeze brand, delivers a new warm comfortable jacket with attached hood, all made of 3M featherless insulation. Its shell is durable and water-resistant. The visible lines on the jacket are not actual stitched seams, but rather they are detailing that enhances its attractive appearance. Anti-Freeze uses welded-seam technology rather than stitching, which prevents cool air or moisture from entering this high-quality jacket. It comes in charcoal with blue accents, as well as charcoal with red accents, and is available in a full range of sizes for both men and women.

Sporthill Super XC Jacket & Winter Fit Pants Auclair's new Pinery glove

Atomic C7 Skin Ski Atomic’s new C7 heralds an entirely new generation of skin skis, originating from its very successful predecessor, the Redster. This ski has a new cut and has shed some weight by doing away with its magnet technology. In its plastic interface, the skins are still replaceable, and, under changing conditions, this can be done very quickly by simply peeling the skin in or out, similar to backcountry climbing skins. A good choice for beginner through advanced skiers, there is even a race skin ski available. Unique to Atomic, its elastic ABS material helps to define the camber zone. This allows the ski to run on a high camber when it is not fully weighted for good glide, and to then collapse smoothly and easily to achieve successful kick.

Craft Fuseknit Sporthill’s new Super XC jacket

Bjorn Daehlie Effect Pants

One Way Premio SLG 10 ski poles; Atomic's new C7 skin skis

A full-zip technical garment, Bjorn Dahlie’s new soft-shell Effect pants are great for training. Known for producing high-quality functional clothing, the manufacturer has made the Effect pant water-repellent, yet breathable. It comes with articulated knees for optimal function, as well as side pockets. The pants have an elastic waistband with drawstring and internal silicone grips to hold things in place. Well priced and offered for men and women, the pants can function as daily-training wear, pre-race attire worn over your tights or racing kit to stay warm.

30 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

Sporthill’s new Super XC jacket for men and women is comfortable, attractive, wind-resistant and its light shell membrane in front sheds water. The back is breathable and embossed with detailing for a modern, eye-catching look. A great training jacket, its reflective features make it great for any sport.

Sporthill’s updated Winter Fit pants feature its renowned 3SP material, a slimmer leg cut, side zip pockets and ankle zip closures to fit snugly over cross-country-ski boots. This material is windproof up to 35mph, and is extremely fast-drying. Attractive reflective piping down the side of these pants makes them appealing for use in multiple sports or even just walking at night..

Fuseknit is new garment technology from Craft that combines seamless knit components with ergonomic and strategically placed seams to deliver comfortable and functional clothing. Fewer seams translate into clothing that is smoother, suppler, more comfortable and, Craft claims, chafe-free. The new technology is offered throughout the Craft line, from the functional baselayers its well known for, to urban-inspired jackets and anoraks. All of these items are warm, comfortable, functional, stylish and come in a variety of attractive colours and patterns for men and women.

Buff Dryflex Collection

Bjorn Daehlie Effect pants

Last year, Buff introduced Thermonet, a material designed to keep warmth in and moisture out. This year, Buff is back with a new Dryflex line that includes neck-warmers, headbands and hats. The material offers 360° reflectivity for absolute nighttime visibility and four-way ultimate stretch for functionality. It is also 100% seamless for comfort and chafe prevention. The quick-drying material pulls moisture away from your skin, and, similar to Thermonet, it keeps you warm and protected from the elements, while offering a more lightweight, less bulky fabric, increasing your mobility. www.skitrax.com

Julbo Aero Speed

Julbo's new Aero Speed sunglasses Julbo's new Aero Speed features a rapidly changing photochromic lens that lightens enough for night skiing, while darkening enough for the brightest of days.

With full venting, these sunglasses breathe well and are anti-fogging due to their suspended-lens construction. With good peripheral vision, its great facial coverage offers protection from all of the elements. The Air Link temple system features an elastomer shock-absorber insert that provides optimal comfort, while its 3D Nose Fit ensures unbeatable hold in all conditions. The glasses come in two lens options, photochromic and polycarbonate, for both functional and cool Nordic-style race looks.

Alpina T-40 Touring Boot To take your skiing up a notch, Alpina’s T-40 Touring boot has undergone a major makeover. Upgrades, such as a new stiffer sole, have borrowed technology from Alpina high-end boots.

The new NNNT3 sole makes the boot more combi-friendly and more aggressive in downhill trail sections. The anatomic footbed provides the comfortable, familiar Alpina fit. To make it even better, Alpina has added a silicone anti-slip feature to the heel pocket of this recreational boot.

Alpina's T-40 Touring boot

2019 BMW BIATHLON WORLD CUP FEBRUARY 14-17, 2019

Join us at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center for four days of competition featuring the world’s top Biathlon athletes. This is the first major international biathlon competition to be held at Soldier Hollow since the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.

INFO AT BIATHLONWORLDCUPUTAH.COM www.skitrax.com

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 31

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PYEONGCHANG 18

Kikkan Randall (l) and Jessie Diggins made history and celebrate the U.S.A.’s first Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing, winning the women’s Team Sprint at Pyeongchang 2018.

Sarah Brunson

GOING FOR GOLD

OLYMPI

Americans Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins made history on Feb. 21, as the dynamic duo

claimed the U.S.A.’s first Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing, winning the women’s Team Sprint at Pyeongchang 2018. The victory capped Diggins’ fabulous Games and marked a storybook ending to legendary Randall’s incredible career.

Feb. 10 – Women’s 15km Skiathlon American Jessie Diggins claimed a historic fifth-place finish on the opening day of competition for cross-country skiing at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games. This result in the 15km Skiathlon was the best-ever finish for the American women’s team at the Olympics.

Early on, Diggins settled into the front pack led by the Norwegian team, but was gapped by six seconds just before the transition zone. She nailed her exchange with the fastest transition time of the day and battled to stay with the leaders over the second leg.

32 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla launched a bold move two kilometres from the finish line, shattering the front pack of 10 skiers to win the gold. Yet Diggins kept charging, rapidly making up time on her competitors, but ran out of snow before she could reach the podium. Norwegian Marit Bjoergen finished 7.8 seconds down to claim the silver medal, as Finnish athlete Krista Parmakoski crossed the line close behind for the bronze.

Cendrine Browne was the highest-placed Canadian, finishing 33rd, with American Caitlin Patterson was right behind in 34th. Other Americans Kikkan Randall and Dahria Beatty were 40th and 52nd, while their Canadian neighwww.skitrax.com

The Norwegian team dominated early, setting up Simen Hegstad Krueger for the race-winning move. He took off with three kilometres to go and never looked back, claiming the gold medal. His teammates Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Hans Christer Holund raced home for the silver and bronze, securing the podium sweep for Norway.

Scott Patterson was the top American, placing 18th, just over a minute back, while his teammate Erik Bjornsen was 42nd. Canadians Devon Kershaw and Graeme Killick came in 36th and 45th.

The U.S.A.’s Jessie Diggins at the finish women's Team Sprint to claim historic Olympic gold.

Sarah Brunson

Nordic Focus

Feb. 13 – Men’s Classic Sprint Another windy, cold day met the skiers, but that did not stop Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo from Norway becoming the youngest Olympic champion, winning the men’s Classic sprint. The 21-year-old qualified 0.19 seconds behind Ristomatti Hakola of Finland, but that was the last time he finished second, winning the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals to take home the gold medal. Italy’s Frederico Pellegrino and Olympic Canadian Len Valjas Athletes of Russia’s (OAR) Alexander took home a stellar Bolshunov settled for silver and 7th-place finish in the men’s Classic sprint. bronze.

Canada’s Len Valjas originally qualified 26th, but delivered a stellar seventh-place finish. The 29-year-old placed third in the fourth quarterfinal heat, but was deemed the “Lucky Loser” and moved onto the semifinals. In the next round, he finished third again, but was not as lucky and was knocked out of the competition.

Simi Hamilton led the U.S. men, finishing 20th after a quarterfinal crash; his teammate Erik Bjornsen made the heats as well, but did not advance past the quarterfinals. Canada’s Har-

IC GOLD

by Noah Simms

bours Emily Nishikawa and Anne-Marie Comeau placed 44th and 48th.

Nordic Focus

Canada’s Alex Harvey took home four top-10 results, but fell short of his goal to win an Olympic medal.

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Feb. 11 – Men’s 30km Skiathlon Canadian Alex Harvey started off his Olympic campaign with an eighth-place finish at the Alpensia Cross-Country Center. He battled cold, blustery conditions during the men’s 30km Skiathlon for the best Olympic performance of his career, yet was disappointed. He explained in a post-race interview that he was in the perfect place to challenge for the silver medal, but did not have the legs to follow through.

vey missed qualifying by less than a half-second and placed 32nd, followed by fellow Canuck Jesse Cockney in 35th. The U.S.A.’s Andy Newell was 37th, his teammate Reese Hanneman finished 51st, followed Canada’s Russell Kennedy in 55th.

Feb. 13 – Women’s Classic Sprint The U.S. had a fantastic day in the women’s Classic sprint, placing three athletes inside the top-12. Diggins led the way, finishing sixth, while Sophie Caldwell and Sadie Bjornsen placed eighth and 12th.

In the final, Sweden’s Stina Nilsson escaped the front group and gained some serious time on the descent and solo’ed away for the win. Maiken Caspersen Falla of Norway and OAR’s Yulia Belorukova sprinted it out for the final podium spots, with Falla taking the silver.

Diggins’ day started well after she set the seventh-best qualifying time, advancing to the heats. She then finished second in both the quarterfinals and semifinals, earning her place in the final. Although not challenging for a podium, Diggins was still stoked on her improvement from the previous season.

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The U.S.A.’s Scott Patterson had a strong day, finishing 21st, followed by Canada’s Killick in 38th, with U.S.A.’s Erik Bjornsen 41st and Noah Hoffman 48th, Canada’s Knute Johnsgaard 69th and Kershaw 71st and U.S.A.’s Tyler Kornfield in 74th.

PYEONGCHANG 18 GOING FOR GOLD

Nordic Focus

Feb. 17 – Women’s 4x5km Relay Team USA finished fifth in the women’s 4x5km relay for their best-ever Olympic relay result, but the day belonged to Norway. Sweden took home the silver, hitting the line exactly two seconds behind Norway, while the OAR earned the bronze medal at the Alpensia Cross Country Skiing Centre. Team Canada ended up 13th.

The U.S. team composed of Randall, Caldwell, Diggins and Sadie Bjornsen finished 1:20.5 off Norway’s gold-medal time.

Caldwell led off for the Americans, but the pace was brutal, as the OAR, Slovenia and Norway quickly gapped the field, with Sweden and Finland chasing hard.

Randall picked up the pace in the third leg and moved Team USA into sixth with strong skiing, but the gap to the leaders was unassailable. On the final leg, Diggins dug deep and moved the U.S.A. into fifth, as Canada’s Comeau took over for Browne to finish 13th. At the front, Sweden’s Nilsson was no match for Norway’s veteran Bjoergen, who put the hammer down on the finishing straight for the gold.

Feb. 18 – Men’s 4x10km Relay Team Canada rallied to a ninth-place finish in the men’s 4x10km relay, as Norway claimed the gold. The OAR took home the silver, with France celebrating a hard-earned bronze. Team USA struggled, finishing 14th.

Kazakhstan’s Alexey Poltoranin set the fastest time on the opening leg, with OAR in second and Italy third. Canadian Valjas handed off to Killick in 10th, while U.S.A.’s Newell tagged Hanneman in 12th.

The OAR built up a 24-second lead as Italy, France and Norway chased.

Killick put Canada in seventh, while Hanneman struggled, dropping the U.S.A. to 14th.

The U.S.A.’s Simi Hamilton took home a record 6th-place finish in the men’s Team Sprint with Erik Bjornsen.

“If you had told me a year ago that I would make the Olympic Classic finals, I never would have believed you,” said Diggins in a post-race interview.

The Canadian contingent did not qualify for the heats, with Nishikawa, Beatty and Browne finishing 34th, 42nd and 51st respectively. U.S.A.’s Sargent placed 33rd.

Feb. 16 – Men’s 15km Freestyle Dario Cologna of Switzerland made history in the men’s 15km Freestyle, becoming the first man to win three Olympic titles in same event. He finished 18.3 seconds ahead of Krueger of Norway, who took his second medal of the Games after winning gold in the men’s Skiathlon. OAR’s Denis Spitsov rounded out the podium in third.

Canadian Harvey nailed his second top-10 of the Pyeongchang Winter Games, finishing seventh. The Quebec native crossed the line 35 seconds behind Cologna and just 12 off the podium, but had no regrets. He believes that he left everything out there and was happy with the result. After two great races in the Endurance events, Harvey continued his medal search in the upcoming relay and 50km race.

Harvey was especially excited for Cologna, complimenting his consistency and technical ability. The Swiss skier also joined an exclusive club of four-time Olympic gold medalists from Switzerland after he won the men’s 15km Freestyle.

34 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

flyingpointroad.com

Amerian Erik Bjornsen battled to a record 6th-place result with Simi Hamilton in the men’s Team Sprint.

Scott Patterson raced to a best-ever 11th-place finish for Team USA in the men’s 50km Classic finale.

flyingpointroad.com

Feb. 15 – Women’s 10km Freestyle Perfect weather conditions met the athletes on the sixth day of competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Norway’s Ragnhild Haga put 20 seconds on Sweden’s Kalla to win the gold medal in the women’s 10km Freestyle. Two bronze medals were awarded to Parmakoski of Finland and Bjoergen of Norway after their photo finish was deemed a tie. This was Bjoergen’s 12th Nordic-skiing Olympic medal, putting her in all-time second place.

American Diggins had another fantastic race, finishing fifth, under four seconds behind the podium. She skied amongst the top skiers for most of the day and was only distanced in the closing kilometres. In the end, she was ecstatic with her performance, knowing she skied her best, and was not disappointed for being so close to an Olympic medal.

Fellow Americans Sadie Bjornsen and Randall were 15th and 16th, with Liz Stephen in 30th. Nishikawa was the top Canadian in 32nd, followed by Beatty in 37th, Browne in 43rd and Comeau in 61st.

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Nordic Focus

Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo dominated his first Olympic Winter Games, claiming three golds.

Nordic Focus

Feb. 21 – Women’s Team Sprint Diggins from Aton, Minn. and Randall from Anchorage, Alaska made history at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games, winning Team Sprint gold and bringing home the U.S.A.’s first-ever Olympic women’s cross-country-ski medal.

The dynamic duo repeated their historic gold-medal performance from the Nordic World Championships at Val di Fiemme, Italy back in 2013 – another first – as they made history again, only this time on the Olympic stage.

In the heats, Norway won the opening semifinal, with Switzerland in second. Diggins and Randall won their heat ahead of Sweden.

Switzerland’s Dario Cologna won a historic men's 15km FR, becoming the first man to win three Olympic titles in same event.

In the gold-medal event, Norway, Sweden and the U.S. gapped the rest of the field by 20 seconds. The race came down to a final sprint to the line between Nilsson and Diggins, with the American catching and passing the Swede just before the line for the historic victory. Sweden’s Kalla and Nilsson won the silver, with Norway’s Bjoergen and Falla taking the bronze. The Canadian pairing of Nishikawa and Beatty did not qualify, finishing seventh in their first heat.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the US Team camp when the celebrations erupted. The win capped an amazing Games for Diggins with two fifth-place finishes and it was icing on the cake of Randall’s amazing career, as the triple Sprint Cup globe winner retired at the season’s end.

Feb. 21 – Men’s Team Sprint Team USA’s Erik Bjornsen and Hamilton raced to a strong sixth-place finish, claiming the best Olympic result ever for the U.S. in men’s cross-country skiing. Canada’s Valjas and Harvey finished eighth. www.skitrax.com

The gold medal Norway’s Marit Bjoergen won her was taken by Noreighth gold for a record 15 Olympic way’s Sundby and Games medals.

Klaebo over OAR’s Bolshunov and Spitsov. France’s Maurice Manificat and Richard Jouve won bronze.

In the final, the Americans were in contention, but a mishap by Erik Bjornsen saw him hit the snow, though he recovered quickly and tagged Hamilton in fifth for the final leg. Norway’s Klaebo attacked on the final lap, and by then, it was a three-horse race, with Hamilton battling Italy behind.

Canada fared well through the first half of the final, but couldn’t maintain the pace as things heated up. The Canucks battled with Finland and prevailed for eighth on the day.

Klaebo dominated his first Olympic Winter Games, taking three gold medals in Pyeongchang 2018. At only 21 years of age, the Norwegian has a long career ahead of him.

Nordic Focus

Kennedy put Canada in ninth over the third leg, handing off to Johnsgaard for the finale. Norway and France were leading with Klaebo and Adrien Backsheider, but were soon caught by OAR’s Spitsov. Backsheider was quickly dropped, as Klaebo made the winning move with just a little more than one kilometre to go. Spitsov took the silver and Backsheider the bronze. Johnsgaard crossed the line in ninth for Canada.

Feb. 24 – Men’s 50km Classic Canada’s Harvey took home his best Olympic result, finishing fourth in the men’s epic 50km Classic, but it was bittersweet for the Canuck, who hoped to secure a historic medal at his final Olympic Winter Games.

American Scott Patterson delivered a stellar result for the U.S.A., claiming 11th, the best-ever finish for Team USA in the men’s 50km, but the day belonged to Finland’s Iivo Niskanen. The skier delivered his country’s first Olympic gold at the Pyeongchang 2018.

He took charge, setting a challenging pace with an early breakaway that proved to be the winning move. OAR’s Bolshunov bridged up to Finland’s Niskanen, who was being chased by Kazakhstan’s Poltoranin. Bolshunov passed Poltoranin and took the lead from Niskanen, but in the end, he settled for the silver, as Niskanen regained the lead on a long downhill.

Bolshunov’s teammate Andrey Larkov escaped from the chasing group that included Canada’s Harvey and Norway’s Sundby to claim the bronze.

Harvey outsprinted Sundby for fourth.

Canada’s Kershaw broke a pole early on, but recovered to finish 26th in the points, followed by teammate Killick in 27th. American Hoffman was 33rd, Kornfield was 48th and Canada’s Kennedy finished 49th.

Feb. 25 – Women’s 30km Classic The U.S.A.’s Diggins wrapped up her stellar Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang with a strong seventh-place finish in the Olympic women’s 30km Classic Mass Start in warm conditions. Norway’s Bjoergen took a decisive victory to secure a record eighth gold medal at the Games. In doing so, Bjoergen tied countrymen cross-country skier Bjorn Dahlie and biathlete Ole Einar Bjorndalen for most gold medals won at the Olympic Winter Games, and has also earned a record 15 Games medals.

American Sadie Bjornsen finished 17th, while Anchorage natives Rosie Frankowski and Caitlin Patterson were 21st and 26th. The top Canadian was Nishikawa in 30th, with Browne 43rd, while Comeau did not finish.

Diggins suffered a first-lap crash, but recovered quickly, fighting back to the top-10 and finishing off a historic Winter Olympics for the U.S. women’s squad.

Individually, it was Diggins’ best Games, capped by the Team Sprint gold with Randall, which was the U.S.A.’s first women’s medal in cross-country skiing. She was announced as the Team USA flag-bearer for the Closing CerResults on page 49 emony at the Pyeongchang Olympic stadium.

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PYEONGCHANG 18 GOING FOR GOLD

Nordic-combined

Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games Nordic-combined Feb. 14, 2018 Individual NH HS109/10km 1. Eric Frenzel (GER) 24:51.4; 2. Akito Watabe (JPN) 4.8; 3. Lukas Klapfer (AUT) 18.1; 1 US 17. Bryan Fletcher (USA) 2:12.2; 35. Taylor Fletcher (USA) 3:27.8; 41. Ben Loomis (USA) 4:29.4; 45. Jasper Good (USA) 5:48.4.

Feb. 20, 2018 Individual LH HS140/10km 1. Johannes Rydzek (GER) 23:52.5; 2. Fabian Riessle (GER) 0.4; 3. Eric Frenzel (GER) 0.8; US 17. Bryan Fletcher (USA) 1:42.9; 39. Ben Berend (USA) 4:28.2; 40. Ben Loomis (USA) 4:38.8; 43. Jasper Good (USA) 5:50.2.

Feb. 22, 2018 Team HS140/4x5km 1. Germany (Vinzenz Geiger, Fabian Riessle, Eric Frenzel, Johannes Rydzek) 46:03.8; 2. Norway (Jan Schmid, Espen Andersen, Jarl Magnus Riiber, Joergen Graabak) 31.7; 3.

Austria (Wilhelm Denifl, Lukas Klapfer, Bernhard Gruber, Mario Seidl) 1:13.8; US 10. USA (Taylor Fletcher, Ben Berend, Ben Loomis, Bryan Fletcher) 2:09.7.

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Flyingpointroad.com

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he Pyeongchang 2018 Nordic-combined events began on Feb. 14 with the Normal Hill. These Olympics were dominated by the German squad, winning all three events while securing five medals.

Franz-Josef Rehrl of Austria jumped 112.0 metres on the Normal Hill, setting him 15 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor and 36 seconds to defending champion Eric Frenzel of Germany. Bryan Fletcher was the top American going into the ski, at 2:06 down.

In the cross-country race, five leaders formed at the front.

Frenzel made several escape attempts, finally going clear on the last lap to win his second-straight gold. Pre-race favourite Akito Watabe of Japan was five seconds down, taking home the silver, as Fletcher finished as the top American in 17th. No Canadians competed in the Nordic-combined events.

Cold, breezy conditions met the athletes for the next event.

Watabe set the standard with a 134.0-metre jump on the Large Hill, but three Germans sat ominously close, ranked fourth through sixth. Americans Fletcher and Ben Berend sat 23rd and 24th, just over two minutes back.

The trio of Germans fought their way to the front, setting a ferocious pace in the lead pack. They eventually swept the podium, with Johannes Rydzek winning gold. Meanwhile, Fletcher fought his way into the teens, moving as high up as 14th, but had to settle for another 17th finish. He set the 10th-fastest time on the day.

The final Nordic-combined event was the 4x5km Team relay. Containing two gold medalists, the German squad was the obvious favourite, with skiers Rydzek, Frenzel, Vinzenz Geiger and Fabian Rieble. But it was the Austrian team that qualified first with 469.5 points and started six seconds ahead. The American team scored a combined total of 324.8 points, starting well over three minutes back.

In the relay, Jan Schmid of Norway set the fastest opening lap, beginning a tense battle for second place with Austria. Frenzel established the day’s quickest time at 11:05.4 and secured the gold medal for Germany. On the last lap, Norway’s Joergen Graaback stormed past Austria’s Mario Siedl to win the silver. The American squad finished 10th on the day.

Bryan Fletcher led Team USA at his final Games with two 17th-place finishes in the individual competitions.

Ski Jumping

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he men’s Individual Normal Hill kicked off ski jumping at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Each event held a tight battle between German, Poland and Norway, with the latter coming out on top with five medals. Windy conditions forced several delays in the opening event, forcing the skiers to re-adjust their strategies.

Andreas Wellinger of Germany won gold over Johann Andre Forfang of Norway, while his teammate Robert Johansson filled out the podium. U.S.A.’s Kevin Bickner was the top North American in 18th, with his northern neighbour and only Canadian competitor, Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes, finishing 26th.

Feb. 12 saw the women’s Normal Hill event. Maren Lundby of Norway took the gold, jumping 110.0 metres with a total of 264.6 points. Katharina Althaus of Germany and Sara Takanashi of Japan rounded out the podium. American Sarah Hendrickson nailed a solid top-20, while Canadian Taylor Henrich did not advance to the finals.

After a short break, the men were back in action at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Stadium on the Large Hill. Illinois-native Bickner was once again the top American in 20th, while Boyd-Clowes finished just behind in 21st. This was the best result for a Canadian since the 1988 Games.

Kamil Stoch of Poland won the gold with a 3.4-point advantage on Wellinger of Germany.

The Large Hill Team event was the final day of competition for the ski jumpers. The American team of Bickner, Michael Glasder, Will Rhoads and Casey Larson recorded their best-ever finish, placing ninth, but failed to move on to the finals. Canada did not enter a team.

The Norwegian team took the lead in the qualifiers, but the German and Polish team were close behind, with only 22.6 points separating the top-three after three jumps. In the end, the Norwegian team of Forfang, Johansson Daniel-Andre Tande and Andreas Stjernen won the gold, with Germany only 3.3 points ahead of Poland for the silver.

Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games Ski Jumping Feb. 10, 2018: Men’s HS109 Normal Hill Individual Final 1. Andreas Wellinger (GER) 259.3; 2. Johann Andre Forfang (NOR) 250.9; 3. Robert Johansson (NOR) 249.7; CAN/US 18. Kevin Bickner (USA) 217.4; 26. Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes (CAN) 208.1; 32. Michael Glasder (USA) 98.7; 39. Casey Larson (USA) 89.4; 46. William Rhoads (USA) 75.5.

Feb. 12, 2018: Women’s HS109 Normal Hill Individual Final 11. Maren Lundby (NOR) 264.6; 2.

Katharina Althaus (NOR) 252.6; 3. Sara Takanashi (JPN) 243.8; CAN/US 19. Sarah Hendrickson (USA) 160.6; 29. Abby Ringquist (USA) 144.4; 31. Nita Englund (USA) 57.9; 32. Taylor Henrich (CAN) 56.5.

Feb. 17, 2018: Men’s HS140 Large Hill Individual Final 1. Kamil Stoch (POL) 285.7; 2. Andreas Wellinger (GER) 282.3; 3. Robert Johansson (NOR) 275.3; CAN/US 20. Kevin Bickner (USA) 235.4; 21.

Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes (CAN) 235.3; 46. Michael Glasder (USA) 90.5.

Feb. 19, 2018: Men’s Team HS140 Final 1. Norway (Daniel Andre Tande, Andreas Stjernen, Johann Andre Forfang, Robert Johansson) 1,098.5; 2. Germany (Karl Geiger, Stephan Leyhe, Richard Freitag, Andreas Wellinger) 1,075.7; 3. Poland (Maciej Kot, Stefan Hula, Dawid Kubacki, Kamil Stoch) 1,072.4.

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PYEONGCHANG 18

Tim Burke earned a career-best 17th in the men's 12.5km Pursuit and was part of Team USA’s bestever 6th in the men’s relay.

GOING FOR GOLD

Biathlon

American Tim Burke took advantage of the changing weather conditions in the men’s 12.5km Pursuit to finish a career-best 17th. He flew around the Alpensia Biathlon Centre, missing only two shots, 19.6 seconds back of the gold medalist Martin Fourcade of France. Extreme winds picked up throughout the event, making the shooting conditions variable. Canada’s top performer was Smith, who suffered five penalties, ending up 54th at 6:06.5 down.

After postponing the event due to high winds, the women took to the snow a day later to compete in the 15km Individual. Underdog Hanna Öeberg of Sweden shot clean to take her first career victory and podium at her first Olympics. Kuzmina of Slovakia was the runner-up with two penalties, while U.S.A.’s Joanne Reid was the best of the North Americans in 22nd with one penalty.

Crawford was once again the top Canadian, finishing 26th.

The men’s event was held later that night, with Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Boe taking home the gold despite two penalties. This was Norway’s first biathlon gold at the 2018 Games. He completed the 20km course 2:02.5 ahead of Canada’s Scott Gow, who finished strong in 14th and was the top North American on the day. Jakov Fak of Slovenia and Dominik Landertinger of Austria filled out the podium, both with clean shooting. The U.S. squad had a tough day with their top finisher; Burke placing 41st with four missed targets. www.skitrax.com

After two consecutive second places, Kuzmina of Slovakia finally took the top spot in the women’s 12.5km Mass Start with only one penalty. Darya Domracheva of Belarus finished 18.8 seconds off, also with one penalty, while Tiril Eckoff of Norway won the bronze medal with two penalties. No Americans or Canadians qualified in the top-30 to be eligible for the women’s Mass Start.

The 20km men’s Mass-Start event had a thrilling finale between Fourcade of France and Simon Schempp of Germany, which came down to a photo finish. Despite the Frenchman’s two penalties, the pair entered the finish stretch together, and after a leg-zapping sprint, it was Fourcade who took his fourth career gold medal. The battle for bronze was also dramatic, with Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway having less than a second on his rival from Germany. There were no Americans or Canadians in the men’s Mass-Start.

In the Mixed relay, the French team secured the gold medal with only four spares, giving Fourcade his third gold medal of the Pyeongchang Games.

They edged out Norwegian team by 20.9 seconds, which accumulated one penalty and 11 spares. Italy finished in third with seven spares. The Canadian team of Crawford, Ransom, Christian Gow and Brendan Green narrowly missed out on a top-10 by just under five seconds, while the U.S. team placed 15th.

Crawford and Ransom were back in action two days later in the women’s 4x6km relay. They battled snowy conditions to place 10th with the help of their Canadian teammates Sarah Beaudry and Emma Lunder. The U.S. came in 28.5 seconds later in 13th with one penalty and 10 spares. At the front of the race, the lead was changing constantly as they fought the challenging weather. Italy, Belarus, Finland and Poland all took turns leading the race, but it was Domracheva of Belarus who pushed clear on the final leg, using three spares to secure the gold medal for her team. Sweden came in second with 12 spares, and France was in the bronze-medal position with 14 spares.

The men’s 4x7.5km relay was the final biathlon event of the 2018 Winter Olympics. Sweden took home its first relay gold medal after a dominant last-lap performance by Fredrik Lindström. It looked as if it was going to be a tight race for the win between Lindström and Norway’s anchor Svendsen, but the Swede flew around the Alpensia Biathlon Center, putting almost one minute into his rival with only one spare. Team USA secured its best-ever result at the men’s relay with a sixth-place result. The team composed of Bailey, Burke, Sean Doherty and Leif Nordgren crossed the line at 3:50.2 behind Sweden, with 14 spares and two penalties. After four successful Olympic appearances, this is Burke and Bailey’s final Olympics. The Canadian Canada’s Scott Gow was squad placed 11th, with one a stellar 14th in the men’s penalty and 11 spares. – NS 20km at his Olympic debut.

Results on page 47

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Canada’s Rosanna Crawford had a spectacular women's Pursuit race, finishing a career-best 19th.

Ross Burton/US Biathlon

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he biathlon events at the 2018 Olympic Games began with the women’s 7.5km sprint. The cold, windy conditions didn’t slow Germany’s Laura Dahlmeier, who shot clean on her way to the gold medal. First-time Olympian Julia Ransom of Canada was the top North American, finishing 40th, while American Emily Dreissigacker rolled in at 51st.

The next day, the men tackled the 10km sprint race, also in windy conditions. American Lowell Bailey finished 33rd with one penalty, while Nathan Smith of Canada finished 44th. The battle for the podium was tight, with Czech athlete Michal Krcmar finishing 4.4 seconds off of Arnd Peiffer of Germany, who took home the gold.

Canmore, Alta. native Rosanna Crawford had a spectacular race in the women’s Pursuit. Ranked 53rd, Crawford flew by her competitors in the ski and only took two penalties at the range. After 10 kilometres of racing, she finished 19th, her best result to date. Dahlmeier secured her second gold of the Games, with Anastasiya Kuzmina of Slovakia in second. The lone American, Dreissigacker, finished in 47th place with four missed shots.

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 37

2018 Paralympic Games Wrap

The U.S.A.’s Oksana Masters claimed five medals and her first Paralympic gold for an incredible Games.

Record 32 Medal Haul for U.S.A. and Canada

REPOUR

by Jenn Jackson

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US Paralympic Committee

he Canadian and US Paralympic Teams cemented themselves as true powerhouses at the 2018 Paralympic Games as both squads took home 16 medals each. Six Canadian athletes earning 14 individual medals and the team earned two additional relay podiums in Pyeongchang, South Korea. It was a mix of the fierce familiar faces of Brian McKeever and Mark Arendz, as well as fresh talent in first-time Paralympians Natalie Wilkie and Collin Cameron. The relay medals were also the first ever for Canada at the Paralympics.

The Americans took home an incredible 16 individual medals, the second most for any nation in the biathlon and cross-country competitions. Oksana Masters added five medals and a first Paralympic gold to her two medals from the Sochi Games, while former Navy SEAL Daniel Cnossen earned a staggering six medals, and Kendall Gretsch, at her first Games, also added two golds to the American haul.

March 10, 2018 – Competitions began on March 10 in the biathlon arena, where both U.S. and Canadian teams were hot out of the gate. In her first-ever Paralympic competition, Gretsch took gold ahead of compatriot Masters in the women’s 6km sprint event. “It’s incredible,” said an elated Gretsch.

“We’ve been watching the Olympics, and they (Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins) had their historical [first] medal for the women’s cross-country, and that definitely motivated us coming here.”

The men’s race saw Cnossen atop the Paralympic Games podium for his first career medal in a tight 7.5km sprint in which Canadian Cameron finished third, just 9.7 seconds off Cnossen’s winning time. “Everything came together today, and I don’t know why. I think just the build-up through the season. . . .

We focused on race procedure, and that paid dividends today,” said Cameron, whose bronze was the first Paralympic podium for a Canadian male in the Sit-Ski class.

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March 11, 2018 – Moving to cross-country skiing for the 15km and 12km Sitting events, Cnossen followed up his sprint performance with a silver medal in the men’s race behind Ukraine’s Maksym Yarovyi. On the women’s side, Gretsch topped the women’s field for a second time, besting top German skier Andrea Eskau, while fellow American Masters continued to prove her mettle as she reached the podium in spite of an injured right elbow.

March 12, 2018 – In the longest event of the week, the men’s Visually Impaired 20km Freestyle, McKeever and guides Russell Kennedy and Graham Nishikawa (CAN) started their Games with a dominant performance, finishing more than a minute ahead of the nearest competitor, while Jake Adicoff and guide Sawyer Kesselheim (USA) finished a strong fifth place. This was McKeever’s 11th Paralympic medal.

Natalie Wilkie took home gold, silver and bronze at her debut Paralympics and was also part of Canada’s first-ever Paralympic relay medal.

Canadian Paralympic Committee

Graham Nishikawa (guide) with Brian McKeever (r) who nailed a historic triple-treble winning all three Individual events at three consecutive Paralympics.

Canadian Paralympic Committee

Canada’s Arendz was on the mark in the men’s Standing 7.5km sprint, matching race-winner Benjamin Daviet of France shot for shot, but just losing pace on the skiing portion to finish up in second – matching his best finish from the Sochi Games in 2014.

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March 17, 2018 – History was made on March 17 as McKeever nailed a triple-treble after taking gold in the men’s VI 10km Classic (winning all three Individual events at three consecutive Paralympics). While McKeever stayed

March 13, 2018 – Returning to biathlon for the Individual 10km and 12.5km events, Cnossen finished second after a perfect score on the range and shared the podium with U.S. teammate Andy Soule, who won bronze. “This race feels especially good because I have my teammate, Andy, on the podium,” Cnossen shared, after taking his third podium in as many races. “For me personally, this was a big breakthrough – to shoot 20 for 20. . . . It feels really good to overcome this mental hurdle.”

In Standing competitions, Arendz battled through deep, soft snow for a podium position to eventually claim bronze for Canada, while France’s Daviet won his second gold medal of the Games. “I went for the win and had that one miss that cost me today,” said Arendz. “I am really happy with my race, and it is another medal for Canada. I just need that last little tweak to finally win one.”

March 14, 2018 – The North Americans were a force to be reckoned with in the cross-country sprints, reaching the podium in five of six events. Masters pushed through an injury to win the women’s Sitting competition for her first Paralympic gold medal. “I had no idea. I did not believe this would happen, but at the same time, I knew I had it in me to dig deep a couple more times. I could not have done this without the USOC medical staff.”

In men’s Sitting qualification, it was Cameron, Aaron Pike (USA), Cnossen, Chris Klebl (CAN), Derek Zaplotinsky (CAN) and Soule landing the last spot, as all advanced to the heats. In the final, it was veteran athlete Soule (USA) who bested the competition, winning his first medal of the 2018 Paralympics in a photo finish with Belarussian Dzmitry Loban. “This is an incredible group to compete with. That kind of a finish . . . that’s what sprinting is all about,” Soule recounted. Cnossen was also in the mix, clinching bronze for the U.S., just 0.4 seconds back and 0.3 seconds ahead of Canadian Cameron in fourth.

In his first cross-country competition of the week, Arendz battled through the rounds of the Classic sprint, winning bronze in the men’s Standing category behind race winner Alexandr Kolvadin of Kazhakstan.

The men’s VI category saw several athletes putting pressure on McKeever, who qualified second behind Sweden’s Zebastian Modin and ahead of the U.S.A.’s Adicoff in third. But McKeever wasn’t to be denied another title, pacing his way through the heats, adding another Paralympic title to his accolades. In an interview after the race, McKeever credited guide Kennedy for a strong lead in the race. For Kennedy, “[It was] a new experience for me – especially coming from the Olympics, where the focus is individual. . . . the Paralympics is really rewarding because you do this as a team.”

A determined Canadian trio of Emily Young, Brittany Hudak and Wilkie headed to the finals after qualifying second, third and fifth. The team fought hard, and at the line, it was Wilkie who took bronze – just getting out-lunged by Norway’s Vilde Nilsen. On having her teammates Young and Hudak in the final with her, Wilkie said, “It was calming for me to have them there with me. We talked about strategy as a team before the final because the goal was for us to win a medal for Canada.”

March 16, 2018 – On the final day of biathlon competitions, Arendz was golden.

The Canadian aced the shooting and put in a massive effort over the middle www.skitrax.com

US Paralympic Committee

Mark Arendz took home six medals, the most medals won by a Canadian in a single Paralympic Winter Games.

Former US Navy SEAL Daniel Cnossen earned a staggering six medals as well.

Joe Kusumoto

Canadian Paralympic Committee

portion of the race to claim the men’s Standing 15km title. “I’ve seen the Maple Leaf on top of the podium three times this week, but to finally have it behind the top step of the podium for me is an amazing feeling.”

Hudak was also perfect on the range, racing to third place and her first Paralympic medal in the women’s Standing 10km. “I just tried to think about the process throughout the race. I wanted to focus on shooting because I knew it was going to make a difference today.”

U.S. and Canadian Sit-Skiers also had a strong showing, with Masters and Cnossen both adding silvers to the American medal tally, and Cameron a bronze for Canada. “This is awesome. This one is the sweetest one, for sure,” said Cameron. “I came here wanting to get on the podium in cross-country, and I’m going home with two biathlon medals.”

Veteran Andy Soule was all smiles with Paralympic gold and bronze.

on top, Adicoff took his first steps up onto the Paralympic podium with a sterling-silver effort. Reflecting on the Canadian Paralympic program, McKeever was quick to share credit: “We’ve had so many great skiers leading the way for me. Now it is awesome for me to be a part of a new generation that has arrived who are ready to carry the torch.”

And the torch had not far to go, as 17-year-old Wilkie capped off an already incredible Paralympic debut with a gold medal in the women’s Standing 7.5km Classic race. “This is crazy awesome. I didn’t think this would happen at all,” said Wilkie, who lost four fingers on her left hand in a wood-shop accident at school less than two years ago. Young also had her strongest race of the week, joining her teammate on the podium in third position. “I was trying and trying all week to get onto the podium. I knew this race would be my big chance, [so] I left it all out there today,” said Young. “Teamwork makes the dream work. . . so awesome today, this is just unreal.”

While the Korean fans celebrated their own athlete with Eui Hyun Sin’s win in the men’s 7.5km Sit-Ski race, Cnossen added a silver medal to his other five. In what proved to be one of the most competitive and dynamic categories at the Games, Soule and Klebl also had strong results in the final Individual events, placing fifth and sixth respectively.

On the women’s side, Masters finished her 2018 Paralympic campaign on the top step, crediting much of her comeback performances to her team: “Seeing our amazing team – between our wax tech, nutritionist, sport psych – everything just comes together at the finish line. That’s really what it’s all about. It’s not a one-person show. It definitely takes a village, and we have an incredible team.”

March 18, 2018 – After topping the biathlon- and cross-country-medal boards, Ukraine took first place in the 4x2.5km Mixed Relay, while the Canadian team of Wilkie, Young, Klebl and Arendz won silver – Canada’s first-ever Paralympic relay medal. The American team skied to a strong seventh place. In the 4x2.5km Open Relay, Cameron and McKeever teamed up to earn Canada a bronze medal behind France and Norway.

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 39

COMP USA

2018 USSA SuperTour Finals and Long Distance Nationals

by Julie Melanson

T

Reese Brown

he U.S. Ski & Snowboard (USSA) SuperTour finals and L.L. Bean U.S. Long Distance National Championships held at Vermont’s Craftsbury Outdoor Center hosted athletes fresh from international competition, including the first American Olympic women cross-country-ski gold medalists, Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins, along with all six Craftsbury Olympians.

Diggins (SMS T2) took home the first victory, winning the USSA SuperTour women’s Classic sprint, with Sophie Caldwell (SMS T2) in second and Ida Sargent (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) in third, just edging out top-qualifier Sadie Bjornsen (APU) in fourth.

Andy Newell (SMS T2) delivered the goods in the men’s Classic sprint, besting teammate Ben Saxton (SMS T2) in second, followed by Erik Bjornsen (APU) in third. Newell, who won the qualifier as well, said, “Racing in the U.S. is always different because for the first time all season you feel like you are competing against your US Ski Team teammates. We really don’t have that feeling in the winter since we are all racing for the U.S.A. – it’s all one team.”

There was a pause in the racing for youth to gather round and ask the Olympians questions. The message of the day was to follow one’s dreams and stay with it, even during the toughest of days, because the sport can take you anywhere you might want to go. Just as with their skiing, the Olympians hit the mark. Many stressed that skiing and racing should indeed be fun.

When racing resumed, Diggins took home her second-straight victory, winning the USSA SuperTour women’s 10km FR Mass-Start race, with Sadie Bjornsen (APU) a close second, followed by Randall in third.

Erik Bjornsen reclaimed the Men's 50km CL title in a close battle with Adam Martin.

40 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

Herb Swanson

Season Wraps up at Craftsbury Stratton Mountain defended their Mixed Relay title at 2018 US Long Distance championships.

For Sadie Bjornsen, it was a fun day, where she did her best to hang on to Diggins (who tumbled at the bottom of the hill). Then Sadie Bjornsen did take over the lead, but Diggins was quickly back on the front by the bottom of the next hill.

Randall was stoked to finish third. “The level of the racing here has certainly come up over the last several years.”

Erik Bjornsen captured the men’s 15km FR Mass-Start race, as Simi Hamilton (SMST2) battled to second place, followed by Tad Elliott (Ski Club Vail) in third. Hamilton took home his first distance podium for a superb end to his season.

Erik Bjornsen broke a pole on the second lap. “Simi actually grabbed one for me at one point. I was able to put a little gap in on the last big climb about a kilometre from the finish and then just stayed in the lead from there. I was happy to not have to sprint to the finish against Simi because there is a chance it would have played out differently.”

The big question about Nationals taking place in Fairbanks, Alaska was “What about that Mixed-Relay title?” Would Stratton Mountain defend the Mixed-Relay title at the championships.

“A lot of pride on the line tomorrow,” were Randall’s words the day prior to the race. “It was tough to lose the title to SMS last year, so you can guarantee Team APU is hungry to get the title back.”

Hungry wasn’t enough, as Stratton Mountain team bided their time in the Mixed-Relay 4x5km to once again top the podium, defending their title over APU 1, with Craftsbury Green Racing Project 1 landing third on the podium.

Hamilton, Diggins, Sophie Caldwell and Patrick Caldwell marked their APU-1 rivals and kept them in check, as Erik Bjornsen, Sadie Bjornsen, Scott Patterson and Randall looked strong. Sargent, Adam Martin, Alex Howe and Caitlin Patterson from Craftsbury challenged early on, but settled for third.

Hamilton, Martin and Erik Bjornsen were the frontrunners on the opening leg and all tagged off together, with APU-1 having a slight edge. Then Sadie Bjornsen dropped Sophie Caldwell and Sargent and garnered a seven-second lead as she tagged Caitlin Patterson for leg three. Sophie Caldwell battled against Caitlin Patterson on the third leg and clawed back some time, as APU-1 anchor Randall enjoyed a four-second lead, but not for long, as Diggins soon joined her.

Randall could not contain her Olympic gold partner, as Diggins raced to victory for Stratton once again, with Randall taking second and Caitlin Patterson taking third.

“We knew it was going to be tough going against Stratton today based on how they were www.skitrax.com

skiing all week and we knew it would be key getting a little time going into that last leg,” said Randall.

“Scott gave us the gap, and I was hopeful going into the last lap. I tried to put the pressure on, but Jessie caught me at about 2.5K. She had a bit more and pulled away to take the win.”

The women’s 30km CL, their final race of the season, was both emotional and hard-fought as Diggins took home her third-straight victory in sprint to the line, with Sadie Bjornsen followed by Randall in third.

Sophie Caldwell, who was off the front early on, finished fourth, with Sargent taking home fifth. Liz Stephen (Burke Academy), who is retiring with Randall, was seventh, behind Rosie Frankowski (APU) in sixth. They were part of a foursome led by Randall that chased down Sophie Caldwell, who was skiing in no man’s land, having been dropped by Diggins and Sadie Bjornsen. Sophie Caldwell was caught on the final lap, as Randall put down the hammer for the final podium of her career.

Erik Bjornsen took home the men’s 50km Classic Mass-Start victory in a close battle, with Martin in second at 1.5 seconds, followed by Scott Patterson in third, another 22 seconds behind. Erik Bjornsen reclaimed the title, having won in 2016, while Scott Patterson, the defending champion, settled for third.

David Norris (APU) claimed fourth, and Hamilton, known for his sprinting prowess, had a strong day, finishing fifth at the final race of the 2018 L.L. Bean U.S. Long Distance National Championships. Finishing 10th was Canada’s Scott Hill from Team Hardwood.

2018 U.S. Long Distance National Championships March 23-28, 2018 – Craftsbury, Vt. Mixed 4x5km Relay 1. SMS-1 (Simi Hamilton, Sophie Caldwell, Patrick Caldwell, Jessie Diggins) 53:43.2; 2. APU-1 (Erik Bjornsen, Sadie Bjornsen, Scott Patterson, Kikkan Randall) 53:56.4; 3. Craftsbury GRP-1 (Adam Martin, Ida Sargent, Alex Howe, Caitlin Patterson); Men’s 50km CL 1. Erik Bjornsen (APUNSC) 2:24:51.4; 2. Adam Martin (Craftsbury GRP) 2:24:52.9; 3. Scott Patterson (APU) 2:25:14.2; Women’s 30km CL 1. Jessie Diggins (SMST2) 1:25:27.2; 2. Sadie Bjornsen (APUNSC) 1:25:27.6; 3. Kikkan Randall (APUNSC) 1:27:48.9. www.skitrax.com

Peter Graves

Herb Swanson

Photo finish between Sadie Bjornsen (l) and Jessie Diggins in 30km CL, the final women's race of the season.

Special Q & A with Team USA at 2018 USSA SuperTour Finals in Craftsbury

2018 USSA SuperTour Standings as of March 28, 2018 Overall Men 1. David Norris (APUNSC) 351; 2. Kevin Bolger (Sun Valley SEF) 336; 3. Kris Freeman (Caldwell Sport) 272.5; Women 1. Kaitlynn Miller (Craftsbury GRP) 432.5; 2. Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury GRP) 399; 3. Rosie Frankowski (APUNSC) 341.5.

Distance Leader Men 1. David Norris (APUNSC) 280; 2. Tad Elliott (Ski Club Vail) 223; 3. Adam Martin (Craftsbury GRP) 219.5; Women 1. Rosie Frankowski (APUNSC) 267.5; 2. Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury GRP) 219; 3. Kaitlynn Miller (Craftsbury GRP) 214.5.

Sprint Leader Men 1. Benjamin Saxton (SMS T2) 200; 2. Kevin Bolger (Sun Valley SEF) 192; 3. Reese Hanneman (APUNSC) 187; Women 1. Kaitlynn Miller (Craftsbury GRP) 218; 2. Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury GRP) 180; 3. Kelsey Phinney (SMS T2) 144.

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 41

COMP CANADA

2018 Ski Nationals

by Julie Melanson

Alberta’s Maya MacIsaac-Jones (Rocky Mountain Racers/CN) claimed the victory over Ontario’s Stewart-Jones (Nakkertok Nordique) in the women’s Long Sprint.

The 91st Ski Nationals were held March 10-17 at Lappe Nordic in Thunder Bay, Ont., sometimes referred to as Lakehead because it is situated at the top of the Great Lakes, receiving an annual 213 centimetres, or nearly 85 inches, of snowfall.

42 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

There was another medal for the local fans as Kai Meekis of Big Thunder won the junior boys’ race, and in the junior girls’ event, MontSte-Anne’s Roxanne Vermette led a procession across the line to win gold. Juvenile honours went to Thomas Stephen of Foothills Nordic and Marielle Ackermann of Kimberley.

Next up were the Long Sprints on Day Five. Annika Richardson (BC, Hollyburn Ski Club/NTDC TBay) claimed the junior women’s title over Lisle Compton (ON, Lakehead U./Kenora Nordic/NTDC TBay) in second, with Mehain in third. Étienne Hébert (QC, Montériski/AIAWCA) edged out Graham Ritchie (ON, Big Thunder Nordic/NTDC TBay) for the junior men’s gold, as Cyr landed third on podium.

In the senior women’s race, Maya MacIsaac-Jones (AB, Rocky Mountain Racers/CN) claimed the victory over Nakkertok Nordique’s

Quebec’s Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (Fondeurs-Laurentides/RMR) claimed the Individual Start CL and Pursuit titles.

photos: Martin Kaiser

T

he Championships kicked off with sunny weather and the Team Relay competition as Nakkertok claimed victories in the Open Women’s and Open Men’s categories, with Mont-Ste-Anne and Foothills winning the Challenge-category races. Carleton University won the women’s National Championship race, with Nipissing University edging out Laval University in a photo finish for the men.

Scott Hill (Barrie XC) started off Day Two claiming gold in the Open Men’s Individual-Start Classic race, just under two seconds ahead of Skinouk’s Antoine Cyr, the top junior man.

Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (Fondeurs-Laurentides/RMR) claimed the women’s title, with Hannah Mehain (BC, Okanagan College/Sovereign Lake Nordic/CNJrST) grabbing gold in the junior women’s class.

The Day Three Pursuit took place with the 10/15km Freestyle races that were combined with Interval-Start Classic race times for the overall Pursuit time.

In the senior women’s race, American Caitlin Gregg (CXC/Team Gregg/LNR) came back from a 13-second deficit to handily win the women’s overall title by more than a minute ahead of Bouffard-Nesbitt (Fondeurs-Laurentides/RMR). Annika Hicks (Canmore Nordic/ AIAWCA) won the silver medal and Nakkertok Nordique’s Katherine Stewart-Jones nabbed the bronze. Gregg had the fastest time in the skate portion, ahead of Frédérique Vézina (CNMSA/CNEPH).

The men’s 15km race was close until the finish, with Jesse Cockney (AB, Foothills Nordic/AIAWCA-NST) edging ahead of Canmore’s junior skier Ty Godfrey at the line by 1.2 seconds overall. Local favourites Lappe Nordic’s Michael Somppi and clubmate Evan Palmer-Charrette were the second- and third-fastest seniors, within 1.5 seconds of Godfrey. Somppi, an expert in the 15km, registered the fastest time of the day. Cyr and Reed Godfrey were second and third overall for the juniors.

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Stewart-Jones, with Alannah MacLean (ON, Walden Nordic/NTDC TBay) close behind in third.

Cockney grabbed himself another podium in the senior men’s race, with Andy Shields (ON, Lappe Nordic) taking the silver and Palmer-Charrette (Lappe Nordic/NTDC TBay) bringing home the final podium spot.

Malcolm Thompson cruised to gold in the 1.2km Short-Sprint event, edging out Meekis for the top spot. Thompson, a Parry Sound, Ont. native who skis under the Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club banner, crossed the line 1.46 seconds ahead of Meekis and eight seconds faster than third-place finisher Ian Williams of B.C. The Short-Sprint Championships were delayed due to temperature, but that didn’t keep the hometown crowd away. “On that uphill, the whole Thunder Bay community was out there lining the sides; it was just awesome to see,” said Thompson, adding the win is motivation enough to propel him into the junior men’s category.

Mont-Ste-Anne’s Vermette took gold in the junior girls’ race, a split second faster than Heidi Stewart, as B.C.’s Molly Miller took bronze. Stewart, who barely made it into the Championship race with less than half-a-second cushion, skied her way from the back of the pack a third of the way through the A final to claim silver, her first medal of the competition.

In the juvenile girls’ race, Quebec’s Liliane Gagnon took the top spot, while in the juvenile boys’ event, Foothills Nordic’s Stephen claimed gold.

After a day off, the final day of racing, saw a tight race for the senior men’s Mass-Start 50km Classic title. The first group of skiers were within 10 seconds of each other as Lappe Nordic’s Charrette claimed gold, followed closely by Hill and teammate Ryan Jackson, both of Barrie XC. Julian Smith of NTDC TBay was fourth, with Lappe Nordic’s Somppi in fifth.

The junior men’s 30km race saw Skinouk’s Cyr take gold, with Godfrey and teammate Samuel Gary Hendry sharing the podium in second and third.

In the junior boy’s 15km, Olivier Léveillé of Quebec won, with B.C.’s Williams hot on his tail. Big Thunder’s Meekis grabbed his fourth medal of the week, capturing bronze.

Ontario’s Scott Hill (Barrie XC) claimed gold in the Open Men’s Individual-Start Classic race.

Men’s Pursuit podium (l-r) Ty Godfrey, Jesse Cockney, Michael Somppi, Evan Palmer-Charette, Antoine Cyr

Nakkertok Nordique’s Stewart-Jones stepped up the pace for her gold in the senior women’s 30km Classic race. In the end, it came down to timing, as a pack of the country’s top skiers and American Gregg (CXC/Team Gregg/LNR) forged their way to the front and stuck together until after the third lap, when StewartJones pushed her way into a good position near the front without going too hard, waiting until the last hill to give everything and not look back.

She found a burst of energy in the last 500 metres to outlast Hicks (Canmore Nordic/AIAWCA) and teammate MacLean to grab the top spot. For MacLean (Walden Nordic/NTDC TBay), an NTDC veteran, it was a chance at one final medal, having announced she’s leaving Elite ski racing.

It was more of the same for Kenora’s Compton in the junior 20km women’s race, as she pulled away in the end to edge Yukon’s Natalie Hynes by five seconds, her second Individual gold of the week.

Sovereign Lake Nordic’s Mehain took third.

2017/18 Ski Nationals March 10-17, 2018 – Thunder Bay, Ont. March 10 – Team Sprint Open Men 1. Nakkertok 1 (Dominique Moncion-Groulx, Patrick Stewart-Jones) 14:50.79; 2. Barrie XC 1 (Ryan Jackson, Scott Hill) 1.95; 3. Skibec 1 (Alexis Morin, Antoine Briand) 02.57; Open Women 1. Nakkertok 1 (Zoë Williams, Katherine Stewart-Jones) 13:04.72; 2. Hollyburn Ski Club 1 (Katie Weaver, Annika Richardson) 2.37; 3. CNMSA 1 (Marie Corriveau, Mathilde Petitjean) 7.42.

March 11 – Open Men 10km CL 1. Scott Hill (Barrie XC) 26:45.1; 2. Alexis Dumas (Skibec/CNEPH) 7.2; 3. Knute Johnsgaard (Whitehorse SC/CNST) 12.0; Open Women 5km CL 1. Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (Fondeurs-Laurentides/RMR) 15:07.5; 2.

Caitlin Gregg (CXC/Team Gregg/LNR) 13.3; 3. Katherine Stewart-Jones (Nakkertok Nordique/NTDC TBay) 17.9.

March 13 – Open Men 15km FR 1. Michael Somppi (Lappe Nordic/AIAWCA) 36:54.5; 2. Jesse Cockney (Foothills Nordic/AWCA-NST) 4.9; 3. Evan Palmer-Charrette (Lappe Nordic/NTDC TBay) 5.0; Open Women 10km FR 1. Caitlin Gregg (CXC/Team Gregg/ LNR) 27:51.6; 2. Frédérique Vézina (CNMSA/CNEPH) 1:06.5; 3. Annika Hicks (Canmore Nordic/AIAWCA) 1:07.3.

March 14 – Open Men Long Sprints FR 1. Andy Shields (Lappe Nordic) 2:44.54; 2.

Jesse Cockney (Foothills Nordic/AWCA-NST) 1.39; 3. Olivier Hamel (Skibec/CNEPH) 1.59; Open Women Long Sprints FR 1. Maya MacIsaac-Jones (Rocky Mountain Racers/CNST) 3:12.87; 2. Mathilde Petitjean (CNMSA/CNEPH) 5.78; 3. Alannah MacLean (Walden Nordic/NTDC TBay) 6.42.

March 17 – Open Men 50km CL 1. Evan Palmer-Charrette (Lappe Nordic/NTDC TBay) 2:16:44.1; 2. Scott Hill (Barrie XC) 2:16:53.9; 3. Ryan Jackson (Barrie XC) 2:16:58.7; Open Women 50km CL 1. Katherine Stewart-Jones (Nakkertok Nordique/NTDC TBay) 1:33:50.7; 2. Annika Hicks (Canmore Nordic/AIAWCA) 1:33:53.0; 3. Alannah MacLean (Walden Nordic/NTDC TBay) 1:34:00.9.

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OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 43

COMP INTERNATIONAL

FIS XC World Cup Season Wrap-up

by Noah Simms

March 3-4 – Lahti, Finland As the FIS World Cup resumed at the Lahti Ski Games following the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics, the U.S.A.’s Sophie Caldwell led the North American charge, finishing eighth in the women’s 1.4km Freestyle sprint. Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla took the win over Sweden’s Stina Nilsson in second and Hanna Falk in third. Dahria Beatty was the lone Canadian on the start line in 34th.

American Kevin Bolger delivered a breakthrough 11th-place result in the men’s 1.4km Freestyle sprint in Lahti, while Italy’s Federico Pellegrino made history, taking his 10th victory to become the most successful sprinter in Free technique, eclipsing Norwegian Tor Arne Hetland’s record nine wins.

Russia’s Gleb Retivykh took second, as Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo in third captured his second consecutive overall World Cup crystal Sprint Globe. The top Canadian was Julien Locke in 42nd.

Canadian veteran Devon Kershaw led the North Americans in 25th, finishing in the points in the men’s 15km Classic, while Kazakhstan’s Alexey Poltoranin took the win. Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov was nine seconds behind in second, with American Erik Bjornsen placing just out of the points in 32nd. Alex Harvey didn’t race due to illness.

Once again, Sadie Bjornsen was the top North American, powering to a strong seventh-place finish in the women’s 10km Classic race. Finnish star Krista Parmakoski gave local fans what they came for, winning gold with a 20-second margin over Russia’s Natalia Nepryaeva in second. Emily Nishikawa was the top Canuck, crossing the line in 41st.

March 7 – Drammen, Norway The World Cup caravan headed to Drammen, Norway for a Classic sprint in the heart of the city, where the U.S.A.’s Jessie Diggins claimed her first Classic sprint podium, finishing third in the women’s 1.2km event. Norway’s Falla took the win over Sweden’s Nilsson in second. The top Canuck was

photos: NordicFocus

Canada’s Alex Harvey was Canada's 2nd in the men's 15km FR Pursuit finale and claimed fourth overall.

44 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

Final women's World Cup overall podium (l-r) Ingvild Flagstaff Oestberg, Heidi Weng, Jessie Diggins

Nishikawa in 52nd, with her teammate Beatty in 55th.

Diggins advanced to the finals after she won her first heat, and was a Lucky Loser in the semis. In the Championship round, Diggins found herself in a group that was gapped by the three leaders. She persevered, closing the gap on Nilsson in the final 200 metres, then won the final sprint to the line to

The U.S.A.’s Sadie Bjornsen took 3rd in the women’s 10km FR Pursuit finale to finish sixth overall.

claim third.

In the men’s event, American Erik Bjornsen led the North American contingent with a career-best 18th, as Norway’s Klaebo took home another victory, winning the men’s 1.2km city sprint in downtown Drammen. Klaebo’s teammate Eirik Brandsdal settled for second, with Russia’s Bolshunov grabbing the final podium spot in third. Klaebo strengthened his overall World Cup lead with a 100-point margin over Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway. The top Canuck was Locke in 51st.

March 10-11 – Oslo, Norway Canada’s Harvey claimed a strong ninth in the men’s Freestyle 50km at the famed Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. Dario Cologna of Switzerland edged out Sundby for win by the toe of his boot, as Russia’s Maxim Vylegzhanin finished third, matching his previous best result here. Scott Patterson was the top American, racing at the front with Harvey and the leaders, but faded a bit to finish strong in 16th.

Both Harvey and Patterson were near the front as the finish line approached, but the pace picked up and a group of seven skiers emerged as the final protagonists to battle for the medals. Cologna came to the line neck and neck with Sundby, who was aiming for a record third consecutive victory on www.skitrax.com

his home course, but Cologna captured the Holmenkollen 50km, perhaps the final race victory missing from his illustrious career.

Canadian Andy Shields was the top Continental skier in 47th, and was recognized for his efforts with a 3kg wedge of Gruyere cheese. The race also marked the end of American Noah Hoffman’s career on the World Cup. The U.S.A.’s Diggins claimed a landmark podium, finishing second in the women’s Freestyle 30km race behind Norwegian superstar Marit Bjoergen, who claimed a record seventh victory. It was the first time an American woman landed on the podium in a World Cup 30km race. The top Canadian was Cendrine Browne in 36th. In the latter stages of the race, the lead trio of Diggins, Kalla and Norway’s Ragnhild Haga had put a 25-second gap on two chasers – Norwegians Bjoergen and Astrid Jacobsen. Kalla and Diggins took turns pulling, with Haga sitting in. With just a kilometre to go, the two groups melded, with Bjoergen vaulting to the lead and quickly putting a gap on Kalla American Kevin Bolger had a breakthrough 11th-place finish in the men’s 1.4km sprint FR in Lahti, Finland.

while Diggins was the Winner of the Day with the fastest Individual time in the Pursuit race. Her second in the overall standings was the best American finish since Bill Koch won the men’s Globe in 1982. Diggins is only the second American woman to finish in the top three, joining Kikkan Randall, who was third overall in 2012. The top Canadian was Browne in 39th with the 27th-fastest time, followed by Nishikawa in 48th.

Canada’s Harvey raced to a stellar second overall in the men’s 15km Freestyle Pursuit finale for his fourth podium of the year. Russia’s Bolshunov took the final mini-tour victory, with Cologna in third. Cologna also clinched the overall distance World Cup title. The top American was Erik Bjornsen in 38th.

Klaebo secured the overall World Cup classification, adding to his impressive collection of two overall Sprint Cup Globes. Three-time overall Globe winners, Cologna and Sundby, were ranked second and third respectively in this year’s standings. Harvey finished fourth overall. Klaebo and Russia’s Nepryaeva also won the men’s and women’s overall U23 World Cup titles. This was the final World Cup season for Canadian Graeme Killick from Fort McMurray, Alta., who retires after a stellar career.

The World Cup finale also featured a farewell victory ski celebrating the careers of retiring Americans Liz Stephen and Randall, who skied with son Breck in her arms. Thousands of fans cheered these two on, as well as local Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo secured the overall World Cup title along with his second consecutive overall Sprint Cup.

and Diggins. In the sprint to the finish, Diggins charged ahead to take second, with Haga barely nipping Kalla at the finish for third.

March 16-18 – Falun, Sweden The U.S.A.’s Caldwell landed third on the final Sprint Cup podium after finishing sixth in final 1.4km freestyle sprint of the season as the World Cup series came to a close in Falun, Sweden. Caldwell became only the second American to finish on the final World Cup sprint series’ podium. Sweden dominated the last race of the season, with Falk taking the win over teammate Jonna Sundling, while Norway’s Bjoergen was third. The top Canadian was Nishikawa in 40th. Despite finishing eighth at the World Cup final, Falla of Norway took home the crystal Sprint Globe.

The U.S.A.’s Simi Hamilton finished 14th in the men’s 1.4km sprint, won handily by Norway’s Klaebo, who had already captured the Sprint Cup globe and increased his stranglehold on the overall World Cup. Italy’s Pellegrino finished second, with Lucas Chanavat of France in third. The final top-three standings in the sprint overall World Cup matched the final podium as well, as Chanavat moved up from fourth to third overall. The top Canadian was Locke in 32nd.

The U.S.A.’s Diggins finished eighth in the women’s 10km Classic Mass Start and remained third overall with one race to go, while Parmakoski of Finland took the win over Bjoergen of Norway in the final 100 metres. The top Canadian was Nishikawa in 36th.

Just past the halfway mark, Parmakoski moved quickly to challenge. In the final stages, Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg, Bjoergen and Parmakoski were in charge, with Parmakoski charging past Bjoergen to take the win.

Canada’s Harvey finished 20th in the men’s 15km Classic race, and held on to fourth overall in the World Cup rankings as Russia’s Bolshunov finally claimed his first World Cup victory. In third place was Italy’s Francesco De Fabiani at 3.1 seconds behind. The top American was Erik Bjornsen in 52nd.

The U.S.A.’s Diggins and Sadie Bjornsen wrapped up the season in style, landing second and third in the women’s 10km Freestyle Pursuit finale. The stellar finish moved Diggins into second in the season-long World Cup overall standings – a mere 40 points behind winner Heidi Weng of Norway, with teammate Oestberg in third. Norway’s Bjoergen took the win in the Pursuit, www.skitrax.com

2017/18 FIS Viessmann Cross-country World Cup Final Standings Overall Sprint Men 1. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) 840; 2. Federico Pellegrino (ITA) 577; 3. Emil Iversen (NOR) 342; CAN/US 18. Simi Hamilton (USA) 141; 26. Alex Harvey (CAN) 85; 40. Erik Bjornsen (USA) 43; 45. Andy Newell (USA) 37; 46. Len Valjas (CAN) 36; 53. Kevin Bolger (USA) 25; 64. Julien Locke (CAN) 16; Women 1.

Maiken Caspersen Falla (NOR) 653; 2. Stina Nilsson (SWE) 595; 3. Sophie Caldwell (USA) 428; CAN/US 6. Jessie Diggins (USA) 309; 8. Sadie Bjornsen (USA) 264; 22.

Kikkan Randall (USA) 94; 23. Ida Sargent (USA) 93; 55. Rosie Brennan (USA) 20; 62.

Dahria Beatty (CAN) 11.

Overall Distance Men 1. Dario Cologna (SUI) 698; 2. Martin Johnsrud Sundby (NOR) 657; 3. Hans Christer Holund (NOR) 599; CAN/US 4. Alex Harvey (CAN) 594; 38. Erik Bjornsen (USA) 74; 49. Devon Kershaw (CAN) 53; 71. Scott Patterson (USA) 25; 73.

Simi Hamilton (USA) 22; 74. Patrick Caldwell (USA) 21; 97. Noah Hoffman (USA) 3; Women 1. Heidi Weng (NOR) 818; 2. Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg (NOR) 755; 3. Jessie Diggins (USA) 723; CAN/US 10. Sadie Bjornsen (USA) 422; 27. Kikkan Randall (USA ) 103; 44. Liz Stephen (USA) 52; 45. Rosie Brennan (USA) 52; 56. Caitlin Patterson (USA) 31; 61. Sophie Caldwell (USA) 23; 67. Ida Sargent (USA) 10; 75. Cendrine Browne (CAN) 4; 80. Chelsea Holmes (USA) 2.

Overall World Cup Men 1. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) 1,409; 2. Dario Cologna (SUI) 1,290; 3. Martin Johnsrud Sundby (NOR) 1,261; CAN/US 4. Alex Harvey (CAN) 1,179; 40. Simi Hamilton (USA) 152; 50. Erik Bjornsen (USA) 121; 75. Devon Kershaw (CAN) 63; 86. Andy Newell (USA) 37; 102. Kevin Bolger (USA) 25; 103. Scott Patterson (USA) 25; 107. Patrick Caldwell (USA) 21; 113. Julien Locke (CAN) 16; 149. Noah Hoffman (USA) 3; Women 1. Heidi Weng (NOR) 1,476; 2. Jessie Diggins (USA) 1,436; 3. Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg (NOR) 1,414; CAN/US 6. Sadie Bjornsen (USA) 956; 19.

Sophie Caldwell (USA) 419; 31. Kikkan Randall (USA) 209; 52. Liz Stephen (USA) 112; 55. Rosie Brennan (USA) 106; 56. Ida Sargent (USA) 103; 80. Caitlin Patterson (USA) 31; 89. Dahria Beatty (CAN) 11; 99. Cendrine Browne (CAN) 4; 104. Chelsea Holmes (USA) 2.

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 45

COMP INTERNATIONAL

IBU Biathlon World Cup Season Wrap March 6-11, 2018 – Kontiolahti, Finland Following the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics, the seventh round of the IBU World Cup kicked off in Kontiolahti, Finland. The U.S.A.’s Lowell Bailey claimed 16th and teammate Leif Nordgren followed in 17th for two top-20 performances. Russia’s Anton Shipulin shot clean, taking the victory, followed

by Andrejs Rastorgujevs of Latvia, who also cleaned at 5.8 seconds behind.

The top Canadian was Brendan Green, who also cleaned to finish 34th at 1:29.5 behind the winner.

The women got under way with Darya Domracheva of Belarus stealing the win in the women’s 7.5km sprint, just half a second ahead of Franziska Hildebrand of Germany with one missed target. Canada’s Rosanna Crawford claimed a strong 12th-place finish, followed by the U.S.A.’s Clare Egan, who raced to a career-best 13th. Both North Americans suffered one penalty.

The following day saw Team USA rallying from behind to finish ninth in the Mixed Relay with one penalty and 11 spare rounds. Sean Doherty skied the second-fastest second loop on route to US Biathlon’s best Mixed Relay finish of the season. Italy took home the victory with one penalty and 13 spare rounds, with Ukraine in second, accumulating only three spares at 1.5 seconds back. The Canadian squad had a rough day, placing 17th at 4:34.9 behind the winners.

Team Canada’s Crawford and Christian Gow improved from the previous day’s performance and claimed seventh with six spares in the Single Mixed Relay. Team France, with Anais Chevalier and Antonin Guigonnat, came from behind to take the victory with six spare rounds as well. The U.S.A.’s Bailey and Susan Dunklee placed 14th with one penalty and 14 spare rounds.

To close the weekend, Julian Eberhard of Austria won the men’s Mass Start with two penalties, besting series leader Martin Fourcade of France.

The Frenchman battled back from two early penalties to secure his place on the podium ahead of Shipulin of Russia. Bailey was the top North American in 14th, accumulating two penalties at 1:06.3 back. No Canadians qualified.

In the women’s 12.5km race, Germany’s Vanessa Hinz shot clean to win the final event of the weekend, crossing the line 13.5 seconds ahead of Italian Lisa Vittozzi. Crawford was the top North American in 13th with one penalty, as the U.S.A.’s Egan placed 23rd, just over two minutes back.

March 13-18, 2018 – Oslo, Norway (Holmenkollen) In the Holmenkollen at the penultimate eighth round, American Doherty shot clean as he raced to a best-ever 14th-place IBU Biathlon World Cup finish in the men’s 10km sprint. Norway’s Henrik L’Abee-Lund cleaned for the win at 6.1 seconds ahead of his teammate Johannes Thingnes Boe. In third was France’s Fourcade, who also shot clean to finish at 6.9 seconds off the pace.

The top Canadian was Scott Gow in 49th at 2:02.1 back with one penalty.

The U.S.A.’s Dunklee shot clean to deliver her best performance of the season, finishing just off the podium in fourth in the women’s 7.5km sprint.

Anastasiya Kuzmina of Slovakia came back from penalty in prone to win, as Domracheva of Belarus shot clean to finish second at 8.9 seconds behind.

Crawford led the Canadians in 38th with one penalty at 1:51 behind.

In the women’s 4x6km relay, Crawford anchored Team Canada to an 11thplace finish with 11 spares overall. The French used six spares en route to victory over Germany at 14.1 seconds behind with seven spares. The Italians

46 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

American Susan Dunklee wrapped up her season with a bronze in the women’s 10km Pursuit at the Holmenkollen.

Tim Burke finished his career as the top American man overall.

photos: Nordic Focus

by Noah Simms

rounded out the podium with eight spares. Team USA’s Egan, Dunklee, Joanne Reid and Emily Dreissigacker finished 15th.

The men’s 4x7.5km relay was the final race of the season for Team USA, as they joined the boycott of the final World Cup in Russia to protest the massive doping scandal there. It also marked the final race and storied careers of Bailey and Tim Burke. The four-time Olympians, who grew up racing together in Lake Placid, N.Y. closed out their careers on the same day.

Bailey and Burke teamed up with Doherty and Nordgren to finish seventh for the team’s best relay finish of the 2017-18 World Cup season. The Americans used eight spares to finish at 2:01.5 behind Norway, which won Team Relay gold using only three spares. On the final leg, Austria with five spares took over second from Russia, which settled for third with five spares. Canada finished 16th using 10 spares.

American Dunklee wrapped up her 2017-18 season with a bronze medal in the women’s 10km Pursuit on the final day at the Holmenkollen. Domracheva of Belarus attacked on the steepest hill on the final loop to pull away from Kuzmina of Slovakia to claim the victory with two penalties. Kuzmina suffered four penalties to finish at 9.2 seconds back. Dunklee also had two missed targets, finishing third at 29.5 seconds behind the winner.

The Canadian duo of Julia Ransom and Crawford were 51st and 52nd, crossing the line together. Ransom announced her retirement just prior to the Pursuit race, as she heads back to school (see page 24).

March 22-25, 2018 – Tyumen, Russia The final round of the BMW IBU Biathlon World Cup was held in Tyumen, Russia at the end of March, with both Canada and the U.S.A. sitting out, as well as 10 other countries that included the Czech Republic, along with several other high-profile biathletes such as Sweden’s Olympic Pursuit gold-medalist Sebastian Samuelsson.

Fourcade of France was on site to take the first of two victories, beginning with the opening men’s 10km sprint. It was his 73rd World Cup victory and he claimed the sprint title, also mathematically clinching a record-setting seventh overall crystal globe. He finished 33.2 seconds ahead of Simon Desthieux of France, with Swede Fredrik Lindstroem crossing the line only 0.2 seconds later. The entire podium shot clean.

The women’s 7.5km sprint was held a day later, with Domracheva of Belarus taking the win under the lights with clean shooting at 1.2 seconds ahead of Finland’s Kaisa Makarainen. Tiril Eckhoff of Norway claimed the final spot on the podium with one penalty at 33.3 seconds behind. Despite a 12thplace finish, Slovakia’s Kuzima took home her first crystal globe for the sprint overall title.

In the men’s 12.5km Pursuit, France’s Fourcade returned to the top step of the podium with one penalty, claiming his seventh consecutive Pursuit globe www.skitrax.com

Continued from page 37 Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games Biathlon Feb. 10, 2018 Women’s 7.5km Sprint 1. Laura Dahlmeier (GER) 21:06.2; 2. Marte Olsbu (NOR) 21:30.4; 3. Veronika Vitkova (CZE) 21:32.0; CAN/US 40. Julia Ransom (CAN) 23:15.0; 51. Emily Dreissigacker (USA) 23:27.2; 53. Rosanna Crawford (CAN) 23:29.2; 54. Emma Lunder (CAN) 23:30.4; 57. Megan Tandy (CAN) 23:42.8; 61. Clare Egan (USA) 23:51.6; 66. Susan Dunklee (USA) 24:13.1; 86.

Joanne Firesteel Reid (USA) 26:18.8.

Feb. 11, 2018 Men’s 10km Sprint 1. Arnd Peiffer (GER) 23:38.8; 2. Michal Krcmar (CZE) 23:43.2; 3. Dominik Windisch (ITA) 23:46.5; CAN/US 33. Lowell Bailey (USA) 24:54.4; 44. Nathan Smith (CAN) 25:22.3; 47. Tim Burke (USA) 25:26.3; 58. Leif Nordgren (USA) 25:49.0; 61. Scott Gow (CAN) 25:52.8; 62. Christian Gow (CAN) 25:53.5; 65. Sean Doherty (USA) 25:55.2; 82. Brendan Green (CAN) 26:48.0.

The U.S.A.’s Clare Egan raced to a career-best 13th in Kontiolahti, Finland.

Rosanna Crawford was the top Canadian woman overall.

in the process. Norway’s Boe finished second with one missed target, while Lukas Hofer of Italy took third at 1:08.4 back.

Finland’s Makarainen took her second podium of the weekend in the women’s 10km Pursuit, stealing the top step from France’s Anais Bescond. The Finnish skier had two penalties, but cleaned the final shooting session to set up a dramatic sprint finish. Laura Dahlmeier of Germany took third with one penalty at 17.5 seconds back.

Maxim Tsvetkov took his first World Cup win with clean shooting in the men’s 15km Mass Start in front of the Russian home crowd, followed by Norway’s Erlend Bjoentegaard in second, with Boe third. Fourcade of France finished 12th on the day to secure his sweep of the overall Individual crystal globe, as well as the Mass-Start overall title.

Belarus’s Domracheva took her second win of the final round with one penalty in the women’s 12.5km Mass Start, coming from behind on the final lap to pass eventual second-place finisher Pauline Fialkova of Slovakia, who also suffered one missed shot. Despite shooting clean, Anais Chevalier of France could only manage third at 6.6 seconds down. Makarainen of Finland placed sixth, yet still claimed the women’s Mass-Start crystal globe.

Although not at the final competition, many teams still claimed their crystal globes for overall success throughout the season. Nadezhda Skardino of Belarus won her first globe in the Individual Competition, while the Italians prevailed in the Mixed Relay. In the Team Relays, Norway and Germany took home crystal globes for the men’s and women’s events. Fourcade of France and Makarainen of Finland were both presented with the big crystal globes marking their top-tier overall World Cup scores.

As the season wrapped up, the U.S.A.’s Burke finished his final season as the top North American man in 32nd, while Christian Gow led the Canadian men overall in 49th. American Dunklee was 34th in the final women’s rankings, followed by Crawford, the top Canuck, in 43rd.

2017/18 IBU Biathlon World Cup Final Overall Standings Men 1. Martin Fourcade (FRA) 1,116; 2. Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) 1,027; 3. Anton Shipulin (RUS) 697; 4. Arnd Peiffer (GER) 668; 5. Lukas Hofer (ITA) 637; CAN/US 32.

Tim Burke (USA) 191; 35. Lowell Bailey (USA) 172; 36. Sean Doherty (USA) 162; 49.

Christian Gow (CAN) 90; 52. Scott Gow (CAN) 83; 57. Nathan Smith (CAN) 53; 71. Leif Nordgren (USA) 27; 82. Brendan Green (CAN) 15; Women 1. Kaisa Makarainen (FIN) 822; 2. Anastasiya Kuzmina (SVK) 819; 3. Darya Domracheva (BLR) 804; 4. Laura Dahlmeier (GER) 730; 5. Dorothea Wierer (ITA) 681; CAN/US 34. Susan Dunklee (USA) 206; 43. Rosanna Crawford (CAN) 155; 46. Julia Ransom (CAN) 121; 63. Clare Egan (USA) 54; 65. Emma Lunder (CAN) 50; 79. Sarah Beaudry (CAN) 18.

www.skitrax.com

Feb. 12, 2018 Men’s 12.5km Pursuit 1. Martin Fourcade (FRA) 32:51.7; 2. Sebastian Samuelsson (SWE) 33:03.7; 3. Benedikt Doll (GER) 33:06.8; CAN/US 17. Tim Burke (USA) 35:11.3; 32. Lowell Bailey (USA) 36:43.3; 50. Leif Nordgren (USA) 38:40.4; 54.

Nathan Smith (CAN) 38:58.2; Women’s 10km Pursuit 1. Laura Dahlmeier (GER) 30:35.3; 2. Anastazia Kuzmina (SVK) 31:04.7; 3. Anais Bescond (FRA) 31:04.9; CAN/US 19. Rosanna Crawford (CAN) 33:03.0; 28. Julia Ransom (CAN) 33:38.3; 47. Emily Dreissigacker (USA) 35:36.7; 53. Emma Lunder (CAN) 36:52.1; DNS Megan Tandy (CAN).

Feb. 14, 2018 Women’s 15km Individual 1. Hanna Oeberg (SWE) 41:07.2; 2. Anastazia Kuzmina (SVK) 41:31.9; 3. Laura Dahlmeier (GER) 41:48.4; CAN/US 19. Susan Dunklee (USA) 44:33.5; 22. Joanne Firesteel Reid (USA) 44:41.3; 26. Rosanna Crawford (CAN) 44.55.9; 29. Sarah Beaudry (CAN) 45:05.6; 54. Emma Lunder (CAN) 46:56.6; 62. Clare Egan (USA) 48:00.8; 67. Emily Dreissigacker (USA) 48:16.4; 74. Julia Ransom (CAN) 49:38.9.

Feb. 15, 2018 Men’s 20km Individual 1. Johannes Thingnes Boe (NOR) 48:03.8; 2. Jakov Fak (SLO) 48:09.3; 3. Dominik Landertinger (AUT) 48:18.0; CAN/US 14. Scott Gow (CAN) 50:06.3; 22. Brendan Green (CAN) 50:30.4; 26. Christian Gow (CAN) 51:01.0; 41. Tim Burke (USA) 52:05.7; 44. Sean Doherty (USA) 52:25.6; 51. Lowell Bailey (USA) 52:56.8; 66. Leif Nordgren (USA) 54:31.1; 81. Nathan Smith (CAN) 56:15.7.

Feb. 17, 2018 Women’s 12.5km Mass Start 1. Anastazia Kuzmina (SVK) 35:23.0; 2. Darya Domracheva (BLR) 35:41.8; 3. Tiril Eckhoff (NOR) 35:50.7.

Feb. 18, 2018 Men’s 15km Mass Start 1. Martin Fourcade (FRA) 35:47.3; 2. Simon Schempp (GER) 35:47.3; 3. Emil Hegle Svendsen (NOR) 35:58.5.

Feb. 20, 2018 Women’s 2x6km + Men’s 2x7.5km Mixed Relay 1. France (Marie Dorin Habert, Anais Bescond, Simon Desthieux, Martin Fourcade) 1:08:34.3; 2. Norway (Marte Olsbu, Tiril Eckhoff, Johannes Thingnes Boe, Emil Hegle Svendsen) 1:08:55.2; 3.

Italy (Lisa Vittozzi, Dorothea Wierer, Lukas Hofer, Dominik Windisch) 1:09:01.2; CAN/US 12. Canada (Rosanna Crawford, Julia Ransom, Brendan Green, Christian Gow) 1:11:11.0; 15. USA (Susan Dunklee, Joanne Firesteel Reid, Tim Burke, Lowell Bailey) 1:12:05.4.

Feb. 22, 2018 Women’s 4x6km Relay 1. Belarus (Dzinara Alimbekava, Iryna Kryuko, Nadezhda Skardino, Darya Domracheva) 1:12:03.4; 2. Sweden (Anna Magnusson, Linn Persson, Mona Brorsson, Hanna Oeberg) 1:12:14.1; 3. France (Anais Bescond, Justine Braisaz, Marie Dorin Habert, Anais Chevalier) 1:12:21.0; CAN/US 8. Canada (Julia Ransom, Sarah Beaudry, Rosanna Crawford, Emma Lunder) 1:13:36.8; 13. USA (Susan Dunklee, Joanne Firesteel Reid, Emily Dreissigacker, Clare Egan) 1:14:05.3.

Feb. 23, 2018 Men’s 4x7.5km Relay 1. Sweden (Sebastian Samuelsson, Peppe Femling, Fredrik Lindstroem, Jesper Nelin) 1:15:16.5; 2. Norway (Lars Helge Birkeland, Tarjei Boe, Emil Hegle Svendsen, Johannes Thingnes Boe) 1:16:12.0; 3. Germany (Simon Schempp, Benedikt Doll, Erik Lesser, Arnd Peiffer) 1:17:23.6; CAN/US 6. USA (Tim Burke, Sean Doherty, Lowell Bailey, Leif Nordgren) 1:19:06.7; 11.

Canada (Brendan Green, Macx Davies, Christian Gow, Scott Gow) 1:20:56.8.

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 47

Nordic-combined World Cup Wrap March 3-4 – Lahti, Finland A week after the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics wrapped up, the Nordic-combined athletes were back in action at Lahti, Finland. In the final team event of the season, the Austrian squad won the opening Team Sprint with Wilhelm Denifl and Bernhard Gruber. They finished 0.8 seconds in front of Norway 1 and 2.1 seconds ahead of Finland 1. The U.S. team of Jasper Good and Taylor Fletcher placed 14th at 3:42.6 behind the winners.

Germany’s Johannes Rydzek won the second and final day of competition in Lahti, victorious in the Individual Large Hill/10km Gundersen by 3.4 seconds ahead of his compatriot Vinzenz Gieger. Norway’s Joergen Graaback rounded out the podium in third. The U.S.A.’s Taylor Fletcher struggled in the jump, but made up 12 positions in the cross-country leg to finish in 36th at 3:28.4 down.

Final Nordic-combined World Cup overall podium (l-r) Jan Schmid 2nd, Akito Watabe 1st, Fabian Riessle 3rd.

The U.S.A.’s Bryan Fletcher retired following the World Cup in Trondheim, Norway, celebrating a storied career.

March 17-18 – Klingenthal, Germany Riessle dominated on home soil to take the victory at the penultimate round of the World Cup. After setting the standard on the Large Hill, he maintained his lead, finishing in front of Hirvonen of Finland, who took his second-straight podium. Watabe of Japan claimed third at 22.1 seconds back. Taylor Fletcher was the only American to compete, placing 35th with the fifth-fastest time on the ski leg.

Riessle returned to the top step of the podium on Day Two. He led a German 1-2 victory with Rydzek, leapfrogging bronze-medalist Watabe of Japan and Schmid of Norway. Taylor Fletcher led a large contingent of Americans competitors with his crushing ski performance. He started in 50th, but set the fourth-fastest ski time to finish 34th.

48 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

Flawia Krawczyk

March 10 – Oslo, Norway Japanese skier Akito Watabe returned to his winning ways in Oslo, Norway for the 10th round of the World Cup. After placing second in the ski jump with 130.8 points, Watabe won the 10km Gundersen over Fabian Riessle of Germany. Austrian Mario Siedl placed third, narrowly outsprinting Jan Schmid of Norway. The U.S.A.’s Bryan Fletcher skied strongly, setting the 12-fastest time of the day to move up seven spots into 17th. He was the top American ahead of his teammates, Ben Loomis and Bryan’s brother Taylor Fletcher, who placed 42nd and 44th respectively.

March 13-14 – Trondheim, Norway It looked as if Watabe would repeat his victory from Oslo after winning the opening jump in Trondheim, Norway. But the Japanese athlete suffered in the 10km ski, getting caught by German Eric Frenzel, who outsprinted him for the win in the end. Frenzel’s teammates Riessle and Rydzek started more than a minute back, but dominated the ski to place third and fourth, capping off an amazing day for the German team. U.S.A.’s Bryan Fletcher missed out on a top 10 by just two seconds, placing 12th on the day.

Bouncing back from the previous day, Bryan Fletcher took a superb seventh on the second day of competition, returning to the Large Hill/10km Gundersen, the final race of his outstanding career, as he had announced his retirement earlier (see page 24). He started the ski in 12th position, picking off his opponents to finish 19.7 seconds behind the winner Riessle. Norwegian Jarl Magnus Riiber of Norway, 20, took the silver for the home crowd, outsprinting Finnish skier Eero Hirvonen. Japan’s Watabe maintained his overall World Cup lead heading into the final two rounds in Germany.

Nordic Focus

by Noah Simms

March 24-25 – Schonach, Germany As the battle for the World Cup overall heated up, Watabe stayed cool, winning the opening day of the final round in Germany. He finished the 10km with the third-fastest time to finish 6.3 seconds ahead of Riiber of Norway, who took home second. Although jumping to 10th on the Normal Hill, Gruber of Austria nailed the ski to snag the final spot on the podium at 10.1 seconds ahead of his compatriot Siedl. The lone American, Loomis, placed 50th.

On the final day of World Cup season, Watabe landed the win to mark the 17th of his career. It was a repeat of the previous day, with Riiber of Norway having the best jump on the Normal Hill, but he was passed by the Japanese athlete in the finale. Germany’s Riessle took third after a strong season.

After a dominant season with eight wins, his best season to date, Watabe took home the overall as well as the Best Jumper classification. He finished almost 400 points ahead of Norway’s Schmid, who was second overall and Germany’s Riessle in third. Norway won the Nations Cup in a slender advantage over Germany, and Alessandro Pittin of Italy took home the Best Skier trophy.

American Bryan Fletcher finished 29th overall for his final World Cup season. The American skier began competing in 2002 and took home a career-first historic World Cup victory (the King’s Cup) at the season finale in the Holmenkollen at Oslo in 2012. He also earned a Team Relay bronze at the 2013 World Championships in Val di Flemme, Italy.

2017/18 FIS Nordic-combined World Cup Final Overall Standings 1. Akito Watabe (JPN) 1,495; 2. Jan Schmid (NOR) 1,133; 3. Fabian Riessle (GER) 1,087; USA 29. Bryan Fletcher (USA) 167; 62. Ben Berend (USA) 8; 71. Taylor Fletcher (USA) 2. www.skitrax.com

Continued from page 35 Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games Cross-country Skiing Feb. 10, 2018 Women’s Skiathlon (7.5km CL + 7.5km FR 1. Charlotte Kalla (SWE) 40:44.9; 2.

Marit Bjoergen (NOR) 7.8; 3. Krista Parmakoski (FIN) 10.1; CAN/US 5. Jessie Diggins (USA) 14.7; 33. Cendrine Browne (CAN) 3:17.0; 34. Caitlin Patterson (USA) 3:30.0; 40. Kikkan Randall (USA) 4:02.3; 44. Emily Nishikawa (CAN) 4:31.7; 48. Anne-Marie Comeau (CAN) 4:57.9; 52. Dahria Beatty (CAN) 5:32.4; 58. Rosie Brennan (USA) 6:51.1.

THE MAKING OF CHAMPIONS

Feb. 11, 2018 Men’s Skiathlon (15km CL + 15km FR) 1. Simen Hegstad Krueger (NOR) 1:16:20.0; 2. Martin Johnsrud Sundby (NOR) 8.0; 3. Hans Christer Holund (NOR) 9.9; CAN/US 8. Alex Harvey (CAN) 33.4; 18. Scott Patterson (USA) 1:07.5; 36.

Devon Kershaw (CAN) 3:35.3; 42. Erik Bjornsen (USA) 4:34.7; 45. Graeme Killick (CAN) 5:19.6; 51. Patrick Caldwell (USA) 6:58.1; 54. Noah Hoffman (USA) 7:08.7; 62. Knute Johnsgaard (CAN) lapped.

Feb. 13, 2018 Men’s Sprint Classic1. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) 3:05.75; 2. Federico Pellegrino (ITA) 1:34; 3. Alexander Bolshunov (OAR) 1.36; CAN/US 7. Len Valjas (CAN); 20. Simi Hamilton (USA); 25. Erik Bjornsen (USA); 32. Alex Harvey (CAN); 35. Jesse Cockney (CAN); 37. Andy Newell (USA); 42. Logan Hanneman (USA); 54. Russell Kennedy (CAN); Women’s Sprint Classic 1. Stina Nilsson (SWE) 3:03.84; 2. Maiken Caspersen Falla (NOR) 3.03; 3. Yulia Belorukova (OAR) 3.37; CAN/US 6. Jessie Diggins (USA) 11.23; 8. Sophie Caldwell (USA); 14. Sadie Bjornsen (USA); 33. Ida Sargent (USA); 34. Emily Nishikawa (CAN); 42. Dahria Beatty (CAN); 51. Cendrine Browne (CAN).

Feb. 15, 2018 Women’s 10km Free Free 1. Ragnhild Haga (NOR) 25:00.5; 2. Charlotte Kalla (SWE) 20.3; 3. Marit Bjoergen (NOR) 31.9; CAN/US 5. Jessie Diggins (USA) 35.2; 15. Sadie Bjornsen (USA) 1:42.1; 16. Kikkan Randall (USA) 1:49.9; 30. Liz Stephen (USA) 2:35.4; 32. Emily Nishikawa (CAN) 2:41.0; 37. Dahria Beatty (CAN) 2:48.4; 43. Cendrine Browne (CAN) 3:11.9; 62. Anne-Marie Comeau (CAN) 4:10.8.

Feb. 16, 2018 Men’s 15km Free 1. Dario Cologna (SUI) 33:43.9; 2. Simen Hegstad Krueger (NOR) 18.3; 3. Denis Spitsov (OAR) 23.0; CAN/USUS 7. Alex Harvey (CAN) 35.5; 21. Scott Patterson (USA) 1:44.1; 38. Graeme Killick (CAN) 2:39.4; 41. Erik Bjornsen (USA) 2:44.7; 48. Noah Hoffman (USA) 3:01.3; 69. Knute Johnsgaard (CAN) 4:04.6; 71. Devon Kershaw (CAN) 4:17.6; 74. Tyler Kornfield (USA) 4:34.0.

Feb. 17, 2018 Women’s 4x5km Relay 1. Norway (Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg, Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, Ragnhild Haga, Marit Bjoergen) 51:24.3; 2. Sweden (Anna Haag, Charlotte Kalla, Ebba Andersson, Stina Nilsson) 2.0; 3. Olympic Athletes from Russia (Natalia Nepryaeva, Yulia Belorukova, Anastasia Sedova, Anna Nechaevskaya) 43.3; CAN/US 5. USA (Sophie Caldwell, Sadie Bjornsen, Kikkan Randall, Jessie Diggins) 1:20.5; 13. Canada (Dahria Beatty, Emily Nishikawa, Cendrine Browne, Anne-Marie Comeau) 4:50.3.

Feb. 18, 2018 Men’s 4x10km Relay 1. Norway (Didrik Toenseth, Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Simen Hegstad Krueger, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo) 1:33:04.9; 2. Olympic Athletes from Russia (Andrey Larkov, Alexander Bolshunov, Alexey Chervotkin, Denis Spitsov) 9.4; 3. France (Jean-Marc Gaillard, Maurice Manificat, Clement Parisse, Adrien Backscheider) 36.9; CAN/US 9. Canada (Len Valjas, Graeme Killick, Russell Kennedy, Knute Johnsgaard) 3:41.0; 14. USA (Andy Newell, Reese Hanneman, Scott Patterson, Noah Hoffman) 9:24.2.

Feb. 21, 2018 Men’s Team Sprint Free 1. Norway (Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo) 15:56.26; 2. Olympic Athletes from Russia (Denis Spitsov, Alexander Bolshunov) 1.71; 3. France (Maurice Manificat, Richard Jouve) 2.02; CAN/US 6. USA (Erik Bjornsen, Simi Hamilton) 20.72; 8. Canada (Len Valjas, Alex Harvey) 35.60; Women’s Team Sprint Free 1. USA (Kikkan Randall, Jessie Diggins) 15:56.47; 2.

Sweden (Charlotte Kalla, Stina Nilsson) 0.19; 3. Norway (Marit Bjoergen, Maiken Caspersen Falla) 2.97; CAN 6. 13. Canada (Emily Nishikawa, Dahria Beatty) 38.98.

THE STORY OF THE GROWTH OF XC SKIING IN CANADA, THE USA AND THE WORLD • Contributing chapters by Roger Allen, Marty Hall, Anton Sheier, Jack Sasseville, Dave Wood and Louis Bouchard • Championship races in Canada, the USA, International, including the Olympics • 435 Pages

THE MOST EXTENSIVE BOOK EVER WRITTEN ABOUT OUR SPORT

Feb. 24, 2018 Men’s 50km Mass-Start Classic 1. Iivo Niskanen (FIN) 2:08:22.1; 2. Alexander Bolshunov (OAR) 18.7; 3. Andrey Larkov (OAR) 2:37.5; CAN/US 4. Alex Harvey (CAN) 2:43.6; 11. Scott Patterson (USA) 4:52.1; 26. Devon Kershaw (CAN) 9:27.3; 27. Graeme Killick (CAN) 10:06.7; 33. Noah Hoffman (USA) 10:42.0; 48.

Tyler Kornfield (USA) 16:14.4; 49. Russell Kennedy (CAN) 16:54.5.

Feb. 25, 2018 Women’s 30km Mass-Start Classic Marit Bjoergen (NOR) 1:22:17.6; 2. Krista Parmakoski (FIN) 1:49.5; 3. Stina Nilsson (SWE) 1:58.9; CAN/US 7. Jessie Diggins (USA) 3:37.2; 17. Sadie Bjornsen (USA) 6:32.6; 21. Rosie Frankowski (USA) 8:53.8; 26. Caitlin Patterson (USA) 10:26.0; 30. Emily Nishikawa (CAN) 12:14.1; 43. Cendrine Browne (CAN) 19:06.3. www.skitrax.com

A Great Gift Idea To learn more and order visit

www.ACrossCountrySkiStory.ca OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 49

COMP Ski Jumping Season Wrap

by Noah Simms

Women

March 3-4 – Rasnov, Romania Following the Pyeongchang Olympics in South Korea, the women’s ski-jumping World Cup resumed in Rasnov, Romania with Germany’s Katharina Althaus taking the victory, as she posted the best jump of the day in qualifying. Dangerous wind conditions forced the cancellation of the final round. Olympic champion and World Cup leader Maren Lundby of Norway placed second, while Carina Vogt of Germany came in third. Nita Englund of the U.S.A. was the lone North American, finishing in 39th.

On the second day of competition, Norway’s Lundby bounced back to take the win, dominating the rest of the competitors with 257.8 points and a 20-point margin over Germany’s Althaus, who finished a mere 0.1 points ahead of 17-year-old phenom Nika Kriznar of Slovenia, in third for the first World Cup podium of her career.

The U.S.A.’s Sarah American Englund bumped up Hendrickson, former one spot from the previous day, world champion placing 38th, but did not qualify for the final.

March 11 – Oslo, Norway Norway’s Lundby took her second consecutive World Cup win on the famous Holmenkollen hill. The Olympic gold medalist crushed the opposition with a 30-point gap over second-place Daniela IraschkoStolz of Austria, while Japan’s Yuki Ito rounded out the podium in third.

No North Americans competed.

March 24-25 – Oberstdorf, Germany The season finale was held in Oberstdorf, Germany. Although the overall was already decided, there was still a tough battle for the final podium spots, with Japan’s Sara Takanashi coming out on top. It was a record-breaking performance for this athlete, who earned her 54th World Cup victory. Austria’s Iraschko-Stolz placed second, with Norway’s Lundby in third. American Sarah Hendrickson placed 26th.

On Day Two, in the final event Takanashi repeated her victory from the previous day, with her last jump well over the 100-metre mark. It was déjà vu for the podium as well, with Austria’s Iraschko-Stolz and Norway’s Lundby joined the Japanese skier. Hendrickson was once again the top U.S. skier, but she did not qualify for the final.

Norway’s Lundby was awarded overall World Cup series title, with Germany’s Althaus second, while Japan’s Takanashi, moved up to take third overall.

Abby Ringquist (USA) and Taylor Henrich (CAN) were tied in 45th as the top North Americans. In the battle for the Nations Cup, Germany narrowly beat out Japan by five points.

50 SKITRAX OLYMPICS 2018

Canada’s Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes claimed a stellar 15th in Oslo.

U.S.A.’s Kevin Bickner was the top North American overall.

Nordic Focus

INTERNATIONAL

Men

March 3-4 – Lahti, Finland The Team event greeted the athletes for their first World Cup since the Pyeongchang Games, with Germany coming out on top ahead of Poland. Norway rounded out the podium in third. The American team did not qualify for the final run, and finished 11th.

On the second day of competition, Poland’s Kamil Stoch returned to his winning ways to take over the World Cup series lead by 130 points. Germany’s Markus Eisenbichler nabbed his second podium of the event behind Stoch, while Austria’s Stefan Kraft took third, bouncing back after a rough start to season. U.S. skier Kevin Bickner was the top North American, placing 20th, as Canadian Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes, in 32nd, narrowly missed out on qualifying.

March 10-11 – Oslo, Norway The Olympic champions from Pyeongchang returned to the winner’s circle in Oslo, Norway. The Norwegian team dominated, with Poland almost 60 points behind in second. Austria came out on top of Germany for the bronze medal despite a strong final jump by Andreas Wellinger. No North American teams competed.

Canadian Boyd-Clowes posted a fantastic result in the Individual competition, placing 15th with a score of 233.2 points. Daniel Andre Tande of Norway took the win as Stoch of Poland set the bar high in qualifying, but plummeted to sixth in the final. A pair of Austrians followed, with Kraft and Michael Hayboeck taking second and third respectively. Bickner was the only American competing and placed 36th.

Oslo also hosted the opening round of the RAW AIR Tournament, with Poland’s Stoch in the lead, followed by a posse of Norwegians that included Robert Johansson, Johann Andre Forfang and Tande close behind. The Tournament toured Norway with stops in Lillehammer and Trondheim, with the finale in Vikersund on March 18.

March 13 – Lillehammer, Norway Poland’s Stoch extended his lead in the RAW AIR Tournament with a win in Lillehammer. He outclassed his opponents to take the 28th World Cup win of his career. Another Pole joined him on the podium with David Kubacki in second, while home-town star Johansson was third. Canadian Boyd-Clowes just squeaked into the final, placing 27th overall to sit 32nd in the RAW AIR standings.

March 15 – Trondheim, Norway Stoch of Poland took his fifth win out of six events at the RAW AIR series with a new Hill record of 146 metres in the process. Austria’s Kraft and Norway’s Johansson filled out the podium in second and third. Bickner of the U.S.A. broke a cold spell and qualified for the finals, ending up 26th on the day, while Canadian Boyd-Clowes was 44th. Stoch continued to dominate the RAW AIR standings, with Johansson in second. Boyd-Clowes moved down one spot to 33rd, while Bickner was 38th. www.skitrax.com

March 17-18 – Vikersund, Norway The Norwegian squad took home the team victory at the penultimate event of the RAW AIR Tournament. The teams from Poland and Slovakia claimed second and third respectively.

In the finale, the host country swept the podium, with Johansson taking his first World Cup win on his way to second-place overall in the RAW AIR standings behind Poland’s Stoch, who sealed the overall with six wins in the process. Norwegian Andreas Stjernen rounded out the podium in third, as American Bickner jumped up five places to finish 33rd. Sadly, Canadian Boyd-Clowes could not compete due to health reasons. The stage was then set for the final World Cup in Planica, Slovenia.

motivated by the home crowd, pipped Poland for the final podium spot.

Poland’s Stoch returned to the podium in the final event of the season with his 31st World Cup win, with Austria’s Kraft second and Norway’s Tande in third. No North Americans competed.

Poland’s Stoch at 30 dominated the season with nine wins to take the overall title over Germany’s Richard Freitag, with Norway’s Tande third. American Bickner was the top North American in 39th, while Canadian Boyd-Clowes was 47th. In the Nationals Cup, Norway took the overall title.

March 23-25 – Planica, Slovania Poland’s Stoch launched a 245-metre jump to snag the win on Day One in Planica over Norway’s Forfang in second, with Austria’s Kraft in third. Bickner of the U.S.A. took home his best result since the Olympic break, placing 16th.

Norway continued its Team-event domination, grabbing its third consecutive win. Germany landed in second with consistent jumping, while Slovenia,

Men 1. Kamil Stoch (POL) 1,443; 2. Richard Freitag (GER) 1,070; 3. Daniel Andre Tande (NOR) 985; CAN/USA 39. Kevin Bickner (USA) 50; 47. Mackenzie Boyd-Clowes (CAN) 31; 57. William Rhoads (USA) 12; Women 1. Maren Lundby (NOR) 1,340; 2. Katharina Althaus (GER) 928; 3. Sara Takanashi (JPN) 916; CAN/USA 45. Abby Ringquist (USA) 8; 45. Taylor Henrich (CAN) 8; 49. Sarah Hendrickson (USA) 5; 51.

Natalie Eilers (CAN) 3; 52. Atsuko Tanaka (CAN) 2; 52. Abigail Strate (CAN) 2; 55.

Natasha Bodnarchuk (CAN) 1; 55. Nita Englund (USA) 1.

FIS Ski Jumping 2017/18 Final Standings

CXC NEWS Providing outdoor recreational opportunities for children as well as adults is key to developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout the long Midwest winter season. Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC) kicked off the Nordic Rocks for Schools program five years ago to do just that – to get youth active outside to enjoy winter while learning a new recreational activity.

Based on the success of the School program, which introduced more than 17,000 children to Nordic skiing last winter, CXC expanded the Nordic Rocks program to include community and regional parks and clubs during the 2016-17 winter season. The program expanded further to include retailers last winter.

“The Nordic Rocks program is about enhancing the quality of life, locally and statewide, through recreation and education,” said Jessica Finn Allen of Minnesota’s Lake Minnewashta Regional Park Nordic Center. “The purpose of the Parks and Recreation department is to provide a variety of quality recreational experiences, services and lands that meet the needs of the residents . . . and park users – the Nordic Rocks for Parks fits the bill perfectly.”

Lake Minnewashta Regional Park was the second park to host a Nordic Rocks program in 2017. Throughout the winter, Allen hosted several events at the park, inviting school groups to an introduction to cross-country skiing to encourage enjoyment of winter and to experience the park trails.

Lake Bemidji State Park in Bemidji, Minn. was the first park to implement the Nordic Rocks for Parks program. With the help of numerous supporters (including a local Super 8 hotel, which helped fund the initial purchase of skis and poles), park visitors were invited to use the skis on the park’s groomed trails, free of charge. The program proved so successful that the Friends of Lake Bemidji State Park purchased additional equipment.

“As a result of the Nordic Rocks for Parks and Clubs program, more than 4,000 people annually have experienced the sport of cross-country skiing,” noted Bruce Manske, CXC’s Nordic Rocks program director. “This is significant because it is skiing outside of a school setting, providing both kids and adults the opportunity to discover a new winter sport.” www.skitrax.com

CXC’s Nordic Rocks for Schools program introduced more than 17,000 children to Nordic skiing last winter.

Central Cross Country Skiing

Nordic Rocks Coming to a Park Near You

For the upcoming 2018-19 season, more than two dozen parks and clubs have committed to offer Nordic Rocks program throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Dakota, Colorado and, in Canada, Alberta.

“This is such an outstanding program,” said Yuriy Gusev, CXC executive director. “Not only because [this] simple . . . program introduces kids to Nordic skiing, but it [also] builds the fan base for Nordic sports throughout the region.”

This spring, CXC was given the U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Russell Wilder Award for contribution to youth as a result of the work of the Nordic Rocks program.

CXC has developed two sizes of introductory cross-country skis for the Nordic Rocks program, complete with snowshoe-style bindings and adjustable poles to provide a simple introduction to cross-country skiing. With this equipment, participants are able to ski on any outdoor surface covered with a minimum of two inches of snow, and, as a bonus, the Nordic Rocks adjustable poles are also perfect for Nordic walking.

In addition, CXC provides park-activity coordinators and club leaders with the same skiing curriculum, resources and teaching support used in the Nordic Rocks for Schools program.

The curriculum is easy to follow and offers educational ideas for both indoor and outdoor activities. CXC will also help parks and clubs connect with local ski shops and skiing enthusiasts to further enhance the Nordic Rocks experience in their communities.

For more information on establishing a Nordic Rocks program in your community, contact Manske, CXC’s Nordic Rocks program director at bruce.manske@cxcskiing.org.

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 51

WAXWORX

by Jack Cook and Patrick Moore

Rollerskiing, Summer Training and Ski Storage Tips

L

Reese Brown

egendary former U.S. and Canadian Head Coach Marty Hall always said, “As a Nordic skier, never leave your house without your poles,” and as general advice, which I say with a smile, your wax will always work better come winter the more specific your Rollerskiing is summer training. the most ski-specific Rollerskiing is the most ski-specific drydryland training for land training for cross-country skiing, but cross-country skiing. how do you get the most from the time you invest in your training? The number of workpedestrians. It is generally preferred that rollouts and the number of hours depend to a erskiers ski in the same direction as cyclists large extent on how much time you can inand drivers. However, in most cases, rollerHPeaks 8th ST Ann 2013_Pedal Template 2017-12-19 6:45 PM Page 1 vest in training. For most ambitious skiers, skiers can also use the sidewalks, pedestrian about half of their overall training volume will crossings and bike/walking paths as long as be on rollerskis. For marathon racers, most of they are considerate of those walking there. that volume is double-poling during both disStatistics show that most traffic accidents intance-workouts and intervals. volving rollerskiers happen because rollerWhile rollerskiing is the most ski-specific skiers are hit by drivers who don’t see them dryland training for cross-country skiing, it or when rollerskiers run into another vehicle does carry some additional risks. Here is a because they can’t stop in time. Accordingly, quick guide to get you safely on the road one of the most important safety measures during summer and fall training in prepararollerskiers can take is to make sure they are tion for the winter. First off, let us say life is visible to drivers and others who use the hard and pavement is harder, so before you roads. Make sure to wear plenty of reflective head out for a rollerski, always grab your helclothing – and not only on your upper body. met and wear it for your entire workout.

Put reflective tape on your rollerski poles, In most cases, rollerskiers are considered and wear reflectives on your legs as well.

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When rollerskiing on an open road, a good rule of thumb is to double-pole only when you see an oncoming car, as a passing car will not have as much room to give you space. As a reference, when you are skating, your poles swing out farther than your skis, thus giving you and motorists less room to anticipate than you may think.

While you’re out putting in the rollerski miles and dreaming about winter, did you prepare your skis for the next winter season when you put them away in summer storage?

Taking good care of your skis over the summer will not only make them fast come winter, but it will also make them last longer. Glide zones left dirty and dry will oxidize over the summer, leaving them feeling slow in the fall, even with new wax. If you missed this step back in the spring, spend a few minutes on your skis now and your boards will be ready to go when the snow flies again in late fall and early winter.

Start by cleaning off any remains of klister and kick wax. Scrape off the worst with a metal scraper dedicated to kick wax or a klister paddle (those plastic scrapers that come with the klister tubes). Then apply liberal amounts of wax cleaner, wipe clean and dry with Fiberlene or shop towels. Feel the surfaces with your hands to make sure all sticky residue is removed. Don’t forget to wipe down the bindings, tops and sides of the skis as well. Once the skis are clean and dry, apply a medium-hard glide wax to all glide zones. Don’t put glide wax in the kick zone on Classic skis. Using a medium-hard glide wax for summer storage saves the step of re-waxing with a colder glide wax when you are ready for that first ski in late fall.

As a driver, what can you do to make the roads safer for rollerskiers? Most drivers don’t know that rollerskiers can’t easily stop on a dime. This is super-important to keep in mind when you plan to make turns, especially right turns. Also, as a driver, make sure to give rollerskiers plenty of room and don’t pass a rollerskier who is using the right lane when there is oncoming traffic. For reference, a general rule for passing cyclists is to give them 1.5 metres of space.

While there is no hard requirement for rollerskiers, this is a good rule of thumb. Finally, check your blind spots frequently, especially when making right turns. As a driver, try rollerskiing or cycling from time to time to put yourself in their shoes and to get an idea what the traffic picture is from their perspective. www.skitrax.com

GRAVES ON NORDIC

by Peter Graves

A Special Moment in Time

I

The USA’4 s Jessie Diggins (l) and teammate Kikkan Randall at the finish of the women's Team Sprint at Pyeongchang 2018 claiming the USA's historic first Olympic gold medal in cross-country skiing.

Sarah Brunson

f you’re like me, chances are you remember where you were and how you felt the night of Feb. 21, 2018, during the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in South Korea.

I was public announcing for alpine skiing during the Games, and most of what I saw of the event was on Korean TV. That night, I rushed to a nearby food-and-drink establishment to watch the women’s Team sprint, featuring the dynamic U.S.A. duo of Kikkan Randall and Jessie Diggins.

The U.S. team had performed well at the Olympics to date, and Diggins especially had already been just seconds away from an historic medal for the American women. The U.S. finished an impressive best-ever fifth in the 4x5km women’s Team Relay with Randall, Diggins, Sophie Caldwell and Sadie Bjornsen.

Despite the world-class nature of every Olympic competition, I had been expecting a real breakthrough here, and why not. The U.S. women had been putting together some terrific World Cup and World Championships results, complete with medals. The tide was turning and most everyone felt it. Not that the road was easy. Over the years, once the U.S. fielded a National team, the women athletes had much to endure on the path to success. And they also have had to tolerate some measure of skepticism during that time. But throughout the past 10 years or so, things really began to improve. A medal seemed likely in their future.

In this era, the U.S. women found a leader in Randall, and along with the coaching staff, the team began to gel in a most beautiful way.

Bit by bit, they grew together, built the base and started challenging the world’s cross-country Elite skiers regularly. There was nobility to this squad as they faced the sport’s challenges. They were building with intention.

In the days before that special race, I had noted a quote from Afton’s Diggins: “Being so close to the medals this week so many times, I knew I was in great shape and I knew it could happen. I just felt unstoppable, and I’m in the best shape of my life.”

And so it was on that night, sitting at the bar, I asked for the TV to be tuned to cross-country skiiing, live from Alpensia. My alpine-team sport-production staff gathered round, as they knew that this race held deeply personal meaning for me. As I watched with rapt attention, I was on pins and needles, and then the climax happened – Diggins outsprinted Sweden’s Stina Nilsson for the gold by a scant 0.19 seconds. The U.S.A. had done it – it had won the gold!

I burst into tears. The U.S. had won its first-ever gold in cross-coun-

www.skitrax.com

try skiing and the women of the Red, White and Blue had achieved something truly extraordinary. I was beyond thrilled and joyous and happy I was here to see this moment in time.

Following the race and a joyous celebration with teammates and coaches, Diggins noted that she felt something very special that night: “You know, coming around the final corner, I felt kind of like I was coiling a spring and then letting it go, giving it everything I had and digging as deep as I could have. I left it all out there,” she exclaimed.

Randall, whose first Olympic Games date back to Salt Lake 2002, and who retired following the 2018 Winter Games, said, “This is what really kept me going over the last four years; it’s a dream come true. I have been trying to contribute towards a Team medal here, and to do it with Jessie, it’s just amazing.”

For those in the know, this was a team win. Athletes, coaches, service people, waxers and the like all contributed mightily to make this dream a reality.

Again, Diggins captured the moment perfectly: “This team just brings out the best in me, and we just had so many people working so hard to give us this opportunity. I’m so grateful.”

In a few minutes, my glad tears had subsided. I couldn’t help but think of the many people who have passed on who in their own way contributed to this very special historic moment. How I wish they could have witnessed this moment.

After all these years, the moment happened despite great obstacles – the women believed in themselves and wrote their own script right to the top of the podium. Thank you for your amazing race.

It was an evening I will remember the rest of my life.

OLYMPICS 2018 SKITRAX 53

SASSEVILLE REPORT

Therese Johaug

by Jack Sasseville

Retirements, Johaug, Klaebo, Bolshunov and Holland

Klaebo versus Bolshunov – At the beginning of the season, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won his first six races and pretty well sealed his chance at the overall World Cup title. At the Olympics, he added three gold medals to prove that he can also win the big ones. By the end of the year, however, the best male cross-country skier in the world was Alexander Bolshunov. He destroyed everyone in Falun at the World Cup finals to finish fifth overall. Both are both 21 years old and are the future of cross-country skiing for the men. Both have speed and endurance and can win in every race. Of course, there are more than just two good skiers on the World Cup, but I see these two at the top for the next five to 10 years.

Watch out for Therese Johaug – Heidi Weng won the overall women’s World Cup and Jessie Diggins was second. With Marit Bjoergen retiring, they are poised to continue on being at the top of the standings. However, all reports out of Norway are that Therese Johaug is fitter than ever and is very motivated after sitting out the past 18 months on a doping suspension. A couple of years ago, she was the only skier who could consistently ski as fast as Bjoergen, when the two were well ahead of the rest of the field. It will be very interesting to see what Johaug can do next season.

State of High Performance at Cross Country Canada – What do you think of the state of “high performance” at Cross Country Canada (CCC) at this moment? As I write this, there is a new part-time high performance director who does not live in Canada. Own the Podium 54 SKITRAX SPRING 2018

Alexander Bolshunov

Nordic Focus

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo

Pam Doyle

etirements – At the end of every Olympic quadrennial, there are always many retirements in every sport. This year is no exception, and I think that the list may even be longer than usual.

Here is a list of some notable National Team skiers and biathletes who are retiring: Canada: Devon Kershaw, Jesse Cockney and Graeme Killick, as well as Knute Johnsgaard, Michael Somppi and Julie Ransom from biathlon.

U.S.: Noah Hoffman, Kris Freeman, Kikkan Randall, Liz Stephen and Andy Newell, as well as Lowell Bailey, Tim Burke and Russell Currier from biathlon.

Internationally: Marit Bjoergen, Anna Haag, Emil Jonsson, Martin Johannson, Justina Kowalczyk, Alexander Legkov and Aino-Kaisa Saarinen in cross-country, as well as Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Darya Domracheva and Emil Hegle Svendsen in biathlon.

Everyone retires for different reasons, but every career must eventually come to an end. Some end with fireworks (Kikkan Randall), some end early (Knute Johnsgaard at 25) and some end late (Bjoerndalen in his forties). Congratulations to all of these skiers and biathletes for having reached the peak of their sport.

Alex Harvey has said that he will ski for one more year and end his terrific career in Quebec City in March 2019. He was fourth last year on the overall World Cup and just missed getting a medal in the 50km at the Pyeongchang Olympics. If he can stay motivated this season (sometimes hard to do when retirement is on the horizon), there is no reason why he cannot keep his place at the top. He has shown no dropoff and is at the top of his game.

Nordic Focus

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Nordic Focus

Post-Olympic Shuffle

Tom Holland

(OTP) has drastically reduced its funding of cross-country skiing (it will not even fund Harvey, as its mandate is medals at the Olympics, and he has said that he is retiring after next season), athletes on the National Team are essentially self-funding all of their training and racing trips (one skier told me it cost him more than $30,000 to be on the National Team last season), two of the three National Team coaches have been let go (Ivan Babikov and Lisa Patterson) and there has been no one hired as yet to replace them.

A number of people have written to me to say that I was too soft in my opinion of the job that Tom Holland has done over the past 12 years. While Holland cannot take credit for everything positive that has happened, he should also not be blamed for everything that is negative. Having said that, one of the key ways to evaluate the performance of a leader is to ask: Was it left better than it was found? What is his legacy? Are we better off now than when he took over?

After coaching at the grassroots level again, in the past few years I believe that we have one of the two most important resources needed to rebuild – more and more younger skiers racing. At the past two National Championships, the juvenile fields were the largest than I have ever seen (there were more than 700 skiers in total). We need to stop squandering this resource and provide them with the training and coaching and racing that they need to reach the top. This should be the major goal of high performance in Canada. It is likely too late to make any big changes for 2022. We need to start thinking about 2026.

Skiers who will be at these Olympics are in the system now. They need to be good and ready in 2024 – only six years away.

The other most important resource is money. With better results, there will be more money from OTP and from sponsors. There is more money at CCC than one would think – it needs to be better spent.

The same cycle occurred in the 1990s and it took eight to 10 years to recover. I sure hope that we learn a little from the past and do it much faster. www.skitrax.com

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March 16, 2019

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