Highlights
US Ski Team: Cross-Country Team Nominated for the 2022-23 Season
May 10, 2022U.S. Ski & Snowboard has announced 22 athletes nominated to the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team for the 2022-23 season. In addition to established veterans, including three-time Olympic medalist Jessie Diggins and two-time Olympians Rosie Brennan and Scott Patterson, the team includes five new members. Moving up to the A Team for the coming season are 2022 Olympians JC Schoonmaker, Julia Kern, Novie McCabe, Ben Ogden and Patterson. Midwest athletes making the list include Zak Ketterson (B team) and Kevin Bolger (B team).
Snake River Canoe Race Results
May 8, 2022Beautiful Saturday morning in Mora for the annual Snake River paddling races with over 125 entries competing. Pro Boat winners were Devin Arenz and Mike Vincent for the men, Jessica Kozarek and Patti Bohaty for the women, and Josie and Dave Nelson the top mixed pairing.
Midwest MTB Report
May 3, 2022Rolling on despite a delayed start to the season in some places, Jay Richards in here to bring us up to speed on where the wheels are moving throughout the Midwest. Early season racing recaps, ongoing and upcoming skill clinics, an article of the week, and a look ahead to events on the horizon are all featured in this week's MTB report.
Birkie Registration Now Open
May 2, 2022Registration for the Slumberland American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, Prince Haakon, Birkie Tour, and Open Track Birkie opened on May 1st. Secure your wave placement and get in on early pricing by registering now!
Midwest MTB Report
April 27, 2022As unlikely as it may seem in parts of the Midwest, spring is finally here, and with it, the mountain bike season. Delivering his first report of the year, Jay Richards takes an in depth look at two of the Midwest series soon to start up—the Wisconsin Off-Road Series and Minnesota Mountain Bike Series—and details some helpful communications tools for all things mountain biking, in addition to an article on sustainable tourism.
Biathlon: National Team Nominations Announced
April 15, 2022The US Biathlon Association released the nominations for the 2022-23 National Team, Junior National Team and National Development Group. The list is stacked with Midwest athletes: National A Team - Deedra Irwin, Jake Brown, Paul Schommer; National B Team - Vaclav Cervenka; NDG - Amanda Kautzer, Luke Brown; Junior National Team - Matej Cervenka, Alexandra Rud.
Epic Bike Fest Expanded to Three-Day Weekend Festival, June 3-5
April 10, 2022The American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF) continues to expand its reach into cycling with the hosting of the Epic Bike Fest, Jun 3-5, as well as the start of the Mt. Telemark Village mountain bike park. The Epic Bike Fest will feature an expo Friday through Sunday that includes cycling and lifestyle vendors and exhibitors onsite, food trucks and drink vendors and a beer garden. The Telemark bike park will add cross-country trails, enduro and gravity trails, a skills area, pump track and kick-bike track for kids.
Easter Bunny Hoppet at Swedetown on April 9th
March 30, 2022Swedetown trails will be hosting a spring fun race on Saturday, April 9th. Exact course and distance to be determined, but conditions have continued to mid-winter like. Come up and enjoy some April skiing (and racing)!
US Elite Racing: SuperTour Finals/Canadian Nationals End of Week Recap
March 28, 2022Fighting slowly deteriorating conditions with precipitation in the forecast, this past weekend saw the conclusion of the Canadian National Ski Championships at the Whistler Olympic Park in British Columbia, and with it, the SuperTour season. While a few US athletes chose to head home early, most that had made the journey remained, and some continued to be rewarded for it. Continuing where we left off, Wednesday featured classic sprints, followed by team sprints on Friday, and a freestyle marathon on Sunday. With highlights, photos, and a breakdown of the results, Michael Keller-Miller presents the final installment of her Elite Racing coverage for this season.
Nordic Cross World Championships Coverage
March 28, 2022Duluth held one of their fun, season ending, events last weekend with the Nordic Cross World Championships at Spirit Mountain. Jordan Wood captured images from the morning off ski cross races and jumps, along with a video clip of crash highlights by Jake Boyce.
CityTrail Loppet Returns to Sculpture Garden
March 24, 2022The 2022 edition of the CityTrail Loppet will feature point-to-point routes, starting at Theodore Wirth and finishing at the famous Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. In addition to the 10 mile and 10K events, a 5K distance is now offered. Registration is open now.
US Elite Racing: SuperTour Finals/Canadian Nationals Midweek Recap
March 22, 2022Marking the end of the SuperTour season, the Canadian National Ski Championships got under way over the weekend with freestyle distance racing on Sunday and classic distance racing on Monday. Many prominent US athletes (including Jessie Diggins) made the journey to the Whistler Olympic Park in British Columbia to compete, and with coverage from Michaela Keller-Miller, we're going over the results from the first set of races before our attention turns to the next set, beginning with classic sprints on Wednesday.
World Cup Report: Falun Recap, Overall Standings
March 15, 2022This season's final destination for the World Cup, Falun, Sweden was the last opportunity for athletes to give it their all and shore up their position in the overall standings. Pouring over the results, Erika Peterson summarizes each of the races from the weekend, and breaks down how competitors fared in the final tally.
Ukraine Charity Loppet
March 13, 2022Support Ukraine by skiing a virtual Ukraine charity loppet between now and April 30th, with the Worldloppet registration fees being donated to the Ukrainian Red Cross.
Alpen Cup Sappada: Classic, Freestyle Distance; Sonnesyn Takes First
March 13, 2022While many US athletes were in Falun, Sweden for the final World Cup weekend, a handful instead traveled to Sappada, Italy for OPA Alpen Cup racing. Saturday's races were a 10K classic individual start for the women's and 15K of the same for the men, and saw some particularly good results for the US women competing, with Alayna Sonnesyn finishing 3rd, Alexandrea Lawson 7th, and Mariah Bredal 9th. Even better for the US women however, were Sunday's 10K freestyle mass start results, in which Alayna Sonnesyn won the race by just under four seconds. Mariah Bredal and Alexandrea Lawson also saw themselves back in the top-10, and Margie Freed joined them as well, finishing 5th, 7th, and 8th respectively. Of the US men, Finn O'Connell had the best results both days, finishing 29th on Saturday, and 11th in the 15K freestyle mass start on Sunday.
World Cup Falun: Mixed Team Relay, Sprint; US Takes Inaugural Win
March 13, 2022In a first for World Cup racing, athletes had the choice of competing as a mixed team in either a relay or a sprint on Sunday for the final races in Falun, Sweden. The mixed team relay was up first, and was a close contest throughtout, with the first three legs from American's Rosie Brennan, Zak Ketterson, and Scott Patterson keeping their team in the mix. That mix was no match for Jessie Diggins however, who broke away on the last lap with a strong push, winning the inaugural event for her team. Second and third were a closer battle, with the Finnish team, anchored by Krista Parmakoski, ultimately prevailing over the Norwegian team, anchored by Therese Johaug, in the final hundred meters. Later, the teams for the mixed sprint were out on course, but it became clear midway through the race that none could keep up with the Swedish duo of Jonna Sundling and Calle Halfvarsson, who ran away with the victory. Another tight finish, both teams from Norway had to fight for the rights to second and third, with the Norway II team just edging out the Norway I team. As these were the final races of the World Cup season, most athletes will now be heading home for some well earned R and R, and to gear up for the next season.
World Cup Falun: Freestyle Distance
March 12, 2022The course in Falun, Sweden was prepped for freestyle racing on Saturday as athletes lined up for the individual distance event. Posting the fastest time on the day for the men was Didrik Toenseth of Norway, followed by Calle Halfvarsson of Sweden and another Norwegian, Harald Oestberg Amundsen. Just a few places back, the US's Scott Patterson had a stellar performance, finishing 7th, and Zak Ketterson notched his first career World Cup points, finishing 15th. Of the women, Norway's Therese Johaug remained untouchable in distance events, finishing first by over thirty seconds. Second was nabbed by Jonna Sundling of Sweden, with Jessie Diggins just getting bumped to third by mere tenths of a second. Another American who excelled today, Rosie Brennan also had a top-10 performance, finishing 8th. Since it was the final distance event of the season, World Cup distance titles were handed out after the races, with Therese Johaug taking home the crystal globe for the women, and Finland's Iivo Niskanen the recipient for the men. Also the last scoring event, overall titles were distributed to their respective awardees, Natalia Nepryaeva of Russia and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway. A bonus for making it to the end of season, athletes will have the opportunity to compete in either a mixed team relay or a mix team sprint on Sunday.
Great Bear Chase Results
March 12, 2022Over 650 skiers turned out Saturday for the Great Bear Chase races on the Swedetown trails in Calumet. Many of top skiers were racing in the skiathlon event which was won by Mark Ousdigian and Stephanie Balas. The biggest field was the 25K freestyle with nearly 200 participants -- Kevin Tarras and Linnea Ousdigian collected the titles. Luke Gesior and Abby Scheller topped the 25K classic field. Freestyle 50K victories were earned by Dennis Curran and Hanna Derby, classic titles went to Eric Patterson and Kyia Anderson. Results linked in.
World Cup Falun: Classic Sprints
March 11, 2022One of the final events of the season, classic sprints were the task at hand for World Cup athletes in Falun, Sweden on Friday. An unstoppable force with no immovable object in sight, Sweden's Jonna Sundling made short work of the women's final, so it fell to Anamaria Lampic of Slovenia and Sundling's teammate, Maja Dahlqvist, to duke it out for second and third. A strong performer all day, American Julia Kern had been in third for much of the race, but fell back to 4th in the finishing stretch. Showing remarkable tenacity, Richard Jouve of France clinched first in the men's final, narrowly beating Joni Maki of Finland and fellow Frenchman, Lucas Chanavat, who took second and third. Zak Ketterson was the top American man on the day, finishing 38th. As it was the last sprint event of the season, World Cup sprint titles were awarded at the end of the races—the women's crystal globe going to Maja Dahlqvist, and the men's to Richard Jouve, dethroning Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo who has been absent due to COVID. Athletes turn to freestyle distance racing on Saturday, with the women competing in a 10K, and the men competing in a 15K.
Paralympics: Classic and Freestyle Sprints; Peterson Takes Bronze
March 9, 2022Midway through the week and through the 2022 Paralympic Games, sprints were the focus Wednesday at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Center outside of Beijing, China. Claiming her fourth medal of the games thus far, Oksana Masters took second in the women's sitting division, narrowly losing out to H. Yang of China. Masters had also won silver just the day before in the biathlon 10K, bested only by fellow American, Kendall Gretsch. Minnesotan Sydney Peterson and Jake Adicoff both maintained their podium form as well, with Peterson earning a bronze medal in the women's standing division, and Adicoff earning a silver medal in the men's vision impaired division. The final cross country ski event of these Paralympic Games, 7.5K/10K classic for the women and 10K/12.5K classic for the men, will take place on Saturday.
World Cup Report: Norway Recap, Falun Preview
March 8, 2022With big shakeups to starting rosters over the past week, firsts and farewells are some of the highlights in this week's World Cup Report from Erika Peterson. Catch up on what you may have missed before the World Cup circuit moves on to Falun, Sweden for the final racing weekend of the season.
Paralympics: Long Distance Classic; Peterson Takes Silver
March 7, 2022The 2022 Paralympic Games got started in Beijing, China over the weekend, with the first races of the first event, long distance classic, taking place on Sunday. Delivering yet another podium performance after winning gold in the biathlon sprint a day earlier, the ever impressive Oksana Masters took home a silver medal in the women's sitting division, just missing out on another gold by a handful of seconds. The following day, the standing and visually impaired divisions both got their turn, in which Minnesota native Sydney Peterson captured her own silver medal in the women's standing division, alongside Jake Adicoff who came out of retirement to collect a silver medal in the men's visually impaired division. After a day off, athletes from all three divisions will be competing in sprints on Tuesday.
World Cup Oslo: Men's Classic Marathon
March 6, 2022Conditions at Holmenkollen were slightly warmer, but nonetheless pleasant for the men's classic marathon on Sunday. The race itself came down to a survival of the fittest, with the lead pack being whittled down from several dozen skiers, to a couple dozen, to less than a dozen, and then finally to the Norwegian trio of Didrik Toenseth, Martin Loewstroem Nyenget, and Sjur Roethe in the final stretch. Coming into the stadium, that trio broke down into a sprint between Roethe and Nyenget, with Nyenget outmuscling Roethe for his first World Cup victory, and on no bigger stage at that. Completing the sweep for Norway, Toenseth crossed the line moments later in third. Wisconsin's Adam Martin was the top US finisher in 26th, his best World Cup finish to date. Athletes move on to Falun, Sweden next weekend for the final leg of this season's World Cup circuit.
Pepsi Challenge Results
March 5, 2022Despite tricky driving conditions in parts of the state on Saturday, over 200 skiers flocked to Giants Ridge in Biwabik, Minnesota for the Pepsi Challenge races. At the 50K distance, Nick Ross and Sarah Widder were the one's to walk away with victories in the skate technique, while Ryan Sederquist and Elaine Nelson won out in the classic technique. Half the distance, but not half the effort, Dennis Curran and Della Bettendorf were the first skate skiers across the line at the 25K distance, and Jordan Woods and Elsa Lindfors the first classic skiers. Lindfors' finish was an especially close one, only prevailing by 0.3 seconds over Julie Garretson in a sprint finish.
World Cup Oslo: Women's Classic Marathon
March 5, 2022Sunshine, pristine conditions, and cheering fans were all on display at the legendary Holmenkollen venue in Oslo, Norway for the women's classic marathon on Saturday. To no one's surprise, Therese Johaug of Norway won handily in what may be one of her last races as a World Cup athlete, crossing the finish line clearly in tears in front of the home crowd. A much tighter contest, the race for the remaining podium positions came down to the final few kilometers, in which Krista Parmakoski of Finland broke away to lock up second, while Jonna Sundling of Sweden made a move coming into the stadium to claim third. With Jessie Diggins out for fitness reasons, Rosie Brennan carried the torch for the US women, leading the group with a strong 7th place finish. The men will get their shot in the classic marathon on Sunday.
World Cup Drammen: Classic Sprints
March 3, 2022With many missing in light of recent developments, it was a day of firsts in Drammen, Norway for numerous athletes. Norwegian favorite Maiken Caspersen Falla showed she still has what it takes in the women's final, with Sweden's Jonna Sundling playing second fiddle for a day, and Anamarija Lampic content in third. Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern of the US both made it to the semifinals, but faced stiff competition that prevented them from advancing. With Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo absent, France's Richard Jouve assumed the mantle, dominating the men's field and capturing his first victory by over a second. Earning a maiden podium for both himself and China, Qiang Wang took second place, while Lucas Chanavat rounded out the podium for France in third. Just missing the heats in 35th and 39th, Kevin Bolger and Logan Diekmann had the fastest qualifier times among the Americans. At the weekend, athletes will be in Oslo, Norway for classic marathon racing at the famed Holmenkollen venue.
World Cup Report: Lahti Recap, Norway Preview
March 1, 2022World Cup athletes turned their attention to Lahti, Finland on Saturday and Sunday for the first World Cup races since the Winter Olympics. All the stars from the Games were back to compete, and Erika Peterson covers just how they did in this edition of her World Cup Report. Additionally, in light of recent developments, expect drama and big shakeups in the weeks ahead.
US Elite Racing: Birkie SuperTour, Midwest Marathons Recap
March 1, 2022A few weeks have passed since the last US Elite Racing report, but that doesn't mean the racing season was on pause. February was chock full of marathon races, including the American Birkebeiner, the latest SuperTour race. With photos and highlights, Michaela Keller-Miller recaps those races, and offers a glimpse at what the remainder of the season may look like for the US Elite Racing crowd.
World Cup: FIS Bans Russian and Belarus Athletes From Remainder of Season
March 1, 2022To ensure the safety and security of all athletes at FIS competitions, the FIS Council has decided unanimously, in line with the IOC recommendation, that with immediate effect, no Russian or Belarusian athlete shall participate in any FIS competition at any level through the end of the 2021-2022 season.
World Cup Lahti: Classic Distance
February 27, 2022Sunday's classic distance races were the second and final event of the World Cup stop in Lahti, Finland. For the women's field, the podium was made up of season favorites: Therese Johaug of Norway, Natalia Nepryaeva of Russia, and Krista Parmakoski of Finland, with an 8th place finish by Rosie Brennan marking the highpoint for the US women. The men's field also featured season favorites, albeit with a twist. Finland's Iivo Niskanen won in convincing fashion yet again, and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway put on a performance worthy of second, but the surprise on the day came from a third place finish by Sweden's William Poromaa, the first podium finish of his career. Scott Patterson was the fastest of the US men with a 33rd place finish. A mid-week layover in Drammen, Norway for classic sprints is scheduled for Thursday, before the World Cup moves on to classic distance racing in Olso, Norway the following weekend.
Junior/U23 World Championships: Freestyle Sprints and Team Relay
February 27, 2022The weekend saw the conclusion of the 2022 Junior and U23 World Ski Championships, with freestyle sprints for both divisions on Saturday and Sunday, in addition to a U23 team relay on Sunday. Standout results for the Americans in Saturday's U23 sprints came from a 35th place qualifier time by Sydney Palmer-Leger, and quarterfinal finishes by Gus Schumacher and Noel Keefe. Junior (U20) Americans fared better in the sprints on Sunday, with top performances coming from a 5th place final finish by Samantha Smith, and quarterfinal finishes by Will Koch and Noel Keefe. Following the sprints, the U23 skiers took to the course for the team relay in which the US produced a 12th place finish.
World Cup Lahti: Freestyle Sprints
February 26, 2022The first World Cup races since the Winter Olympics, athletes took the stage in Lahti, Finland for freestyle sprints on Saturday. Proving she is every bit the champion sprinter she was at the Olympics, Sweden's Jonna Sundling blew away the competition, leaving second and third to her teammates Emma Ribom and Maja Dahlqvist, a Swedish sweep. Tenths of a second out of third, Jessie Diggins led the efforts of the US women with a 4th place finish. Possibly the tightest finish for him all season, Norway's Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo also validated his Olympic sprint title, but only by a toe throw over Lucas Chanavat of France. Not far behind, Sindre Bjoernestad Skar bookended the podium for Norway in third. While they didn't qualify for the heats, Kevin Bolger and Logan Diekmann posted the top results for the US men, finishing 33rd and 34th. On Sunday the venue in Lahti will play host to classic distance races—10K for the women, 15K for the men.
American Birkebeiner Coverage
February 26, 2022An incredible American Birkebeiner to behold on Saturday, as perfect trail conditions led to sprint finishes in both the men's and women's freestyle races! Alayna Sonnesyn used a powerful finishing kick to come around Caitlin Patterson on Main Street and outsprint her to take her third Birkie title. Rosie Frankowski finished third in that group, just seconds out. The men's finished proved to be just as exciting as David Norris appeared to have a solid lead coming up the street but it was France's Gerard Agnellet putting on the final burst of speed to catch Norris at the line to win by the narrowest of margins! Adam Martin took third, finishing right behind. Classic victories went to Leo Hipp and Delaney FitzPatrick. Results linked in, along with photosets from the early waves.
Junior/U23 World Championships: Classic Distance
February 25, 2022U23 and Junior skiers alike got to try their hand at classic distance racing on Thursday and Friday at the World Ski Championships in Lygna, Norway. For the US, top U23 performances came from Abigail Jarzin (36th) and Zanden McMullen (14th) in the 10K and 15K distances, while Sydney Palmer-Leger (19th) and Will Koch (13th) led the way for the American Juniors (U20) in the 5K and 10K distances. The next batch of races for both groups will be freestyle sprints on Saturday and Sunday, as well as a team sprint for the U23 athletes on Sunday. (Photo: Midwest athletes and support crew; Credit: @flyingpoint)
Kortelopet Coverage
February 25, 2022One of those perfect races days on Friday —temps reaching the double digits, beautiful packed and tracked trails, and bright sunshine—as Kortelopet skiers raced from the Hwy OO trailhead to a downtown finish in Hayward. Murray Carter added another title to his stack, easily besting the men's freestyle field by almost three minutes in the 29K race, with Zaine Braaten collecting second, and Ben Dohlby third. On the women's side, Ella Niznik and Ashley Grossklaus skied together for much of the race before Niznik finally broke free and skied in solo for the victory, leaving Grossklaus second by over two minutes, while Jenna Johnson skied from one of the later waves to take third. The classic division was led by a pack of four men who took the race right down to Main Street, with Jakob Craig double poling his way to victory, and Kieran Mullen and Benjamin Martin finishing just seconds behind. Greta Hansen strode to the women's title, almost two and half minutes in front of Lily Ward, with Lydia Kraker third. Results linked in, along with big photosets.
FIS Cancels all Remaining 2021-22 Season Events in Russia
February 25, 2022FIS has decided that in the interest of the safety of all participants and to maintain the integrity of the World Cup, that all remaining World Cup events scheduled to take place in Russia between now and the end of the 2021-22 season will be cancelled or moved to another location. This includes the final Cross Country World Cup scheduled for March 18-20th.
Birkie Preview
February 24, 2022With what appears to be perfect conditions on Saturday, we take a look at some of the favorites in the American Birkebeiner skate and classic races.
Junior/U23 World Championships: Freestyle Distance and Team Relay
February 23, 2022The international racing spotlight shifted to Lygna, Norway over the weekend for the 2022 Junior and U23 World Ski Championships. Adding to their recent success at this competition, the US Junior (U20) men scored a 3rd place podium finish in the team relay on Wednesday, with the US Junior women finishing just off the podium in 5th place. Perhaps a sign of things to come, the US had also had a strong showing in the opening event, Tuesday's freestyle distance races. Racing 15K, Sydney Palmer-Leger had finished 6th with Samantha Smith 11th; and Michael Earnhart had finished 10th with Brian Bushey 16th, racing 30K. The racing action continues with U23 classic distance races on Thursday, and Junior classic distance races on Friday.
Olympic Report: Team Sprint and Freestyle Distance Recap
February 20, 2022And just like that, the 2022 Winter Olympics are officially in the books and we begin the four-year Olympic cycle anew. However, before we move ahead, we're going to review the final two events that capped off the Games—the team sprint and freestyle distance races—with in-depth recaps courtesy of Erika Peterson.
Minnesota Finlandia Results
February 19, 2022Strong winds and cold temperatures didn't stop over 100 skiers from coming out to the annual Minnesota Finlandia on Saturday. Claiming yet another rosemaled axe, Craig Cardinal came out on top in the 25K classic race for the men, with Vivian Hett on top for the women. Dennis Curran and Andrea Patten were the victors to whom went the spoils in the freestyle race of the same distance, while Ryan Rogers and Julia Curry took home the top prize in the longer, 50K freestyle race. Last, but certainly not least, Eli Hallgren and Molly Watkins were the ones to claim the rosemaled axes in the skiathlon.
Olympics: Women's 30K Freestyle Mass Start; Diggins Takes Silver
February 19, 2022With the wind howling and athletes well bundled up, the women lined up on Saturday night (Sunday local time) for the final event of the 2022 Winter Olympics. It was a grueling effort for all involved except, perhaps, the eventual winner, Theresa Johaug of Norway. Taking the lead early on, she would put a significant gap between herself and her closest competitor, Jessie Diggins, but it would take her some time to do so. Finishing comfortably in second but nonetheless spent, Diggins became the first US woman to win a medal in an individual distance event. For bronze, Sweden's Ebba Anderson looked to be in the driver's seat for much of the race, but Finland's Kerttu Niskanen had other ideas as she chased her down in the final kilometer to take third. All in all, it was a spectacular day for the US women, with all four skiers placing in the top-20: Jessie Diggins 2nd, Rosie Brennan 6th, Sophia Laukli 15th, and Novie McCabe 18th. While this concludes the Winter Olympic events, international racing will continue with World Cup events taking place in Lahti, Finland next weekend.
Olympics: Men's 50K Freestyle Mass Start
February 19, 2022The penultimate race of the 2022 Winter Olympics took place on Saturday with high winds and low temperatures that resulted in the start time being pushed back and the distance being shortened to 30K. The furthest distance many of the competitors had raced all season, the event appear to be anyone's game until the final few kilometres when Alexander Bolshunov of Russia kicked it into high gear to separate himself from the rest of the competition. Trying to stick with him, Russia's Ivan Yakimushkin and Norway's Simen Hegstad Krueger broke away as well, but Bolshunov's lead was too great and they had to settle for second and third respectively. Scott Patterson of the US, using a combination of fast skis and smart racing tactics, captured a top-10 finish in 8th, the best men's individual finish by an American at the Olympics since Bill Koch almost 50 years ago. The women's field will get the last word on Sunday, likely racing under the same conditions, and potentially the same distance, as the men. Their start time has already been moved up to 9:00 pm CST.
Olympics: Team Sprints
February 16, 2022The stars were all out on Wednesday for a bitterly cold team sprint event at the Zhangjiakou National Cross-Country Skiing Centre. Perhaps emboldened by their performance in the team relay last week, the German women's team pulled off another spectacular upset as Katharina Hennig outsprinted Sweden's Jonna Sundling in the final meters to take gold, with Russia rounding out the podium in third. The US women's duo of Rosie Brennan and Jessie Diggins lost contact with the leaders on the final leg, finishing 5th. In the men's race, Norway was favored to win and lived up to expectations as star Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo sealed the victory. Second and third were tightly contested, and, on the back of a sensational showing by Iivo Niskanen, Finland took silver and Russia bronze. The US men were competitive early on but ultimately finished 9th. The next event is the men's 50K freestyle on Saturday.
Nordic Cross World Championship Set for March 26th
February 14, 2022Stay Skinny, Get Sendy: The annual Nordic Cross World Championships are set for March 26th at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, MN. The course will be mostly downhill with obstacles (including big jump) as well as a short but steep climb. Plus, bring those rocks skis for the big air competition.
Vasaloppet USA Classic Results
February 13, 2022Classical technique counterparts to Saturday's events concluded day 2 of the 50th anual Vasaloppet on Sunday. Completing a back-to-back sweep, Ian Torchia was victorious in the 48K race, followed by Brian Gregg in second and Tony Mathie in third. An entirely new podium from the previous day, Julie Ensrud won the women's 48K race, and Caitlin Gregg and Molly Watkins rounded out the top-3 in second and third. Titles for the 24K race went to Paige Larson for women and Matthew Hempe for men.
Olympics: Men's 4x10K Relay
February 13, 2022In the midst of a deluge of fresh snow, the men's 4x10K relay took place on Sunday with conditions that finally made the Winter Olympics look like they were being held in winter. Sticking to a game plan that had worked well for them throughout the week, the Russian team went off the front early, establishing a lead that would only grow throughout the race. The real contest was for the remaining podium positions, which was whittled down to the team from Norway and the team from France, but Norway's anchor, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, saw to it that the silver would go to his country. Just off their seeded place, the US men's team finished the day in 9th. Both the men and women will get several days of rest before returning for the team sprint event on Wednesday.
Pre-Birkie Results
February 12, 2022Over 300 skiers turned out Saturday for the Pre-Birkie races, based this year out of the Birkie Ridge trailhead. In the original 26K freestyle races, Eric Ellingson and Carolyn Warren (tied with Kierstin Andresen) took home top honors. Classic 26K victories for Jon Webster and Kimberly Palkert. In the long haul 42K events, Nick Ross and Maria Anderson topped the skate fields, with Douglas Shield and Zoe Reker best of the classic.
Vasaloppet USA Freestyle Coverage
February 12, 2022With temperatures remaining well below zero throughout, approximately 700 skiers braved the cold for the freestyle races at the 50th annual Vasaloppet on Saturday. A changing of the guard, Ian Torchia was the winner in the men's 48K distance, with 12-time winner Matt Liebsch finishing second, and cohort Brian Gregg third. Nearly identical to last year's results for the women, Alayna Sonnesyn and Abigail Drach repeated their first and second place finishes, with the deviation in the podium coming from a third place finish by Sarah Widder. For the 34K distance, Nathan Porath and Mary Beth Tuttle were first across in the men's and women's fields. The classical edition of the 48K distance race will take place on Sunday. Results linked in, big photosets posted.
Olympics: Women's 4x5K Relay
February 12, 2022The spotlight was on the first team event of the Olympics on Saturday, the women's 4x5K relay. Favored to win, the Russian team walked away with the gold, but only after wrestling it away from the Germans. Perhaps the most inspiring result of the Winter Games thus far, the German team was neck and neck with the Russians up until the final lap, at which point the Russian team created just enough separation to secure the gold. Third place, still up for grabs, went to the team from Sweden who, in a mad dash to the finish line with the team from Finland, took home the bronze. For the US, the women's team gave it their all, but could not overcome small deficits that compounded throughout the race, resulting in a 6th place finish. Sunday will feature the men's take on the relay, a 4x10K, with Luke Jager, Scott Patterson, Gus Schumacher, and Kevin Bolger racing legs 1 through 4 for the US.
Olympics: Men's 15K Classic Individual Start
February 11, 2022At the halfway point of Olympic racing, the men got their shot at the classic individual start event on Friday, racing a distance of 15K. Finland's Iivo Niskanen gave a master class performance in the technique, maintaining a lead from the start that he would hold all the way through the finish, completing the medal collection for the Niskanen family. Following up their victories from earlier in the week, Alexander Boshunov of Russia and Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway both secured podium finishes as well, taking the silver and bronze medals. Top American finishers on the day included Scott Patterson in 38th, Ben Ogden in 42nd, and Gus Schumacher in 48th. The women will be back at it on Saturday for the 4x5K relay, with Hailey Swirbul, Rosie Brennan, Novie McCabe, and Jessie Diggins representing the US, in that order.
Olympics: Women's 10K Classic Individual Start
February 10, 2022A contest of the slimmest margins, Thursday's women's 10K classic was not for the faint of heart. In a surprisingly close race for Norway's Therese Johaug, Kerttu Niskanen of Finland came within four tenths of a second of unseating her for the gold, but ended up taking home the silver instead. At the other end of the podium, Niskanen's teammate, Krista Parmakoski, just barely held on to third place after a last minute challenge by Natalia Nepryaeva of Russia fell short by just a tenth of a second. The pair of Jessie Diggins and Rosie Brennan once again carried the hopes of the US, finishing an impressive 8th and 13th respectively. Now the men will get a chance to compete, with the men's 15K classic taking place on Friday.
Olympic Report: Skiathlon and Freestyle Sprints Recap
February 8, 2022With a third of the racing action at the 2022 Winter Olympics already behind us, Erika Peterson details how everything shook out in the first batch of races, and previews the next one: classic distance.
Olympics: Freestyle Sprints
February 8, 2022After a rest day for both the women and men, athletes took to the course again on Tuesday for freestyle sprints at the 2022 Winter Olympics. In a blowout move, Sweden's Jonna Sundling took off from the start in the women's final, never to be caught and leaving the race for second and third to be decided. The silver medal was ultimately claimed by Sweden's other top prospect, Maja Dahlqvist, just barely holding off Jessie Diggins, who happily took home the bronze, becoming the first US women to ever win an individual medal. Her teammate Rosie Brennan finished just off the podium in 4th. A much closer contest, gold in the men's final came down to the wire with Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo of Norway just edging out Frederico Pellegrino of Italy, with third place going to Russia's Alexander Terentev. Ben Ogden was the top US men's finisher in 12th, making the semifinals as the next last lucky loser after Qiang Wang of China was disqualified. The racing action continues on Thursday with the women's 10K classic.
Olympics: Women's Biathlon 15K Individual Start
February 7, 2022Under the lights at the Zhangjiakou National Biathlon Centre northwest of Beijing, China, the stage was set for a memorable evening in women's 15K individual event. In a tightly contested race, Denise Herrmann of Germany was crowned champion by less than ten seconds over Anais Chevalier-Bouchet of France and Marte Olsbu Roeiseland of Norway. However, the talk of the town in the US camp was Deedra Irwin who, in a testament to her spectacular recent form, crossed the finish line in 7th, a career best for her and an Olympic best for the US biathlon program. The next race for biathlon will take place on Tuesday and is the men's 20K individual event.
US Elite Racing: Craftsbury SuperTour Recap
February 6, 2022With many strong performances by Midwest skiers this past weekend, Michaela Keller-Miller recounts the latest SuperTour races which were held at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury, Vermont before we move on to the next stop in the SuperTour: the American Birkebeiner.
City of Lakes Loppet Freestyle Coverage
February 6, 2022A warmer morning than Saturday, the City of Lakes Loppet Festival's Skate Marathon and Puoli Loppet events took place on Sunday. Facing more competition this time around, Ian Torchia was able to complete his sweep of the marathon racing for the weekend, but only after creating just enough separation over Matt Liebsch in the final kilometres to finish with a 30 second cushion. Joined at the hip, Brian Gregg finished in third, a few minutes back from Liebsch. The women's race was also a closer event than the previous day's, with Caitlin Gregg claiming the victory by a few minutes over Abigail Drach, with Julia Curry further back in third. In the Puoli Loppet, Brad Moening and Maggie Mahota were the respective men's and women's champions. Results have been linked and photos from the 37K are posted.
Olympics: Men's Skiathlon
February 6, 2022With conditions slightly more favorable than the previous day, the men's 15K/15K skiathlon took place on Sunday. Finland's Iivo Niskanen was the first to make a move, taking Russia's Alexander Bolshunov with him and leaving the rest of the field to do damage control. Not far behind was the group of Denis Spitsov of Russia, and Hans Christer Holund and Paal Golberg of Norway, but Spitsov proved to be the strongest of the three, breaking away and charging after a fatigued Niskanen. Spitsov would overtake Niskanen, moving comfortably into second with Bolshunov nowhere in sight, while Niskanen would do enough to hold off the pursuing Norwegians, earning him a bronze medal for his efforts. The high point for the US, Scott Patterson pulled off an 11th place finish, equaling his best finish from the 2018 Winter Olympics. The next set of races at the 2022 Winter Olympics, freestyle sprints, will take place on Tuesday.
Wolf Track Rendezvous Results
February 5, 2022Nearly 150 skiers competed Saturday in the Wolf Track Rendezvous races at Minocqua Winter Park. Tristan Schouten and Kim Hughes collected the 42K freestyle crowns, Mike Arce and Delaney FitzPatrick (2nd overall!) won the 42K classic events. In the 24K division, David Meyer and Beth Hassler were the skate champions, Mark Plane and Emily Meier classic.
City of Lakes Loppet Classic Coverage
February 5, 2022Skiing under conditions similar to the Olympic women's skiathlon, the City of Lakes Loppet Festival commenced with the Classic Marathon and Puoli Loppet events on Saturday morning. The men's and women's Classic Marathon races were more or less decided after the lakes, with both race winners, Ian Torchia and Vivian Hett, having commanding leads that they would control to the finish. Rounding out second and third on the day were Tony Mathie and Chris Parr for the men, and Margie Nelson and Laura Cattaneo for the women. Emerging victorious in the Puoli Loppet were Erik Pieh and Brandy Stewart. Results are linked in, and photos are posted as well.
Olympics: Women's Skiathlon
February 5, 2022Kicking off the 2022 Winter Olympics on Saturday was the women's 7.5K/7.5K skiathlon. Temperatures were in the single digits and there was significant wind as athletes took to the course in hopes of claiming the first medals of the games. The pace was hard from the start, with the pack starting to thin after the first lap and less than a dozen skiers still in contention by the time they reached the exchange. A favorite for the distance events, Norway's Therese Johaug broke away after the exchange, laying down a blistering pace that ensured that it would only be a contest for the silver and bronze medals. Ultimately, the race for second and third came down to the group of Frida Karlsson of Sweden, Teresa Stadlober of Austria, Natalia Nepryaeva of Russia, and Kerttu Niskanen of Finland, with Nepryaeva and Stadlober prevailing, in that order. It was an especially bittersweet moment for Stadlober, who had previously taken a wrong turn at the 2018 Winter Olympics, costing her a medal. For the US, Jessie Diggins was as consistent as ever, finishing in the top-10 in 6th and posting the fastest freestyle time of the day, while her teammate Rosie Brennan also pulled off a solid performance in 14th. Next up: the men's 15K/15K skiathlon on Sunday.
39th Annual Minnesota Finlandia Ready
February 4, 2022The legendary Minnesota Finlandia is primed for racing Feb 19th reporting great conditions on the course. Registration is open.
Winter OIympics Preview
February 2, 2022Erika Peterson provides a brief preview on the Winter Olympics, including some of the recent covid updates, a look at the favorites, and a full schedule of cross-country and biathlon events, along with broadcast details. The first race is early Sunday morning!
US Elite Racing: Lake Placid SuperTour Recap
January 31, 2022Shifting from west to east, elite athletes converged on Lake Placid, New York for the first SuperTour races of Period III. With coverage from Michaela Keller-Miller, we pore over the results, with a focus on some standout performances by Midwest athletes.
Marine O'Brien Results
January 30, 2022The 50th anniversary of the Marine O'Brien race was celebrated Sunday with a full slate of races, including a special edition 50K classic. The 25K freestyle race (two laps around the park) came down to a pack sprint with Ben Creagh listed in first. Maggie Bowman bested the women's field. The 50K classic, utilizing some trail systems outside the park, had the second largest field as 34 skiers competed. Connor Canfield strided to the top men's time, just under three hours, with Vivian Hett and Jules Curry coming in together as women's champions. 25K classic titles went to Luke Nelson and Margie Nelson. In the one lap races, freestyle victories were earned by Joseph Renier and Katherine Lenglet, classic titles to Emmerson Ward and Stella Powell.
Seeley Hills Classic Coverage
January 29, 2022A contingent of over 300 classic skiers took to the Birkie trails on Saturday morning for the 32nd running of the Seeley Hills Classic. Ian Torchia was crowned champion in the men's 42K race, finishing comfortably ahead of Brian Gregg in second and Christian Gostout in third. The 42K women's title went to Caitlin Gregg who won by almost 15 minutes over Josie Nelson in second, with Patti Harviex in third. Andrew Millan was the top men's finisher in the 22K race, while Kate Schaaf was the top finisher for the women. Results are linked in and photos have been posted from Jackie Schneider.
Three Rivers Rennet Coverage
January 29, 2022The Three Rivers Rennet went off under near perfect, fast conditions Saturday morning at Hyland. The event utilized the full extent of the natural snow trails, providing some unique racing terrain. The 26K classic skiers, starting 15 mins ahead of the freestyle field, held off their skating friends, bringing three into the finishing pen with Andrew Tilman repeating as champion over David Chamberlain and Conner Canfield taking third. Brandy Stewart topped the women's field. Tony Mathie took the men's 26K freestyle, outsprinting the pack of four, with Nathan Porath and Alex Reich rounding out the podium. Abby Drach easily capture the women's race with BethAnn Chamberlain in second place and Mary McKelvey third. In the 12K races, Kenton Prudhome and Erin Moening won the classic division, Jack Nightingale and Maggie Mahota collected the skate titles. Results linked in, photos from the 26K races posted.
Madshus: Vilde Nilsen Makes History at the World Championships
January 25, 2022The 21-year-old Norwegian Vilde Nilsen crushed her competitors by nearly 1.5 minutes in the 10-kilometer classic race at the World Para Snow Sports Championships in Lillehammer on Thursday, Jan 13.
Noquemanon Results
January 22, 2022Temperatures were in the teens on Saturday morning for the start of the Noquemanon races in Marquette, Michigan. In the 50K classic, Brian Gregg took the men's title, while the other half of the dynamic duo, Caitlin Gregg, took the women's. Claiming second and third for the ladies were Vivian Hett and Molly Watkins, and Christian Gostout and Andrew Millan secured second and third for the gents. Turning bronze into gold, Zach Varty improved upon his 2019 50K freestyle performance crossing the line in first, with Zachary Nelson second by thirty seconds, and Jordan Wakeley another thirty seconds back in third. For the women's 50K freestyle race, the top three times were set by Laura Cattaneo, Hanna Derby, and Quinn Schollett, in that order. Jordan Woods and Shelby Suhr were the men's and women's victors in the 24K classic race, and Henry Campbell and Lindsey Dehlin were their counterparts in the 24K freestyle race.
Biathlon: Schommer Scores Top Ten in Antholz
January 20, 2022U.S. Biathlon Team and Team Crosscut athlete Paul Schommer (Appleton, WI) on Thursday added to his already stellar season with the first top-10 performance of his career. Schommer, who earlier this season qualified for his first Olympic Winter Games, placed ninth in the 20km Men’s Individual race in Antholz, Italy under gusting conditions and on one of the more challenging 20km courses on the IBU World Cup.
US Ski Team: Nominations Announced for Olympic Cross-Country Team
January 20, 2022The nominations for the U.S. Olympic Cross-Country Ski Team were announced on Thursday by U.S. Ski & Snowboard with 8 women and 6 men making the team. An athlete each from the men's and women's teams, Jessie Diggins and Kevin Bolger, will represent the Midwest at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China, which begin on February 4.
Nordic Combined: Team Roster Nominated For Winter Olympics
January 19, 2022USA Nordic Sport announced its nominations for the U.S. Olympic Nordic Combined Team that will represent Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. Included in the squad is Ben Loomis, of Eau Claire, WI.
Marine O'Brien Races Ready for 50th Year
January 19, 2022The Marine O'Brien races at William O'Brien State Park are set for Sunday, Jan 30th. Organizers are reporting good trail conditions and encourage skiers to get registered by Friday night, Jan 28th, as there is no day of race registration!
Paralympics World Championships: Peterson Takes Silver and Bronze
January 18, 2022Nineteen year old Sydney Peterson from Lake Elmo, MN took silver in the 10K classic and bronze in the 15K skate race at the Para Snow Sports World Championships in Lillehammer, Norway this week.
US Elite Racing: Sun Valley SuperTour Recap
January 17, 2022Sun Valley, Idaho played host this past weekend to the final races of Period II of the SuperTour, and was the final opportunity for athletes to potentially make their case for competing in the Olympics. Here to recap what went down is Michaela Keller-Miller, who also offers a brief preview of what's to come in Period III.