Sweden’s Joergen Brink and Susanne Nystrom won the annual 90k Vasaloppet on Sunday, topping a combined field of over 16,000.
Brink became infamous for bonking in the relay at World Championships in 2003, blowing Sweden’s big lead, but today’s win should help him move on. He beat his countryman–and three-time race winner–Daniel Tynell in a four-up sprint at the line.
For men’s and women’s top ten, click here (in Norwegian).
On Sunday in Lahti, the Norwegians showed that homefield advantage can’t hold a candle to fitness, as both their men and women skied away from host nation Finland and everyone else in the 4×5 and 4×10 k relays.
In the women’s race, it was Marit Bjoergen besting Germany’s Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle and Italy’s Arianna Follis in a three-up sprint, while for the men, it was Norway’s second team, anchored by the unheralded Kristian Tettli Rennemo, that won over their first team, as well as Germany and Russia.
Full results here, and report to come.
Marit Bjoergen and Maurice Manificat won the 15 and 30 k pursuit races in Lahti, Finland this morning. Kikkan Randall and James Southam led the way for the United States, in 24th and 36th, respectively. No Canadians took to the start line.
The women’s 30km classic race got started in challenging conditions with 55 starters in the field. It has rained all night in Whistler so the new FIS rule change to allow three ski changes during the course of longer races might come into play.
It hard to think that Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) will not be there at the end with the way that she has been classic skiing through the season and especially during these Olympics. Obviously, Marit Bjorgen (NOR) is another pick to take home the gold medal, but I sense that it is the Poles day. I’m making the early pick that Kristin Stormer Steira (NOR) will finally get a chance to take home a an individual medal today – most likely the bronze behind the favored two up front.
Sara Renner (CAN) and Kikkan Randall (NOR) are the top North American skiers in the race and a top ten result would be an excellent result for either of them.
As the skiers come into the stadium after 5km several women took advantage of the option to switch to another pair of skis, including nearly the entire Finnish team.
As they come into the stadium after 10km many of the favorites in the lead pack decided that it was time to switch skis, including Justyna Kowalczyk (POL), Marianna Longa (ITA) and Aino-Kaisa Saarinen (FIN).
Kristin Stormer Steira (NOR) led the pack throughout much of the early kilometers of the race and continued to do so as they left the stadium after 10km of racing. She eventually found some comfort sliding back and allowing Charlotte Kalla (SWE) and Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) to do the pace setting. That is the way it stands now at the 12.3km mark.
Now at the 17.1km mark not much has changed as a dozen women are still left in the lead pack with Kowalczyk leading the way and Saarinen (FIN) making her way back up to the second position after changing skis at 10km.
Morgan Arritola (USA) has called it a day and dropped out of the race.
The pace and tempo seems to be lifting as they come through the time check at 19.2km.
Stormer Steira (NOR) had made her way back up into second place after switching skis at the 15km mark and sat in second as they came into the stadium at 20km when the leader, Kowalczyk (POL), decided to switch skis again. Stormer Steira (NOR) looked to her right to see that this was a good time to lift the pace and make Kowalczyk’s decision to switch skis a costly one. Bjorgen (NOR) also decided to switch skis while in the stadium at the 20km mark and at this point it seems like this was a great decision, as she lifted the pace leaving the stadium until she past her country women and took over the lead. She is no longer holding anything back and is going to attempt to win the gold medal right now.
Kowalczyk (POL) too is has pushed hard over the last couple of kilometers and now sits in second place, but her skis do not look as dialed in as the Norwegian skiers’ skis do. She, however, is hungry for her gold of these Winter Olympics and the two up front are now together as the leave the stadium for the final time with just 5km to go.
The race for bronze will be as equally exciting as Stormer Steira (NOR) has finished fourth in the Olympics four times throughout her career and desperately wants an individual medal of her own. She skied in the fourth position right behind Saarinen (FIN) until Saarinen chose to switch skis at the 25km mark and Stormer Steira again attempts to lift her pace.
The battle up front seemed as if it is going to come down to a sprint for the line as both Kowalczyk and Bjorgen looked strong. Kowalczyk put a hard move in on the final climb before they dropped into the stadium. Bjorgen battled to pull up next to Kowalczyk in the finish lanes and it looked as if she would out doublepole the Pole down the finish lanes, but the Norwegian’s skis seemed to drag over the final meters and Kowalczyk was able to capture her much desired Olympic gold. Saarinen (FIN) proved that her role of the dice, switching skis with just 5km to go, was a good one as she will climb onto the remaining position on the podium.
Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle (GER) was able to move her way up to fourth position, while Japan’s Masako Ishida took home fifth. Kristin Stormer Steira, who skied such an inspired race, crossed the line in 8th place.
Sara Renner (CAN) concluded her Olympic career with a 16th place finish, while Madeleine Williams (CAN) finished in 46th place.
Kikkan Randall (USA) with a solid classic distance race, ending the day in 24th place. Holly Brooks (USA) showed her determination finishing in 36th place.
The Scramble
The women’s relay got started in much the same way that the men’s did – two tracks full of skiers right from the start and pace that almost every nation’s scramble leg skier could manage.
Now at the 2.5km mark France’s Aurore Cuinet has made a move to slide into second position with the United States’ Kikkan Randall right on her tails.
As they come down into the stadium Anna Olsson takes the lead for Sweden, with Norway and Germany right behind. Kikkan Randall of the United states tags APU teammate 10.4 second back. With Italy right behind her.
The Second Classic Leg
In the second leg it is all Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland as she pulls a Northug like move coming from 10th position and nearly 40 seconds down to tag off with a 2.4 second advantage. Italy and Norway follow close behind.
[sorry the internet went down during this section]
The First Skate Leg
As the third leg, first skate, gets underway Italy quickly asserts themselves at the front of the race with Norway’s Kristin Stormer Steira holding strong. Poland is doing all they can do to maintain contact.
Midway through the first lap Steira decides to take over the pace setting and moves to the front with some hard V1s on one of the course’s steeper sections.
Germany, France and Japan lead the chase pack 24 seconds down, with the favored Finnish team 37 second off the pace set by Norway. Charlotte Kalla of Sweden it making up ground on the leaders, but the nearly one minute defect seems too large at this point.
Kalla continues to tear through the course and has now lifted the Swedes into a pack with France, Finland and Germany. A pack that is about to go right past Poland. At this point it looks like Germany, Finland and Sweden will battle it out for the bronze medal and may have an outside chance of catching the Italian team if they are not able to match the pace set by the Norwegians.
As the third leg skiers climb the final hill before dropping into the stadium it is still Norway leading with Italy right behind. Kalla led the chase pack down the hill into the stadium before Finland and Germany said thanks for the ride passing just before tagging their teammates.
The Anchor Leg
On the anchor leg, Norway’s Marit Bjorgen has gone out with a blistering tempo and now the Italian team does look vulnerable to the chasing three of Germany, Finland and Sweden. The chase pack’s tempo is incredibly high as they hammer through the course. At 1km into the final leg Norway holds an 11 second lead over the Italian team with the big three closing fast another 10 seconds back.
They come through the stadium, heading out on the bell lap. Finland’s Aino-Kaisa Saarinen leads the chase pack which is sure to soon pounce on the suffering Italian. At the top of the long first climb leaving the stadium contact has been made by both the German and Finnish teams as the Swedes now have fallen off the pace. Saarinen seems hungry for more as she charges now after Bjorgen, with German Claudia Nystad smartly tucked in right behind.
As they climb the hill at 4.2km Nystad decides that the time for a move is now and charges ahead on her own. For a moment Italy’s Sabina Valbusa tries to hold strong, but soon is dropped and passed by Saarinen.
As they come into the stadium Bjorgen has plenty of time to grab a flag to celebrate down the finish lanes. Germany’s Nystad skiing a smart final leg too motions to the crowd as she glides down through the finish lanes and Finland’s Saarinen is excited to be taking the last step on the Olympic podium.
Caitlin Compton of the United States picks off one place to finish in 12th, while the Canadian squad ending the day 16th, the final team across the line.
International media are reporting that Sweden’s Emil Jonsson and Norway’s Ola Vigen Hattestad and Marit Bjoergen are all sitting out of the team sprint.
The Norwegians will start Oystein Petterson and Petter Northug on the men’s side, while it will their women’s team will consist of Celine Brun-Lie and Astrid Jacobsen.
Sweden’s team has not been confirmed, but Jonsson has apparently contracted an illness since appearing happy and healthy at the men’s pursuit yesterday. Hattestad is also sick, and Bjoergen, while not ill, is sitting out as a precaution to allow her to give everything in the relay and 30k.
Magdalena Neuner (GER) left the door open in the women’s 10k pursuit. But Anastasia Kuzmina (SVK) couldn’t shut it.
When a penalty by Neuner in the final shooting stage left Kuzmina trailing by just six seconds, the Slovakian had a chance to reel in the leader over the final two k loop. But Neuner put the hammer down, steadily pulling away to win her second medal in three days. After hitting all 20 shots, Marie Laure Brunet (FRA) was third, moving up from sixth.
Leading Kuzmina by 25 seconds coming into last shooting stage, Neuner could have essentially ended the race by shooting clean. She hit her first four targets, but the pressure got to her on the last one.
Kuzmina skied into the range in time to see Neuner’s miss, and she took advantage, hitting all five of her shots in rapid succession. The two left the range almost together, and it looked like the stage was set for a head-to-head battle. But Neuner never gave it a chance, pulling away from Kuzmina immediately to win by a comfortable margin.
Megan Tandy (CAN) led the way for the North Americans with a 36th place finish, moving up ten places with the help of an enthusiastic home crowd. Sarah Studebaker was 46th, one spot below her start number.
It was a day for rookies in Whistler, as all four American women in Monday’s 10k freestyle broke the seal on their first-ever Olympics. With a 30th-place by Caitlin Compton the best result on the day, Liz Stephen probably summed it up best.
“First race of the Olympics! It was fun as hell, but not the result I wanted,” she said.
After a 14th-place in the same event last weekend in Canmore, Compton looked to be in fine form for the Games. She said that she couldn’t be disappointed with the result from today, but that after last weekend’s result, the bar has been raised a little bit higher.
She got the benefit of skiing a good chunk of her first lap with eventual winner Charlotte Kalla (who apparently was snowplowing around one of the downhill corners), and said that the Swede was definitely not out of reach.
“I had a blast holding on to her and watching her ski. I can’t think of anything better than getting to watch a soon-to-be gold medalist,” she said.
Morgan Arritola, Holly Brooks, and Liz Stephen followed Compton in 34th, 42nd, and 50th, respectively, sporting the team’s new red suits.
Madeleine Williams was Canada’s only starter, and she was one spot behind Stephen, in 51st.
Polish wax technicians out testing this morning before the start of the freestyle 10/15k in Whistler
After a textbook Whistler snow squall on Sunday, a new weather system has moved in for today, bringing with it clear skies and cooler temperatures. It’s currently 27 degrees at Whistler Olympic Park, with highs predicted to reach just 35–significantly cooler than the last few days.
German Head Coach Jochen Behle told FasterSkier this morning that organizers groomed very late, which hasn’t given the course much time to set up. While the racing should be fast, frozen granular for the women, he said that it may soften up again by the time the men go off in the afternoon.
Fans were already trickling in two hours before the start of the races. Pressure is high on the Scandinavians this morning, according to a couple of international journalists. Sweden hasn’t yet won a single medal in this Games, and Norway only has Emil Hegle Svendsen’s silver from yesterday. The women’s race going off at prime time in those countries, and the spotlights are on Marit Bjoergen (NOR), Petter Northug (NOR), Charlotte Kalla (SWE), and Marcus Hellner (SWE).
Tags: Charlotte Kalla, Conditions, Jochen Behle, Marcus Hellner, Marit Bjoergen, Olympics, Petter Northug, Whistler Olympic Park
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The rain has finally stopped here at Whistler Olympic Park, with temperatures running a little bit cooler. The forecast calls for a high of 39 degrees, with a 40 percent chance of flurries.
The jumping round of the nordic combined competition kicks things off at 10 AM PST. The 10k men’s biathlon sprint is next at 11:15, followed by the nordic combined 10k at 1:45. We’ll do our best to bring you coverage from both sports. Stay tuned!
The jumps at Whistler Olympic Park
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