From the first stride of the heats in Drammen, Norway, through to the final sprint, Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) showed just how strong her classic form is right now in winning the city sprint World Cup on Wednesday by almost a full second. Just days after winning the classic distance race in Lahti, Finland, she earned city sprint victory over Heidi Weng (NOR) and Invild Flugstad Oestberg (NOR) in front of an enthusiastic Norwegian crowd, and in the process secured the overall World Cup crystal globe. Weng put up a bigger fight than Kowalczyk seemed to expect, but in the end Weng’s diagonal stride was no match for Kowalczk’s up the final climb to the finish and she took second, 0.9 seconds back.

After Oestberg in third, Evgenia Shapovalova (RUS) took fourth (+4.5), Kikkan Randall (USA) was fifth (+4.7) and Mona-Lisa Malvalehto (FIN), the day’s top qualifier, ended up sixth (+8.8). Marit Bjoergen (NOR) was ill and did not compete.

Randall was the only North American to reach the finals or semifinals; Dasha Gaiazova (CAN) finished 15th after taking third in her heat and Sadie Bjornsen (USA) finished 30th, the sixth finisher in the same quarterfinal as Gaiazova.

Holly Brooks (USA) and Sophie Caldwell (USA) just missed qualifying for the heats in 34th and 35th, respectively. Ida Sargent was 48th, Rosie Brennan finished 52nd and Jessie Diggins 55th.

After Gaiazova, Canadians Perianne Jones was 45th and Emily Nishikawa ended up 63rd.

Results

The Drammen, Norway, city sprints got underway on Wednesday and Petter Northug, Jr. (NOR) led a top-three Norwegian sweep of the top qualifying times on a fast, 1.3 k course in front of a home crowd. Eldar Roenning was the second-fastest qualifier, 1.68 seconds behind Northug, and Kent Ove Clausen (NOR) was third.

The top 30 that will move onto the heats were separated by only 6.34 seconds in the men’s field. On the North American front, Andy Newell qualified tenth (+4.07), Torin Koos made it through in 26th (+5.77) and Lenny Valjas and Alex Harvey just squeaked through in 29th and 30th, respectively.

In the women’s field, Mona-Lisa Malvalehto (FIN) posted the top qualifier in 3:06.59. Katja Visnar (SLO) took the second spot, 0.99 seconds behind, and Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) took third (+1.23). Marit Bjoergen (NOR) was sick and did not compete.

Dasha Gaiazova (CAN) led the North Americans in sixteenth (+7.78), Sadie Bjornsen (USA) qualified in 26th (+10.05) and Kikkan Randall (USA) just made it through in 29th (+10.97).

Men’s qualifier results.

Women’s qualifier results.

Continuing his winning ways, Petter Northug tallied a 31.7-second victory in Sunday’s 15 k classic in Lahti, Finland, for his second-straight individual start win since World Championships.

Northug topped Kazakhstan’s Alexey Poltoranin, who was second, and Norwegian teammate Martin Johnsrud Sundby, who was sick for nearly two weeks during and after World Championships, in third (+35.1).

Lukas Bauer of the Czech Republic notched a World Cup season-best in fourth, missing his first individual podium of the year by 7.9 seconds. Germany’s Tobias Angerer was fifth (+43.0).

Leading the North Americans, Kris Freeman (U.S.) was 25th. Noah Hoffman placed 40th, Andy Newell was 61st, Torin Koos (Bridger Ski Foundation/Rossignol) was 67th, and Tad Elliott 77th for the U.S. Ski Team.

Canada’s Alex Harvey was 41st, and Alberta World Cup Academy teammates Graeme Killick placed 55th, Michael Somppi was 72nd and Jesse Cockney 78th.

Results

After a winless World Championships, Poland’s Justyna Kowalczyk proved she’s more than capable of getting back on top of the podium on Sunday in Lahti, Finland. She won the women’s World Cup 10-kilometer classic individual start in 25:38.9, more than 23 seconds ahead of Norwegian runner-up Marit Bjørgen.

For Kowalczyk, it was her first victory since the Davos World Cup classic sprint in mid-February. Coming off four world titles in Val di Fiemme, Italy, Bjørgen was 23.1 seconds behind Kowalczyk and her teammate, Heidi Weng,  placed third, 25.5 seconds back.

Norway put three in the top four with Therese Johaug, who was right in the mix in fourth (+28.2). Kerttu Niskanen was fifth (+55.2) ahead of two Finnish teammates who also made the top eight. Krista Lahteenmaki was sixth, and Aino-Kaisa Saarinen was eighth (after Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla in seventh). Norway’s Astrid Jacobsen placed ninth and Olga Kuziukova of Russia was 10th.

Sadie Bjornsen led the U.S. in 18th (+1:43.4). Teammates Liz Stephen and Kikkan Randall tied for 28th (+2:10), and Ida Sargen placed 44th. Canada’s Dasha Gaiazova finished 33rd and Emily Nishikawa was 54th.

Results

Marit Bjoergen brings home the gold for the Norwegian women in the 4×5 k relay at World Championships on Thursday. Photo: Fiemme 2013.

VAL DI FIEMME, Italy — Surprising no one, the Norwegian women’s 4×5 k relay team skied to an overpowering victory at World Championships on Thursday. Poland briefly gave them a run for their money in the second leg when Justyna Kowalczyk overtook Therese Johaug, but Kirstin Stoermer Steira promptly took the lead back in the third quarter. Norway had such a big lead at the very end of the race that Marit Bjoergen stopped in the stadium to pick up a flag from one of hundreds in the stands, still able to finish 26.2 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla. Russia, with a powerful anchor leg from Yulia Tchekaleva, claimed bronze and the United States took fourth, 26.6 seconds off the podium.

This is Norway’s second-straight victory in the women’s relay at World Championships (they were fourth in Liberec in 2009).

Results.

(CCC press release)

SOLLEFTEA, Swe.—Brian McKeever and his guide Erik Carleton cranked out another gold medal at the IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships in Solleftea, Sweden, on Wednesday.

Feeding off a hard-fought victory in the sprint race earlier in the week, the Canadian duo stomped the field in the men’s 20-kilometre skate-ski visually impaired race, capturing their second-straight World Championship title with a time of 51:18.9.

“We are still feeling jetlag a bit so we tried to pace things as best as we could today,” said the 33-year-old McKeever. “It was pretty warm with wet and variable snow conditions so we started conservatively, stayed in control, and were able to step on it when we had too.”

With many of the top Para-Nordic skiers in the world running out of gas for the finish, the dominant Canucks pulled away from the field, finishing nearly one minute ahead of the silver medallists.

Russia grabbed the next two spots on the podium. Nikolay Polukhin and his guide, Andrey Tokarev, clocked-in at 52:16.8. Sergei Chokhlaev and Maksim Pirogov skied to the bronze medal with a time of 52:52.7.

“All of the focus right now is setting us up for Sochi,” said McKeever. “We are just trying to be at our best because we know the Russians are not going to want to lose at home. We are doing everything we can so that we are well prepared this time next year.”

A winner of 10 medals in three trips to the Paralympics with his brother Robin as his guide, McKeever and his Calgary-based childhood friend, Erik Carleton, have been nearly perfect since teaming up with each other for the World Championships two years ago.

“I don’t think the guides get nearly as much recognition as they should,” said McKeever. “It is tough being the guide because you are out front and not skiing your own race. He needs to be out front and controlling the pace. When I need him to hold off he has too, and when I need him to increase the pace he needs to do that as well.

“There are lots of little things that make a great guide. Erik has learned so much in the last year and was great again for me today. It is definitely a team effort out there, and Erik needs a lot of credit for our success.”

The IPC Nordic World Ski Championships continue on Thursday in Sweden with the start of the biathlon competitions.

The IPC World Championships can be viewed on the IPC’s YouTube Channel at www.YouTube.com/ParalympicSportTV. Next up on Solleftea are the distance races on Tuesday.

For complete Canadian and IPC World Cup results, please visit http://www.paralympic.org/Events/Solleftea2013/Schedule.

Cross Country Canada is the governing body of cross-country skiing in Canada, which is the nation’s optimal winter sport and recreational activity with more than one million Canadians participating annually. Its 55,000 members include athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all ages and abilities, including those on Canada’s National Ski Teams and Para-Nordic Ski Teams. With the support of its valued corporate partners – Haywood Securities, AltaGas, Statoil and Canadian Pacific – along with the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee, Own the Podium and B2ten, Cross Country Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic and world champions. For more information on Cross Country Canada, please visit us at www.cccski.com

VAL DI FIEMME, Italy — Diana Rasimoviciute led a Lithuanian sweep of the top two in Wednesday’s 5 k freestyle individual start, the first race of the 2013 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Rasimoviciute was the fastest around the one-lap course in 13:21.3 to secure individual starts at this year’s World Championships. Athletes who did not make the top 10 also have a shot in Thursday’s classic sprint qualifier.

Natalija Kocergina was 20.7 seconds back in second, and Great Britain’s Rosamund Musgrave placed third (+33.8). Emoke Szocs of Hungary was fourth (+40.7) and China’s Liping Guo was 44.9 seconds back from the winner in fifth.

Top 10

1 Diana Rasimoviciute (LTU) 13:21.3

2. Natalija Kocergina (LTU) +20.7

3. Rosamund Musgrave (GBR) +33.8

4. Emoke Szocs (HUN) +40.7

5. Liping Guo (CHN) +44.9

6. Tanja Karisk (BIH) +58.9

7. Ingrida Ardisaukaite (LTU) +1:03.8

8. Niviaq Chemnitz Berthelsen (DAN) +1:05.9

9. Jaqueline Mourao (BRA) +1:09.7

10. Sarah Young (GBR) +1:23.0

Women’s 5 k qualifier results

Andrei Viorel Palici (ROU) crossing the line in the 10 k freestyle qualification race at World Championships on Wednesday. He won in 24:53.2, 24 seconds over runner-up Pavel Andreiv (KGZ).

VAL DI FIEMME, Italy — Romanian skier Viorel Andrei Palici won the 10 k freestyle qualifying race on Wednesday afternoon in 24:53.2, safely advancing to the remaining distance races on the World Championships schedule. The top ten men from the race will follow him; Pavel Andreiv (Kyrgyzstan) finished 24.1 seconds behind Palici in 25:17.3.

Palici after finishing.

10 k Freestyle Qualifier – Top 10

1. Viorel Andrei Palici (ROU) 24:53

2. Pavel Andreiv (KGZ) 25:17

3. Martin Moeller (DAN) 25:28

4. Artur Teghoyan (ARM) 25:35

5. Andrew Pohl (NZL) 25:37

6. Karolis Zlatkauskas (LTU) 25:40

7. Hu Zhou (CHN) 25:42

8. Alexander Standen (GBR) 25:44

9. Mladen Plakalovic (BIH) 25:51

10. Oystein Slettemark (DAN) 26:05

Results.

In his first podium finish of the season and first World Cup win since last February, Sweden’s Johan Olsson powered to a 12 second win in the 15 k individual freestyle in Davos, Switzerland, on Sunday. He finished in 34:47, stumping local favorite Dario Cologna (SUI) in second. Alexander Legkov (RUS) was third (+0:14).

The Davos races were the final World Cups before the 2013 World Championships, which begin in Val di Fiemme, Italy, on February 20.

1. Johan Olsson (SWE) 34:47

2. Dario Cologna (SUI) 34:59

3. Alexander Legkov (RUS) 35:01

4. Axel Teichmann (GER) 35:02

5. Matti Heikkinen (FIN) 35:05

6. Maurice Manificat (FRA) 35:08

7. Sjur Roethe (NOR) 35:18

8. Johannes Duerr (AUT) 35:22

9. Finn Haagen Krogh (NOR) 35:24

10. Eveniy Belov (RUS) 35:27

__

33. Noah Hoffman (USA) 36:09

50. Kris Freeman (USA) 36:48

56. Alex Harvey (CAN) 36:59

59. Tad Elliott (USA) 37:25

80. Torin Koos (USA) 39:33

DNF Ivan Babikov (CAN)

Results.

In the final World Cup race before the 2013 Val di Fiemme World Championships Therese Johaug (NOR) took the ladies’ 10km freestyle crown in Davos, Switzerland.

Johaug led from wire to wire, completing the course in a time of 26:16.7, 8.9 seconds faster than yesterday’s sprint winner Justyna Kowalczyk (POL).  In third was Kristin Stoermer Steira (NOR) 13.4 seconds behind her Norwegian teammate.

Johaug earned her first career victory in an individual start race, while Kowalczyk continued to increase her lead in the overall World Cup standings.

For North America, Jessie Diggins (USA) and teammate Liz Stephen continue to show their top form as the pair finish finished 14th and 15th places respectively. Not to be outdone Holly Brooks crossed the finish with 20th place.

On the Canadian side, Zina Kocher was the only starter finishing 36th on the day.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

1. Therese Johaug NOR 26:16.7

2. Justyna Kowalczyk POL +8.9

3. Kristin Stoermer Steira NOR +13.4

Complete Results