Kris Freeman (USA) will appear on The Today Show tomorrow morning at 9AM EST.  The mainstream media blitz of XC continues!

Hannah Falk, the 20-year-old Swedish phenom who has already won two World Cup sprints this year, was a late scratch from the classic sprint today.  According to the Swedish team, Falk has a mild groin injury and with the Olympics just a week away, they do not want to take any chances.  She felt some discomfort this morning and the decision was made not to race.

The injury is not expected to effect her at the Olympics.

Kikkan Randall edged out a tight quarterfinal victory this morning in the sprint in Davos, but a third place in her semifinal heat left her just out of the final.

In the quarterfinal, Randall used aggressive tactics and a fast pair of skis to take the victory. In the semis, she just was third in her heat, with Petra Majdic and Slovenian Vesna Fabjan pulling away. The other semifinal heat was faster, and the third and fourth place finishers were slotted into the final as lucky losers, leaving Randall out in the cold.

Andy Newell failed to advance out of the quarters–he looked not to have his usual pop, but a replay also showed that he may have broken a pole at the start of the heat.

Devon Kershaw also was eliminated in the quarterfinals.

More coverage to follow.

The World Cup classic sprint in Stockholm will start in just over an hour.  This event is part of the season ending World Cup Final and the Nordic Cup.  With nothing left to rest for, the fields for these races are as large and challenging as they get.  Ola Vigen Hattestad (NOR) and Petra Majdic (SLO) who have dominated World Cup sprinting this season, are both competing and should be considered the favorites.  On the men’s side, look for strong results from Emil Jonsson (SWE) and John Kristian Dahl (NOR), among others.  Dahl, an excellent all-around skier, and well rested, is a good candidate for the a podium in the overall competition.  Dahl should be strong in all four races.  Petter Northug has been on fire, and is battling for the overall World Cup win.  When Northug sets his mind to something, little can stand in his way.

Majdic will be challenged by Aino Kais Saarien (FIN), who is attempting to come back from a 200 point deficit in the overall standings.  The Norwegian women are looking for podium spots after being shut out in the 30km in Trondheim, despite strong races from Kristina Stoermer Steira and Therese Johaug.

The US and Canada both have strong contingents racing.  Alex Harvey (CAN) is coming off a podium result in the 50km, and is making a late charge for Red Group status.  Teammate Devon Kershaw, 7th last weekend, looks to finish his season on a roll.  

The US is led by usual suspects Andy Newell and Kikkan Randall.  Randall, improved in classic sprinting this season, has one more chance to work on those skills before the end of the season.

US Women
Kikkan Randall

Canadian Women
Sara Renner
Perianne Jones
Daria Gaiazova

Total Women: 73

US Men
Andy Newell
Torin Koos
Chris Cook

Canadian Men
Devon Kershaw
Alex Harvey
George Grey
Ivan Babikov
Dave Nighbor

Total Men: 97

The 2009 World Championships come to an end tomorrow with the men’s 50km freestyle mass start.  The US will start two skiers, James Southam and Garrott Kuzzy.  Kuzzy should be well rested, after racing only the individual sprint.  Southam, on the other hand, has raced the 15km classic, the pursuit, and the relay.  Canada will also start two skiers, Ivan Babikov and Chris Butler.  A beast on skate skis, Babikov should battle in the top pack.

Favorites include Pietro Piller Cottrer (ITA), Vincent Vittoz (FRA), Petter Northug (NOR), Tobias Angerer (GER), and Giorgio DiCenta (ITA).

Todd Lodwick (USA) took the lead in the World Championship Mass Start Nordic Combined event in Liberec.

In the mass start, the cross-country portion is held first, followed by the jumping in the afternoon.  This is the first time that the mass start has been part of an international championship event.  The format favors better jumpers as the skiing times are so close in a mass start race.

Lodwick posted a 5 second lead over the tightly packed field to sit in the top spot entering the jumping.  His teammate Billy Demong finished third.  The time differences are converted to jumping points.

“It was a little bit of a bummer. We were excited about getting this competition finished tonight. We felt like we were in a good spot with Todd and Billy’s races,” U.S. Nordic Combined Head Coach Dave Jarrett said. “Even if we could have had just one jump tonight and just finished it, that would have been great.”

Johnny Spillane (USA) sits in 28th and Eric Camerota in 35th after the cross-country.

Canadian Wesley Savill is 51st.

The jumping has been canceled for the day duo to high winds and snow.  The jumping has been rescheduled for tomorrow.

Grey finishes 16th, Babikov 21st, Kershaw 23rd, Freeman 29th.

Freeman lost 11 places in the last 3.2km.

.1 seconds separate Kershaw and Freeman at 11.8km

Grey is on track for a strong result – with all skiers through 10km, his time stands up at 13th – the best of the North Americans, with Freeman and Kershaw close behind.

Johan Olssen (SWE) leads Axel Teichmann (GER) by 3 seconds at 10km – the next closest skeir is 17 seconds back.

Kershaw is fading – 11th at 6.8km and 13th at 10 with a handful more skiers to come through.

Freeman moved up to 10th at 6.8km but has now dropped to 16th at 10km.  The race is very tight in the top 20 with a few seconds meaning several places.

Babikov has climbed back to close to the top 30 at 10km.

Kris Freeman is in 19th at the 5km mark with all skiers through.

Devon Kershaw is in 8th at the same point.

Babikov is 38th at the 5km mark.

George Grey was 12th at 5km with all skiers through and has finished the race and currently is in third with the Red Group yet to finish.