Marit Bjoergen (NOR) took the ladies 10km Pursuit today in Falun, Sweden in a time of 31:58. Bjoergen was in 11th place after the 5km classic with a time of 17:04, but only 4 seconds off the pace set by Stefanie Boehler (GER) who finished the day in 25th place. Bjoergen, however, had the fastest freestyle leg on the day with a split of 14:31.

As one would expect the ladies remained together throughout the classic portion of the race, but once they switched to their skate skis only Kristin Stoermer Steira could match the pace being set by her Norwegian teammate. Bjoergen crossed the line just 2.5 seconds ahead of Steira with the next closest competitor being fellow Norwegian Therese Johaug 33.6 seconds behind Bjoergen.

Career Best Distance Race for Randall

Kikkan Randall (USA), whose previous best in a World Cup distance race was 18th in Kuusamo, Finland earlier this year, improved on that mark by crossing the line in 14th place. Her time of 32:50 was 52 seconds off the pace of the winner, but Randall was only 19 seconds out of third place. As you would expect the ladies Randall is battling with for a top twenty in a World Cup race have decent, but not great resumes. That, however, is not the case with those battling for a top ten. Today Randall went toe to toe with the best in the business. She beat Sweden’s Anna Haag by over four seconds and out toed Haag’s teammate Anna Olsson in a photo finish. Randall was only half a second behind Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) and just six seconds behind Charlotte Kalla (SWE). Lastly, Randall crossed the line less then six seconds out of fifth place.

Obviously Randall has nothing else to prove this season, by all measures the last four months have proven that all of her hard work has been worth it. However, she keeps turning heads. At this point it is not a surprise when she battles for a podium position in a freestyle sprint, but until this season expectations were lower during classic sprints or distance races in either discipline – that is no longer the case. Her results in the classic sprint at the Olympics was beyond solid and today she proved that we can expect to see her name near the top in middle distance races in either technique.

The top Canadian skier was Daria Gaiazova in 43rd place in a time of 36:32, 4:34 off the pace set by Bjoergen.  Check back later for a full race report.

Complete Results

Northug Does it Again in 20km Pursuit, Babikov 13th

Like so many other times over the past few years Petter Northug (NOR) lurked in the pack throughout most of the race, saving energy and positioning himself for the final dash to the line. Northug won today’s 30km pursuit in a time of 1:00:03, 1.7 seconds ahead of Germany’s Tobias Angerer, who bettered Lukas Bauer (CZE) by 0.1 seconds. Unlike the ladies race, the top nine finishers were separated by only 4.9 seconds.

At 7.5km Northug was skiing in 14th place nearly 20 seconds off the pace being set by Sweden’s Anders Soedergren, who finished the day in 8th place, but by the 10km mark Northug and others had closed the gap down to under 5 seconds. By the 12.8km mark he even took a short pull at the front of the race only to soon settle back in near the back of the lead pack. With 2.2km to go Sweden’s Marcus Hellner controlled the front of the race with Northug in 8th place ten seconds behind. As we have come custom to watching it all came down to positioning over the final 500 meters with the final sprint rather predictable.

Canadians Still Strong

Ivan Babikov (CAN) kept his solid season going with a very respectable 13th place finish. Although it appears that Babikov may have worked too hard in the early kilometers; donning bib number 48 he worked himself up to 34th at the 2.5km mark, 20.4 seconds off the pace of Mats Larsson who started at the very front. By the 5km mark, Babikov had the lead, but by the 7.5km mark he was already 18 seconds off the front of the pack. Babikov would again work his way up to just 4.8 seconds off the lead at the 15km checkpoint only to again fall to 23.6 seconds off the pacing being set by Marcus Hellner (SWE) at the 17.8km mark. All in all it was a solid result for Babikov.

Babikov’s teammate Alex Harvey finished the day in 23rd position with fellow Canadian Devon Kershaw crossing the line in 38th place.

The US Men

Andy Newell (USA) skied a rather consistent race bettering his start bib by one to finish in 40th position, 1:59 off the pace set by Northug. Brian Gregg ended the day in 49th position, but was 4:42 behind the lead.

Check back later for a full race report.

Complete results.

In the ladies’ 10km pursuit Darya Domracheva (BLR) had only one miss, but finished 5.4 seconds off the pace set by Hauswald. Anna Carin Olofsson-Zidek (SWE) rounded out the podium 39.8 seconds back.

In the men’s 12.5km pursuit Simon Schempp (RUS) shot clean, but could not match the pace set by Fourcade, finishing 9 seconds behind the Frenchman. Ivan Tcherezov (RUS) climbed the final step on the podium finishing 26 seconds off the pace.

Check back later for a full race report.

Complete ladies’ results.

Complete men’s results.

Cologna edged Mats Larsson (SWE) by 4.9 seconds.  Additional sprint bonus seconds were given to the top-3, and Larsson took over the overall World Cup Final lead.  Petter Northug (NOR) is 2nd 7.3 seconds back after finishing 4th in the prologue.  Swedish sprinter Emil Joensson continues to show solid distance chops, placing 18th in the prologue and maintaining his 3rd position in the overall.

Alex Harvey (CAN) was 21st today, +20.2 seconds.  His teammates Devon Kershaw, Ivan Babikov, and Graham Nishikawa placed 29th, 46th, and 49th respectively.

Andy Newell led the US men in 48th while Brian Gregg took the last spot in the race, placing 53rd.

Kowalczyk got the best of rival Marit Bjoergen (NOR), striding to a 8.7 second victory.  Charlotte Kalla (SWE) was 3rd.

Kowalczyk now leads the overall by 16.5 seconds over Bjoergen.  Anna Olsson (SWE), winner of Wednesday’s sprint, is 3rd overall after placing 7th today.

Kikkan Randall (USA) placed 36th, +1:08.2.

Dasha Gaiazova (CAN) took 45th.

All of the male Russian sprinters withdrew before the start of today’s race.

Complete Results

Read the full article here.

Anna Olsson (SWE) claimed her first World Cup victory since 2006, holding off Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) over the final meters.  Marit Bjoergen (NOR) finally lost a race, but still managed the podium, finishing 3rd.

Petter Northug (NOR) chose to double pole the anything-but-flat Stockholm course.  He won both his quarterfinal and semifinal heats, but Nikita Kriukov (RUS) prevented him from getting away on the flats and was able to stride past to claim the victory on the final climb.  Northug outlinged Emil Joensson for 2nd.

The Swedish men went 3,4,5,6 and the women, 1,4,6.

All four North Americans were eliminated in the quarterfinals.  Andy Newell remained in good position, but faded halfway up the last hill.

Newell ended up 22nd and Alex Harvey (CAN) 30th.

Kikkan Randall finished 15th, another strong classic sprint result and Dasha Gaiazova was 23rd.

That hope was short lived, and she now faces a two-year ban.  The 25-year-old skied very well at the Olympics, helping the Polish team to 6th in the relay and placing 11th in the 30km.  Marek’s previous best World Cup result had been a 26th.

Newell qualified in 17th and faces a tough quarterfinal heat against Norwegians Ola Vigen Hattestad, Oystein Pettersen, Nikita Kriukov (RUS), Tobias Angerer (GER) and Daniel Rickardsson (SWE).  The two Norwegians will present the biggest obstacle to advancement.

Alex Harvey just made it through for the Canadians, taking the last qualification spot.  He now faces three Swedes – Mats Larsson, Teodor Peterson, and Marcus Hellner, as well as Eldar Roenning (NOR) and Ville Nousianen (FIN).

Gaiazova advanced in 20th spot, just under seven seconds behind leader Anna Olsson (SWE).  She matches up with Olsson, Charlotte Kalla (SWE), Katja Visnar (SLO), Therese Johaug (NOR), and Marianna Longa (ITA).

Randall moved on in 27th place.  Her quarterfinal consists of Lina ANdersson (SWE), Katerina Smutna (AUT), Evi Sachenbacher Stehle (GER), Vesna Fabjan (SLO), and Karine Philippot (FRA).

Devon Kershaw (CAN) missed advancing by .22 seconds, finishing 32nd.  His teammates Graham Nishikawa and Ivan Babikov placed 48th and 54th respectively in the 57 man field.

Brian Gregg (USA) was 56th, +16.38 seconds.

The men’s qualification was dominated by the Swedes and Norwegians.  Together they combined to take 8 of the top-10 spots, and all-told make up half the filed in the heats.  The two conutries also combined for 13 of the 30 qualifiers in the women’s race.

The course is relatively short, with Olsson posting the fastest time for the women – 2:35.45 and Larsson leading the men in 2:13.49.

Randall looked strong all day, and led heading into the finish stretch.  But Marit Bjoergen is unbeatable right now, and she skied away in the last 50 meters.  Randall held off a hard-charging Natalia Korosteleva at the line.

Andy Newell advanced to the semis, but faded in his last heat, and ended up 10th overall.

More to follow.

Randall posted the 8th fastest qualifying time, 3.11 seconds behind leader Justyna Kowalczyk (POL).

Kowalczyk sped through the course in a time of 3:02.19, a full 1.45 seconds ahead of Hanna Falk (SWE) in 2nd.

With a little more time gone by since the Olympics and a large Nations Cup group from Norway, the fields are large and very strong.  A number of top skiers failed to advance, including Aino Kaisa Saarinen (FIN), Stephie Boelhler (GER), Pirjo Murnanen (FIN), and Miriam Goessner (GER).

The Norwegian women advanced seven to the heats, and Sweden and impressive five.

Dasha Gaiazova, the lone Canadian woman in the race, was 37th, 1.54 seconds out of the top-30.

Caitlin Compton (USA) was 21.22 seconds off Kowalczyk’s pace – finishing last (61st).

All 30 qualifiers were within 10 seconds of the lead.

The men’s race featured even more upsets than the women’s but as usual, Emil Joensson (SWE) was near the top.

Joensson was actually the second qualifier, a significant 2.06 seconds behind Anders Gloersen (NOR).

Gloersen led a contingent of nine Norwegians in the heats.  Top sprinter Ola Vigen Hattestad barely squeaked through, placing 29th.  Times were tightly packed, and Marcus Hellner (SWE) in 30th was just 7 seconds in back Gloersen, and 5 behind Joensson.

Newell qualified in 23rd, not as high as he usually does, but considering the tight times, and the fact that he has made aneefort to relax a little in the first round, this is not surprising.

Simi Hamilton was just outside, placing 34th, .52 seconds from 30th position.  Hamilton beat John Kristian Dahl (NOR), Kalle Lassila (FIN), Yuichi Onda (JPN), and Boerre Naess (NOR) among others.  This is an excellent result, and given the strength of the field, more impressive than his Olympic performance.

Mike Hinckley was 66th, +13.25, and Brian Gregg 73rd, +19.90.

Stefan Kuhn (CAN) finished 63rd, +12.56.

Heats start in roughly 30 minutes.

Both Randall and Newell are in quarterfinal 5 of their respective races, and while there are certainly no easy heats, their matchups look favorable.

Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) is back in action after sitting out Saturday’s 30km and will try to end Marit Bjoergen’s winning streak.  The US starts Kikkan Randall and Caitlin Compton while Dasha Gaiazova represents Canada.

This will be Randall’s first skate sprint start since before the Olympics.  She has been racing very well recently and should be in the mix for a spot in the finals.

Petter Northug will not start the men’s sprint for Norway, leaving Emil Joensson (SWE) as the easy favorite.  The Northug family will be represented as Petter’s younger brother Thomas gets his second World Cup start.

The US will run Andy Newell, Simi Hamilton, Mike Hinckley and Brian Gregg while Stefan Kuhn is the lone Canadian to start.

Newell will try to defend his first World Cup podium in two years.  He was 3rd just three days ago in Drammen.  While that race was classic, his other two podiums both came in freestyle sprints.

Predictions

Men:

1. Emil Joensson (SWE)

2. Nikita Kriukov (RUS)

3. Alexia Petukhov (RUS)

4. Andy Newell (USA)

5. Ola Vigen Hattestad (NOR)

6. Simen Oestensen (NOR)

Women:

1. Marit Bjoergen (NOR)

2. Arianna Follis (ITA)

3. Kikkan Randall (USA)

4. Hannah Falk (SWE)

5. Pirjo Muranen (FIN)

6.  Natalia Korostoleva (RUS)

Complete Start Lists