CANMORE, Alberta — Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla hung in for the long haul on Saturday, leading the Alberta World Cup 1.3-kilometer freestyle sprint final from the start with teammate Celine Brun-Lie before sticking tight with Kikkan Randall and outsprinting the American to the finish.

Norwegian Maiken Caspersen Falla (l) and American Kikkan Randall (r) go head-to-head for the win in the final stretch of the Alberta World Cup 1.3 k skate sprint final on Saturday in Canmore. Falla edged Randall by 0.6 seconds.

Falla edged Randall by 0.6 seconds at the finish, and Brun-Lie came through in third ahead of Denise Herrmann (GER) in fourth, Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg (NOR) in fifth and Chandra Crawford (CAN) in sixth. Randall attacked about two-thirds of the way up the long climb out of the stadium, and continued to push to create a gap on the Norwegians. Falla stuck with her and caught her draft before passing her in the final stretch.

The women’s sprint podium on Saturday in Canmore. From left to right: Kikkan Randall (USA) in second, Maiken Caspersen Falla (NOR) in first and Celine Brun-Lie (NOR) in third.

Crawford had been in fourth behind Randall up the hill, but lost contact when Randall pushed over the top. The Canadian crowd favorite of the day, sixth was Crawford’s best individual World Cup result since placing fifth in a classic sprint in March in Drammen, Norway.

Ida Sargent of the U.S. Ski Team was 10th for her best World Cup skate sprint result, and Perianne Jones (CAN) had a career best in 11th. Dasha Gaiazova (CAN) was 20th, and Americans Sadie Bjornsen and Sophie Caldwell placed 22nd and 23rd, respectively.

Other North American results: 34. Widmer (CAN), 39. Brennan (USA), 41. Dupont (CAN), 43. Marshall (CAN), 44. Rorabaugh (USA), 47. Brennan (CAN), 48. Nishikawa (CAN), 51. Stock (USA), 55. Beatty (CAN), 57. Kromm (CAN), 61. Thomas (CAN), 62. Reid (CAN), 63. MacIsaac-Jones (CAN), 64. Fritz (USA), 65. Tribe (CAN), 66. Patterson (USA), 67. Roy (CAN)

Women’s results

- In Bruksvallarna, Sweden, the women’s freestyle sprint final benefitted from Charlotte Kalla‘s fall on the final downhill of the course. Kalla was in third place at the time, coming into the finishing straight, behind eventual winner and fellow Swede Ida Ingemarsdotter and Canada’s Chandra Crawford. Both looked strong, but in the semifinal, Kalla had shot past Ingemarsdotter in the finishing straight after trailing significantly for much of the race, so the final had been shaping up to be quite exciting. Katja Visnar of Slovenia managed to avoid tangling with Kalla and placed third.

The men’s A-final was an all-Swedish affair. About halfway around the course, 2012 World Cup sprint champion Teodor Peterson and many-time sprint winner Emil Jonsson moved to the front and dueled the rest of the way to the finish. After entering the finishing stretch almost together, Peterson took the win in the end with Jonsson accepting the inevitable and easing up a bit before the finish to cross the line 0.2 seconds back. Despite numerous attempts to get to the front, Calle Halvarsson was left in third place.

Canadian Alex Harvey made it to the semifinals and placed eighth overall.

– With some time to kill between the Blink Festival in Norway and their upcoming camp in Sweden, Liz Stephen and Kikkan Randall have plenty to keep them entertained on a Norwegian fjord. In an email, Stephen explained that they are training at the sister of former APU coach and Norway’s coach of the year, Frode Lillefjell.

“The skiing here is amazing,” Stephen wrote on Wednesday. “Went on a 3 hour ski this morning and we will lift some weights this afternoon before heading to a bbq put on by one of Petter Northug‘s main sponsors.”

They also get to meet Norway’s world-champion superstar. Northug, 26, owns the apartments Stephen and Randall are staying in and allowed them to spend the past couple of nights there free.

“We are really looking forward to meeting him and Petter’s family,” Stephen wrote.

– Speaking of the Swedish camp, Stephen and Randall won’t be the only North American women training with the Swedes. Canadian Chandra Crawford tweeted Tuesday that she would be joining the U.S. women’s team:  ”I will arrive in Ostersund one week today. YES! Watch out @kikkanimal @lizstephen @iingemarsdotter [Ida Ingemarsdotter,] @brooksha1 [Holly Brooks,] @jessdiggs [Jessie Diggins] and @anna_haag!”

– Interested in what the Canadian men did in Hawaii? Cross Country Canada made a video of the two-week training camp in June (and we recapped it here).

– Lukas Bauer is feeling good after partaking in German performance tests last weekend in Oberhof. According to a Czech Ski Team press release, he won the 15 k rollerski race — in which everyone competed on the same skis — following two hard training days.

“The race was good for me even though I did not feel good during the warm up,” Bauer said.

He sat out Sunday’s running race to nurse a heel injury sustained in February at the Nove Mesto World Cup.

“The heel is not 100% ready yet,” he explained. “Physically it would not have been a problem, but I have been struggling in the terrain as the ligaments and tendons aren’t that strong.”

As for the upcoming 2013 World Championships, Bauer doesn’t think it’s going to be an issue. ”I am at the similar point of the preparation as in the previous years,” he said. “I had to only restructure the program.”

Canadian Olympic gold medalist Chandra Crawford will most likely commit to another year on the national team.

In an email, Crawford wrote that she planned to sign her contract with Cross Country Canada’s World Cup team on Friday and was getting organized after a 10-day trip in Italy.

“I’m on the team and going to do things quite normal-style,” she wrote. “And for sure for sure for sure doing the NST plan and camps like Bend for starters.”

Next week, members from the men’s and women’s World Cup teams will head to Bend, Ore., for a training camp from March 16-28.

MONT SAINTE-ANNE, Québec — After winning the skate sprint title at Canadian Ski Nationals, Chandra Crawford told La Presse about her especially challenging season marked by a breakup with her boyfriend of nine years, Devon Kershaw.

The two Canadian National Ski Team athletes from Canmore, Alberta, split up in January. Crawford, 28, went on to somewhat of a roller-coaster season, placing as high as third on the World Cup in the Milan team sprint on Jan. 15. On March 4 in Lahti, Finland, she was 69th of 75 in a World Cup classic sprint qualifier.

Earlier in the season in December, she earned her first World Cup podium in four years placing second in a skate sprint in Rogla, Slovenia. In February, she placed 36th and 38th in a series of freestyle sprints.

“It was my hardest winter,” Crawford said. ”I was really dead for a while. I did not make top-30 for about a month. Then I just decided I was tired of feeling sad and I managed to find me.”

Crawford wrapped up Canadian nationals with two titles, including Saturday’s 30 k classic mass start — her first victory at that distance.

“One thing [U.S. Ski Team member] Liz Stephen told me this winter was, ‘Don’t get out of bed until you’re ready to make it good,’ ” Crawford told FasterSkier on Thursday. “So I do that in the morning, set some intentions to deal well with life’s adversity, not so much plan the day but just go, and whatever happens out there I’m going to really respond well.”

Kershaw, 29, finished first, second and third at nationals. He and teammate Alex Harvey purposely tied for the win in Saturday’s 50 k classic mass start. Kershaw was second in the skate sprint and third in the 15 k freestyle mass start.

While most every national team member ended their seasons with nationals, Crawford said she’d race at the SuperTour Finals in Craftsbury, Vt.. from Tuesday’s classic sprints on.

“I got a fever and you can only cure it with more skiing!” she said.

FALUN, Sweden – It comes as no surprise at this point in a women’s mass start race on the World Cup that Marit Bjoergen (NOR), Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) and Therese Johaug (NOR) are going to hammer from the gun.  The distance does not matter, they are going to trade punches and see who is standing at the finish line.

Today in the 10km classic at the World Cup Finals was no different as they quickly opened up a gap on the pack.  What was unique, but not a surprise to the Norwegian camp, was that Heidi Weng (NOR), along with Charlotte Kalla (SWE), was able to hang throughout.

Through the gradual terrain of the course’s opening kilometers it was Bjoergen, Kowalczyk, Johaug, Weng and Kalla that were able to distance themselves from the rest as they rounded the lefthand bend to start the Mördarbacken lined with passionate fans.  As the five charged up the climb during the first lap, the strategy of Kowalczyk and Johaug became clear, play to their strengths, that being climbing and their hope was to put enough time into the others so that they could not come back to them.  They set a tempo that most would think was a full sprint and although they opened up a gap, it was not enough and Bjoergen and Weng closed the opening as they descended back into the stadium.

As they started the gradual climbs of the second lap, Bjoergen began to fade off the back.  But could she stay in contact?  The answer was no and as the other three climbed the Mördarbacken for the second time, it was Kowalczyk that landed the winning blow, putting six seconds into the Norwegian duo by the highpoint.

From there the race was on for second as the two Norwegians battle right to the line, with Weng getting the best of Johaug, 15.3 seconds off the pace of Kowalczyk and one second ahead of her countrywoman.  Following Johaug was Bjoergen in fourth and Kristin Stoermer Steira (NOR) in fifth.  Kalla followed, but was backed by three more Norwegians making it seven in the top nine.

For the American, Kikkan Randall led the way in 14th place with Jessie Diggins in 19th and Liz Stephen in 26th position.

On the Canadian side, Chandra Crawford was first to the finish line in 35th place, 2:41.1 off the lead while Dasha Gaiazova took 41st place, 3:21.0 down.

Complete Results

All 2012 FIS World Cup Finals coverage is brought to you through the generous support of Fischer Sports USA, proud sponsors of Kikkan Randall, 2012 overall Sprint Cup Champion.

FALUN, Sweden – Marit Bjoergen (NOR) was the fastest in the ladies’ 2.5km freestyle prologue this afternoon, crossing the finish line in 6:54.4.  With the warm temperatures and sunny skies it was all smiles for the Norwegian after she crossed finish line and had conquered the infamous Mördarbacken.

Marit Bjorgen (NOR) on her way up the Mördarbacken.

Following Bjoergen was Sweden’s own Charlotte Kalla (+6.2), who seems to be coming into top form, much to the delight of the passionate Swedish fans that lined the Mördarbacken.  The third fastest in the prologue was Mathe Kristohhersen (NOR), who crossed the line in 7:05.8.

Charlotte Kalla (SWE) working her way up the Mördarbacken.

For the United States it was a brilliant day in the sun, as Kikkan Randall led the way in 7th place, finishing in a time of 7:10.0.  “I felt really good, I think the skis were just awesome today,” she said immediately following the race.

As for the challenges of the Mördarbacken, Randall told FasterSkier.

“It is a pretty fun hill to ski; it changes grades there a couple of times, it’s packed with fans, it gets nice and steep there at the top, but I felt good through that part and it is fun knowing there is an exciting downhill waiting for you on the other side.”

Right after Randall was Jessie Diggins, just 0.4 seconds back in 8th, while Liz Stephen rounded out an expressive day for the team finishing in 13th place, 20.4 seconds off the winning time.

“I felt really good,” said Diggins after the race. “The skis were really fast, I was really impressed with the coaches and what they did with them.”

As for the Mördarbacken from Diggins perspective, “that hill is really hard to keep your tempo up, it just pitches up.”

Randall, Diggins and Stephen were all smiles at the finish and you could tell that they were all excited about the way they had skied as they all had left everything they could on the course.

On the Canadian side, things did not go quite as well, but they were mostly happy with their results.  Dasha Gaiazova led the way in 7:27.5, good enough for 27th place.  Next came Chandra Crawford, who crossed the line in 45th place in a time of 7:43.1.

Canada’s Alysson Marshall, who posted the slowest time in the fielded, finishing 49th in a time of 8:07.2, has been battling illness and unable to train.

Complete Results

All 2012 FIS World Cup Finals coverage is brought to you through the generous support of Fischer Sports USA, proud sponsors of Kikkan Randall, 2012 overall Sprint Cup Champion.

MILAN, Italy – The Swedish duo of Hanna Brodin and Ida Ingemarsdotter won the final team sprint of the 2012 season, skiing to a clear victory on the tight Milan course.

The win gave Ingemarsdotter two wins in two days after she took the top spot in Saturday’s individual sprint.

Kikkan Randall (USA) and Chandra Crawford (CAN) celebrate a historic day.

American Kikkan Randall ended the weekend with similar consistency, placing second in both events, today with partner Jessie Diggins.

With the Canadian team of Perianne Jones and Chandra Crawford placing third, it was an historic day in Italy for North America.

While research assistants have yet to confirm, it is possible that today marked the first time in cross-country World Cup history that Americans and Canadians shared the podium.

The Americans overcame several crashes with World Cup newcomer Diggins skiing an excellent final lap to set up Randall for what she does best—skate sprinting. She showed no ill-effects from the effort to catch the pack after a fall by Diggins in the second-to-last exchange, but was unable to find an answer for Ingemarsdotter.

The Canadians were able to avoid drama, staying relatively clear of trouble before Crawford brought the team home.

The day marked the first World Cup podiums for both Jones and Diggins.

Norway I with Mari Eide and Maiken Caspersen Falla, placed 4th.

Complete Results

Maiken Caspersen Falla (NOR) captured the ladies’ World Cup sprint victory today in Rogla, Slovenia holding off Canadian Chandra Crawford down the final stretch.  Kikkan Randall (USA) broke her pole early in the final as the skiers began to find their position.

Falla established her position early and maintained it as they charged up the course’s only climb.  Crawford moved into position right behind Falla on the climb, but did not have a finishing burst to overtake the Norwegian.  Falla finished in a time of 2:15.8 with Crawford 0.4 seconds behind.  Sweden’s Ida Ingemarsdotter, who had the fastest time in qualification, finished the day in third 1.5 seconds back.

Randall had a strong start, skiing to the front of the group next to Russia’s Natalia Korosteleva, but seemed to hook a tip and fell to the ground with her legs split wide.  When she got to her feet the group had skied away and the bottom half of her pole was dangling as she started skiing again.  She quickly got a new pole from a coach, but it was too late and would finish in sixth overall.

In quarterfinal action Ida Sargent finished fifth in the first heat after advancing to the rounds by qualifying in 30th position.  She finished 25th on the day.  Daria Gaiazova (CAN) finished second in the fourth heat to advance to the semifinals, but there she would be fifth, finishing 9th overall.

Complete Results

On a sunny day in Davos, Switzerland with temperatures just below freezing, Kikkan Randall (USA) sets the fastest time in the sprint qualification.  Her time of 3:04.24 was 0.11 seconds faster than Natalia Matveeva (RUS).  Norway’s Marit Bjoergen was 0.95 seconds behind the pace set by Randall in third.

Canadian Chandra Crawford was the 8th fastest qualifier 4.56 off the pace and American Holly Brooks keeps things rolling, qualifying in 18th place 6.78 seconds back.  Canada’s Perianne Jones and Daria Giaizova also qualified for the heats finishing qualification in 28th and 29th respectively.

Americans Ida Sargent and Sadie Bjornsen were not able to advance finishing in 50th and 52nd respectively.

Complete Results