Cross-Country Skiing 2015 - 2017 Discussion Thread

[heywoodu 14,939]

Just now, dcro said:

 

Their presumption is so wrong, very optimistic in fact.

 

Looking at Mourao's results, she is way above the maximum of 100 FIS points which are required for "A" standard. This basically means that, as of today, Brazil will only be allowed to send one female racer who will be allowed to start in only one race (either 10km free or sprint classic).

 

To get an "A" standard her average of distance FIS points has to be under 100. And having one "A" standard does not guarantee the second quota. "A" standard merely allows the racer to start in all of the individual events. Having two athletes requires both of them having an "A" standard AND one of them being inside the top 300 on the Olympic FIS points list (distance or sprint).

 

 

 

The top-300, period, or the top-300 when considering only a maximum number of athletes per NOC (the 'cleaned' points list)? 

 

I really wish I thought about this earlier so I could have directly talked about this with the federation guy who was with the biathlon team the past weeks, but I totally forgot. I just can't get it through my head how they could be so wrong about something seriously important like this (and I definitely trust your judgement about these things a lot more..). 

[dcro 10,210]

5 minutes ago, heywoodu said:

 

The top-300, period, or the top-300 when considering only a maximum number of athletes per NOC (the 'cleaned' points list)? 

 

I really wish I thought about this earlier so I could have directly talked about this with the federation guy who was with the biathlon team the past weeks, but I totally forgot. I just can't get it through my head how they could be so wrong about something seriously important like this (and I definitely trust your judgement about these things a lot more..). 

 

The top-300 period.

 

Having two racers per gender at the Olympics is not an easy task. Lithuania for example was allowed to have only 1 per gender in Sochi, and they do have some tradition in both cross-country and biathlon. Spain was allowed to have only one female racer even though they had Laura Orgue at the time, and she was even capable of getting top 30 finishes at WC level.

[heywoodu 14,939]

1 minute ago, dcro said:

 

The top-300 period.

 

Having two racers per gender at the Olympics is not an easy task. Lithuania for example was allowed to have only 1 per gender in Sochi, and they do have some tradition in both cross-country and biathlon. Spain was allowed to have only one female racer even though they had Laura Orgue at the time, and she was even capable of getting top 30 finishes at WC level.

 

Thanks! At least the athletes are also fairly confident that the federation is wrong, that's a good thing I guess.

[hckošice 14,787]

Bjoergen returns with victory in Ulricehamn

 

Norway's Marit Bjoergen has won her 104th individual World Cup with her victory in the 10 km free technique interval start competition in Ulricehamn, Sweden.  It was her first competition since La Clusaz prior to Christmas and today she won by just 10.7 seconds ahead of Finland's Krista Parmakoski.  Parmakoski continues with her impressive season and appears to have recovered well from her Tour de Ski efforts.  In third place to the excitement of the home crowd was Sweden's Charlotte Kalla +24.9 back from Bjoergen.  It went right to the finish line to know who was third place today as Kalla crossed just 0.8 seconds ahead of Norway's Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen.  Hometown girl Hanna Falk recorded her best ever World Cup distance result with an 8th place finish +36.4 seconds off the lead.  She was the early leader with bib 10 and stayed in the leader's chair until Jacobsen crossed the line with bib 30.  

 

 

Full Results Here

 

[heywoodu 14,939]

Meanwhile in Ramsau, Austria... 

 

 

(That's Lucas Lima, or Lucão, who got 3rd place in a national U16 competition!)

[hckošice 14,787]

Canada's Harvey on a roll with second win in a row

 

Canada's Alex Harvey is on a roll and has won his second World Cup competition in a row.  After winning last weekend's team sprint in Toblach with Len Valjas he followed it up today with a victory in the 15 km free technique interval competition in Ulricehamn, Sweden.  It was Harvey's first ever World Cup win in an interval start distance competition (not including a tour stage prologue). An early leader Harvey hung on for a 6.0 second win ahead of Norway's Martin Johnsrud Sundby who made up time over the final kilometers.  As in the ladies' competition the crowd was treated to a Swedish athlete in third place and in this case it was Marcus Hellner +14.3 seconds back.  In the final kilometers - despite lacking any major climbs - the competition saw many changes in the battle for third place.  Hellner in the end beat out Dario Cologna (SUI) by 0.4 seconds.  Daniel Stock (NOR) competing in his first World Cup outside of Norway was 5th just 1.9 seconds behind Hellner.  

 

The top 10 athletes were separated by just 34 seconds with 7 nations represented.  Competitions continue tomorrow with the ladies 4 x 5 km relay and the men's 4 x 7.5 km relay.  

 

 

 

Full Results Here

 

 

[hckošice 14,787]

Norway takes both relay events in Ulricehamn

 

Today's team relay's in Ulricehamn capped off a great weekend up competitions for the first time World Cup venue.  In the ladies' relay Norway dominant from the second leg when Heidi Weng openned up a big lead over the chasing teams and then began the battle for the final spots on the podium.  Charlotte Kalla skiing third leg for the Sweden I team took over the chase with three other teams including Germany, USA, Norway II.  Each team took their turn trying to separate from the group and pull seconds back from Norway I.  On the final leg it was the hometown favourite Hanna Falk for Sweden who attacked with just a under 2 km remaining in an attempt to get rid of Germany and USA I.  All three final leg skiers for those teams had top 10 finishes the day before.  In the end it was Germany anchored by Sandra Ringwald who took second place - for the team's first podium since 2010 - just ahead of Falk in third by just 0.2 seconds.  The USA's Jessie Diggins wasn't able to overtake the two athletes on the finishing stretch and had to settle for 4th place just 0.2 seconds from third.  Norway saw their lead shrink of around 25 seconds to just 8.8 seconds in the finish but were never under threat of being caught with Marit Bjoergen skiing their final leg.  

 

Just when it seemed that the racing couldn't get anymore exciting the men's relay came down to 9 teams together with just 2 kilometers remaining and at the finish all nine were separated by just 3.8 seconds.  From the beginning it looked like it would be a showdown between final skiers for Norway I with Finn Haagen Krogh and Sweden I's Calle Halfvarsson and it was Norway ultimately that took the win in the final meters of the competition.  Several teams had anchor skiers with sprinting ability and it was Canada's Len Valjas who brought his team home for their first ever men's World Cup relay podium.  It was Len Valjas' second World Cup podium in the last two World Cup weekends with his team sprint win with teammate Alex Harvey last weekend in Toblach.  For Harvey it was his 3 podium in a row which included two wins.  

 

The World Cup now travels across and up Sweden to Falun the site of the 2015 FIS World Ski Championships for a free technique sprint and mass start classic competitions 28-29 January 2017. 

 

 

 

 

Full Results Men and Women

 

 

 

[hckošice 14,787]

Photo finishes decide both sprints in Falun

 

Stina Nilsson (SWE) and Federico Pellegrino (ITA) have won the 1.4 km free technique sprints in Falun, Sweden. It’s the first time we have seen free technique sprints on the sprint course designed for the 2015 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. It took a photo finish to decide both competitions.

 

Nilsson and Norway’s Maiken Caspersen Falla continued their sprint duel with a thrilling 0.01 separation at the finish. They have now split victories in 10 of the last 11 sprints with 5 wins each. Overall World Cup leader Heidi Weng of Norway took third place +1.88 back.

 

In the men’s sprint Pellegrino won his first free technique sprint since January 2016 by just 0.6 ahead of Norway’s Emil Iversen. Sindre Bjoernestad Skar took third just 0.47 back and just 0.03 ahead of local boy Sweden’s Oskar Svensson.

 

 

 

 

 

Full Results Men and Women

 

 

 

[hckošice 14,787]

Sweet revenge for Iversen with 30 km victory

 

Emil Iversen of Norway who lost yesterday’s 1.4 km sprint competition by just 0.06 seconds came back today in Falun with a big 30 km mass start classic victory. A sweet revenge after yesterday’s disappointment. Team tactics by Norway could be seen early as teammates of Martin Johnsrud Sundby - the current World Cup overall leader - surged forward to take as many World Cup bonus points as possible.

 

Sundby took second place +3.7 seconds behind his teammate. In third to the excitement of the home crowd was Sweden’s Calle Halfvarsson +5.6 back. Halfvarsson broke up a possible Norwegian sweep of the podium by crossing the line just 0.1 seconds ahead of Sjur Roethe.

 

 

Full Results Here

 

 

[hckošice 14,787]

Bjoergen records 105th individual World Cup win in Falun

 

Marit Bjoergen recorded her 105th individual World Cup victory with her win in the ladies’ 15 km classic mass start competition in Falun, Sweden. Bjoergen separated from the field early with her teammates Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg and Heidi Weng and it was a three-way battle until the end. Oestberg took up the lead over the final kilometers but was unable to stay with Bjoergen up the final climb before entering the stadium. She crossed the line just +0.5 behind Bjoergen for second place. Weng came across in third +8.1 seconds back.

 

Swedish skiers Stina Nilsson and Charlotte Kalla came 4th and 5th respectably.

 

 

Full Results Here