Oslo 2011 Day Five: Women's 10K Classic

The winning streak continues! Marit Bjørgen donned the golden winner's jacket again after an incredibly close 10 K classic race today at Holmenkollen.

Marit accepts her third gold of the World Championships

It was a 'nail-biter,' one for the record books as Polish superstar Justyna Kowalczyk attempted to chase down the unbeatable Norwegian. Early on, it looked like she was going to do it- after starting 30 seconds behind her, Kowalczyk had gained 11 seconds in the first 2.2K! But you never know until all of the finishers cross the line. That statement couldn't have been more true today.



Bjørgen collapsed across the finish line and waited face-down in the snow to see the Pole fight through the last 100 meters, waiting on the commentator's call as to who would take the gold. In the end, Bjørgen came out four seconds ahead, leaving Kowalcyzk the silver medal once again.

Although Marit's medal count was what made the headlines, the Finnish skiiers put in performances worthy of note. Four of their competitors placed within the top 10, with Aino-Kaisa Saarinen taking home the bronze. Krista Lahteenmaki was 5th, and Pirjo Muranan finished three seconds behind her in 6th place. Kerttu Niskanen was 8th.

Holly Brooks led the American women in 27th place. Sadie Bjorgen and Kikkan Randall followed in 29th and 32nd, respectively. Ida Sargent was the final finisher from the US in 51st place.

Additional Links:
Full Results
FasterSkier's report of today's event
Recap of Day Four: Men's 30K Pursuit
Recap of Day Three: Women's 15K Pursuit
Recap of Day One: Skate Sprint

Oslo 2011 Day Four: Men's 30K Pursuit

Petter Northug of Norway topped the podium today, taking his "golden revenge" against the Swedes who beat him to gold the last few races. It was no walk in the park, though. Northug sat back for entire classic leg, staying within the lead pack, comfortable in the 'teens. The 80 other competitors put up quite the fight in the skating section, especially those feisty Canadians. Alex Harvey was the name buzzing on the radios as we listened in from the woods surrounding Holmenkollen. Harvey made a gutsy breakaway 18K into the 30K race, not long after the leaders had transitioned into their skating gear. I was pretty sure that he was going to hold on to the lead until the end- he seemed strong and the time ahead of the pack was steady (this was partially thanks to his teammates, especially Ivan Babikov who slowed the pace to allow Harvey some wiggle room). He maintained the gap until the last loop (less than 4K to go), a pretty impressive position to hold in a field of the world's fastest skiers. But the pack caught up, with Northug and teammate Tord Asle Gjerdalen chasing Harvey down. It came down to the athletes who still had some fuel to sprint. Among those were Marcus Hellner of Sweden (Day One sprint champion), Northug, and two Russians, Maxim Vylegzhanin and Ilia Chernousov. The last 500 meters put the crowd on the edge of their seats, and Northug pulled through for the win. Vylegzhanin and Chernousov brought home silver and bronze, respectively.

Kris Freeman was the top finisher from the US in 29th place. Noah Hoffman finished in 37th place.  Lars Flora was 53rd and Tad Elliott finished close behind in 55th place.

It was a great day today- the morning started out sunny but the clouds moved in not long after. The crowds on the trail near Frognerseteren were even bigger than yesterday! The action continues, so don't put your cow bell away quite yet! Tomorrow is the Women's 10K Classic. Stay tuned!

Additional Links:
Full Results
Recap of the Women's Pursuit yesterday
FasterSkier's full report of the race

Oslo 2011 Day Three: Women's 15K Pursuit

This morning was the Women's 15K Pursuit and Norway came out on top yet again. Marit Bjørgen won with Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland in second. Fellow Norwegian Therese Johaug had an excellent race and brought home the bronze. The top three finished within 10 seconds of each other, but fourth place (Charlotte Kalla of Sweden) was almost a full minute behind the winning time.

photo courtesy of newsinenglish.no

How does a pursuit work? The race consists of both techniques- classic and sprint. The racers start off on one set of equipment (today they started on classic skis) and then switch to the different technique part-way through the race. This transition zone is a tricky component and adds yet another variable into the race.

I was able to see the racers about 5K into their race on the classic leg. Here is a video of the first few racers- Kowalczyk is leading, followed by Bjørgen and Johaug.

As you can tell, the fog was THICK. Johaug said during the post-race press conference that she could hear the crowd but not see them. Despite the less-than-perfect conditions, the trails were still lined with spectators in high spirits. I was able to ski to the race course from my apartment (how cool!) and was joined on the trails by hundreds of other spectators commuting on skis.

Liz Stephan was the top finisher from the US in 24th place. Holly Brooks was right behind her in 25th, and Jesse Diggins was 28th. Morgan Arritola rounded out the American contingent in 43rd.

Additional links:

Full Results
Recap of Day One: Skate Sprint (Women and Men)
Recap of the Opening Ceremonies
NRK's article about Marit's second gold (translated into English)

Oslo 2011 Day One: Skate Sprint

It was an emotional day at Holmenkollen, but the source of that emotion depended greatly on what continent you call home. 

Randall after the fall, behind the pack

The racers today were fast and aggressive, exactly what you would expect for the first day of the biggest competition of many of the athlete's careers. That aggressiveness paid its price, though. The heats were full of near-falls, tangled skis, and full-out crashes that (unfortunately) weeded out some very strong contenders. Among those, sadly enough, was Kikkan Randall.

Kikkan qualified with the ninth fastest time, and was looked strong during the prologue. She started her quarterfinal out in good position, a steady third, keeping her kick until the end. Unfortunately, the end came much before she planned when she tangled up with Swedish sprinter Ida Ingemarsdotter and came to a complete stop. She finished the round 12 seconds behind the field.

With amazing maturity and perspective, Randall told FasterSkier: "You know, a race like this is too hard to pin all of your hopes on. I gave it what I had today. It's unfortunate, but that's what happens."

Chandra Crawford, Canada's foremost athlete and Olympic Gold medalist from Torino, had her own mix-up with fellow racer, and it happened to be right below where I was standing. Here is a picture (no zoom) of Chandra Crawford's quarterfinal. Below that one is a zoom of the same photo, so that you are able to see the ski-on-ski action. Laure Barthelemy (Bib 8) from France skis right over Crawford's ski, resulting in a few missteps that cost her the chance in the semifinals. Like they say: This is sprint racing- anything can happen.

You can guess that this didn't go well.

Norwegians Celine Brun-Lie and Maiken Caspersen Falla met the same fate due to falls. Italian racer Renato Pasini took a face-first digger right before the finishing stretch and was also eliminated.

But there were a few bright spots in the crash-filled afternoon. First and foremost, from an American perspective, I was quite proud that three US women moved into the quarterfinals! Jessie Diggins, a 19-year-old standout who is making her World Cup debut this season, was one of them. She proved that she can run with the big dogs as she progressed out of the qualifiers and stuck with the pack in her quarterfinal. Sadie Bjornsen also moved on to the quarterfinals after qualifying in 28th place.

Petra Majdic brought home the bronze. Arianna Follis of Italy took second. The gold went to Marit Bjørgen, and the spectators couldn't have been happier. In a post-race interview with NRK, she said that she could hear the crowd chanting her name. "It was incredibly fun to meet their expectations." 

Northug and Modin in the semifinals

The hero on the men's side is Marcus Hellner. After qualifying with the fifth fastest time, the Swede flew through his quarter- and semifinals, right into the (stacked) final. Although Hellner was definatly considered a major contendor for the win, I think that the other men in the final took away some of the spotlight and allowed him to ski without a huge target on his back. He was going up against two Norwegians: the favorite, Petter Northug, and the returning 2009 World Champion in the sprint, Ola Vigen Hattestad. Two teammates joined him in the final: Emil Joensson, who won the sprint in Drammen last weekend, and Jesper Modin, who had the fastest qualifying time of the day. Peeter Kummel of Estonia rounded out the field.

Hellner, dominating his quarterfinal

Hellner smashed the final into pieces. He extended his lead continually along the 1.4K course and put on his boosters with half a kilometer to go. His speed was unmatched by the other five racers and he proved to be untouchable in the event. His teammate Emil Joensson placed third, placing Norwegian star Petter Northug in an uncomfortable Swedish sandwich on the podium. Northug openly dislikes losing to Swedes, but in an uncharacteristic graciousness said that "Marcus was so strong today. He deserved to win."

Exciting, heart-wrenching, and energizing would be how I would describe today's races at Holmenkollen. And in the words of the new World Champion Marcus Hellner, "This is only the beginning!"

Links:

Here are the women's and men's results.

Video of Marit Bjørgen's win.

Videos of the various women's crashes.

Article in English about Hellner and Bjørgen's wins.

My recap of the Opening Ceremonies.

Oslo 2011: Opening Ceremonies

Let the competition begin! Last night was the Opening Ceremony of the 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championship in Oslo. It was quite a spectacular kick-off event! More than 50,000 spectators came to University Plaza in downtown Oslo to ring in the World Championships.

University Plaza

Athletes from 50 countries have traveled to Norway to compete in the Championships! They were all represented at the Opening Ceremony during a parade down Karl Johans Gate, accompanied by 1,500 Norwegian school children. The Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces set the soundtrack for the parade and the ceremony. Oslo Mayor Fabian Stang gave a short welcome speech, and singer Maria Haukaas Mittet performed "Glorious" in an over-the-top white feather gown. The ceremony came to a close after a fabulous fireworks display above the Royal Palace. 

University Plaza during the Opening Ceremony

Live TV Broadcasts

The Ceremony itself was not the only thing going on in the city center! Event organizers have made Karl Johans Gate (the main street through the heart of Oslo) a cultural hotspot. Vendors from around Norway are selling traditional food, handicrafts, art, and more. Artists from around the world were commissioned to sculpt Edward Munch-inspired works out of snow and ice. They are displayed along Karl Johans Gate, between Nationaltheater and Stortinget.

Death and the Maiden by Carl Schlichting (Canada)

American Mark Szulgit's take on The Scream

This was a great kick off of the events for the Championships here in Oslo. Stay tuned- there is much more to come!

Birthday Ski!

The best thing about your birthday is that you own the day. Out of all the days on the calender, the day of your birth should be spent doing exactly what you want to do. That is precisely what I did.

I skied to a favorite hut in Nordmarka but chose a new route to get there. The air was cold and the snow was so light that it billowed away from my skis like a ruptured feather pillow. You know that fake snow that people in Florida use to decorate? So fluffy that it couldn't ever be real? Well, in Norway, window-shop fluff comes to life.

Spending the day reflecting on the past 21 years made me feel deeply grateful for the people that I share my life with. Every moment was a reminder of how generous my family and friends are, and just how much I am loved and supported every day of the year. 

A goofy love poem from my partner-in-crime, birthday wishes from friends near and far, a 40K ski, tokens from home, and a sunny afternoon. All of that was topped with a fireworks display set to regal music by the Staff Band of the Norwegian Armed Forces during the start of the World Championships of the sport that I love. Could I have asked for a better birthday?

FIS World Cup: Drammen Skate Sprint Race

Another great day in Drammen! The sun was out, the cheering crowds returned, and Kikkan Randall took home GOLD! It doesn't get much better than this, folks. 

Heia Norge!

 I arrived in Drammen around noon, and the atmosphere was already building. Athletes were previewing the course and I was able to see a few Americans (and a whole lot of Norwegians) getting adjusted to the course. The women raced 1.2K while the men did an extra section, extending their course to 1.6K.

Kikkan Randall (USA) followed by Chandra Crawford (CAN) and Petra Majdic (SLO)

Petter Northug warming up for the quarterfinals

The air was cold but the skating was still fast. Incredibly fast. A snowmobile equipped with a video camera flew alongside the racers on the starting and finishing stretches during the quarter-, semis-, and finals. I was blown away by the power and speed of the racers! It is one thing to read about it, even to watch on TV. It is something completely different to see with your own eyes the strength and agility of these athletes. They are professionals, no question about that!

The prologue went smoothly, and the crowd kept growing as we got closer to the quarterfinals. I decided to stake out a place along the fence at the corner of a downhill, coming off the highest point on the course. From my spot I had a distant (but decent) view of the start, a straight shot to the TV mega-screen, and a clear view of the finish lanes. 

Kikkan Randall and Andy Newell were the only Americans to progress into the quarterfinals. Newell had the third fastest qualification time but got bumped in the quarterfinals. Randall came in sixth in the qualifying rounds, won her quarterfinal and did the same with the semi. 

The final was stacked: Arianna Follis from Italy, Ida Ingemarsdotter and Charlotte Kalla from Sweden, Maiken Caspersen Falla and Marit Bjørgen from Norway, and Kikkan Randall, the lone North American. Randall had a strong start and stayed tight within the pack. She was second when she flew past me and barreled through the last corner onto the straight away. It was a dog fight from there, and the Alaskan pulled away with an incredibly strong V2 to her second World Cup victory this season. Congrats!

photo courtesy of worldcupdrammen.no

Alex Harvey from Canada didn't seem too phased to be the only non-Scandinavian racer in the men's final. He finished strong in second place and brought some hardware home for Canada. Emil Joensson from Sweden was the overall winner, and Petter Northug of Norway took third. Marcus Hellner from Sweden finished behind Northug, and Martti Jylhae (Finland) and Mats Larsson (Sweden) rounded out the field.

Today was such an amazing day. If this was any indication of what the sprints at Holmenkollen will be like, I'm thrilled!

Additional links:

• Here are the final results of the Women and Men.
• These videos give a nice taste of the spectator's experience at Drammen.
• Cross-country skiing news from Norway- if you translate it into English using Google Translator, the videos won't work. 
• FasterSkier, source of reliable North American ski-related news.

FIS World Cup: Drammen 10K/15K Classic Race

Wow! I spent the day at Konnerud near Drammen watching the final World Cup race before the Championships at Holmenkollen next week. It was quite the experience! My friend Emma and I took practically every mode of public transportation to get the course, but the organization was great and the race was easy to find. We joined the hordes of other spectators in the woods, watching and cheering trail-side. (Event organizers estimated 15,000 in attendance at the event today!) Everyone was equipped with a seat pad, a Norwegian flag, an alcoholic beverage, and lots of down jackets. I have to agree with Canadian racer Chandra Crawford when she told Fasterskier that "all of my clothes smell like campfire and waffles."The atmosphere was buzzing and the crowd was ready for the races to begin.

First up were the ladies. Unfortunately, Kikkan Randall sat out the race in order to be prepared for tomorrow's skate sprint- her specialty. Marit Bjørgen (no surprises here) smashed the field in the 10K Classic and secured yet another World Cup win. The woman is incredible. Here is a video of Therese Johaug (4th overall) and Marit Bjørgen on the final lap:

Polish star Justyna Kowalczyk took second and Aino Kaisa Saarinen from Finland was third. Sadie Bjornsen was the top US finisher in 51st place. She reported to Fasterskier that she didn't mind the noise of cheering hordes of spectators. The hurrah "was so loud that it drowned out the voices inside her own head." As a coxswain, I feel like my job was done.

A few hours later, the men took to the trails. Daniel Rickardsson from Sweden won the 15K classic, his first-ever victory in a World Cup race. Martin Johnsrud Sundby from Norway took second. Kris Freeman was the top US finisher in 57th place. Rickardsson (in white) sure was looking strong as he passed Peter Northug (in red, 3rd overall):

And speaking of that infamous Norwegian Bad Boy- Northug was sporting a sufficiently creepy Fu Manchu mustache. Don't just take my word for it. The podium picture backs me up:

photo courtesy of worldcupdrammen.no

(Side Note: I have a hypothesis about a mid-career crisis of professional athletes, and the result of this "Identity Questioning" usually has to do with a horrible mustache attempt. Case in point: Michael Phelps. What is the need to channel the inner- Hulk Hogan? I don't think I'll ever know...)

 To say that it was "fun" to be part of the action would be a massive understatement. The energy that the crowd creates is infectious! My voice is sore from the endless "HEIA! HEIA!" of encouragement for every athlete. My American flag was somewhat "drowned out by the sea of Norwegian crimson," but I waved it proudly and did my best to cheer on my fellow countrymen and women. I'm headed back tomorrow for the sprints, Old Glory in one hand and camera in the other. Check back in to be part of the action!

Here are the full results for the Women and Men.

FIS World Cup: Drammen, Feb 19-20

The final competition before the World Championships in Holmenkollen will be held this weekend in Drammen, Norway. The races are only a short train ride from Oslo, so I'm heading over to check out the action! The races on Saturday will be Classic (10K for the ladies, 15K for the men). Sunday will be the sprints (qualifiers and finals). Drammen will be a great chance to see the players in action before the main event. Almost all of the Americans that will be lining up at Holmenkollen will be racing. Morten Olsen, press officer for the event, stated that "this is among the very best starting field in the World Cup so far this season..."

Kikkan Randall (courtesy of NY Times)

There is no doubt that the Norwegians will show up ready to go. Petter Northug is on the schedule and Marit Bjørgen said that the competition in Drammen will be "a taste of what is happening in the World Cup."  

My mom sent me an American flag to bring along to the races to show my support. Unfortunately, I don't have a cowbell, but that won't stop me from sharing my enthusiasm! See you on the trails!

Inequity on the Course: 50 km at Holmenkollen

Arguably the most distinguished race in the Nordic skiing world is the 50 km, and although it is included  every year in the World Championship competition elsewhere, it's home is Holmenkollen. Oslo 2011 Sports Director John Aalberg concludes that "everyone in the cross-country skiing community will see the winner of the 50 km as the toughest skier of the season and of the World Championship." The course is notorious for long climbing sections this year won't disappoint: the route creeps awfully close to the 2000 meter upper limit of the allowed elevation gain window. Competitors will race 52.8 km with 1998 meters of elevation gain this February in Oslo.

photo courtesy of sports.yahoo.com

Yet a huge percentage of racers at the World Championships won't get the chance to prove themselves on the course of all courses. Why? Cause they're girls. The women will be racing 30 km, as has been the case for many years. Most races on the World Cup circuit are like this- besides sprints, women always race shorter distances than men, usually with less climbing.


Professional female skiers like Norwegians Marit Bjørgen and Kristin Stormer Stiera are questioning these race layouts. In January 2010, Stiera says it is a "little strange" that girls are almost always going shorter distances than the boys.

So why is it that women race shorter distances and climb less than the men?

Marit Bjørgen, photo courtesy of dagbladet.no

In a dialog after a recent article, Martin Hall claims that "Bjørgen doesn't know what she is talking about" when she claimed that "It's really no tougher for us (women) to race 50 k than it is for the guys, and we are totally prepared physically to race it." He writes:

"...men are stronger, they have more muscle mass, they carry less fat, men have bigger hearts and lungs, and biomechanically men are built so they can go faster then women—it was our goal to make it so there would be the least amount of comparisons."

Is the inequity a calculated decision to keep things as even as possible, to challenge the women at the same level as the men, taking into account different gender physiology? Has FIS decided to maintain the status quo because it keeps the racers closer together, making for a more entertaining race? Or is it because officials are concerned with male racers getting "girled"? If the latter is the case, get over it. It is obvious that women ski racers are strong- why shouldn't they get the opportunity to seek the prestige of the Holmenkollen 50 km?

Photo courtesy of usskiteam.com

And what do the FIS officials think? At the beginning of last year, Vegard Ulvang, a Norwegian former cross country skier and current FIS Chairman, supported and agreed with the voices of women racers calling for equality in race distances. He says he is considering extending the length of women's races but will need help from national associations to make meaningful changes.


Marit Bjørgen asked that her comments "serve as an intial request" to the FIS Committee to include women in the 50 km. Whatever the driving force behind the inequity is, here's to hoping that the voices of women racers at the World Championships are heard and respected. 




For more information and perspectives on the topic:

Nordic Commentary Project
Nordic Ski Racer

Trondheim

I am back from my visit to Trondheim! I had been curious about the city since I arrived in Norway and postponed my travels until winter when I could take advantage of the skiing.

map courtesy of holidaycityscan.com

Trondheim is the third largest city in Norway, behind Oslo and Bergen. Despite having 170,000 residents, it felt less like a city than I was expecting. The universities and folk schools insure a big chunk of the population is students. There was a soulful college vibe that I haven't felt since I've come to Norway.

At the mouth of the River Nid and right along the Trondheimfjord, the geography of Trondheim makes it the perfect harbor town. Originally named Nidaros, the city was settled in 997 and was the capital of Norway until 1217. Trondheim was the German naval base in WWII

At 63° North, it is the furthest North in the world that I have ever traveled. Traveling in Norway during the winter months is like jumping into a time warp. Even over the difference of 500 kilometers I could notice the later sunrise and earlier sunset. I had been feeling so optimistic about the longer days, then I lost a month's progress by just riding in a train heading North!

I attempted to ski two days while I was there. Bymarka ("city forest" in Norwegian) is a few kilometers away from the heart of the city. I was told by both the tourist and the DNT offices that it would be easy to get there and the skiing would be decent. Unfortunately, neither were the case. A bus runs to the ski hut at the summit in the center of Bymarka only twice daily. Compared to Oslo, where the T-bane runs to a major trailhead every 15 minutes, the transportation left a lot to be desired. Still optimistic, I bought a map, figured out the bus schedules, and hit the trails!

The rain from the previous days created a magnificent ice layer over every track in Bymarka. After a nasty fall on a icy downhill and double poling in frozen tracks for at least two kilometers, I decided to cut my losses, put my running shoes back on and walk the remainder of my excursion. Once I wasn't concerned with breaking a ski or making my fat lip from my first fall even worse, I had a pleasant time!

One positive thing that came out of the not-so-fabulous ski conditions was that I had time to explore the city sights. The Nidaros Cathedral, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest medieval building in Norway. I'm not a cathedral connoisseur, but even a novice like me could tell that this one was pretty spectacular. After some deliberation, I coughed up the 60 NOK to enter. Unfortunately photos were not allowed on the inside but they wouldn't have captured the feeling anyway. The interior was quiet dark but the stained glass made the whole place glow.

The cathedral is built over the grave of St. Olav. Construction began in 1070 but the building has seen many modifications since then. Europeans have traveled to this site as a pilgrimage for hundreds of years. Look here for more information about the cathedral.

I walked out to the piers overlooking the Trondheimfjord on my final day in the city and found this statue of Leif Erikson. My limited knowledge of viking history usually doesn't catch up with me, but I didn't know a whole lot about good ol' Leif. Here is what I found out: Although born in Iceland, his father, Erik the Red, was originally from Western Norway. It is said that Leif Erikson came to Trondheim two years before he left for North America, at which time he was converted to Christianity by the King of Norway, King Olav. The statue had this message at its base:

"Leiv Eirksson is an important symbol of ethnic pride for Americans of Nordic heritage. According to the Saga of Olav Tryggvason, Leiv sailed out from Trondheim harbor for his historic voyage to Vinland, now known as North America, in the year 1000... August Werner designed the original of this statue for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. The Leif Erikson Society of Seattle gave this replica to the city of Trondheim in 1997 to honor the thousand-year anniversaries of the founding of Trondheim and Leif Erikson's voyage to America."

Trondheim was not what I was expecting in terms of skiing, but I discovered just how great the city itself was.

I'm Melting!

With the US facing "Snowmageddon," we here in Oslo are precipitation deprived. No snow has fallen in the last two weeks or more. The Norwegian Meteorologist Institute reports that Oslo has received 47 mm (that is only 1.8 inches!) of precipitation over the last 30 days. Temperatures are tiptoeing above freezing, bringing an eerie warm that only means one thing- melting.

Needless to say, it's not a wintery frosted wonderland here anymore. Since I apparently only take pictures when the sun is out and everything is glimmering, I have no proof.

Regardless, I'm headed off to Trondheim tomorrow! Initially my thought was that going North would mean colder temps, but the forecast is suggesting otherwise. It won't stop me! I'm blazing onward, klister in hand!

Thanks for sticking with me- I know the posts have been few and far between, but prepare yourself for much more in the upcoming month! There is a lot on my plate, and I'm going to share as much as I can with you this February.