Five Norwegians Make Sprint Final
January 23, 2008

Canmore World Cup Coverage Special to CrossCountrySkier.com See the rest of our coverage

Photos and text by Matt Muir

Petra Majdic Wins Women’s Classic Sprints by a Toe, Boerre Naess Leads Norwegian Sweep for Men

Kikkan Randall Qualifies 33rd and Outside of Elimination Rounds.  Andrew Newell, Chris Cook, and Torin Koos All Make it to First Elimination Round.

The Norwegian double-pole train at the 1.2k classic sprints. All of the A and B finalist opted to double pole on skate skis. (See larger version of this photo).

The Canmore Nordic Centre was host to its second day of World Cup racing as men and women competed in the 1.2k classic sprints.

Slovenia’s Petra Majdic won the women’s A final in a photo finish over Norwegian World Cup sprint leader, Astrid Jacobsen.  Yesterday’s women’s winner, Pole Justyna Kowalczyk, arrived third in the A final followed by Finns Virpi Kuitunen and Pirjo Muranen and then Slovakia’s Alena Prochazkova. 

Aino Kaisa Saarinen of Finland won the women’s B final.  Canadian Olympic gold medalist Chandra Crawford came in last place in the B Final, putting her in 12th place overall for the day.  Crawford stayed in the group over the crest of the course’s main hill but subsequently blew up somewhere before coming out into view again on the finishing flat.

Kikkan Randall’s qualifying run positioned her in 33rd place, three places out of making it into the quarterfinal elimination round.

The men’s A final was composed of five Norwegians and one Russian.  Boerre Naess beat out his teammates, in order, Ola Vigen Hattestad, Eldar Roenning, Anders Gloersen and Tor Arne Hetland.  Russian Nikita Kriukov fell on the course and eased across the line in sixth place, well behind the five Norwegians.  Kriukov angrily skied directly through the finishing chute, lightly shoving his way past media and officials.

The men’s B final was won by Sweden’s Emil Joensson.  Americans Andrew Newell, Chris Cook and Torin Koos all had good qualifying times but failed to get out of the quarterfinal elimination round.  Newell ended up 17th, then Cook in 20th and Koos, in 26th, rounded out the bunch.

Canadian Sara Renner was again racing for one of the first times since the birth of her child.  She was in the same quarterfinal heat as Crawford, though could not gain one of the first two advancing spots in her heat nor one of the overall wild card or “lucky loser” spots.  Renner finished 14th, just two spots out of the B final.

More on the next page