Randall 21st in Lahti 10K Freestyle
World Cup: Lahti
Mon, Mar 3, 2014 - By USSA
LAHTI, Finland (March 2) – Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) took the top spot for the USA Sunday with 21st in the 10k freestyle World Cup race, the final event of the Lahti Ski Games. Randall came off her Lahti sprint victory to finish 1:36 back from race-winner Marit Bjoergen of Norway. Noah Hoffman (Aspen, CO) led the U.S. with 24th in the men’s 15k race, where Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby took the win. Next, the athletes head to a single-day World Cup in Drammen, Norway for classic sprints next Wednesday March 5.
Kikkan Randall, seen here at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games, took the top spot for the USA Sunday with 21st in the 10k freestyle World Cup race, the final event of the Lahti Ski Games. (Getty Images/Richard Heathcote)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) took the top spot for the USA Sunday with 21st in the 10k freestyle World Cup race, the final event of the Lahti Ski Games.
- Randall came off her Lahti sprint victory to finish 1:36 back from race-winner Marit Bjoergen of Norway. Charlotte Kalla of Sweden took second and Therese Johaug of Norway third.
- Liz Stephen (East Montpelier, VT) posted the next-best finish for the USA in 32nd, while Holly Brooks (Anchorage) and Caitlin Gregg (Minneapolis, MN) finished 44th and 46th.
- Noah Hoffman (Aspen, CO) led the U.S. with 24th in the men’s 15k race.
- Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby took the victory for the men with Daniel Richardsson of Sweden second and Alexander Legkov third.
- The hard-packed base was covered in a layer of loose snow, which made for fast but tricky conditions for the men. Falling snow during the women’s race slowed down the athletes considerably during the 10k race.
- Next, the athletes head to a single-day World Cup in Drammen, Norway for classic sprints next Wednesday March 5.
QUOTES
Kikkan Randall
Lahti is a fun course to race. It’s basically two different 2.5k loops linked together and a couple big climbs but good recovery in between. Conditions were similar to yesterday with loose sugary snow over ice. During the women's race we had the added challenge of new falling snow, which slowed it down quite a bit.
I wanted to be a little faster and higher up in the results than I finished today. I started aggressive like I wanted to, struggled in the middle when my legs got tired but had a good last 2k following Marit (Bjoergen).
I'm excited that we're now in that time of year where we just race and recover now. We'll travel tomorrow to Oslo and just stay loose before Drammen and then get ready for Holmenkollen. I'm planning to race everything from here on and hope to keep sharpening.