First World Cup victory for Randall and Gloersen

Sun, Dec  17, 2006 - By FIS

The winners of the Sprint World Cup race in free technique in Rybinsk (RUS) were Kikkan Randall from the United States and the 21-year-old Anders Gloersen (NOR).

Kikkan Randall claim victory in the today's sprint race in the free technique and won with that the first ever victory for the US Team in the women Cross-Country World Cup. She finished just ahead of Astrid Jacobsen, the winner of the yesterday's mass start race and the home favourite Natalia Korosteleva. Also in the final were Magda Genuin (ITA, 4th place), Vesna Fabjan (SLO, 5th place) and Anna Dahlberg (SWE, 6th place).

In the last World Cup Sprint in Rybinsk (February 2007), Randall made her first podium with finishing third. Today she won her first World Cup race. Genuin and Fabjan skied for the first time in their career in the Final and reached with that their best place ever in a single World Cup race.

New leader in the overall World Cup is Astrid Jacobsen with 380 points ahead of her team mates Marit Bjoergen (312 points) and Vibeke Skofterud (234 points). In the sprint World Cup ranking, Natalia Matveeva is still in the lead with 182 points ahead of Astrid Jacobsen (160 points) and the winner of today's race, Kikkan Randall (115 points).

In the men's race, there was a surprise. The youngster and winner of the qualification round Anders Gloersen from Norway took the victory ahead of this team mates Ola Vigen Hattestad and Oystein Pettersen. The Final heat consisted of five Norwegians and one Swede but unfortunately there were two false starts. Emil Joensson (SWE) was responsible for the second false start and was placed according the rules on the last position of this heat, which means in this case the 6th place. Tor Arne Hetland finished 4th and Johan Kjoelstad 5th (both NOR).

For Gloersen, it was the first victory in a World Cup race on his third World Cup start. Ola Vigen Hattestad finished for the first time second in his career while Oystein Pettersen made his second podium place ever in a World Cup race.

In the overall World Cup, Axel Teichmann is still in the lead with 260 points. On second place is Tor Arne Hetland with 234 points followed by Lukas Bauer with 230 points. In the sprint World Cup, the leader is Johan Kjoelstad with 169 points ahead of Emil Joensson (134 points) and Bjoern Lind (131 points).

The next World Cup competitions will be on 28th of December with the start of the second Viessmann FIS Tour de Ski performance by Craft Sportswear.